# What images do you associate with dogs and cats?



## taked4700

Hi,

In Japan, "You are like a cat." suggests that you are capricious and independent.  Sometimes it suggests you are not industrious.  It also means that you are myterious and hard to understand what you are thinking.

"You are like a dog." indicates that you are loyal to your friends or parents or your company.  In some context, it suggests that you don't have your own idea or stuff to judge what is right and what is wrong.

I guess the images of dogs are rather common in the world, but am not sure about cats.

Thanks in advance.


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## curlyboy20

I guess we don't make those types of comparisons in Peru. Personally, I'd call a lazy, stuck-up self-centered person a cat, and a loyal person a dog.


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## malina

Well, in Spanish (at least in Spain)  being called a dog is like saying someone to be lazy.


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## LV4-26

taked4700 said:


> Hi,
> 
> In Japan, "You are like a cat." suggests that you are capricious and independent.  Sometimes it suggests you are not industrious.  It also means that you are myterious and hard to understand what you are thinking.
> 
> "You are like a dog." indicates that you are loyal to your friends or parents or your company.  In some context, it suggests that you don't have your own idea or stuff to judge what is right and what is wrong.


More or less the same in France. Plus the idea that a cat likes its comfort, being warm and cosy. A voluptuous, sensuous person will be compared to a cat.


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## Forero

Where I live, only women are ever called _catty_ (secretive, vicious, sly) or _bitches_ (ill-tempered). Women might also be called _dogs_ in regard to appearance. Men can be called _dogs_ for various reasons (dirty, going along with abusive power, etc.). All the connotations are negative, as far as I know.


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## LV4-26

I forgot the most important. 
Here is

This post by Carnesecchi translates more or less as 

"faire la chatte" means be cuddly, like a she-cat that wraps voluptuously arond your leg. That's something they say of a loving woman who behaves like a cat, purring and curling up to arouse her partner.

It's a fairly strong image but I'd say it's neutral in terms of judgement. And, if anything, NOT negative.
(Those French! )


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## winegrower

Oddly enough, in Greece we have a different approach to these animals' features than the ones I read above. We call γάτα=cat, either a man or a woman who is smart, quick-minded.
Instead we use γατούλα=pussycat for a woman with the attributes described above by LV4-26. Now dog we say for a tough/hardy person, who is afflicted by many problems but manages to endure them all! We also have σκύλα=bitch for a bad/crabbed woman.


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## barkley04

As a matter of fact, the images of cats and dogs differ from a culture to another.
Generally speaking, in the arab world, especially dogs have a bad image. For instance, when you say to someone:"You are like a dog.", it will be considered as an insult.


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## Joca

The associations with the cat are usually positive (sensuality), except for the word "gatuno," which comes from "gato" (cat) and means "thief". 

Now, we have two words for dogs: "cão" and "cachorro". "Cão" is fairly neutral, but can be used in a positive light, as well (faithfulness, intent, hunting capabilities, etc). On the other hand, "cachorro" is very negative and usually applies to a worthless person.


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## Grop

Hello,

While I agree that dogs are associated with loyalty, I wouldn't call someone a dog. That would be quite offensive.


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## LV4-26

It's funny to observe that we have a number of expressions with "dog" in French that seem to contradict the general opinion we have of dogs, which is globally positive.

Example : (ne sois pas chien) Don't be a dog, give me a bit of your cake.

Apparently, that idea of loyalty associated with dogs is something of a constant throughout the world. 

In France, many see it as not-so-positive. I mean, you'll find many people who say "I prefer cats, they're more independent". 
For those people, I believe it must be an identification issue. Behind those words, I read "I'm confident I'm an independent person, nobody tells me what I have to do. I'd rather be identified to a cat than a dog".


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## timofei

_Chienne_ means just the same as _bitch_. More slangish: _être en chien_ means, for a young man, being in serious need of sexual intercourses (possibly slabbering like a dog).


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## taked4700

I wonder why English speaking people say 'underdog' and 'top dog' but not 'undercat' or 'top cat'.

In Japanese, we have an expression to 'ride a top horse' to mean to join the winners.  But we don't have an expression like 'top dog' whereas we use underdog in Japanese.


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## SDLX Master

taked4700 said:


> I wonder why English speaking people say 'underdog' and 'top dog' but not 'undercat' or 'top cat'.
> 
> In Japanese, we have an expression to 'ride a top horse' to mean to join the winners. But we don't have an expression like 'top dog' whereas we use underdog in Japanese.


 
We do not really relate animals to people, except for very specific cases where a comparison can fit (e.g. as industrious as an ant, as dirty as a pig, as fast as a horse).


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## Earth Dragon

Some Americans will compare you to a cat if you move quietly.


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## elirlandes

Forero said:


> Where I live, only women are ever called _catty_ (secretive, vicious, sly) or _bitches_ (ill-tempered). Women might also be called _dogs_ in regard to appearance. Men can be called _dogs_ for various reasons (dirty, going along with abusive power, etc.). All the connotations are negative, as far as I know.




