A man's best friend is a dog. Dogs are loyal, friendly, protective, darling animals. They are considered to be one of the best animals to have as pets. However, dogs are not cats. They are both mammals that humans keep as companions, yes, but they are very different. People generally ask, "Are you a dog person or a cat person?" And somehow this is a defining question because dogs are viewed as these loyal, friendly, protective, darling animals that are supposed to be "man's best friend." I am not even going to go into the fact that they are "man's best friend," but this ideology of dogs can give cats a bad name. Cats and dogs are not the same animal; they are different in physicality, personality, and biology.

Cats are mean, lazy, a sign for bad luck, think they're gods, hateful, reproductive, strays, etc. I disagree. Cats are not the opposite of dogs. They do have some similarities but they are different species. My experiences with cats are positive. This is not an article to trash-talk dogs but to help get rid of the negative misconceptions about cats.

Some of the misconceptions I want to focus on is that they are aloof, unaffectionate, unexcitable, quiet, and sneaky. In 2001 was my first true experience with cats. I had adopted a cat from my sister's friend whose cat had a litter. My little fuzzy ball of fur was taken a bit early and had to be weaned off nursing. The little creature, whom I named Diamond, was and continues to be one of the most important persons in my life. He always showed me affection, even when he was annoyed at me, would let me dress him up as a princess or Santa Claus, let me dance around the kitchen with him, and would steal my pillow to sleep by my head.

Cats generally have one person they adore, who they will allow them to do nearly anything with (like dance around in a kitchen with loud music playing). However, similar to humans, cats are capable of understanding the wrongdoings of others. My friend's cat, Benny, was once kicked by a person (this was not on purpose), and after that he was never the same to other people. He would hiss, scratch, and flee from people but he still carried and showed his strong affection for his owner. Yes, cats can be aloof, quiet, and sneaky at times but they are not mean, hateful, unaffectionate, evil, creatures. They can be something like that if one gives them a reason to be, but they are learning, developing creatures that understand what is happening around them.

One of the hardest things about leaving my home for college was that my cat had to stay behind. When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and after she died my cat was a huge support for me. Through nearly all my struggles my cat has been there for me. I know that sounds cliche, but my cat offered a type of support to me that others could not. He was empathetic as he provided me with companionship. My fuzzy ball of fur now is nearly 16 years old, which is why I adopted a new cat this past June to be my companion animal on campus. I did not want to put Diamond through a major change in surroundings or long drives back and forth between school and home. My cat, Ambrosia, is full of personality. She is sassy, a little cross eyed, continuously wakes me up while not letting me sleep at night, lies in her litter box until my return, likes licking people, makes odd meowing sounds, demands to be played with or petted, dislikes being held, and snores. Yet she provides comfort and affection.

Cats are not dogs, although they have similarities. There are thousands of misconceptions about cats but that could all be based on personal preference, the whole “Are you a dog person or cat person” question. That question is suggesting that only certain types of people like these animals. There are thousands of misconceptions and microaggressions around us but I want to focus on cats. Yes, cats can at times fit into the stereotypical image people have for them but they are also fairly advanced creatures that understand and will provide affection to those they love. I hope this helped clear up some of the misconceptions that follow cats.