Cats Are From Venus, Dogs Are From Mars

Cats defy most human logic. We try to understand cats by assuming what we would do in a given situation, but it does not work. We can easily understand dogs because dogs have a consciousness closer to our own. Dogs lived for thousands of years around human settlements, consuming the leftovers. At some point they were domesticated and fully integrated into human life, sharing in all its aspects. Therefore it is to be expected that dogs would see the world in a way somewhat similar to the way we do.

We really do not know how animals see the world. The perception of the world is determined by the general evolution of the species, cultural values, and individual experiences. Because each one of us is different and has had different experiences, we know that each one of us sees things in our own way. However, we can communicate with each other because we have similar perceptions; and because we have a shared evolution, we can also communicate rather easily with dogs. A mature dog reaches the intellectual level of a human toddler. We were all toddlers once, so to communicate with a dog, we do so as if we were toddlers, or as if we were speaking to a toddler.

That does not work with cats. While dogs have been with humans for over 10,000 years, cats were domesticated just 3,000 years ago in Egypt. Some argue that cats have never been fully domesticated, since they can easily turn feral and make their life in the wild. Unlike dogs, which prefer and sometimes need the constant company of humans, cats can very well spend their time on their own, and accept human contact as if it were an offering.

A dog’s behaviour is somewhat predictable and understandable. For instance, they bark when a strange dog goes by. However, if a strange cat is roaming by the house, an indoor cat may simply start spraying urine or pooping outside of their litter box. A dog in distress will pant, pace, and seek company, while a cat may simply sit in the middle of the hallway in a very unusual way.

Like humans, dogs evolved as pack hunters and scavengers. However, cats developed the skills of a lone hunter, with the ability to stay still for hours and then to suddenly leap, being very attentive to movement and to any unusual objects in their surroundings. Dogs tend to throw themselves into any exciting situation, often without care for the consequences. Cats are thinkers, carefully pondering before acting. Cats have been associated with wise women: every respectable witch has a cat.

From experience with homeopathy, I’ve learned that remedies associated with strong manic and dementia states in humans are the most effective ones for treating diseases in cats. These are often spider and insect remedies. Perhaps the consciousness associated with the remedy is similar to that of a cat. A human entering that world must be extremely centered in order not to go crazy. Cats respond very well to those remedies because they can be very still and centered. They are yin. To understand a cat, we need to quiet our mind and our movements, to be gentle and not to prejudge. Cats bring out our yin. Cats are from Venus.

return to top of page