Historical reasons
A dispute between two dogs is often resolved without actual fighting because dogs have inherited a complex set of signals from the wolf, their ancestor. These signals stop the animal when it sees a more dangerous opponent. Cats, unlike dogs, originate from solitary predators. They lack such abilities because they do not have such a frequent need for contact. It follows that cats are more cautious, especially in deciding whether to get into a fight or not.
Dogs were domesticated by early hunter-gatherers approximately 15,000 years ago, if not earlier. One can only speculate whether they were then “man’s best friends” or not. By the time cats appeared, dogs had already played a significant role in human life: they hunted next to him, guarded houses, herded and drove livestock, and even kept him warm on cold nights.
Cats first showed an interest in human homes about 10,000 years ago . Although this can be called a kind of opportunism. In those days, the human habit of storing food led to the emergence of house mice as a serious pest. Only since the time of the ancient Egyptians has the first evidence of cohabitation between cats and humans been visible. Dogs have had the advantage for thousands of years of being well cared for by their owners, while very few cats have been able to do the same.
Foraging
Competition for food and edible waste was most often one-sided. Dogs occupied a more advantageous position when they were close to people. Cats had to rely on their natural agility to avoid various troubles.
Guardian correspondent John Bradshaw once studied the behavior of wild cats in a Turkish village. One year, cats were everywhere and obtained food by begging for it from local residents and tourists. The following year, packs of dogs were already roaming the streets, and the journalist got the impression that the cats had disappeared. He thought so until he looked at the village from above and saw that the cats had simply moved onto the flat roofs. Most likely, they went down in search of food at night when the dogs were sleeping.
Risk for kittens too
Dogs can pose a risk to cat babies. Mother cats are forced to leave their habitats while hunting. A hungry dog doesn't care much about who or what becomes its prey. Because of this, cats would do everything possible to not only hide their kittens as securely as possible, but also to instill as much fear in the neighborhood dogs as possible.
Fight for territory
The domestic cat has a pronounced territorial instinct, illustrating the saying that whiskered tabby cats are more attached to a place than to their owner. Thus, Murka clearly considers an apartment, a private house, and even the entire owner’s yard to be his property.
In the wild, canines and cats living in the same territory are competitive predators, which means they are forced to divide hunting grounds and defend their boundaries:
- Yard cats. The territory of a street cat “walking on its own” is very vast, and not only fellow cats, but also dogs fall into the category of uninvited guests. That is why the cat, comfortably dozing on a bench at “his” entrance, will arch and hiss when he sees the approaching dog.
- Dogs. Dogs, in turn, also diligently mark the territory with urine marks and bark at the aliens. In R. Kipling’s fairy tale, the Dog’s appeal to the Cat sounds like a sign and an oath of eternal hatred: “Walk, walk, but not where I am. Otherwise I’ll bark, run at you and drive you up a tree. And so will all dogs do, from now on and forever and ever.”
Level of socialization
Dogs and cats alike learn the difference between friend and foe. This is most likely a side effect of the way animal domestication has altered the development of their nervous systems. Both the puppy and the kitten go through what is called a “socialization period . During this period of time, they learn not only who their mothers are and how to behave towards other members of their species, but also that people should not be afraid.
Lack of favorable contact with people in the first couple of months of their life causes feral cats (and dogs) to develop a distrust of people throughout their lives. In this case, if a wild cat begins to show aggression towards a person, then the domestic dog will, without hesitation, enter into a fight. This also applies to wild dogs if a person has a cat as a pet.
When a dog sees a cat on the street, it begins to show interest. The dog comes closer and closer, then sniffs and tries to touch or lick the cat. The cat, in turn, tries to either scare away the curious dog or start running away as far as possible. However, this makes the puppy even more enthusiastic. Eventually a chase ensues.
Important! The dog will begin to chase any animal running away from it. If a cat comes into the field of view of a pack of dogs, it immediately begins to prepare for pursuit. In a pack, dogs have the most obvious hunter instinct.
Behavior
Cats and dogs are different in behavior. A dog is a pack animal.
She is used to barking, being active, jumping, running. A cat, on the contrary, is an individual animal and acts alone
. An exception may be lions from the cat family, which live in prides. Otherwise, all representatives of the cat family try to stay apart and carefully. Dogs are easier animals to make contact. With puppies and kittens, you can clearly see all these differences. The puppy makes contact more actively, tries to sniff and play with the kitten. Kittens, on the contrary, are active only in their own environment, but with representatives of other species, including dogs, they contact less willingly, on occasion trying to avoid unnecessary contacts, run away, or hide. As a result, when the dog tries to establish a connection, the cat always runs away, which often develops into a chase.
