Imagine a world where our favorite furry companions had thumbs. Opposable ones. Thumbs that allowed them to open their own tins of food, easily steal your possessions and generally make them more trouble than they already are. What kind of world would that be?
What if Cats and Dogs had Opposable Thumbs Day aims to give us all pause for thought and think about how different our lives would be if Mittens or Fido joined the ranks of the – supposedly superior – species with opposable thumbs.
History of What if Cats and Dogs had Opposable Thumbs Day
This wacky and weird observance day was the brainchild of Ruth and Tom Roy, who are known for creating holidays – almost a hundred of them, in fact. Of course, this is one of the key questions of life, so it makes sense that a day should be dedicated to it.
What makes us humans so special is that we have opposable thumbs. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do half the things we can – open things, turn handles, hold bits and bobs. It’s one of the key things that separates us from animals, which can’t really get a grip to the same level that we can.
Tom Roy says that he came up with the idea after having had cats and dogs in the house for 45 years, and realizing that their main dependency on humans was for food. So, he thought, how would things turn out if they didn’t need humans to turn that tin opener?
How to celebrate What if Cats and Dogs had Opposable Thumbs Day
Today, it’s time to appreciate the skills that your pet has – and maybe the skills that she doesn’t have!
If your cat had opposable thumbs, would he use it to accomplish dexterous tasks? Would he build fires? Would he start cooking his own food? Would he start using the things that he’s collected around the house to make complex traps to catch mice and rats? Or would he just keep doing much of the same as he does now – sleeping, occasionally making a mess and expecting you to feed him when he wants?
If dogs had opposable thumbs, would they abuse their tin opener privileges? Or would they keep up the guise of man’s best friend by helping out around the house, doing the dishes and the hoovering?
Whatever you get up to today, make sure to make it a day to appreciate our furry friends.
