I watched a friend’s Yorkie this past weekend and snickered as he and my own critters sized each other up. This got me thinking about “Dog and Cat politics” and their personality types. You can’t watch the news this time of year without being bombarded by opinions on how to run our country. I see some repeating traits in dog and cat breeds that just can’t be ignored. Let’s discuss some common personality types and anthropomorphize how they might fit into human politics!
The “cautious soul”…. These pets often believe a strong offense is the best defense. I’ve mentioned before that I spent a decade of winters traipsing the globe doing volunteer veterinary work. My cat, Twinkle, came from an island where dogs ran in packs and ate cats. She now has a sneaking suspicion that all dogs are up to no good. Until proven otherwise they are not to be trusted! She may be my gentle family pet, but she intimidates the heck out of most dogs. When she meets new dogs, she initiates a first strike to let them know she has their number. If Twinkle were to vote I figure she would first run background checks on the candidates.
Then we have pets with the “aim to please” personality. These pets are eager to do what we wish. I knew a Shepherd who was so good that he even tattled on the other pets when they were up to no good. His human used to call him the “fun police”. When her other critters were being naughty he would alert her. These “aim to please” personality types are good followers!
The “spaz”… These are the overly exuberant souls. Other pets in the home may stare at the humans with a look that says, “You brought this wild thing into our home”? These spazzy pets are too busy being crazy to notice that the other pets are not amused. The classic example is when a well-meaning human brings a puppy into the perfectly calm home with a mature feline. Luckily the feline has pointy toes and fangs to teach the puppy a few lessons before the puppy gets big enough to injure the cat. Kittens are often spazzy, but once kittens grow up they are usually too civilized to act like that – unless someone breaks out the baggie of cat nip, of course. Spazzy pets probably don’t even notice there is an election going on.
The nervous nellies… You know the type. They just can’t settle down and relax unless they are at home. Heaven forbid part of their pack is out of the house to catch a movie or interact with other humans. You might come home to find the nervous nellie standing on the kitchen table and peering out the window, monitoring for your safe arrival home. You can bet a nervous nellie would meticulously evaluate the issues before an election.
The “old timers”…. This might be the old gray-faced Labrador. He’s ready to pass the torch to the next generation. He might think, “Yeah, I used to get up and bark at the mailman, but now I let junior take care of him. Life is good. Why bother”! He’s sliding into retirement. He is smart enough to know there is an election going on and surely has his opinions, but might not even bother getting off the couch to vote.
NOTE: Consult your veterinarian first to make sure my recommendations fit your pets special health needs.
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