It is a stereotype that guys like dogs and girls like cats. Sometimes it seems like much more than a stereotype. Of the girls I know and count as my friends almost all of them have cats. The one exception I can think of off-hand is my sister in law Stanica, but that might be due to the apartment complex not allowing pets. Conversely, Alan and Kyle have or had dogs, as did I myself. The only guy I know who deliberately selected a cat is actually my brother Kenneth. So anecdotal personal evidence supports the belief that girls are drawn to cats and guys are drawn to dogs. But is it natural or is it something that is more social construct that reality-based selection?
What is it about cats that fascinate women? A dog is more "cuddly" than a cat, being much more prone to press its weight against you and patiently sit while you express affection through petting or ear scratching. Cuddling and random physical expressions of adoration are considered female traits in U.S. society so it would seem a dog might be more in line with their desires if this is indeed a truth.
Cats, by contrast, are notoriously independant. Far from curling up in your lap, they are more likely to luxuriously lawn while stretching out somewhere in the neighborhood of the length of a human small intestine, look at the person in the room, examine their claws as if to say, "Touch me and I will see if these will cut skin", then go off to tear apart the blinds.
Dogs are known to be protective of the people they live with whereas cats seldom notice people have invaded their house. Again, the "protector" male figure is something girls are taught by society to seek out while the self-indulged unawareness of the cat is anathema to the self-aware woman.
Many animals are much more playful than cats. Ferrets, hamsters, rats (!), and even some amphibians demonstrate the attributes humans determine to be playful.
So why is it that when, at least from a surface view, cats are more disparate from what women are supposed to like, women tend to select them as pets more frequently than any other animal?
Think about some of the attributes described above. Cats are completely self-reliant, are strong, independant, carefree, and choose when or if they will offer allegiance to anyone. All of these are attributes much of society looks down on when a woman demonstrates them.
A popular current bumper sticker reads "Well behaved women seldom make history." This assumes that "well-behaved" is someone following the "women should be at home, bare foot, pregnant and in the kitchen" philosophy. The thought of a strong, intelligent, career-successful woman is a terrifying one to this mind. After all, what use does a woman have for her mind?
Yet this is exactly the subtle message young girls often receive. The sought after girlfriends in junior high and high school are the ones who look good in a short skirt but are befuddled by remotely advanced concepts. A girl who is both physically beautiful and highly intelligent...and demonstrates it...is nowhere near as popular as a girl who maintains a solid C average but can emulate goal posts with her legs. After all, what guy is not embarrassed if "his woman" is more successful than he? And this success can be demonstrated through earning power, recognition, and a host of other ways.
So instead of allowing true freedom for success, perhaps foisting cats upon the women is a way of allowing them to vicariously live their preferred lifestyle while maintaining their demure, publicly acceptable bahavioral patterns. They can continue to say, "Yes honey" and behave like his loyal canine companion, neither needing a reason to simply "be there", nor exercising any initiative of her own. After all...that is not acceptable behavior.
Watch carefully the latent but growing female association with cats and stereotypical cat behaviors and you just might find society is changing without waiting for it to be acceptable behavior.
However, when all is said and done, a dog is still...the better pet. :0)
4 years ago
2 comments:
That picture of a woman is completely wrong.... when they're pregnant they lose their figure. ;) (I am of course only making a joke.)
As far as "sociatal constructs." That wasn't set up by society, it was set up by God. Not the ever submissive, free-will lacking servant that society loves portraying a housewife as, but the woman who does what's good for her family because she wants to. Take for example Vicki Nelson. She got a degree in Business Management from PSU, but as far as I am aware, has not had a job since her first child was born. Our mother was no dummy. She was in fact quite intelligent and I never knew her to fail at anything she tried. But I actually cannot remember a time when she and dad had an argument. If they ever did it must have been behind closed doors because I never heard about it. The point is that an intelligent woman is actually better because, despite the stereotype, smarter women are easier to get along with. A man who thinks his wife is beautiful but stupid will never be as happy as one who thinks his wife is only okay but smart.
Senior Woodchuck: It's simple. Dogs drool!
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