Category: Dogs

A case for equal rights for cats.

Cats are just about on a par with dogs in the popularity stakes as a companion pet with dogs just edging it so in theory we should be treating their interests and rights equally. But unfortunately it appears that cats do not have the same PR status as dogs with cats tending to be ignored in favour of dogs and in many instances virtually discriminated against.

Cats cannot do anything right.

As a society we do not take their welfare and interests as seriously as dogs. There is a definite bias in the law with most regulating and protecting dogs while cats are mostly disregarded and left legally owner-less. Recently the UK introduced a new law controlling puppy farming but not kitten farming, although it did bring in new rules protecting the sale of kittens. There is no mandatory microchipping as there is with dogs and you must report a dog injured in a road traffic collision but not a cat. We have had a cat crisis in the UK for years with thousands of stray and feral cats roaming the country, but no government initiative to solve the problem unlike dogs where we introduced dog wardens.

Dog and cat
Cats and dogs give us equal affection and loyalty so why do we treat them differently.

There is only one national cat animal charity in the UK compared with several that concentrate on dogs and it only receives half the donations of just one of those helping dogs. “I hate cats” is a more often heard phrase than “I hate dogs“. The internet is awash with implements and gizmos including electronic and ultrasonic scarers, motion water sprinklers and prickle strips to drench, electrocute and generally maim them and even pellets impregnated with the essence of lion dung is sold to ward them off.

We basically allow dogs to poo where they want and we mostly turn a blind eye to all the abandoned plastic bags whereas cats are still vilified for messing in a flower bed even though they have the decency to cover up their toiletry antics unlike dogs. We allow dogs to roam open spaces, chase wildlife and livestock and often cause a nuisance but cats are maligned for roaming free and following their predatory instincts of stalking birds and small animals. We commit more cruelty on cats for these reasons and in some parts of the world attempt to ban their keeping or legally confine indoors.

Television documentaries nearly all focus on dogs with cats rarely getting a look in, so we have the Dog Rescuers and For the Love of Dogs with Paul O’Grady to name just two. Then we have the annual coverage of Crufts Dog Show but to my knowledge never a cat show. Battersea Dogs Home is also a cats home, but this part of the title is rarely referred to. There are so many examples of how we denigrate cats in preference to dogs.

Cats win over dogs on social media.

The one place that cats win over dogs appears to be internet social media sites and unfortunately for the wrong reasons. People love to make videos of cats being silly or cute or being forced to do unnatural acts so that we can have a good laugh at them. Most of them are not funny at all and cats could do without them. There are dozens of ‘famous cats’ getting millions of hits like Grumpy cat or keyboard cat videos of a ginger cat in a dress playing a toy piano or a cat in a shark costume on a roomba chasing a duckling. There is sadly no end to them.

In the real world there is no way of ignoring the fact that cats rank second to dogs in our modern society and are far more maligned than the dog. This has come about as many people do not like the fact that they are so independent of us and difficult to dominate. They have a take it or leave it attitude towards us. We view them as less of a companion pet as we cannot share as many of our interests with them such as hiking, a car drive or a trip down the shops and because of this we do not care as much about them. It is also why we are less concerned about so many millions being culled and killed around the world each year when a single healthy dog being euthanised causes such outrage.

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We Have Turned Dogs Into Neurotic Wrecks

Not satisfied with mutilating the physical makeup of dogs over the last century we have now, by all accounts, inflicted our mental health problems onto them making them neurosis ridden wrecks that require a legion of behaviourists, clinical animal behaviourists, psychiatrists, counsellors and a variety of trainers to make them compliant and contented with our modern lifestyles. We are basically messing with their minds because they are confused about their place in our lives and suffering from the lack of freedom and attention they require.

Dogs now allegedly suffer from depression, separation anxiety, stress, panic attacks, social anxiety, noise anxiety , Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, phobias, aggression, self mutilation, compulsive licking through boredom, excessive sleeping through depression, inappropriate toiletry (that’s messing in the house to me and you), inappropriate vocal behaviour (that’s barking when they get frustrated, bored or excited) and destructiveness – to name a few. This situation has resulted in the rise of the new science and burgeoning industry of animal behaviour with thousands of experts making a very productive living out of it.

