"Why Dogs are Better than Cats:" A Book Even a Feline Could Love
Published December 3, 2010
When I first heard about the book, "Why Dogs are Better than Cats", written by New York Times bestselling author, Bradley Trevor Greive, illustrated with extraordinary photographs by Rachel Hale, I immediately unsheathed my claws, arched my back and my neck hairs bristled.
How dare he publicly issue such an uneducated statement?
I must caution fellow cat aficionados, you may initially experience a similar reaction when first reading the book. However, I can fully guarantee that dog lovers, who have not had the pleasure of living with cats, will start wagging their tails in agreement and feel validated by the author's professed adoration of his canine companions.
Mr. Greive sets the tone by quoting James Thurber, "I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance -- a sharp, vindictive glance." But as I forced myself to continue reading, while hurling aloud nasty epitaphs at the author, I actually became spell-bound by his delightful writing style. Additionally, since he admits he is highly allergic to cats I suspect that part of his inspiration for writing the book may have been an unconscious feeling of cat- deprivation.
His words, "The phrase, 'Familiarity breeds contempt' has its origins in the description of cat-human relations. Cats will never adore their owners or aspire to assimilate in the way a dog does. Over the course of their lives, cats do not venture down any path toward devotion but merely attain what can be described as conditioned tolerance," show that his understanding of felines is based on a need to rationalize his displeasure with them.
One of the chapter headings titled, "Dogs are Social; Cats are Sociopaths" could be considered further evidence for my theory. He does somewhat ameliorate his accusatory statement with his next chapter, "Cats are Not Without their Charms". There is hope, after all.
But putting any mud-slinging aside, this beautifully-presented book is both charming and magnificently written. The author can captivate even the most avid cat lover, once you realize the book is in fact, written tongue-in-cheek.
I frequently found myself giggling out loud.
The chapter titled "Cat People and Dog People, a Study in Contrasts", is a treat in itself.
His opening statements, "What makes a normal decent human being become a "cat person? Obviously a trick question since normal folk would never own a cat. But, of those people who do, there are three basic personality types," immediately piqued my curiosity.
His theories on the topic are fascinating and even though some readers may grimace at some of his premises, he certainly offers a great deal of food for thought.
I highly recommend "Why Dogs are Better than Cats" to all animal lovers. Not only is it enjoyable reading, the phenomenal photographs, coupled by their rather hysterical captions, will offer hours on end of viewing pleasure. This is a book that will grace one's living room coffee tables, although uninitiated friends may suspect you may have lost your mind.
Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, the retail price for the hard-copy edition is $19.99 USA,($24.50 Canada).
Shortly after retiring as a social worker and psychotherapist, I discovered my "writer's voice"…
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Comments (10)
I like both, but am fonder of cats. Maybe it's just that I've known some particularly awesome felines (our current cat has converted several dog people), or maybe it's that most people don't really understand how to raise them properly. I've rough-housed with our cat since he was a kitten, and as an adult cat he's both very playful and incredibly gentle. Our nine month old son has pulled his tail and fur more times than I can count, and our cat has never bitten or scratched him once. He knows his name, comes (usually) when called, and knows our neighbors and which ones have dogs - one of our dog owning neighbors says that he's always in a tree when she sees him, and comes down to greet her if she doesn't have the dogs with her. But I think my real reason for being a cat over a dog person is this: if fascism ever comes to America, the dogs will be wagging their tails and licking faces. The cats will not be so easily won over.
I currently have 6 dogs (5 are mine, one is a foster), and 2 cats... of the 8 animals, 6 are rescues. I am a dog person to the infinite degree! I have one great cat, Pokie, and one evil cat, Cross (named by my son because he was cross eyed, but it suits him perfectly!). I much more prefer dogs over cats.. for one thing, I don't have to clean out a litter box after the dogs!! I don't mind cats like Pokie, but you never know what you'll get when you rescue a cat/kitten, and being as I prefer my dogs more, I have no plans of owning another cat after these two pass. However, I have had a few cats that were great companions, and one that definitely has "issues" with everyone! I will have to get this book, for the tongue in cheekiness of it, as well as (being a dog person), I'm sure it will be a great read!! =)
I love both dogs and cats... I grew up with 6 rescued dogs and 3 rescued cats who we raised from kittens. I don't agree with the assumption that cats ever only show "tolerance" to their owners, because my cat Maggie, a multi-colored tabby (beautiful mixture of orange, dark brown, and even streaks of green!) was as affectionate as any of my dogs. She ran up to me every time, would purr so hard she resembled the sound my lawn mower makes, and when I bent down she would stretch and rub her nose hard against my nose in a "kiss." She was the sweetest cat I ever had, and this book definitely sounds like something I would try reading.
I am entirely a cat-person, even though I had both dogs and cats as a child. Been sitting here trying to figure out a Xmas gift for my best friend and her husband and I think perhaps this is It. They've had both and currently have a basset hound named Huckleberry.I feel like "He's cute... for a dog. But he's not a cat!"
I am another that loves both. As I write this, I have a cat watching the cursor and a dog lying at my feet. There is another cats staring at me from across the room. LOL In total, I have 7 cats and 3 dogs. I love both species for different reasons. My dogs are great outdoor companions, which I need for hikes and outdoor activities like gardening and such since I will never let my cats outside. And the cats are great for humbling me. LOL (And lap warming.) I don't think one species is better than the other....just different. But I want to check out this book. Thanks, Jo, for bringing it to our attention. :)
Well, I love both. I had dogs as pets as a child (my mother was terrified of cats.) My first pet, as an adult, was a cat. I lived in apartment located in an area that was not welcoming to people walking their dog. I had two cats when I got my first dog, a Boston, who immediately started trying to "get" my cats. My cats always won (several trips to the emergency vet) did not deter that dog. At one time, I had 3 cats and 3 dogs. I am now down to just two dogs, my last cat, Samantha, passed over the Rainbow Bridge in January at the ripe old age of 19 going on 20. Much as I love my dogs, I miss having a cat and am starting to check out our shelter's web site. My last cat allowed my two very gentle dogs to play with her so they think all cats are accommodating. We can love both!
Hisses and a hairball to the uninformed, ignorant and sadly deluded Greive. And maybe there are redeeming features in this tome; we'll never know, as we agree with Ruth that the funds are better spent on, in our case, survival. As for people "owning" cats, or any other living being, you know by now how that angry that term makes me, so I'll leave it at that.