Wilson Bryan Key analyzes, Jordan B. Peterson anthropomorphizes

“It is no random accident that most U.S. presidents have pet dogs in the White House, at considerable taxpayer expense for damaged rugs, furniture and draperies. Consciously and unconsciously , the presence a of loving , obedient, trusting dog produces a positive image of the owner. The president must have a dog. Voters would reject a politician who preferred cats, pigs, boa constrictors, or chimpanzees. (Wilson Bryan Key, The Age of Manipulation, p 134)

Cats, however, are their own creatures. They aren’t social or hierarchical (except in passing). They are only semi-domesticated. They don’t do tricks. They are friendly on their own terms. Dogs have been tamed, but cats have made a decision. They appear willing to interact with people, for some strange reason of their own. To me, cats are a manifestation of nature, of Being, in an almost pure form. Furthermore, they are a form of Being that looks at human beings and approves. (Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life, Page 352)

OK, I prefer indifferent cats over lovingly stupid dogs. I don’t mean to open up the debate, as my reasoning is simple: A well-trained dog is a joy to have around, but there is so much time and trouble in training it that I don’t want to go through. A cat, on the other hand, comes into the household, takes in the lay of the land, and adapts. Training? Yes, cats do spend considerable time training us, but in the end they do, as Peterson says, approve of us. Otherwise they would simply kill us.