The cliche goes that there are two kinds of people in the world: dog people and cat people. On TV and in the movies, the handsome leading man who gets the girl is always a dog person. Cat people are generally portrayed as uptight shut-ins or old maids.

How this cultural bias began, I don’t know. But it is pervasive in our society. Men who have cats invariably will refer to the pet as “my wife’s cat” or, at best, “our cat”, as if there were some deep shame to a man enjoying the presence of a feline. But the dog, that is “his” dog. A manly pet, fit for hunting and tracking and riding in the pickup truck. The dog is man’s best friend; the cat is just a furry little thing that takes up residence in the home.

The odd thing about this stereotype is that for most lifestyles a cat is an infinitely more practical pet. Single income families are disappearing from the economic landscape. When both spouses work (or if a person is single), there is no one home during the day to feed, walk, and play with the dog. And if there is anything that dogs hate, it is to be unable to eat, relieve themselves, and play.

Cats, on the other hand, could generally care less if you leave them alone for hours at a time. They will pick at their food throughout the day, so feeding is a breeze. The litter box or a cat flap will take care of their other needs. Play time is not on the agenda.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love dogs. Dogs are wonderful pets. But I just don’t think that being a dog person means that you have to hate cats. I don’t even think that I am a dog person. I’d go with a third category of “pet person”. Dogs, cats, fish, turtles, hamsters, guinea pigs, even a snake – they’ve all made good pets for our family.

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