Cat people, dog people.

I love my cat.

This seems to strike some people as strange, especially 'dog people'. I use this term as it would appear that one must be either a 'dog person' or a 'cat person'. This is used to imply which domesticated animal one would rather live with. With the sole exception of late-night horror movies produced for the price of a can of Coca-Cola, it does not imply that you are a human/feline or human/canine hybrid.

It is widely believed that dogs inspire love much more than cats. I can understand this, given a cat's ability to be in a truly horrible mood.

However, it appears to me - in my unashamedly biased fashion - that cat people tend to feel compassion for dogs more readily than if the opposite is true. Dog owners would likely claim this as evidence that dogs are better, their love cracking through even the hardened carapace of a cat person's heart. I contend that instead we, the cat people, are better.

When someone does not like cats, they make no effort to conceal this fact. If someone is in my home and is approached by my cat they will readily scream their distaste, yelling at her to leave or even threatening harm. It is not uncommon for people to joke about murdering cats. I could never imagine making the same comments about dogs.

See, the dog has better PR. It is 'man's best friend'. To insult a person's dog is to insult their ally or child. Much as I have always resisted the urge to punt another person's child over a low fence, have I resisted the urge to ask them to keep their dog's gigantic nose out of my mouth.

But cats? Nope. People are fine insulting cats. And despite the feline's poor PR allowing the image of a 'cat person' to become a desperate, lonely old lady, I freely admit that my cat is a beloved member of my family. So when someone mentions their desire to kill a cat, or much worse my cat, I cannot help but take it in the same context as if someone were to say 'people with glasses are smelly idiots that I enjoy stabbing to death in their tiny, withered brains'.

Of course, this is not a conscious choice, and whether someone prefers dogs or cats is up to them and their own business.

Myself, I cannot help but respect cats. Sometimes my cat Mo Mo will desire attention and sometimes she will wish to murder anyone who attempts to look in her direction. Her moods refuse to take mine into account. She is her own person, and I like that.

Dogs love you no matter what. Due to my lack of self-confidence I thus assume that it must be an act, a lifelong confidence scam to win my trust. One day the dogs will laugh at my expense and hideous features.