Cats and dogs – so different that their rivalry became legendary. The phrase “fight like cat and dog” must have some truth in it if there are even movies like “Cats & Dogs”, which is about a war between these two species. But why do dogs and cats fight each other so vigorously? Are they born enemies? After all we can sometimes see a cat and dog living together in harmony. So what’s the deal?
It turns out that the two species have different body languages. They just don’t understand each other. When cats hold their tail high, it means that he is friendly and relaxed. On the other hand when a dog does the same, it often signals the the dog being territorial, and a possibility of aggressive behavior. Friendly dogs who want to play will wag his tail loosely back and forth at medium heights, but cats do the same when they are about to attack. A cat which is uncertain about an encounter will move his ears backward or twitch. When the same is doing a dog it means that he is friendly.
Despite these differences there are also times when they speak the same language. For example when dogs and cats are stimulated by something and are about to react, their whiskers are more likely to stiffen and extend outward. Also both dogs and cats may yawn as a calming behavior in conflict situations. Both species react similarly to fear – they curl their tails underneath their bodies.
So as we can see cats and dogs do not disagree on everything. Moreover when a cat and dog are raised together from early age, they can learn their different behaviors and coexist peacefully. It can even become a friendship so big that one of them helps the other in times of need. Just like this two here:
