All of us probably saw this scene in movies and cartoons or even in real life: once a dog sees a cat, it just goes crazy and runs after it all over the place! The question is, why does that happen?
The reason of this is simply “instinct”. Dogs originally have been hunting wolves. They would catch for food. This instinct remained even after these wolves evolved and became our domesticated dogs. You will be amazed to know that it is not about cats at all. Dogs’ instinct simply tells them to run after anything small that runs. This instinct for chasing potential preys varies in its strength from dog breed to another, but it surely exists in all of them.
Movement is not the only thing that makes dogs chase other creatures. There is also the urge to play. You might have wondered why most dogs love the game “fetch” where you throw things for them to fetch it for you. This game along with other activities that involve the dog running after a subject provides the sense of hunting preys which satisfies the hunting instinct in dogs.
So cats and dogs do not hate each other. It is only a matter of pure instinct. Actually cats and dogs can live together peacefully if they grow together or if they are trained to live together.
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