Greetings, furriends and poetic pals. Today’s poem is a short and sprightly piece by Howard Moss, titled “Catnip and Dogwood.” It’s a light-footed exploration of the differences between cats and dogs—with a few playful jabs tucked into its rhyme and rhythm. I knew from the first stanza this was going to be fun. I also knew I would be offended at least once. (I was right. We’ll get there.)
Let’s stroll through it.
A Look at “Catnip and Dogwood” by Howard Moss
A cat’s quite different from a dog
And you name it differently, too;
A library cat might be Catalogue,
And a Siamese, Fu Manchu.
Dogs usually have humdrum names
Like Molly, Blacky, Biff, and James.
Cats eat catnip excitedly,
Get drunk and jump around,
But a dog can sniff at a dogwood tree,
And sniff and sniff quite diligently,
Sit down and never budge—
And be as smug and sober as a judge.
My Thoughts
First of all: Catalogue? Brilliant. Would 100% take that as my library-based code name. Bonus points if I get a stamp with my paw print on it.
And yes, Fu Manchu is very on brand for a Siamese—mysterious, elegant, vaguely plotting something. (Stereotypes? Maybe. Offended? Not in the least.)
But then we get this:
Dogs usually have humdrum names / Like Molly, Blacky, Biff, and James.
Now look. I live with dogs. Their names are dramatic, noble, and weirdly human. They are not humdrum. They are loud. They are everywhere. And they do not understand personal space. But okay, fine—point to the poet for rhythm and roast.
Let’s talk catnip:
Cats eat catnip excitedly, / Get drunk and jump around…
This is… accurate. Disturbingly so.
I will neither confirm nor deny that I once got so high on ‘nip I leapt into the laundry basket and then pretended I meant to be there.
And yet:
…a dog can sniff at a dogwood tree / And sniff and sniff quite diligently.
Yes. Diligently. Endlessly. The sniffing never ends.
You know what happens when I sniff something for five seconds? I solve a mystery. Or I get bored and walk off.
You know what happens when a dog does it? He forgets what he was sniffing and then circles back to it six more times.
A Tribute: “Names Matter”
A poem by Tyson the Cat
You call me Kitten.
You call me Fluff, Sir Pounce, Small Void.
But I know my name.
It’s the one you use
when I knock the lamp over.
That tone. That volume.
You can name a dog.
Cats decide whether to answer.
That is the difference.
The Catnip Conundrum
Moss’s “Catnip and Dogwood” is part poem, part roast battle. It’s funny, sharp, and secretly respectful.
He gets that we cats are a little absurd—but also majestic.
He knows dogs are steady and serious—but maybe not all that mysterious.
And through it all, he reminds us that names—and nature—carry more meaning than we sometimes admit.
Purrs and catnip-fueled epiphanies,
Tyson 🐾
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