Some health issues are self-inflicted. Such is the case with this canine remedy cartoon. This poor dog needs to stop chasing cats!
There are some dogs that are adept at chasing cats. Then there are others that really should find another hobby! We had a dog that wasn’t cut out for cat-chasing since she was not bigger than most of her targets. I have learned to beware of dogs and fools!
We hear the term servant leadership batted around in all kinds of businesses. Investopedia has a thorough article on what it is, the pros and cons, and when it is effective.
When I originally drew this cartoon, I thought of how a dog is a willing companion and servant. Then I wondered how a cat would react to such behavior.
This may be have been false advertising. My dog was definitely not much of a servant. In fact, there were some days, I swear I could get our cat to do more for the common good than our dog. Besides, if you had to put one of them in mortal combat, I’m sure the cat would have come out victorious.
Some of us are dog lovers. We love the faithful, enthusiastic way they greet us when we return home. Others love the aloof, playful, purring ways of cats. Since I’ve owned both, I have personally witnessed the epic battle between cats and dogs.
Several years ago, I drew a cartoon about one such battle. It was probably inspired by our own pets. We had one dog that loved to play with the cat. The feline was older and not very impressed with the young canine’s enthusiasm. Frequently, the cat would escape to a nearby piece of furniture, or if outside, a tree.
Each pet has its differences as well as advantages. My kids benefited from seeing the personalities of each of them and even imagined what their pets would act like if they were in a movie called Cats vs. Dogs came out in 2001.
Somehow, the two pets learned to get along. When our cat passed on, the dog learned to live with another cat. Though they didn’t always get along, the two pets learned to live with each other.
Whether it is pets in a household, people in the workplace, or even leaders of other countries, peace can feel elusive. Often, we antagonize each other. We can turn small problems into big deals. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves in a battle before we know it.
Yet if we are patient, if we choose to extend an olive branch, peace is possible. The battles of cats vs. dogs can sometimes appear comical. Yet real battles happen all the time with less than comical results.
Am I saying we should be like cats and dogs? Hardly. Our personalities may lean toward one species or another. Yet, we can still learn to live together. I hope you don’t find yourself in a tree today. And may you learn to get along with the person that ever so slightly just showed his fang today!
I wrote a post in 2014 entitled How do you know when criticism isn’t working. We all face criticism if we do anything of value. One of the most common reasons we face criticism is unrealistic expectations.
We don’t expect a dog to wash dishes, much less do it perfectly. We can’t expect a child to act like an adult. Yesterday, I witnessed a mom trying to reason with a toddler about leaving the playground. I felt for the mom because the child wasn’t interested in a logical argument. It just wasn’t going to work!
The pandemic has caused all of us to reevaluate our expectations. It’s going to be a while before business and society get back-to-normal. We don’t know what normal will look like in six months, much less a year!
When you have unrealistic expectations…
You probably can’t have your dog wash the dishes or the cat tidy up the kitchen. But you may find a better way to meet the goal. And perhaps an alternative timeline is the way to go.
It seems every other news article is about how pets are reacting while we work from home.
It seems Buzzfeed has a post every other day about annoyed pets during the quarantine. And perhaps all our furry companions can’t wait until we return to the workplace.
But perhaps pets are more resilient than we think. Do we implant on them emotions they are not really feeling? If we assume our cat would be annoyed we are home, do we interpret every action they do as a testament to their annoyance?
When I drew this illustration, my daughter brought home a new puppy. We assumed our cat would go ballistic. He didn’t. He tolerated the new pooch fairly well. I was both relieved and disappointed. I was relieved that the pets got along while disappointed I wouldn’t have an epic struggle to write about. That is one of the curses of a writer. We don’t want conflict, but we know it provides great fodder for our writing.
Pets will get through this just as we will. It will take some time and adjustment. Maybe they will face separation anxiety… or maybe we will. But either way, we will adjust. In the meantime, maybe it’s best to give your cat some space and have his naptime.