The only (semi) positive connotation I can think of in English is for "feline" which when used to describe a woman can suggest a slinky sexiness...


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## manon33

There is a saying in England : 'Dogs have owners, cat have staff', which suggests we think of cats as haughty and self-possessed. Conversely, dogs are seen as dependent and obedient (and perhaps not quite so intelligent?)


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## Calambur

Por aquí, la idea/imagen que nos sugiere un gato coincide con la que presentás:


taked4700 said:


> "You are like a cat." suggests that you are capricious and independent.
> ...
> It also means that you are myterious and hard to understand what you are thinking.
> 
> En cuanto a los perros, sería así:
> 
> "You are like a dog." indicates that you are loyal to your friends or parents or your company.


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## bondia

taked4700 said:


> Hi,
> 
> In Japan, "You are like a cat." suggests that you are capricious and independent. Sometimes it suggests you are not industrious. It also means that you are myterious and hard to understand what you are thinking.
> 
> "You are like a dog." indicates that you are loyal to your friends or parents or your company. In some context, it suggests that you don't have your own idea or stuff to judge what is right and what is wrong.
> 
> I guess the images of dogs are rather common in the world, but am not sure about cats.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


 
Visiting the kingdom of Bhutan last year, we were amazed by the number of dogs who live in the streets and are well-treated and fed by the people who endure with good grace the incredible noise they make at night, barking, fighting, copulating etc. We learned that the Bhutanese people believe that a dog is the previous incarnation before becoming a human being in the next life. I don't know which position a cat occupies in this scale! Neither do I know if this is a belief shared by Buddhists in general or is particular to Bhutan.
Regards


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## Estiben

I have also heard the term "dogged" (with two syllables) used in a positive sense to mean tenacity. Come to think of it, I haven't heard it lately. Maybe I am showing my age.


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## geego

taked4700 said:


> I wonder why English speaking people say 'underdog' and 'top dog' but not 'undercat' or 'top cat'.
> 
> In Japanese, we have an expression to 'ride a top horse' to mean to join the winners.  But we don't have an expression like 'top dog' whereas we use underdog in Japanese.



I imagine that _top dog_ and _underdog _are expressions that come from the world of greyhound races, exactly the same way _top horse_ comes from the world of horse races.


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## ireney

Cats are seen as cunning and stealthy and people with either or both of these attributes maybe called a cat. A person looking quite pathetic and/or ,strangely enough, since we're talking about cats, guilty can be described as looking "like a wet (drenched) cat". Even more strangely, it is not used for people who are really, truly pissed off. 

Dogs are apparently a bit schizophrenic: A lazy person can be called a lazy-dog but a hard working person works as a dog. A very contentious and mean woman may be called a bitch but the same term can be used positively to describe a protective woman.


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## Lugubert

I've tried to think of dog/cat similes in Swedish, but found only "(Sensible/wise/intelligent) like a poodle".


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## la_machy

En el lugar de México de donde yo soy (Sonora) los perros son considerados compañeros cariñosos e inteligentes y es común oir a las personas decir ''es más fiel qué un perro'' o ''ese perro es muy vivo (inteligente).''

Los gatos, al igual que en muchos lugares, se consideran independientes y un poco vagos y juguetones. Muchas veces las personas prefieren a los perros.

Las imágenes que yo asocio con estos animales, son precisamente la fidelidad e inteligencia en el caso de los perros. Y la independencia en el caso de los gatos.


Saludos


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## HUMBERT0

The association with dog can be good or bad, but mainly good it all depends on the person, to many they're good pets, to some they're filthy animals (faithfull, a companion, good pet, they protect, dirty, flea and germ producing animal, etc.), and cat it also depends on the person (a good pet, an independent pet, good at keeping mouses away, very resilient animals, etc.)

Now, to call someone ”gato” or “perro” can be positive or negative in Mexico, it depends how you say it, examples that come to mind in Spanish:
Perro(a) = Dog, female dog
Gato(a)=Cat, female cat

To call a man “perro” would be consider an insult, it’s like saying his not human, he is a filthy animal
To call a woman “perra” means “bitch”, you’re also comparing her to a female dog, it’s an awful insult.

Now, “perro” in slang can be used as “tenacious”, or “very good at something”, but context and how you say it, can tell you if it’s an insult or not.

To call a man “gato”, in slang means he’s a subordinate, he is just another employee with a boss who he needs to kiss up to. (i.e. “pero si tú eres el gato del supervisor de mercadotecnia”)

To call a woman “gata” in slang, means “maid”, “the hired help”

Even if you say “you’re like/eres como” a dog or cat (“Eres como un perro”, “eres como una perra”, “eres como un gato”, ”eres como una gata”), depending on context and how you say it, it may not be received very well, especially if it’s someone you do not know that well. But, if you know the person, and you specify the good attributes to which you are referring to, it can be used, i.e. “eres como un gato, sabes caer de pie/ you're like a cat, you know how to land on your feet”.

