Dogs hate cats it is said or thought. The media and the cartoons tend to promote this idea. For me it is an entirely misplaced notion.
in the wild a dog might chase a cat as prey. That is the underlying motivator it seems to me. There is no hate involved – a human concept.
Domesticated companion animals should be raised to fit in with the human environment. They should be able to get on with people and other animals.
This is all possible provided the dog is properly socialised by the dog breeder or the person who was in charge when the dog was born. I guess the problem is that often no one is in charge when a dog is born. When a puppy is not socialised during those critical first few weeks it might create a dog that does not readily fit in and who might instinctively chase and attack a cat as prey.
Provided, both the dog and cat are raised properly as domesticated company animals, a task which is always, ultimately, down to people, they will get along just fine. There are countless examples of this. There are many other examples of animals that we would consider arch enemies getting along as best buddies for the same reason. Mice and rats being best buddies of cats spring to mind.
Here is a really charming video of a large dog, a Great Dane whose name is “Honey” (I can see why), who had a wonderfully close relationship with a calico cat whose name was “Lemon”.
Lemon died prematurely of an infection caught at a boarding cattery. I find this tragic and Honey must have been distraught.
See this video on YouTube to make a comment.
I feel strongly that people should become more aware of the sensibilities of all animals. We should respect them and treat them with care and decency. We are in charge. Ignorance and arrogance are the two worst characteristics of the human, particularly when combined.
Dogs hate cats? No, an incorrect idea.
I would like to thank Dorothy Wandruff for pointing this video out to me.