Dogs and cats, redux

There is so much diversity of opinion on the differences between cats and dogs. So many people who are dog people really dislike cats. You can also get cat owners who dislike dogs, although not to the same degree. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that cats are proof that God can turn all things to the good. Cats are soft and make a sweet purring noise, but they are hard to control, have sharp claws and will generally ignore you when you try to get them to do something. This is intended to teach you that you are not in charge, that there are limitations to what you can do, and that you cannot control your environment completely. These are all good lessons, but sometimes hard to accept. Acceptance may be motivated by a trip to the zoo and a visit to the large cat area of the zoo. There is nothing like a few moments staring into the vacant eyes of a Bengal tiger to remind us of our mortality. If you can't get behind that message, than you might find yourself inside the tiger. That is not a position in which you want to find yourself.

Dogs are problematic in the sense that they give us a false sense of superiority. Although I must say that the failure to train a dog is usually the failure to train the dog's owner. If we can be introspective, we might learn from dogs as well. Loyalty and unconditional love are good lessons to learn.