Cats and dogs: Difference in relationships

I love all the animals around my neighborhood, so much so that I’ve started to build a relationship with a few of them—especially the dogs. But the cats? Not so much.

Almost every day in the summer, I went on walks with my parents after dinner. It was a great way to spend time with my family, watching the sky slowly turn dark and digesting the hearty meal we had eaten earlier. 

We would usually discuss daily matters or listen to a podcast on our stroll, but I believed the main attraction were the animals. They always kept me entertained, and it motivated me to go on the walks every day so that I could see them. When they weren’t there, I was disappointed but told myself that they might be there tomorrow.

Every day at a specific spot, we would see a certain dog on our way up and down the road. He was small, dark grey, and barked a lot. Whenever my parents and I came close to the fence, he would come running over as if he remembered our scent and barked loudly. It was these moments that I enjoyed most during the summer, when I could laugh and be with my family carefree.

When we came back, there were a total of five cats around my neighborhood, but I usually only see three of them from time to time. They would all roam around to other homes, so I found myself fortunate living in a neighborhood where all my neighbors were comfortable with each other.

I would try to greet the cats, but they would always look away or dismiss me. One time, the cat had even run away and went inside when it saw that I tried to come closer, which honestly hurt my feelings a little. Regardless, I have grown up with these cats on my street, but it wasn’t until this summer that I started to notice their behavior and habits.

My encounter with these animals showed a clear difference between dogs and cats. I didn’t expect them all to be friendly, but the dogs seemed more energetic and intrigued when they met strangers. This explains why most people consider dogs as the better companion for humans.

Therefore, when you see animals around the street, just know that the dogs will always bark at you to show their playfulness while the cats probably won’t care too much. Although I love cats too, dogs are considered man’s best friend for a reason.

Even now when I go home from school, I look to see if the black and white cat is there on my neighbor’s front porch every day. It’s a reminder to me that no matter what hardships I have to go through that day, there are friends around that keep me going.