The Real Truth About Cats and Dogs by Wendy Tyson

I’ll admit it: I’m a dog person. That’s not to say I’m not fond of cats. I’ve lived with cats, will go out of my way to pet a cat, have fed and cared for stray cats—and let’s face it, there’s nothing more adorable than a kitten, except maybe a litter of kittens. But at the end of the day, the animal at the foot of my bed (or upside down in the middle of my bed, snoring) is a dog. Three dogs, to be exact.
 

Why my fascination with dogs? I don’t know, although I will say that I identify with them, from their eagerness to please to their loyalty to their need for companionship. My friend and I have long had a theory that people can be divided into two categories: cats and dogs. As our theory goes, cats are self-reliant, generally not people pleasers, aloof, more pragmatic. Dogs, on the other hand, are more social and people-pleasing, less content to be alone, optimists. No matter how outgoing a cat is, a cat has a self-contained quality that those of us who are dogs don’t quite get. And many dogs wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Of course, there are exceptions—and if you’re reading this, you’re no doubt coming up with one right now. That’s why our theory is flexible: there are dog-like cats (you know, the folks who are congenial and outgoing but prefer ultimately to do exactly what they want to do) and cat-like dogs (social, but more reserved).

Consider the people in your life. I bet if you think about it, you’ll be able to categorize nearly everyone you know. In my case, my mom is a dog, my dad was a cat. My husband is a true, could-survive-in-the-wilderness-with-only-one-eye cat; my boys are dogs’ dogs—some big, goofy breed that greets the world with a madly wagging tail and a slobbery tongue. Or play the game with television characters. Gilligan on Gilligan’s Island was a dog. The Professor was most definitely a cat. You get the drift.

In fact, if you really want to have fun with it, the “dogs” can be broken down into breeds—consider a Golden Retriever (friendly, good-natured, a little needy) versus a Bassett Hound (stubborn, loyal, and slow-moving) versus a Poodle (intelligent and dignified). Personality differences, certainly . . . but all still dogs. You can do the same with cats.

Of course, there’s a shadow side to dogs and cats.

For those of us who are dogs, the risk of wearing your heart on your sleeve is having it crushed, and

the risk of being an optimist can be difficulty accepting reality. For cats, perhaps the risk of being careful, of holding the world at bay with a pragmatic attitude and calculating demeanor, is that you may be too careful or close-minded—and miss out on some of the good stuff in the process.

I use these categories when I write. Despite my dog-like nature, most of my female protagonists are cats. I respect their independence. It makes them good heroines in thrillers and mysteries, and their shadow selves are ripe for development as a novel progresses. But dogs are needed as well, and it’s fun to pair the two on the page. As in the real world, a dog provides emotional openness and a nurturing nature that can help bring life to a novel and provide a good counterpoint to a cat.

Ultimately, neither is better—they’re just different. That’s why in fiction, as in life, there needs to be yin and yang, Mars and Venus . . . dog and cat.

Wendy Tyson is an author, lawyer and former therapist whose background has inspired her mysteries and thrillers. Wendy has written four published crime novels, including Dying Brand, the third novel in the Allison Campbell Mystery Series, which was released on May 5, 2015. The first in the Campbell series, Killer Image, was named a best mystery for book clubs in 2014 by Examiner.com. Wendy is also the author of the Greenhouse Mystery Series, the first of which, A Muddied Murder, is due to be released just in time for spring 2016. Wendy is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and she is a contributing editor for The Big Thrill, International Thriller Writers’ online magazine. Wendy lives on a micro-farm just outside of Philadelphia with her husband, three sons and three dogs. Visit Wendy on Facebook or at: www.WATyson.com.