Why We Love Cats and Dogs

* When and where: 7 p.m. Sunday, Rocky Mountain PBS-Channel 6

PBS' Nature has given us many wonderful shows about animals, but few hit home with the impact of Sunday's Why We Love Cats and Dogs.

If you've got a beloved pet at home, this is a show you need to see.

The show isn't so much about animal behavior as about what we - pet owners - get from our animals and what they, in turn, get from us. A dozen individuals and couples across the country are interviewed about their pets, from the uplifting (a man mired in alcoholism was inspired by his cat to kick the bottle) to the heartbreaking (a couple who sell their business and take to the road in an RV with their beloved three-legged German shepherd).

"Cats want a staff; dogs want a family," opines one pet owner, and that statement is borne out by the animals showcased here.

An animal behaviorist talks about the different types of personalities we find in dogs and cats, while sundry owners relate how an animal has proved the most empathetic of friends in times of trouble. Anthropologists tell us that cats, dogs and humans co-evolved, which means our affinity for each other is rooted in more than simple affection.

Occasionally the show drifts into idiotic jargon ("mirror neurons"?) and you wish it spent more time discussing the bond between dogs and cats raised in the same home. Anyone who has experienced this can attest to the astonishing rapport between disparate species.

One of the most impressive segments profiles the Boulder Valley Humane Society's Meet Your Match program, where dogs and cats are profiled for personality traits (outgoing, reclusive) and matched with adoptive families.

Ultimately, trying to explain the bond between a dog or cat and its owner is like trying to weigh a cloud. Nice in theory; tricky in practice.

pearsonm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2592