Why do Dogs & Cats hate each other?

[nikokapo]

Why do Dogs & Cats hate each other?

i've never gotten the answer to this, i googled it and i still couldnt find it.
why is the reason why they are natural enemies?

 

[Abray]

I think it's because dogs are naturally higher on the predation line than cats. They are bigger and stronger, and have big teeth. Cats are naturally afraid of them.

That's what I THINK. I have no facts or evidence behind this reasoning.

 

[nikokapo]

If that was the explanation, then dogs would hunt birds on instinct, frogs, flies, fish, etc.

 

[Abray]

well CATS chase fish on instinct, but true, I have yet to see a dog that is fascinated in fish.

Maybe it's because dogs are so territorial. They think that the cat is invading their marked territory. They actually view the cat as a threat to their survival(yes, domestic dogs, fighting for survival, yeah right!)?

 

[daguin]

Why do Dogs & Cats hate each other?

i've never gotten the answer to this, i googled it and i still couldnt find it.
why is the reason why they are natural enemies?

They fill the same ecological niche. Therefore they are in direct competition with each other. They must chase any competitors out of their territory.

In addition, since they are both at the "top" of the food chain, each views the other as a potential lunch.

Peace,
dave

 

[nikokapo]

[quote author=nikokapo link=1214665144/0#0 date=1214665144]Why do Dogs & Cats hate each other?

i've never gotten the answer to this, i googled it and i still couldnt find it.
why is the reason why they are natural enemies?

They fill the same ecological niche.  Therefore they are in direct competition with each other.  They must chase any competitors out of their territory.

In addition, since they are both at the "top" of the food chain, each views the other as a potential lunch.

Peace,
dave[/quote]

Just to eat each other?

Imagine a shark and a gorilla are on the same level of the food pyramid/chain. Would they fight each other to death just to eat the opponent? Wouldn't it be easier to get another animal from a lower level?

 

[Abray]

Well sharks and gorillas are in two different ecosystems. But assuming they lived in the same ecosystem, just the competition would maybe lead them into a fight. A fight for who gets the dominance and food (maybe including the loser) in that area or niche.

 

[nikokapo]

One more Q: how come i've never seen a cat confront a dog? If the dog is big enough it'll scare every cat off

 

[daguin]

One more Q: how come i've never seen a cat confront a dog? If the dog is big enough it'll scare every cat off

Size does matter. I have seen a bobcat kill and begin to eat a coyote. I didn't wait for the whole show. I was hunting bobcat at the time [smiley=evil.gif]

Peace,
dave

 

[nikokapo]

[quote author=nikokapo link=1214665144/0#7 date=1214677866]One more Q: how come i've never seen a cat confront a dog? If the dog is big enough it'll scare every cat off

Size does matter.  I have seen a bobcat kill and begin to eat a coyote.  I didn't wait for the whole show.  I was hunting bobcat at the time  [smiley=evil.gif]

Peace,
dave[/quote]

So in theory, an enormous cat would eat a chihuahua?

 

[thejunkmonger]

[quote author=daguin link=1214665144/0#8 date=1214683157][quote author=nikokapo link=1214665144/0#7 date=1214677866]One more Q: how come i've never seen a cat confront a dog? If the dog is big enough it'll scare every cat off

Size does matter.  I have seen a bobcat kill and begin to eat a coyote.  I didn't wait for the whole show.  I was hunting bobcat at the time  [smiley=evil.gif]

Peace,
dave[/quote]

So in theory, an enormous cat would eat a chihuahua?[/quote]

My cat attacks my german sheapard and also kills and brings home rabbits 3 times his size.

 

[diachi]

sometimes cats and dogs actually get on ok, my late cat, used to get on with my neighbours late dog, who also had a late cat ( wow all these animals dyed ) it just depends, I also used to have a cat that was friends with the birds, they would all just walk round him and he would sit there, not trying to attack and the birds wouldnt care that he was there, it really just depends on the personality of the animal.

Diachi

 

[nikokapo]

that's because they grew/were brought up with the company of the other animal. there're a lot of stories like that, its amazing

 

[diachi]

well the one that didnt touch the birds was a stray that we took in so anyone would imagin that it would usually hunt to survive, strange cat that was....

Diachi

 

[daguin]

So in theory, an enormous cat would eat a chihuahua?

It doesn't have to be ginormous. It just has to be large enough, fast enough, and hungry enough to be able to kill your chihuahua. Hawks around here take people's pets home for lunch all the time. Sometimes they just snack on them in the yard. <shudder>

Remember, animals do not have the same emotions or view of the world as we do. They DO have emotions, but not the same. To a hungry predator, meat is meat. It doesn't matter to a hungry predator if the meat's "name" is Fluffy or not.

Peace,
dave

 

[diachi]

though it would matter if its name was fluffy the untaimed bear.

Diachi