Dogs have masters. Cats have staff.

This is a modern, anonymous witticism that circulates widely in pet-owner culture, especially in cat-vs-dog humor. It reflects a long-running popular stereotype: dogs are eager to please and accept human authority, while cats behave with aloof independence and a sense of entitlement. The line is typically used in casual conversation, greeting cards, memes, and social media posts rather than traced to a single identifiable author or first publication. Because it functions as a punchy aphorism, it is often repeated without attribution and may appear in slightly different wordings across informal sources.

The joke hinges on reversing the expected hierarchy of pet ownership. “Dogs have masters” implies a conventional relationship of obedience and training, where the human directs and the dog follows. “Cats have staff” comically elevates the cat to the role of aristocrat or employer, suggesting that humans exist to serve the cat’s needs—feeding, cleaning, and providing comfort—on the cat’s terms. Beyond pet humor, the quip plays on broader themes of power and perception: authority can be defined not only by legal ownership but by who sets the rules of daily life and who adapts to whom.