Saludos


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## sundreez

taked4700 said:


> I wonder why English speaking people say 'underdog' and 'top dog' but not 'undercat' or 'top cat'.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> Dogs are pack animals, and as in any pack (group) there are leaders (top dogs) and followers (underdogs). Cats are solitary animals (except for lions) so all cats are equals.


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## Ivonne do Tango

En Argentina existe una expresión que dice "estar a cara de perro". 
Significa que la persona está muy seria (no necesariamente que sea muy seria) y quizás enojada.

"Gato" en nuestro lunfardo puede tener varios significados, dependiendo del contexto. Se les dice "gatos", por ejemplo, a las vedettes muy expuestas en los medios que cambian de pareja constantemente. Sin embargo "gatinha", diminutivo de "gata" em portugués es una mujer muy bonita y no tiene una connotación peyorativa. Sin duda, estas dos asociaciones con el animal tendrán que ver con su femineidad (la cual es posible relacionar con lo felino) y en el primer caso que cité, quizás por ser un tipo de animal que no forma una pareja estable (al contrario de los conejos, por ejemplo, que se unen y viven toda su vida juntos criando en conjunto a su cría).

Saludos,
Ivonne


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## Valeria Mesalina

Dogs are usually asociated with loyalty. The exceptions are pitbulls and possibly dobermans, who are considered "killer races".

"To die like a dog" (morir como un perro) means to die alone and forsaken. 

Cats are still associated with witches (black ones) and bring bad luck (black ones). At least in Galicia.

A woman may be a bitch (either she is a whore or she is awfully sour tempered) or a cat (she is out for what she can get, the hypocryte).

And as for me, a dog is prose. A cat is poetry.


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## Ivonne do Tango

Con la amistad, claro...

"El perro es el mejor amigo del hombre" dice el dicho popular..

Con la soledad también, ahora se me viene el dicho:

"Va a morir solo como un perro", seguramente surgido de la vida de los perros de la calle, los cuales viven muchas veces solitarios (otros no).

"Perra" puede ser utilizado para calificar a una mujer, depende cómo se diga, quién lo diga, contexto, etc.  En la mayoría se escucha peyorativamente, pero algunas veces con un sentido lindo: de mujer hermosa.  Por ej: "viste qué linda es Kathrine Zeta Jhons? Sí, es una perra!"  La verdad que no suena muy bien, pero puede ser utilizado en un buen sentido.


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## Mahaodeh

Traditionally, in Arabic it's a very big insult to call someone a dog; dogs are associated with undesirable qualities: dirty/unclean, despicable, scoundrel, servile, abject, treacherous…etc.

It's used in quite a few similes and proverbs, some that come to mind is "مثل الكلب، يعض الإيد التي تطعمه" = "like a dog, it bites the hand that feeds it" (meaning that dogs are treacherous); "ذيل الكلب عمره ما ينعدل ولو حطوا فيه قالب" = "the tail of the dog will never be straight even you put it in a mould" (meaning that dogs are crocked); "من قلة الخيل شددنا على الكلاب سروجا" = "for lack of horses we put saddles on dogs" (meaning dogs are not-worthy); an idiom that comes to mind is "مثل الكلب وذيله بين رجليه" = "like a dog with it's tail between it's legs" (meaning dogs are servile).

Cats are much more respected, but they are not "honorable" animals (such as horses or lions); I can think of one similes for a cat: "مثل القط، ياكل وينسى" = "like a cat, it eats and forgets".

I must say though, that the Western concept of dogs being loyal is being adopted by some lately; but calling someone a dog is still insulting.


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## Valeria Mesalina

Mahaodeh said:


> an idiom that comes to mind is "مثل الكلب وذيله بين رجليه" = "like a dog with it's tail between it's legs" (meaning dogs are servile).



This is interesting, Mahaodeh.

We have almost the same saying in Spain, "salir con el rabo entre las piernas". The meaning is slightly different: we use it to indicate that someone has been insulted, punished and humiliated - and had to accept the insults and the humiliation.


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## sundreez

We domesticated dogs to do our bidding such as help in hunting, pulling sleighs and guarding the house. Cats decided on their own to stay with us because that is where the mice are and we kept them for the same reason.

Robert A. Heinlein: 
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.​


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## Grop

Valeria Mesalina said:


> We have almost the same saying in Spain, "salir con el rabo entre las piernas". The meaning is slightly different: we use it to indicate that someone has been insulted, punished and humiliated - and had to accept the insults and the humiliation.



Same in French: _fuir la queue entre les jambes_. But I think more of a wolf than of a dog. _Fuir_ is to flee, so we only say this about someone who actually leaves.


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## lantern

Valeria Mesalina said:


> This is interesting, Mahaodeh.
> 
> We have almost the same saying in Spain, "salir con el rabo entre las piernas". The meaning is slightly different: we use it to indicate that someone has been insulted, punished and humiliated - and had to accept the insults and the humiliation.


^That's exactly what it means in English, too ("to leave with one's tail between one's legs").


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