The causes of all this anguish, according to “experts”, include being left alone too much, being abused, loud noises, lack of stimulating exercise, changes to their routine, upsets within the family, not being given enough attention and petting, not being taken on familiar walks and being taken out by strangers. Coincidentally many of the reasons why some people should not acquire a dog in the first place.

Latch-Key dogs were mentally happier and healthier

I can remember the days of the “latch-key” dog, so named because their owners let them out in the morning not expecting to see them back until their dinner time. They could roam to their heart’s content, be dogs by following their natural behaviours and seek human or fellow canine companionship whenever they chose. They had the best of all worlds and were happier and more healthy for it. Sure they got into fights, had quite a few illegitimate kids and occasionally got hit by cars, when as an RSPCA officer working in the east of London, I had to help them out, but they were robust and owners didn’t feel the need to rush them for psychotherapy.

I am not suggesting for one moment that we should return to those days and it would be impossible anyway because of our change in attitudes to the care and management of dogs. Changes in the law dictate that they must be kept under strict control in public and even at home, severely restricting their opportunities to express their natural behaviours. We incarcerate them home alone due to work and social commitments and often ignore them when we are present. Many owners further stifle their natural instincts by treating them as children, dressing them up and carrying them around in bags or strollers. We also unfairly expect them to participate in any extreme sport we can invent for them. We have made them totally dependent on us for all their survival and recreational needs so no wonder they are stressed.

dog looking longingly out of window
Dreaming of the days of the latch-key dog?

The part we all play in shaping their mental health

It is common now to be a weekend dog owner, leaving them home alone when they are at work or out enjoying themselves and pass their responsibilities onto dog day creches, professional dog walkers or take them to a dog play parks where they have to cope with dozens of other dogs jumping all over them while trying to establish their position in the pack. Much of this is very confusing for the dog and makes it difficult for them to bond with an owner.

At the other end of the spectrum we have owners who look upon them as buddies, pet kids and soul mates and insist they accompany them everywhere, whether suitable or not, which on the face of it is very laudable, but it can be a selfish attitude with no guarantee that the dog is enjoying the activity we are thrusting on it. So we shut them in cars, take them shopping, tie them up outside shops, allow children to manhandle them, demean them by dressing them up in absurd clothes , carry them around in handbags, put them in prams and strollers, drag them behind bikes or tow them behind in buggies, make them run marathons and convince ourselves they are enjoying it. The dogs would perhaps rather be doing something else such as just being a dog and doing doggy things.

Those left home alone without any stimulus for long periods unsurprisingly get depressed and are further frustrated, confused and spooked when owners, wanting to ease their guilt, use high tech equipment to spy on them, talk to them from the ether and feed them while nowhere in sight. And thanks to the present mania for training, we drive them mad by using “clickers” or whistles to control them and browbeat them by putting electric collars on them, constantly yank their leads, shout at them and in some instances hit them.

Dog clicker training
Clicking dogs to distraction.

Owners need more training

No wonder the modern day dog has so many hangups just like many of their modern day owners. Ironically it is not really the dogs that need the education and counselling, but owners who should fully understand and take note of the part we all play in shaping a dog’s mental health.

We have bred them to be companion animals and so it follows that we should do everything possible to give them a stable quiet home where they are the focus of our attention as their’s is to us. But it must not be at the expense of their freedoms and natural behaviours. There has to be a balance. If this means discouraging dog ownership with more emphasis on the suitability of owners to take on the responsibility of a dog then so be it. Instead of finding more artificial ways of coping with a dog, we may have to consider curbing ownership and do more to allow dogs to be dogs.

Related articles:

How to Avoid Being a Thoughtless Dog Owner
Just When You Thought the Barbara Woodhouse Days Were Over
Ear cropping of dogs, time to make it illegal to own one.