Emotions and Social Structures of Cats and Dogs

Over the past 10 years, I’ve observed the ever so familiar social structures of canines and felines and especially of those that have come into the shelter. Their reactions, actions and social structures, never cease to amaze me. They have a lot more in common with us, than we dare to admit!

In one of
my recent notes

, I specified at one point, how it is not uncommon for an animal who’s been abandoned by it’s “beloved” owner, to run and run until finally they lay down and die of exhaustion.

Such actions are not the work of instinct, but the actions of emotions – emotions that build panic, cause stress, create fear and bewilderment, so much so, that the animal goes into an uncontrollable frenzy that brings about it’s own end. People do the same.

And while these types of emotions are more predominant with dogs, cats too have been known to relentlessly throw themselves here and there, in a panic, unsure of which direction to go until finally they stop and cry out and cry out – often only to be discovered by an enemy as opposed to the loving hand they seek.

Emotion is the base of these actions in domesticated animals.

All animals have emotions, domesticated animals have even more. It’s a chemistry that all of us who live, breathe, bleed, produce – share.

Emotions cause them to worry, emotions cause them to cry out and emotions make them literally jump with joy!

Instincts do not bring worry, even though it is sometimes instinctive to worry.

Emotions cause one to cry out or to display excitement – literally jumping for joy!

Instinct has nothing to do with either.

When danger threatens, they protect. This is instinct.

When they are hungry or thirsty, they seek to quench their desire. This is instinct.

But when it comes to emotions, it’s time that people recognize the similarities and stop comparing them to instincts.

Further Examples of emotions in common with people are:

Pets make decisions based on their emotional likes and dislikes.

They either like someone or they don’t. Some pets don’t like to be touched and some pets just love to be touched.

When there is a need for something entertaining in a pet’s life and they get bored, they sometimes get anxiety and have a tendancy to be mischievious.

You have ones whose gentle mannerisms and suttle emotional stability, make them timid and meek.

There are others who’s chemistry and charisma make them so outgoing and innocent with all of whom they meet, even when they are pushed away.

You have ones that are grumpy, jumpy and mistrusting. Their chemistry and emotional levels give their characters instability. These types are more easily brought to aggression.

There are others who are outright nervous and wait for a first reaction. IF it’s in friendship, they just open right up and trust immediately!

Pets get angry. Pets get humble. Pets DO Smile! Pets get frustrated and grunt and groan, they even sigh.

Pets show determination, they show caring, they show concern and even sentiment.

Pets will try and share, they will play and they will communicate love and even hate.

Pets are dedicated, they are patient and they are even ashamed when they fail those they love.

Pets have emotions!

Why are they so much like people??? – cats have over 130 genes in common with us and dogs share a little less. (ref: Discovery Channel and Health Assoc.)

So with all said and done they are a lot more like us than we think!

And while some people say that we adlib their actions, we are simply expressing what their emotions and actions are – saying.

When kittens or puppies don’t get their own way, they plot, they pout and they go off in a corner to rethink their plan – waiting for an opportune moment to once again try to reach their objectives.

Puppies however, can be distracted far easier than kittens.

You can dangle a toy in front of a kitten who will gladly oblige in play, however, once tired of the play, will return to what they had originally begun.

Puppies on the other hand, will oblige their energy to play with a ball and forget the action that originated, leading to play.

When puppies get lonely, they howl and whine and when kittens get lonely, they meow and call out loudly while looking around.

Puppies mature at a slower rate than kittens, but eventually catch up.

Now, as far as Social Structures are concerned – the pet kingdom, certainly has it’s own government and rules to abide by. Good rulers follow their own rules and bad rulers – make and break their own rules. (geesh, which political party should we begin to point fingers at on this one?)

Now whether we discuss a group of dogs or a group of cats, these critters live by a social structure that is decided amongst their own and is lived out until one challenges the system.

They have ruling Alpha male-female, they have helpers or endorsers that assist in keeping the rule of the Alphas in line.

They have good mothers and bad mothers and ones that babysit and gives relief to those with young.

They have their fighters, who go to the front line when the group is challenged and will protect the group until recruits arrive to back them – and whether cat of dog, they will fight to the end to protect the group and territory.

You have the more meek and lesser scale group members, who are usually the ones who run and hide in times of aggression and usually know exactly where to run and hide too.

They have a give and take system and if one takes too much, others clamp down on them when they get caught in the act.

There are Gents in the pet world too. These Gents allow the young and the ladies to eat first and the Gents allow the ladies to choose their sleeping quarters.

The ladies always leave enough for the Gents and do all the cleaning of the young and (if she has one) – her gent.

Cats and Dogs, do make friends for life, even when they haven’t been altered. (spayed or neutered)

And while they may mate with others, the companionship shared with another of their kind, is not hindered, only but sometimes there is jealousy, that mends itself.

Their instinct is to mate when the chemistry is right and unlike humans whose emotions kick in if guilt comes into play, pets do not have the emotional strength or intelligence of humans to stay faithful to one partner – yet looking at today’s society, where sex is predominant in gum commercials, there have never been more single moms raising children in the history of mankind. And it’s not neccesarily war that deprives women of husbands, it’s just the general growing trend of permitting chemistry to take over – and mating.

So while animals seem much simpler to the human mind, their emotional structures and social structures are much the same to ours. Animals have adjusted to our way of life. They’ve adjusted to products and car rides. They’ve adjusted to TV’s and Sterios. They’ve adjusted to sitting on the floor while we sit to eat at a table. They’ve adjusted to vacuum cleaners and rug shampooers and all the rules we instruct them with where our products are concerned.

What have we adjusted to where pets and or animals are concerned?

Food for thought.

Till next time…