"Artists like cats; soldiers like dogs"

Desmond Morris draws an evocative distinction between artists and soldiers through their preferences for animals: artists with cats, soldiers with dogs. The underlying meaning unfolds from the symbolic weight each animal carries and the personalities traditionally associated with these professions.

Cats have long stood for independence, curiosity, subtlety, and sensitivity. Unlike dogs, cats are less predictable and less demonstrative in their affection. They approach life on their own terms, often observing before acting, blending affection with aloofness and contemplation. These traits echo the sensibilities often attributed to artists. The creative pursuit requires introspection, a comfort with ambiguity, and a willingness to traverse unpredictable paths. Like the cat who tiptoes through shadows, the artist navigates the complexities of emotion and experience, pulling beauty or meaning from the unnoticed corners of existence. The relationship between cat and owner is one of mutual respect rather than strict obedience, a fitting model for the relationship many artists wish to have with their work and the world.

Dogs, by contrast, symbolize loyalty, order, teamwork, and unambiguous devotion. Military environments depend on structure, discipline, and clear hierarchies, values that dovetail with the classic traits of dogs. Dogs are pack animals: they respond to leadership, thrive in cooperative settings, and are often driven to serve. Soldiers, whose lives and tasks rely on trust, reliability, and coordination with others, may find an affinity with dogs’ straightforward companionship and earnestness. The bond between soldier and dog has a long history, from the use of military working dogs to the comfort a dog provides in lonely hours, reflecting mutual dedication, the kind of trust required in battle.

By pairing artists with cats and soldiers with dogs, Morris highlights not only personal temperaments but also ways of navigating the world: sensibility versus structure, independence versus dependence, ambiguity versus clarity. This observation speaks less about exclusive categories and more about subtle affinities between human character and animal temperament, offering a reflection on the underlying values that shape lives and callings.