Ask Aunt Foley

Dear Aunt Foley:  There is a particular cat in my neighborhood who I hate.  When I am on my  walk, and I see this kitty, who, for some reason just sits and stares at me, I lose it.  I am a very peace loving dog but the kitty gets under my fur.   What is it about this particular cat that sets me off? - Sushi

Dear Sushi:  It is natural for us dogs to dislike cats.  This goes back to our origins.  We are descended from wolves, cats are descended from lynx, and, if nature is proven, the lynx would totally kick our asses.  We are pack animals, hunting in a group, and, if a group of us cornered one of them, well we would rip that thing apart, but, one on one, the vicious little lynx would claw us to death.

As we evolved our teeth stayed sharp, and we maintained our size when we became domesticated, while the cats claws became less sharp, and they grew smaller, so, when we attack cats we are just getting back at them for the pain inflicted upon us by lynx throughout history.  All you want Sushi is a little payback for the suffering of our ancestors.

Now many of us dog have made peace with the cats, and even live with us, but like southerners who still refer to the Civil War as “the war of Yankee aggression” and don’t cotton to no Yankees you hold on to the old grudges and when that cat mocks you by staring you attack for generations of dogs who came before you.

So keep flying the flag of Puppy Pride.  Never forgive and never forget!  And keep fighting for us little dogs.