dogs have masters, cats have staff

English

Etymology

The exact date of its first appearance and its author are uncertain.

Proverb

dogs have masters, cats have staff

1. (humorous) A dog will always aim to please and display loyalty to its owner, whereas a cat will always seek to be served and obeyed.

   Synonym: dogs have owners, cats have staff

   • 2002, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats A Journey Into the Feline Heart:

     Somebody once quipped that only dogs have masters; cats have staff!

   • 2003, Nancy Pearl, Book Lust - Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason:

     Sneaky Pie Brown, coauthor with Rita Mae Brown of a series of mysteries (including Catch as Cat Can and Claws and Effect), once opined, "Dogs have masters, cats have staff."

   • 2007, Cindy Adams, Living a Dog's Life, Jazzy, Juicy, and Me:

     It was suggsted I get a cat. This was not for me. Dogs have masters, cats have staff.

   • 2015, Sara Munson Deats, Conrad Gordon Deats, Cats I Have Loved:

     A wit once joked, "Dogs have masters, cats have staff." This adage aptly described Loki, but certainly neither Sheba nor Tinker.

   • 2021, Meredith Premium Publishing, PawPrint, Inside a Dog's Brain:

     Kelly St. Denis, current president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners, thinks a cat's independence make (sic) him ruler of the roost: "Dogs have masters. Cats have staff."

   • 2022, Harry L. Serio, The Other Side of Memory, page 37:

     Nevertheless, I have learned that there is an element of truth in the saying "Dogs have masters, cats have staff."

   • 2023, Stacia Quick, Moon Rise, A Tucker Family Adventure:

     Rachel stopped Joe with one hand on his arm as both of them chuckled at the sight of dozens of cats in perpetual motion, and commented in a low tone, "Dogs have masters. Cats have staff."

See also

• cats rule, dogs drool