I frequently see Facebook friends (who at least for me are actually friends in real life – whatever real life is) comment on things their cats are doing and describing them as “happy”. I have to admit that I don’t think my cat, Sam, could ever be described as “happy”.
Now maybe I’m just not a good cat servant. Ranches don’t have pets, so I’m one of those folks who had to learn how to have pets. I don’t cater to the furry friends under my roof – no special catnip toys, no delicately presented tuna. Treats, when remembered or reminded about, are just placed on the floor and if you eat it, great and if you don’t, it goes in the trash. So it could just be me. But I’m not sure.
Sam is content, that’s quite clear. Her internal motor works quite well. She can purr with the best of them, languish stretched out for miles in a multi-colored throw rug position resembling Frieda’s boneless cat (remember Charlie Brown’s friend Frieda?). If you scratch her head or her tummy, she’ll stretch and purr and clearly enjoy it. But happy?
Dogs are happy. It’s really, really easy to tell. It starts in their tail and ripples all the way to their nose. They dance and jump and slobber and wiggle faster than one of those midriff belly dissolvers advertised on the Home Shopping Network (guaranteed to eliminate belly fat!). Dogs are all over happy.
But cats? Have you ever seen a cat wag their tail? I’ve seen Sam switch her tail but that’s not a happy thing. It’s more along the lines of “I’m going to swat you with claws extended if you don’t stop what you are doing”, or “I’m going to swat you with claws extended and eat you”.
Somewhere in the evolutionary chain, I think cats and dogs must have originally been emotion prototypes. Cats were content and relaxed, dogs were happy and exuberant. Some of us got more cat than dog. But we all have a bit of both. I guess the trick is to strive for emotional balance and above all else, not let my inner cat fight with my inner dog!
Just Sayin' 