Dogs vs. Cats

It's a battle that goes back centuries. . . dogs vs. cats.  I happen to be a "dog person."  If you insult my dog, you insult me and I'm going to make sure you know that!

Recently, my neighbors asked me to feed their two cats when they had to make an unexpected trip out of town for a family emergency.  They gave me feeding instructions and told me where to find the food.  Can a cat really survive with only a 5 minute trip inside the house to leave food once a day?

The first day (less than 24 hours after they left), I went over to put food in the cat dishes and make sure there was plenty of water.  Since there was ample food in the bowls, I left a little less food than my neighbors instructed.

The next day the bowls were licked clean, not a trace of food.  On the third day, same thing, only this time, one of the cats was pacing the floor when I arrived like it hadn't been fed in a week.  I quickly e-mailed my neighbors, "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No, that one is probably upset that we are not home."

The cat would have nothing to do with me.  But as soon as I walked away from the feeding bowls, it pounced on the food.  "Well, you could leave some for the other kitty," I said to it.  The cat ignored me.

When my neighbors returned, I'm told the cat ignored them.  It wasn't happy that they left it alone.  I never saw the second cat!  My dog would be jumping with joy all over me, even when I return home from work, even more from being gone several days!

I was relaying this story at work with another "cat person." 

"Cats have an attitude and they hold grudges," she told me.

The other difference between dogs and cats. . . My neighbors had emptied their kitchen trash can before they left but did not put another plastic trash bag inside.  So I put the first empty cat food can on top of the lid and left the house.  On my return, that can had been tossed all over the kitchen floor and licked totally clean!  So then I put the can and lid on the kitchen counter.  The next trip over there found several cans and lids of cat food scattered all over the floor!  I promptly took a trash can liner from my house and put it in the trash can, put all the cat food cans inside and closed the lid!

I know cats can have their loveable moments.  But God made me a dog person and I don't want to change!