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Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat?
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Results so far:
| Dog | 62% | 3833 votes | Total: 6209 votes | |
| Cat | 38% | 2376 votes |
Dog
by Natalie M. Wolverson
Created on: August 13, 2009 Last Updated: August 14, 2009
Dogs are loyal companions who love their masters and can get very protective. People are said to feel safer around a dog and more protected knowing that no one is going to break into your house with a dog there. Dogs also get on really well with children and can give your child a new companion and friend - especially if he or she is an only child.
I just love dogs - my boyfriend is a cat lover but I really don't see a point to cats. I mean ok they are pets and they can cheer you up and keep your lap warm, but you have to buy litter trays, food and cat litter and what do they return? At least you can exercise with a dog, know that he will protect you and your home and have a loyal companion to be around.
Dogs not only make good pets but also are useful to Emergency Services around the world; fire fighters, police, paramedics and many more. They can help search for people in a wreckage, sniff out drugs on drug dealers, chase down criminals - what can a cat do? Blind people's lives are changed by guide dogs; it's amazing to think that a dog can change someone's life and allow them to do things that they would struggle to do before like going to town alone.
Huskies are a way of life in places like Alaska, where sled dogs are used as transport to get around the city with ease. Without dogs it would be very difficult and very expensive for people to get to town. Sled dogs can travel over 90 miles in a 24 hour period while pulling 85 pounds each - now try walking that far whilst carrying the same amount of weight and see how far you get!
Dogs are very intellectual animals and it amazes me that people can treat them as badly as they do. Even though some dogs go through hell with their owners, they never stop loving them. A dog is a companion for life - but sometimes people forget this and don't really think about the extra work or money and space needed to home a dog and it's the dog who truly suffers.
As the saying goes - dogs are a man's best friend - not just because of their loyalty and fun loving personalities, but also because of the effect that they have on people's lives on a daily basis.
Just remember, it takes space, time and money to care for a dog. They might be little as puppies but they grow, they take time and patience to train. They need care and attention, as well as exercise. Dogs are not just for Christmas!
Learn more about this author, Natalie M. Wolverson.
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Cat
by Katherine Johnson
Created on: September 21, 2007 Last Updated: March 19, 2010
While dogs are loved and respected by their owners, I have to say that cats are far better pets. I have two cats, they have been a part of my family for years, we keep them inside and they are perfectly trained. They are cleaner, they don't make messes and rarely am I kept awake at night due to barking. Our main experience has been with cats so my family decided it was time to get a dog.
We took a family trip to the pound and we brought a beautiful dog who was a one year old boxer. My children were instantly in love with this dog and we decided he was the one, that was until we actually got home with the dog. We figured he would be a handful for about a week, as it took any animal a little time to get used to his new home and his new family, but we were wrong, he was a handful the whole time we had him. We found that there were numerous reasons for not keeping the dog and we helped him to find a good home.
Here are just a few reasons cats are better than dogs
1. Dogs must be walked. My cats don't need anyone to get up in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning to walk them. With my cat, my children dont leave their warm beds in 12 degree weather or heavy rain storms to take the dog for a walk. Additionally, when the family is away from the home for more than three hours, we are sure we will not come home to find disgusting presents on one of my expensive rugs.
2. The cost of feeding bigger dogs is astronomical. My dog ate about 10 pounds of food a week, so we bought the 10 pound bag every weekend which cost about $10 to $12 a week, while my cats could eat from their ten pound bag of food for almost 3 months, both of them.
3. Dogs stink. Coming home from work was always a surprise the dog smelled awful and no amount of bathing would cure the smell of the dog, keeping my house from having that smell was also very hard as well. We washed our dog almost daily and the dog still managed to make my house smell like this dog.
4. Dogs bark. A lot of times the dog would bark all night long, usually for absolutely no reason. We spent 3 days sometimes awake all night, with neighbors banging on the door because the dog would be barking for hours.Cats are quiet and usually only meow when hungry or in need of attention, which usually stops as soon as you feed or pet them.
Dealing with these problems have helped me to conclude that having a cat is much better than having a dog. While both give you companionship, the added expense and the problems associated with owning a dog is simply not worth the hassle.
Learn more about this author, Katherine Johnson.
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