As a pet owner, have you ever noticed that people tend to assign genders to cats and dogs – namely, they will call a cat “she” without knowing its gender, and call a dog “he”? Why is that? Why do people automatically assume that your cat is female or that your dog is male, when in reality, they have no idea?
The stereotype of dogs being masculine and cats feminine has persisted for centuries. Let’s examine further how dogs are masculine and cats are feminine – and how these principles could apply to relationships.
The Masculine Traits of a Dog
Dogs have long been thought of as being the more masculine species, as they share many traits with men. Dogs are seen as strong, loyal creatures who will do as they are told. Dogs will happily come to you when called, tail wagging, happy to see you. Dogs will stay by their owners’ side through thick and thin. Man’s best friend has many man-like traits, it turns out.
Men have traditionally been seen as more analytical, logic and reason-oriented than women. If you want a man to accomplish a task, you should give a man step-by-step instructions (unless those instructions involve building a piece of furniture from a box, in which case they will ignore those instructions and do whatever the hell they want, kind of like a cat…but I digress).
Because men are such rule-followers, and direction-takers, they have much trouble reading between the lines to figure out what women are really trying to say to them. Like dogs, men are straightforward – saying good dog to them means, I must be a good dog. Saying bad dog means, uh oh, now I must slink around with my tail between my legs, I must have done something wrong. This is similar to how men will respond to praise from women, and how they will take it personally if a woman chastises them for something beyond their control.
Cats and Feminine Characteristics
Cats, on the other hand, are considered to be very “fly-by-night,” and will stay by your side only if it’s their idea. If you tell a cat what to do, the cat will likely ignore you and, instead, do what they want to do. If that coincides with what you wanted the cat to do, fine; if not, your loss. Likewise, if you call your cat by name to get them to come to you, you’ll likely receive a glare in return.
Cats are curious beings who come and go as they please. If they get bored, they’ll just change their scenery and go somewhere that is more interesting to them. Women are quite like cats in this fashion – if they aren’t stimulated or maintaining their curiosity about a man, they will leave.
The fact that men respond better to spelled-out, step-by-step instructions means that women who want to succeed in a relationship with a man must give him step-by-step instructions on what she wants and how she wants to be treated. Otherwise, most men will be too lazy to figure it out for themselves.
How Can These Principles Be Applied to Male-Female Relationships?
Some people have taken the idea of dogs being masculine and cats feminine a step further, using it when they are dating, thinking that it might give them an advantage. If you think about it, men who chase a woman are usually unsuccessful, with the woman running away. If a dog (or a human) chases a cat, it runs away, too.
If, instead, a man gives the woman space to come and go as they please, just like a cat, the woman will come to the man when she feels like it. Men who act too needy will not be sexually attractive to women. If a man calls or texts a woman, he must wait to hear back from her, not keep calling or texting her until she responds. A man who repeatedly contacts a woman will show her that he is weak and needy, like a dog, seeking a kind word, a pat on the head, or any sort of attention from its owner. If a woman thinks that a man is weak, she will not want to call or text him back. Women are looking for a strong male counterpart, not a weak one who will make an unsuitable mate. They realize that men who are needy and insecure turn into abusive, stalkerish boyfriends.
A man who really wants to “hook” a woman knows not to chase women. On the contrary = women are the ones chasing these kinds of man. These men know that they should only use calling and texting a woman just to set up a date, not to help a woman get to know them better. Many men make the mistake of word vomiting their entire life story through text or on the phone, which women don’t want to hear. A man should, instead, let his life story come out naturally, in person, as he sees the woman. Let the women ask him questions rather than volunteering to tell her everything there is to know. Keeping her interested, like keeping a cat interested in a feather wand, will keep the woman close to the man, wanting to crack him like an egg. If she has no challenge, then just like a cat, she’ll get bored with the man and go look for someone else’s feather wand to entice her.
