Zip is great fun for me and Maria; we talk about him all day and visit him several times daily. Seeing him adjust to the farm and be cared for is a joy.
A reader messaged me today to caution me that I “am not a cat person…yet…” I think she meant the comment as a joke, but there is truth to it. I am not a cat person; I’m very much a dog (and donkey) person.
I don’t like labels, but I love our new barn cat.
That doesn’t make me a “cat person.”
One of the best studies of the difference between dog and cat lovers was published recently on WebMD. As dogs and cats are different, so are the people who own and love them. It’s unusual for one person to consider themselves as both.
Cat people, for example, are more likely to be moody, different, individualist, and independent, just like cats. Dog owners are generally more outgoing and enthusiastic than cat people. These are generalizations, of course, but they make sense to me and affirm my observations.
Cat people are more likely to be introverts and live on the edges. Dog and cat people are more likely to be like their pets than they might think.
A Harvard study found that women love dogs because they see them as affectionate and emotional. Men like dogs because they are friends who can’t talk; they become instant silent chums. You can see the survey results here.
The truth is I don’t really want or need to be a cat person. I’m open to loving animals in general and I’m happy to leave it that way.
(Photos by Maria Wulf and Me)
For me, a writer who works alone, dogs are companions and company, the best friends I am likely to have.
That is something cats often choose not to be. Dogs give themselves over to their humans and live to please them in many cases. Cats slither around a little more than I like.
Cats, I have read, value their independence, just like the strong woman I’m married to. She is a cat person.
She and Zip are already close to one another but don’t need or want to spend all day together or even live together in the house. I never write without Zinnia being near me; she is happy to be with me all day and ride quietly wherever I go.
She is not my “furbabie” or cute little child, and dressing her up in human clothes upsets my stomach.
Zinnia sleeps in bed with us. I can’t imagine Zip will be doing that, nor does Maria wish for that to happen. They each have their own lives and set boundaries.
As I’ve written, I believe dog people and cat people are different. People love dogs because they become instant companions and love us without much reservation, doubt, or hard work.
Cats are much more complex. They have never been as fully domesticated as dogs have been; the tiger is very visible in Zip.
Cats retain their independence and individual will; they rarely turn themselves over to us in the way dogs do. Dogs attract people searching for a company in a country filled with disconnected people; cat people have to work hard and patiently to get their cats to love them.
It’s not always easy to know if they do.
I’m a hybrid regarding animals, and I wouldn’t say I like the labels that have taken hold of people in America. Nobody gets to label me without my permission.
I don’t believe I will ever give up being a dog person, although Zip could turn me in that way if any animal could. He’s caught my imagination.
He loves disappearing into the hydrangeas. He loves hiding out in bushes and flower gardens.
Zip was stalking the pigeons who couldn’t fly into the barn anymore; they walked around under the window, confused. He’s walking there too.
The mother pigeon still comes into his barn to feed her squabs. Zip is transfixed; she better move elsewhere.
He disappears for hours, then pops up unexpectedly. Where’s Zip?
Zip is safest when Maria and I are with him, but he’s getting more daring and competent as he explores the gardens, the marshes, and lilac bushes. He is a hell-raiser; he is quite a personality – intelligent, playful, and fun.
Zip has figured out that chipmunks are living up in the apple tree. He is anxious to meet them.
He keeps chasing Zinnia around the farm; he wants to play with her, but she just runs away. She’s used to licking cats on the noise; she has no idea how to play with them, so she runs off. Zip is not easily discouraged; he’ll keep at it. Fate runs whenever Zip gets close. Bud pretends not even to see Zip.
He can take care of himself.
I love how Zip has found his kingdom at Bedlam Farm and is expanding his territory. I think you are an ‘animal’ person, John. You may have preferences but you respect all living things.
Until a few years ago, I had a Border Collie, a cat, two birds, and an aquarium of fish. I loved their differences, and how they all got along in their respective ways.
Add me to the list of readers entranced by Zip. And completely immersed in his journey to becoming a Bedlam Farm regular.
interesting survey/article. I try not to label or categorize people…. I would just say you seem to be OPEN to loving all animals pretty much……but *prefer* the companionship your dogs give you. There are no barriers to loving any animal….. to me it is a matter of preference (even just for one particular animal). ….certainly food for thought (except for the labels) LOL
Susan M
Well, you definitely are a Zip person. So glad you, Maria, and Zip found each other. From your description, he seems like a bright and curious cat. Thanks for sharing his life at Bedlam Farm with us.
Zip is just gorgeous. He has beautiful markings and his white whiskers are magnificent. I love the looks of “tuxedo cats”. What a lucky boy he is to have found such a loving home.
Jon, I’m a cat person and an introvert. But I do like dogs also. Since you got Zip, I’ve been sharing every article with a Facebook group called “Show Me the Catitude.”
I may have shared with you how cats and dogs differ, but just in case, here it is: Dogs think “My owner feeds me, take me out to relieve myself, gives me a warm bed, and takes me on long walks. He must be God.” But cats think “My owner lets me run free and stay outside. She does what I want to do and comes at my beck and call. I must be God!”