Delightful Pet Menagerie Newsletter – December Edition 🗞️

Greetings! Welcome to the December edition of Dr. Pet Mom’s Delightful Pet Menagerie (DPM) Newsletter. December is all about winter and the holiday season. If you’re a pet parent for a variety of animals, this very special edition is for you. Let’s close out the year talking about bipetual pet parents. Enjoy!

Are You a Bipetual Pet Parent?

Do you think you are a bipetual pet parent? You won’t find the word “bipetual” in the Webster dictionary. The urban dictionary defined bipetual as “a person who likes both cats and dogs.”

Dogs and cats are the most popular pets, but any household with a variety of pets is a bipetual home. My bipetual home includes a cat and two birds.

Sounds simple enough. But when I ask people if they prefer cats or dogs, many prefer dogs. Sure, it’s easy to like dogs. They’re domesticated, like to please us, and enjoy human companionship.

I wonder if their dog preference is because some folks never lived with a cat. Or remember a bad experience with a cat. In my house as a kid, we had a series of dogs around the house. Cats were not on the radar.

I also wonder if people think that cats should act more like dogs. If their expectation of cats is based on their experience with dogs, they will be sorely disappointed.

But as anyone who lives with a cat knows, a cat is not a dog.

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Dogs and Cats

One reason dogs are popular pets is because they are domesticated. Dogs are pack animals and a enjoy bonding with their human families.

Other reasons we like dogs include:

• Loyalty and devotion to their pet parents.
• Using barks, expressive eyes and tail wags to show their emotions.
• Keeping us active with regular outdoor exercise.
• Finding ways to make us feel better.
• Learning commands and easy to train.
• Being highly intuitive and sensing our moods.

A dog’s pack-animal nature makes them highly social and affectionate. Regular interactions, hanging out with their fave family member and cuddles when they want, are wonderful qualities of most dogs.

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Cats are very popular because of their independent nature. Cat pet parents know that their cats are self-reliant, enjoy alone time to nap, or play by themselves. Their independence makes cats ideal for people with demanding schedules.

Other reasons we like cats include:

• Easily adapting to smaller living spaces for pet parents in the city.
• Communicating with gentle purrs, tail movements, and slow blinks.
• Being a self-cleaning animal, meticulously grooming themselves daily.
• Using leg rubs, purring or sitting on our laps to bond with us.
• Learning tricks and commands that need your patience and creativity.
• Thriving in a calm, predictable, and stable household.

A cat’s independent nature makes them very attractive to families with busy lives. You can have regular interactions, hanging out time, and petting time with your cat, own their own cat terms, of course!

The Friendliest Dogs and Cats

You already know the difference between cats and dogs. But according to the cat expert guy, Jackson Galaxy, 74 million US families live with cats, and 70 million families live with dogs. And one source estimated that 49% of American homes have both cats and dogs.

But do we pick our furry family members based on our personality? Dog people (Cynophiles) are usually described as outgoing, good planners, and dependent. Cat people (Ailurophiles) are generally described as reserved, independent and open minded.

And what about the personality of our pets? We adopt our dogs based on their personalities – for example one source listed the top five friendliest dogs as Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Beagles, Boxers and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) listed the top five friendliest dogs as the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéens (PBGV), Beagles, Poodles, Labrador Retrievers and Boxers. Friendly qualities include their level of affection for their human families, interactions with other dogs, and their pack-animal nature.

These top five dogs are breeds but you can also find a friendly dog at your local animal shelter or rescue group. Visit the AKC Rescue Network for more information.

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And you can also find a friendly cat. Cat friendliness depends on several qualities such as:

• Age: Cats don’t necessarily get more affectionate with age. Older kitties will spend more time with you, but age-related pains can make them more sensitive to touch.
• Gender: Some research suggests that cats prefer female owners in general because cats respond to high-pitched and soft voices. Male and female cats respond in their own way, independent of the gender of their pet parent.
• Pregnancy: Your kitty can be extra affectionate during pregnancy. But she can also be extra protective of her kittens and lash out.
• Hunger: Cats can be very affectionate when they’re hungry. They learn quickly how to get our attention, and know the cause and effect of a head butt to get what they want.

One source listed the top five friendliest cats as the Ragdoll, Maine Coon, Siamese, Scottish Fold, and Persian.

You can also find a friendly cat at your local animal shelter or rescue group. Visit The International Cat Association Breed Rescue (TICA) list for more information.

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Bipetual Family Tips

If you live in a bipetual household, you already know some of the challenges of different species living under the same roof.

Here’s a list of helpful tidbits for your happy bipetual home:

• Many types of animals are social animals. They might prefer to spend time with animals of the same species, but animals of different species can get along. And they keep each other company when you are away. A shared household can prevent depression and anxiety.

• Understand that cats and dogs communicates differently and respect their individual languages. Your cat’s flicking tail can mean irritation, while your dog’s tail wagging can mean happiness.

• Nurturing others is part of our human nature. We want our pets to be happy – we give them food puzzles to tap into their foraging nature. We buy them doggy life jackets and or push them in strollers when they can’t get around.

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• Reward calm and non-aggressive behavior with treats and kind words. Your patience and understanding will foster a happy bipetual home. Create routine play time for both your dog and cat.

• Always think safety first. Prevent unwanted interactions between your pets by creating their separate spaces and activities that reduce stress. Doggy day care can be a wonderful way for your dog to enjoy his pack-animal nature. Find ways to catify (places to play, hide, jump, sleep) your home with cat trees to relax and calm your special kitty.

• Multiple pets in your home can mean you’re never alone. If you adopted more then one pet, you’re likely an animal lover. You may even enjoy a crowd of pets around to make your house feel like a home.

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Closing Thoughts

Whatever kind of pet parent you are, your pets will love you. I think the dog person or cat person discussion is silly.

Many factors influence our choice of pets – for example, I meet more dogs outside and pet them whenever possible. Outdoor cats are rare and most of them are skittish.

I love dogs and cats so does that make me a Cyno-Ailurophile? Whatever.

My newest furry family member, Mingus the cat, is still adjusting to his new home. His history is unknown, since he way likely a feral kitty with little socialization.

My pet birds, Spudgee and Noggin live in a separate space from Mingus. He tracks them like prey every chance he gets, but he can watch them from inside his carrier or cat tree. Again, it’s all about pet safety and personal choices.

And I recently discovered another part of my animal pet parenting side. My weekly volunteering at a riding stable opened my eyes to the wonder of horses. Now I’m also a hippophile and a tripetual!

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Thanks for stopping by!
Dr. Pet Mom

“A pet’s unconditional love is a compass that always points toward happiness.“
–Unknown

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2024 Book Update

This year was a challenge with hubby’s heart transplant and my transition into a full-time worker bee and caregiver. Publishing my book is still on my radar I appreciate the patience of my graphic designer. 2025 will be a better year for us all!