Cats and Dogs Theory

When I was young I always assumed that all dogs were male, and all cats were female.

I didn't assume they interbred or anything, but I just didn't really have the concept of dogs and cats being male and female. Dogs were just male, or at least masculine, and cats were feminine.

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we never had any dogs or cats in my house, or at my grandparents, and so as such I never got used to the concept of describing dogs or cats in terms of their gender. So for a while I did just assume it was that way.

But I grew up, and learned.

But now, I look back and I wonder whether there wasn't something in my assumption. I mean, I don't think that dogs are all male and cats are all female, but the more I think about it, cats and dogs seems to apply themselves to the fundamental characteristics of the human gender.

In a sense they perhaps conform to 1950's gender stereotypes:

Cats tend to be smaller than dogs, and often less overtly aggressive. They are more interested in personal hygene than dogs. Cats like attention but they make you work much harder for it like they're playing hard-to-get. Dogs just blunder into any affection they can get.

Dogs have a bit of energy that they like to use up running around, but leave them at home and they are quite happy to lounge around. Cats are generally more active, they even like to get their own food occasionally, you'd never see a dog doing that unless he was starving.

Dogs are louder, like to be the centre of attention. Cats are more reserved, more austere perhaps. Dogs always chase cats, cats never chase dogs...

Now, I don't think my Cats and Dogs theory is anything new. After all, we already have the term "cat fight" for any time women have a fight, and I am often referred to as "The Big Dog" by my close friends.