Lack of fear in cats towards dogs
Cats are practically not afraid of dogs. This is one of the reasons why cats are more likely than dogs to initiate fights. Instead of running away from an approaching dog as quickly as possible, the cat remains alert and thinks about the current situation.
Cats tend to tease canine representatives. They often slowly walk past dogs, wagging their tail, provoking them into conflict. In a critical situation, the cat quickly climbs a tree or hill without any sense of fear or danger.
Host mistakes
Cats and dogs need time to get used to each other, and forced introductions only increase the spirit of hostility. Since cats and dogs have different comfort levels, the introduction process should not be forced.
Some dog breeders and cat owners are supporters of quickly introducing animals, forgetting about the thousand-year-old enmity of these two species. Many kittens prefer elevated resting places (trees), where they can have a great rest from overly annoying dogs.
The first fight is the hardest
Let us once again recall the main rule that must be followed when introducing two animals - let your pets get to know each other themselves, and you, for your part, limit your participation in this process to a minimum.
- When you bring a new pet into your home, sit him on the floor and let him get acquainted with his new environment.
- Allow the animals to explore each other from a distance, but if they suddenly have a desire to get to know each other better, do not limit them in this. Surely the dog will sit closer to you, and the cat will climb somewhere further away, onto a hill, and from there will watch the “alien.”
Difficulty understanding verbal cues
The same movement in dogs and cats is understood in the opposite way.
- For dogs, wagging their tail means they are in a friendly mood. In cats, such a gesture is an indicator of anxiety and irritation. The cat begins to stretch out in an arc, preparing to attack. The dog does not understand this behavior and reaches out to sniff the cat, for which he may get hit in the face with his claws.
- Raising a dog's paw is a demonstration of a desire to play. In the cat's perception, this is a threatening gesture.
- When a cat purrs, it means satisfaction.
- With its grumbling, the dog warns of an impending attack.
Frontiers on lock
Dogs and cats have completely opposite ideas and outlooks on life. The dog is a collective animal, in nature it lives in packs, and its fellow tribesmen are of great importance to it. A cat, on the contrary, “walks on its own” values solitude, catches prey on its own, eats it itself, and does not share it with anyone. But these animals have one thing in common: both animals are territorial, accustomed to guarding their borders and protecting them from outsiders.
Dogs and cats are predatory animals; protecting their territory is very important for them, just as it is for a hunter to protect their territory. One of the reasons why dogs hate cats is because they claim territory. It is easier for packs to win a place in the sun, so dogs took the lead. Weight and size are secondary causes. The ancestors of domestic cats were not inferior in size to dogs, but failed because they preferred loneliness.
How to get your dog to be friends with cats
The best solution would be to get a cat and dog together. When they grow up together, they become the best friends for life. Make sure that animals come into the house at the same time every day . This is necessary so that none of the pets feels superior to the other.
- Bring both animals into the room at the same time and keep the dog on a leash next to you.
- If your dog tries to jump forward, walk him back a few steps until he calms down.
- Gradually retreat back towards the cat and give the dog treats for each calm forward movement.
- At the same time, the cat learns that it can live in the same room as the dog without being attacked.
After the initial introduction, you should separate the dog and cat with a small gate. This is one of the easiest ways to put distance between them while they are in the dating process. Never introduce pets face to face. Not only can this develop into a dangerous situation, but it can also be a step back in establishing peaceful relations.
Dear readers, we are waiting for your opinions and thoughts on this topic in the comments.
The struggle for food resources
In nature, the diet of canines and cats is very wide, including dozens of species: from deer and hares to mice, lizards and even insects, and only big cats hunt exclusively large mammals. In times of hunger, both cats and dogs can eat carrion, without disdaining dead animals and the remains of someone else's dinner. And only the cheetah's menu consists of fresh meat from freshly caught prey.
In human society, cats and dogs also compete for food. But while stray dogs tend to eat garbage or devour puppies and weakened relatives, cats easily adapt to any environmental conditions, quickly run wild and hunt successfully.
Even those cats that live in the house, but are released by their owners to walk on their own, on average catch 60 small animals per year, including mice, birds and rats.
