by Carrie Frost

Created on: October 28, 2009   Last Updated: October 29, 2009

You may have noticed that your dog would rather hang out and have fun with you more than your cat. This is because in the wild dogs are essentially pack animals where cats are mostly solitary. I say mostly because lions travel in groups or prides.

Dogs are born with the need to have companions, to travel in groups, and to have a leader who is going to show them the ropes. Cats on the other hand like their solitude and will only come into close contact with each other to mate. A feline mother is the only one who takes care of her babies. The father leaves after impregnating her and has nothing to do with his kittens unless he plans on eating them. In a pack of wolves, everyone raises the pups. The entire pack takes responsibility for protecting, feeding, and teaching the pups survival skills. Because a dog or wolf is raised this way, they crave to be part of a family unit or pack. Cats are raised solitary so they grow up to be solitary. Dogs may also travel in packs because it is easier to take down prey or because there is protection in numbers.

Lions, like I said before, are the only exception to this rule. Lions, like wolves like to travel in groups. Now in both lions and wolves there are such things as lone wolves or rogue lions. These are just the ones that have been run off and they will often compete with the leader of a pack or pride for control. With other big cats like leopards, there is no reason to fight over anything but territory or a potential mate. After that everyone goes back to doing what they do best. For a wolf or dog, loyalty goes to the pack. They work as a unit, moving as one. To them a pack without structure is not a pack at all, but a mess where everyone is fighting for control. A dog with a structured lifestyle will be a very happy and loving companion. Cats are born to be with their family until they are driven off to fend for themselves.

In conclusion, dogs are a more loyal and devoted creature because they need to be in a group, they love being part of a pack with a leader. Whereas cats like being by themselves, they love the solitary that the wild offers and they take advantage of it.

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