Inside Thirteen Blogger: Sarah Wilson, Animal Behaviorist on Nature
In this season of valentines, THIRTEEN’s Nature series explores our infatuation with our four-legged friends in Why We Love Cats and Dogs.
Americans own 73 million dogs and 90 million cats, and we each have a million and one reasons why we love our pets. Here are just a few reasons why I think people are drawn to their cats or dogs:
Sarah’s top five reasons:
We Love Cats Because They….
• Purr, giving voice to a perfect sense of peace and companionship.
• Land on their feet; an admirable trait in troubled times.
• Nap in the sun, reminding us to enjoy the simple things.
• Grace us – and only us - with their acceptance.
• Never fake it. When they are happy, they are happy and when they are not - you never have to guess.
We Love Dogs Because They….
• Wake us with a cold nose and a happily thumping tail.
• Think we are perfection…even when work’s been lousy, our loved ones are upset, a check bounced, our favorite jeans don’t fit or we’ve just done something we are glad wasn’t caught on video.
• Play with us with complete abandon and no-holds-barred joy.
• Lick away our tears.
• Show us that we don’t have to spend money to have a great time!
Tell us why you love your cat or dog. And if you think you have the cutest pet send in a photo of your cat or dog to Nature’s Why I Love Cats and Dogs photo contest.
Nature: Why We Love Cats and Dogs premieres nationally Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 8:00 pm (ET) on PBS.
