Cats are from Venus, dogs are from Mars

Indu Balachandran offers a lighthearted reflection on how everyday gender stereotypes creep into our perceptions of pets, and what that says about us

On an evening stroll around my building, I discovered a curious angle to gender bias in the world around us.

Two teenage girls were out walking their pet Husky. “Oh, I love this type of dog!” gushed an Auntyji passing by. “What is his name?” “Her name is Lucy!” the girls chorused. But Auntyji carried on regardless: “Such a handsome fellow! When did you get him? Good boy, good boy…” she said, showering Lucy with delighted pats on the head.

I exchanged an amused look with the girls and wondered about this unconscious stereotyping — even among pet animals. Dogs are almost always assumed to be male. Cats, on the other hand, are seen as female. Dogs are hardy, outdoorsy guys. Cats are dainty, domestic gals. It’s quite an intriguing pattern, especially when you realise that these gendered assumptions reflect age-old attitudes towards the sexes.

Take, for instance, the perception that male dogs are better protectors than female ones. You can bet the guard dogs at high-security areas or sniffer dogs at airports are assumed to be named Raja, Tiger, or Sultan. Similarly, female cats are perceived as better homely companions. Cats are thought to stay housebound, look after themselves, and go by names like Honeybun or Cleopatra. Perhaps this idea is unconsciously ingrained from toddler picture books, where a dog named Rover runs after a ball in the garden, while a cat named Kitty sweetly plays indoors with a ball of yarn.

We humans have created gender distinctions within our species, and it’s funny how we saddle animals with those same biases. Then we go further and project certain animal traits back onto humans!

Every language is full of expressions involving dogs and cats, which animal lovers and feminists alike may not find amusing. Two ambitious male colleagues might be referred to as “dog-eat-dog.” But their female counterparts are more likely to be labelled “catty,” implying they are mean-spirited or spiteful.

A “dog-like” attitude in a male boss might, at worst, suggest stubborn determination. But its counterpart in slang — a female dog — is among the most derogatory things you can call a woman. (Let’s just refer to it as the B-word, as people do when trying to stay decent.) Nitpicking feminists might also ask: Why do we say “A dog is a man’s best friend”? In most households I know, once all the cuddling and playing is done, it’s usually the mom who feeds, grooms, walks, and even takes Leo or Lily to the vet. More often than not, a woman is a pet animal’s best friend.

Feminists also point out how cat ownership is stereotypically seen as a “single-woman” thing, often portrayed as something pitiful or laughable. Remember how a certain American politician recently stirred global outrage by dismissively calling his rivals “childless cat ladies”?

True animal lovers, of course, don’t concern themselves with gender traits or instincts when it comes to the unconditional love they show their pets — canine or feline, male or female — especially rescued animals. But I do agree with this delightful observation by novelist Mary Bly, which captures the core difference between dogs and cats — not in gender, but in attitude: 

Dogs come at once when they are called. Cats take a message and get back to you later.

(He Said/She Said is a monthly column on gender issues — funny side up. Reach the author at [e-mail].)