Why We Love Cats and Dogs: Introduction

tanner vea — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:36:23 +0000

Some people are cat people, some are dog people. But regardless of which camp they fall into, most people are simply crazy about their pets. The connections people form with their cats and dogs are often the longest, strongest relationships in their lives. They are our soul mates, our best friends, sometimes even our surrogate children. What makes these creatures such key members of our families?

Perhaps it’s because our furry friends have long provided us with comfort, camaraderie, and unconditional love. Cats and dogs are our unending source of kisses, cuddles, slobber, claws, and laughs. Watch as NATURE shares the stories of pet owners and their beloved animals. From a very special dog named Jerry, to a cat that saved a man’s life, Why We Love Cats and Dogs presents a portrait of some of the most powerful and remarkable connections we experience as humans—the unbreakable bonds with our pets.

Four-time Emmy Award winner, filmmaker and director Ellen Goosenberg Kent kept the 10-month production of NATURE’s Why We Love Cats and Dogs on the right track. Ellen brings a strong visual sense to the art of storytelling and was able to illuminate the dynamic human-pet relationship, revealing how dogs and cats share our emotions in many significant ways.

Update February 19, 2009: Professional dog trainer and behaviorist Sarah Wilson answers Five Good Questions on PBS Engage.

Online content for Why We Love Cats and Dogs was originally posted February 2009.

Photo by Joe Sinnot © EBC

Extraordinary Cats: Introduction

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 1999 16:22:54 +0000

Playful, brave, loving, and incorrigible! NATURE ponders those EXTRAORDINARY CATS.

Cats command our attention and our devotion. These fascinating creatures have been perplexing people for thousands of years. Are they wild or tame? Aloof or emotional? Funny or indignant? Angelic or mischievous? Needy or independent? The answer is all of the above. And that’s why we adore them.

In fact, they outnumber dogs as pets 66 million to 55 in the U.S. After all, they’re more independent, and, perhaps even more significantly, cats provide us with a close connection to something wild.

Indeed, no matter how well a cat is fed, stroked, brushed, and otherwise fussed over, they are hunters at heart.

EXTRAORDINARY CATS profiles fascinating felines — from Sooty, a cat who found his way over 100 miles back home, to Scarlett, who risked her life to save her kittens from a burning building.

To order a copy of EXTRAORDINARY CATS, please visit the NATURE Shop.
Online content for EXTRAORDINARY CATS was originally posted February 1999.

Nature » Cat

Why We Love Cats and Dogs: Introduction

Extraordinary Cats: Introduction