Cats, Their Own Boss
Cats, opposite to dogs, preserve their dignity and are reserved animals, and will not do things just because the owner says so. Dogs will most undoubtedly accept the command. Cats don't learn tricks not because they are less intelligent than dogs, but simply because they don't see their usefulness. If they feel the need to exercise any body part they will stretch, jump or even open door knobs as a way of getting into the house when looking for shelter away from cold, and this only because they know they will get something in return.
That the owners think that their cats are adorable or smart is not relevant. Playing, nevertheless, is another matter. Even older cats love to frisk and skip about with a toy mouse and other things like that. A thing that calls their attention even more is how, once having known the human world, they add to it their own survival instinct.
Dogs tend to wander about until they feel weak, while cats, much before getting to those limits look for a warm place and food in places they know they will get them. For example, homes. There are many cases in which alley cats find a new home appealing and insisting on the good hearts of generous families or people.
One more family member
Though cats are animals of customs and they value the stability of what they already know, they lack from that sense of loyalty that is so characteristic in dogs. There is no equivalent to Lassie in cats. It is not frequent to hear about cats that cry when their owners die, or of them trying to wake his owner up when there is a fire in the house. Cats are pragmatic creatures. They know that their survival is more important than anything else.
If they could laugh, they would giggle at the thought of faithful dogs, because in case of fire surely cats would be the first ones to jump out the window. This doesn't mean that they don't feel love or something like that towards their owners and other favorite members of the family. Hodge, Samuel Johnson's cat, was probably very pleased with all the attention that the doctor gave him, as was the doctor with those Hodge offered him.
Maybe it is true that cats live the moment and that dogs go through all their life waiting for what the future will bring them. The future of a cat may be uncertain, but as satisfied as might seem, he always keeps that basic instinct from its wild habitat where he knows one has to fight to keep its territory, look for food, and a safe place to sleep.
