(CNN) — Apparently, cats do rule and dogs drool. What other conclusion could any human being with a heart draw from the video in which a little cat bravely and boldly saves a boy being attacked by a dog?
Sure, dog people will try to argue otherwise. They’ll point to pugs and sheepdogs and Shih Tzus and other examples of cuddly, loyal, nonviolent pups. But when’s the last time you heard of a kid being viciously mauled by a tabby? I’m not saying all dogs are evil. But cats certainly don’t get the credit they deserve.
Think popular culture, the heroic dogs immortalized in our stories. There’s Lassie. Benji. Rin Tin Tin. Old Yeller. Toto. Should we count White Fang? Anyway, can you think of a single famous fake cat hero besides Puss in Boots?
Cat hero: “He’s a hero!” shouted Jeremy Triantafilo, the Bakersfield toddler who was saved by the family cat in a now viral video.
And in real life, dogs get plenty of good press. Man’s best friend and all of that. Cats are denigrated, treated as less than, relegated to old women and semi-ironic decorations on sweatshirts. Grumpy Cat. Or nasty and creepy, like Mr. Bigglesworth. Or the Siamese cats in “Lady and the Tramp” — you know, the movie with the heroic dog couple. Or stupid, like Sylvester. “Dog lover” is a compliment. “Cat lady” is not.
How refreshing to see not just another cat-in-a-cardboard-box video (though I love them, too) but a cat doing something, being brave, saving the day. Tara, the little cat in this video, isn’t just a hero to that one child. Tara is a hero to cats and cat lovers everywhere, tired of being upstaged by the bigger, brawnier, droolier pets who can’t even manage to use a litter box.
Let’s hope Tara inspires a generation of cat heroes around the globe — as well as the rest of us, including those in children’s literature and Hollywood — so we no longer see cats just as lazy, fat Garfield-style layabouts, but ferocious, fierce daredevils. Move over, Superman. Tara, the movie, is coming to a theater near you soon.
Cats love nothing more than to bask in the sun, literally. Maybe now it’s time for cats to have their metaphorical moment in the sun as well. Go Tara!
Editor’s note: Sally Kohn is a CNN political commentator, progressive activist and columnist. Follow her on Twitter @sallykohn. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
