Was Tolkien a dog person or cat person?

[banakil]

I say dog person.

Tolkien wrote a story about a mean cat among a group of mean cats, and none of the cats were nice. Telvido is a mean cat and servant to Morgoth. And Telvido's clowder of cat followers are likewise. Telvido is of such character that he sought to pounce upon Huan while Telvido assumed that Huan from Valinor had taken ill. And then Tolkien abandoned the story, meaning he ignored the cat, which is a clever karmic slight that one might expect from a dog person.

I didn't even see a cat in the Cottage of Lost Play on Tol Eressëa. Are there any nice cats in Middle Earth? Some good mousers perhaps who keep the lands clean?

Berúthiel, a Black Númenórean queen, was known for her association with cats. She had ten cats, nine black and one white, which she trained to spy on the people of Gondor and discover their dark secrets. Berúthiel conversed with the cats and may have been able to read their memories. The cats were feared and reviled in Gondor, and people cursed upon seeing them.3 The cats of Queen Berúthiel were so notorious that they were held in the memory of Gondorians for centuries.

Again, all the cats are meanies. None are nice.

With dogs though, there is the Huan a great hound of Valinor, gifted to Celegorm by the Vala Oromë. Huan was such a good dog that he fought the wolves!

The farmer in the Shire had some loyal dogs. Even if Frodo and Sam didn't like them very much, they must have respected that they guarded the good food.

 

[Deimos]

Hands down, a dog person.

 

[Ricardo]

I would say a dog person. He built the character of Huan, associated with good.

And we have Tevildo, the first incarnation of Sauron later abandoned that was... a cat.

 

[banakil]

I don't suppose Gandalf was making many dog friends in the Shire by bringing fireworks.

I wonder if Tolkien read this quote by fellow inkling CS Lewis in Weight of Glory,

"As a color first reveals its true quality when placed by an excellent artist in its pre-elected spot between certain others, as a spice reveals its true flavor when inserted just where and when a good cook wishes among the other ingredients, as the dog becomes really doggy only when he has taken his place in the household of man, so we shall then first be true persons when we have suffered ourselves to be fitted into our places. We are marble waiting to be shaped, metal waiting to be run into a mould. No doubt there are already, even in the unregenerate self, faint hints of what mould each is designed for, or what sort of pillar he will be."

What would Huan be without Beren and Luthien?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Related thread (with the usual derailments):

Did Tolkien hate cats?

Hey. I own 2 little kittens, and all dogs i have ever owned were either crazy, disobeyed me, or both, so you could say i prefer cats. So i am kinda disturbed by how my favourite writer clearly hates them. I am reading B&L and Tevildo and his 'thanes' are clearly depicted as evil. Not only...

thetolkien.forum

 

[Elthir]

Tolkien wrote a story about a mean cat among a group of mean cats (snip) And then Tolkien abandoned the story, meaning he ignored the cat, which is a clever karmic slight. . .

Or

JRRT abandoned the story after realizing that the noble cat should not be treated in such a way.

I didn't even see a cat in the Cottage of Lost Play on Tol Eressëa.

If a cat doesn't want to be seen,
you don't see it.

For example, there are three
cats in the following picture

Are there any nice cats in Middle Earth? Some good mousers perhaps who keep the lands clean?

Cats are as nice as they see fit. And we know cats exist in Aman too; but I've never heard that Valmar was at any time overrun by Amanish mice!

Back to Tolkien: our Annatar has kindly kollected the following:

In one letter he wrote a small poem about himself:

“J. R. R. Tolkien
had a cat called Grimalkin:
once a familiar of Herr Grimm,
now he spoke the law to him.” [Letters #309]

In addition, there are a few unpublished letters, and in one Tolkien writes:
"I am about to acquire, or should I say solicit the association of, a Cat."​

Berúthiel, a Black Númenórean queen, was known for her association with cats.

I say the Queen was the "bad guy"! And I note her cats are introduced in The Lord of the Rings with a positive (in my opinion) comparison -- their ability to find their way home in a blind night.

She had ten cats, nine black and one white, which she trained to spy on the people of Gondor and discover their dark secrets.

In an interview in the 1960s Tolkien said: "I’m afraid she took to torturing them for amusement, but she kept some and used them — trained them to go on evil errands by night, to spy on her enemies or terrify them.”

So eventually, of course the Men of Gondor were afraid of these cats, and cursed them.

For myself, I can't blame these cats, however.

And yes, Sauron's "eye"
was compared in some way
to the eye of a cat.

Tolkien also compared the eyes of Legolas (of Gondolin) to a cat.

Oh anyone can post about cats, of course, but I'll know if they're. . . erm. . . "lion"

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Oh anyone can post about cats, of course

I'm feeling too old and decrepit, so I'll just sit and drink my coffee.

 

[Deimos]

For example, there are three
cats in the following picture

btw the Cat's name is Cerberus ... ( I wonder why 🙄....)

 

[banakil]

Clever post, and playful, your profile literally being a cat person 🤣

I shall test you with my laser pen... Tolkien wrote about Telvido that he was quick to believe what he wanted to believe. And this is what allowed Tinuviel, through flattery, to deliver Telvido into the jaws of justice. Catch if you can this Roverandom thought - what if the answer to the question (dog person or cat person) is actually measured by the possibilities Tolkien saw for character development? In story, his possibilities manifested through imagination, reaching extraordinary heights of fantasy. But in real life, his possibilities manifested practically, in relationship, companionship, family bonding. To catch the red dot is fantasy. To experience the moment is reality.

 

[Frandîr]

I think the simple answer is: a dog person. I think that deep down, he very much appreciated all living things, as they all are creations from Eru. But I don't think he "hated" cats more than maybe felt sorry for them.

On the Book of Lost Tales' version of Beren and Luthien he talks about how the cats, being abandoned by their master Tevildo, can be heard lamenting (meowing) even as of today. And you could hear their sadness and sorrow in their cries when they wail.

 

[Deimos]

In one letter he wrote a small poem about himself:

“J. R. R. Tolkien
had a cat called Grimalkin:
once a familiar of Herr Grimm,
now he spoke the law to him.” [Letters #309]

In addition, there are a few unpublished letters, and in one Tolkien writes:
"I am about to acquire, or should I say solicit the association of, a Cat."​

I love this GIF 😄

 

[Ent]

On shreds, and threads - unfounded things,
we makes our case: of it we sings.

If it's not said by target true,
we can't but say "we wish we knew."

The Man's not told us his true thought -
perhaps we speculate for naught.

Yet speculate we love to do,
from shreds and threads. I wish we knew.