| (iStock) | Hello, and happy weekend. In a newsletter a few weeks back, I wrote about a study that attempted to get at why Americans seem to place a higher "economic value" on pet dogs than cats, as measured by higher spending on products and veterinary services. The researcher's conclusion, I wrote then, was this: "We have a greater sense of control over dogs because they respond to our desires more willingly than cats, which enhances our sense of "psychological ownership" of them and, in turn, increases our attachment to them." I asked readers of this newsletter to respond to this idea, and dozens of you did. (Thank you! Tell your friends to subscribe!) It's hard to sum up all the reactions you shared, many of which were funny, and nearly all of which were thoughtful. | | In general, I can report that we have a healthy subscriber population of both cat lovers and dog lovers, including many who are both. When it came to the spending gap, several readers argued that there are more services and products for dogs — "Cats, like kids, prefer to play with the box it came in," wrote Patricia Conley — and that their food and trips to the vet are pricier. What's more, a few readers said, cats hide pain better than dogs, need treatment less often because they spend more time indoors, and tend to be more difficult about taking medications or going to a veterinary clinic. (To be clear: I have no data to support or refute these notions.) But most responses relied heavily on anecdote — stories of personal relationships with cats and dogs, and what they might tell us about their respective values. Many didn't address the idea of economic value at all. But that's okay. They were fun to read, and so I'm sharing just a few comments here. "What self-respecting cat would need to be groomed weekly or clothed or outfitted with a designer collar?" — Barbara Michalec | | "I think dogs are valued more because cats are misunderstood." — Marcia Gunnoe "Dogs are useful in a broader range of ways than cats, and we do value work here in the U.S." — Charles Studholme While dogs are hierarchical, and let people be the boss, cats are more fluid, and "this makes interacting with the cat more of a diplomatic project." — Sarah Daniel | | "Both my husband and I talk to him all the time. I'm sure he understands most things except politics, but who of us does?" — Susan Lynn, about her cat Jake "Cats are deeply charming, affectionate creatures. Dogs are deeply charming, affectionate creatures who think humans are, too." — Zach Etheridge "I think a lot has to do with eyes. A dog has human eyes, a cat does not. I think that simple fact makes dogs more human (and therefore more relatable) than cats." — Ellen Isaacoff | | "One only has to learn the love language of cats — ears, squinty eyes, tails, purrs, and vocalizations to know how much cats love us. It's silly to keep comparing dogs to cats, when they express the same emotions differently." — Melinda Charles And finally, one of a few cat haikus sent by reader Miriam Helbrook: Feline alarm clock: Paw softly taps human limb | | Breakfast time! Wake up! Thanks, as always, for reading! | | | Recommended for you | | Get The Optimist newsletter | | A selection of inspiring stories to help you disconnect, hit refresh and start the week off right, delivered every Sunday. | | | | | | | | | | |
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