The cat tied them there

But the cat picked me

Right, so you’ve seen that, have you? Watched some gullible sap throw cans of food at the cat until one sticks? Perhaps if it's a newly adopted pet, then yes, you have to put in some work to find the kind of food that the cat prefers. Research has proven that kittens actually build a preference for the food that their mother ate during gestation and nursing, and it takes deliberate care on the owner's part to move them over to a different kind of food.

I once had a golden retriever inhale half a pound of salami, vomit it across the linoleum ten minutes later, and then like some greasy ouroboros of shame, it ate the same spewed-salami again. Twice. It's like comparing apples and oranges, except I bet my dog would have eaten those, too.

And then there’s the cat, not having any of it. Doesn’t fetch, doesn’t beg, doesn’t need humans' approval; which I bet drives certain people mad that it's primary motivation in life isn't to be their own personal dopamine dispenser.

Sarcasm aside, I do get where you're coming from. Cats and dogs aren't variations of the same theme; dogs are social, cats are solitary. Some people understand that and don't expect their pets to be anything more than what they are. Me? I like both cats and dogs. I don’t expect them to be little humans or to stroke my ego. I’m their caretaker, not their cult leader. If they’re happy, safe, and healthy, that’s the win. Anything beyond that is a bonus.