Why Did the Ancients Advise ‘Men Shouldn’t Keep Cats, Women Shouldn’t Keep Dogs’? The Implied Meaning is Thought-Provoking

With the rapid development of modern times, society has entered a fast lane. After a hard day’s work, countless white-collar workers are no longer willing to engage in social pleasantries and would rather return early to their own cozy homes. There, they find solace from the day’s toil with their pets, telling them about the people and things they encountered, treating their pets just like their own friends.

Both cats and dogs are common household pets. Domestic cats, in particular, have a long history, having been domesticated by humans many years ago. The Book of Rites records, “Welcome the cat, for it eats the field mice.” For such common pets, how did the saying ‘men shouldn’t keep cats, and women shouldn’t keep dogs’ come about?

Many people today suggest it’s because cats’ personalities are more like women’s, and dogs’ personalities are more like men’s. Cats can be aloof, act cute and coquettish, and give you the cold shoulder, possessing some girlish characteristics. If a man keeps a cat, he might be imperceptibly influenced, lose his masculine energy, and become effeminate. Dogs, on the other hand, are loyal, devoted, and willing to dedicate their lives to their owners.

But this kind of explanation seems to fall apart when you encounter a Husky! If a woman were to keep a Husky, such a master of home-wrecking and mischief, not only would it likely fail to cultivate a gentle and refined character in her, but she might also have to consider taking a side job as a butcher from time to time.

So, this modern explanation doesn’t align with the origin of this custom. Moreover, the saying ‘men shouldn’t keep cats, and women shouldn’t keep dogs’ was clearly passed down from older generations or even earlier ancestors, so it must have a deeper meaning.

After consulting some materials, I (the blogger) had an epiphany. It turns out that during the Western Han Dynasty, Sima Qian lamented in the Records of the Grand Historian, “Eunuchs are prevalent in Shu, and this is also because of cats.” He was saying that the prevalence of eunuchs in the Shu region was closely related to the custom of keeping cats.

At first, I didn’t understand Lord Sima’s meaning. Later, I delved into the following content with deep reverence. Combined with my own experience as a man, I had a sudden realization one night.

The Records of the Grand Historian state: In the Han Dynasty, it was a common practice in the Shu region to sleep naked. A young man named Li was fond of his cat and would share a pillow with it every night. One night, Li had an erotic dream, and his ‘root’ arose. The cat was startled, mistook it for something to be caught, and seized it. His ‘mortal root’ was severed and swallowed. A neighbor heard of this, and the story spread widely. Therefore, elders often warned their descendants that cats are a peril to men and should not be kept.

And the reason why ‘women shouldn’t keep dogs’was also recorded. In the late Han Dynasty, there was a young man in the Dongyue region who happily got married. A little over a month later, the husband was to be sent on an assignment to the central Lu region. Missing his wife greatly, he bought a male dog, firstly to accompany his wife and alleviate her loneliness, and secondly to deter thieves with its intimidating presence. Three years later, the husband returned. Upon entering the door, he heard the dog barking and looked up to see his wife’s cold expression. That night, the husband wished to perform the ‘Rites of the Duke of Zhou’ but was shocked to see his wife’s skin covered in old marks. Puzzled, he asked for the reason. The wife replied helplessly: ‘The dog understands human feelings and slept with me every night.’

This origin story can be described as bizarre. Because, I (the blogger) feel that cats and dogs are sometimes not just pets. Their companionship provides a sliver of comfort to many friends who have left their hometowns to strive and work hard elsewhere. After a tough day in society, the first thing we see when we get home is them circling our feet, gently rubbing their soft fur against our ankles.

In their presence, every word we say, every unrestrained gesture and smile, is genuine and requires no pandering. That is how we are supposed to be.