Watch Difference Between How Cat and Dog Greet Owner—'Adorably Annoying'
A pet owner has offered a glimpse of the hilariously contrasting ways he is greeted by his cat and his dog when he returns home.
Eric Howe shared footage of Charlie the cat launching himself at his human companion as he gets through the door, describing it as "adorably annoying." His dog Chelsea, by contrast, can be seen quietly approaching him for a snuggle with the much-loved paw-rent.
The video was shared to Reddit under the name iamtheliquor_, earning over 62,000 upvotes, and it was also posted on Howe's Instagram page, chelseathedog_ig.
There's a common misconception that while dogs are usually happy to see their human companions come home, cats are more aloof and solitary. But there is ample evidence that both pet species get a boost from seeing a familiar face come through the front door after they've had a busy day mostly spent napping.
In a 2011 study published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, 12 dogs with no history of separation-related behavior problems were filmed before, during and after being left alone in their home environment.
The dogs were filmed on three occasions. Once when being left alone for 30 minutes, once when left alone for two hours and one final time after being left alone for four hours.
Researchers said the dogs greeted their owners with more gusto after being left alone for two hours versus 30 minutes, a clear indication that canines miss their owners when apart for hours.
Similar research was conducted in 2017 using cats. In a study published in the online journal PLOS One, researchers examined how cats behave when left for 30 minutes compared with several hours.
They found that the felines tended to react with more purring and stretching after being reunited with their owners after several hours apart. Once again, the message was clear: Cats miss us when we are not home.
Chelsea's and Charlie's behavior provides further proof of this. Howe told Newsweek: "Chelsea was adopted, and we believe she is 13 to 14 years old. She is a very clingy dog and she is NOT shy about demanding attention."
Howe said one of Chelsea's favorite things to do is show affection by "mushing" her face into his. "According to Chelsea, there is no such thing as close enough," he joked.
He continued: "Chelsea is a very social dog, and we often refer to her as the mayor of our neighborhood because she always has to say hi to everyone. She's very playful for an older dog. She has a basket full of toys, and she likes to pull all of them out and scatter them all over the floor."
When Howe first adopted Chelsea, she ruled the roost. But he eventually decided to add another animal to the house. Some might have expected Howe to get another dog, but Chelsea is very particular when it comes to making friends.
"Over the years of living with Chelsea, we noticed that she doesn't really care for other dogs but she loves cats," Howe said. "Therefore, we decided to adopt a kitten about two years ago."
That cat was Charlie, the daredevil feline featured in the video. "Charlie was adopted at 8 weeks old and was part of a litter of stray cats," Howe said. "From day one, Charlie has always liked to climb everything, including me. As a kitten, he would climb up my clothes and sit on my shoulder."
Howe said there are two sides to his feline friend. "Charlie is either being crazy and running round the house, jumping on me and attacking inanimate objects, or he is being cuddly. If I sit down anywhere in the house, he will curl up next to me."
That said, Howe acknowledges that Charlie "loves to roughhouse."
"His favorite game is when I hold my arm out so he can leap onto it," the Howe said. "Although it might look scary to some, it's all in good fun, and he doesn't hurt me at all."
Charlie and Chelsea certainly appear to have contrasting personalities. But while there are some surface differences, their affection not just for their owner but for each other makes for a happy household.
"Chelsea and Charlie often play and cuddle together," Howe said. "They get along great."
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