Observing the behavior of cats and dogs living in the same home, you can notice how different these animals are. Their reactions to the same things and actions can be completely opposite, so it's sometimes unclear what to expect from living next to these pets.
Reaction to food
Dogs are omnivores. They happily eat anything their owner offers them, especially if they're hand-fed. However, their ability to easily digest anything doesn't protect them from potential poisoning. Therefore, it's important to feed your dog special food or healthy snacks, monitoring what they eat.
Cats, on the other hand, are picky eaters. They'd rather go hungry than eat something they don't like. If your pet refuses a treat, check the expiration date and quality of the food. It's essential to offer an alternative, as starving cats can be dangerous to their health.
Reaction to the games
Dogs perceive their owners as the pack leader, so they play with them accordingly: non-aggressively and without attacking. They enjoy active and noisy outdoor play and social interaction.
According to zoologists, cats view their owners as "big, friendly cats." Therefore, when playing with humans, cats behave as if they were their own kind: sneaking up on them, pouncing surreptitiously, and abruptly ending the game if they've had enough.
Reaction to guests
Unless a dog has been trained as a guard dog, it's usually happy to welcome new people into the home. However, the pet will rely on its owner's reaction: if the owner trusts the newcomer, the dog will too.
With cats, things aren't so clear-cut. It's impossible to predict how a cat will react to a stranger. She might hiss and lunge at one, then cuddle up to another. Her reaction will depend on her own observations: at first, a pet might observe a guest in an inconspicuous place, and then make contact.
Reaction to the owner
For a dog, its owner is its leader. Therefore, pets require constant interaction and communication with their owner: this helps them feel safe. This explains why dogs remain happy even after their owner returns from the store 10 minutes later.
Cats are more independent animals. If a cat knows its food bowl is full, its litter box is clean, and it's recently played, it won't bother its owner for a long time. However, despite their love of freedom, cats are no less emotionally attached to humans than dogs.
Answering the call
Dogs primarily distinguish people by smell and sight, but they can also distinguish their owner's voice from others. When a dog hears its owner, its "reward, treat" reflex is triggered, and it joyfully runs toward them.
Cats, on the other hand, are excellent at distinguishing human voices and can immediately recognize "their" human. However, over the course of evolution, to survive and avoid becoming prey, they have adapted to concealing their emotions. Therefore, they react to their owner's call almost imperceptibly: their pupils dilate, and their ears stretch toward the source of the sound. To a person, this may seem as if the cat didn't hear them or ignored them.
Command training
Training dogs with treats is not difficult. Gradually, the dog will learn all the commands its owner requires and will happily perform them for a reward. Cats are just as trainable as dogs. The main challenge with training cats is that they only do it when they feel like it. But with time and patience, you can achieve remarkable results.
The examples described above demonstrate how different cats and dogs are. They share one thing: love and devotion to their owners, even if they show it in their own ways.
