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| Dog | 62% | 2628 votes | Total: 4214 votes | |
| Cat | 38% | 1586 votes |
Dog
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Add to FavoritesAs a person who has had many dogs in my life time I must say that dogs in my opinion make the ideal pet. Aside from their relatively short life span. Dogs truly enhance your quality of life and can and do create wonderful memories. Not unlike one of the family. These events inhibit all facets of our every day lives. Such as just coming home and experiencing the sheer joy your best friend exuberates when you walk through the door after a long hard day at work. No matter what is going on around you or what your mood is your buddy is always happy to see you. It is probably the closest thing to unconditional love that a lot of people will ever experience.
Cats are good pets also and will contribute memories in there own ways. However, most cats that I personally have ever had contact with just do not display the type of affection that a dog does. Actually you couldn't even compare the two. Cats do display all types of behavior just like dogs but, dogs are much more personable. For instance, when was the last time you heard of anyone with any amount of time training a cat to sit, roll over, fetch a stick or play dead for that matter, except on some crazy talent show. Have you ever taken your cat out for a jog? I doubt it. Has Whiskers ever alerted you to the presence of some shady character snooping around the house, unlikely. It has been scientifically proven that people that have dogs in their families live longer, happier lives. That alone says it all.
There are countless activities that you and your best buddy can do together. Here are just a few special trips to take with good old Fido. Go to the beach. Most dogs love to go for a swim. Teach Fido to catch a Frisbee. This is always a fun time. Go camping or hiking. Your dog will love to go camping or on a hike with you. Just think if God forbid something happened and you were to heaven forbid get lost or break a leg. Fido could actually save your life. There have been thousand of stories of dogs saving their owners lives in just these very ways. There is actual documented proof of dogs retrieving help when their owner has been hurt on become unconscious. Also when people have become lost their dogs have led them to safety. Sounds a little silly but, you never know. Dogs are able to alert you to many dangers in and out of your household. Such as the presence of a stranger or prowler, a fire or even just a squirrel running across you back lawn. Let's see Whiskers do that!
Dogs have the ability to sense when you're feeling down, anxious, scared or even angry. Most dogs will even try and console you or try to accommodate the way you are feeling the best way they know how. Typically depending on what the situation, your dog will either come to you in your time of need or stay away from you when they sense that you are angry. Cats do not display this type of seemingly human emotion. This is what differentiates dogs and cats so much. A cat in a dangerous situation such as a fire is most likely going to dash away. They have no means of alerting someone of danger. I am sure that there have been instances of cats saving their owners lives also. However, not in all the ways dogs can and do help out and contribute.
Have you ever heard of a seeing eye "CAT"! That would be hilarious. How about a bomb/drug stiffing "CAT"! That would also be hilarious. On a serious note, many studies have proven the value of dogs in the capacity of helping the handicapped. The blind, hearing impaired, mentally challenged, paralyzed individuals and even children with autism and the elderly have benefited greatly by interaction with specially trained dogs. Raising a child with a dog as a pet teaches responsibility and instills quality of compassion and friendship in children from an early age. For the lucky children who get to have their best buddy grow to a happy healthily old age these children will have the some times tragic and heart wrenching opportunity to deal with the death of their good buddy. Which if handled properly with tender compassion by the child's parents can teach a sense of coping with death. Not to say that the death of a pet could ever compare to the death of a loved one. However, people do love their dogs as much as family members often. The death of a beloved pet can be and usually is devastating.
Remember folks, the term "man's best friend" was not coined for nothing. Domesticated dogs have been around for thousands of years and will continue to be around probably for as long as we are. Dogs have become engrained into our lives as trusted companions, guardians, indentured servants and all around best buddies. We dress them up, show them off and even on occasion let them sleep at the foot of the bed. So yes, this is one writer who believes that dogs, no offense to cat lovers world wide, are a much better pet than a cat.
Learn more about this author, Ludovico Cudia.
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Cat
People often tend to be either a cat or dog type of person. both of them have their drawbacks and disadvantages, but in the end its really a personal choice as to which you like better. Personally i like both, having been around both since i was very young. However i think overall cats make better pets than dogs for several reasons.
Cats are on the whole a lot easier to look after then dogs, because they area lot more independent. A cat will go outside by itself and return bu itself as well, and other then needing food from you, wont bother you a whole lot unless you want it to. They are affectionate, but they wont be as pushy as dogs when it comes to it. Also they wont need you to be there constantly to keep them company, because they are generally free roaming anyway, and can look after themselves.
On another point, cats aren't dangerous whereas some dogs can be. a large dog when it gets angry for whatever reason is an actual danger to human life. A cat is too small to really do you much damage. On the flip side of this however cats aren't big or ferocious enough to guard your house or possessions from burglars. a dog upon seeing a stranger will often bark alerting the homeowners and often scaring the intruder away. Or if it has been trained as such, to attack right away.
Dogs tend to be much more needy in some respects however and they need to be walked rather then just let out to roam around. If they do get out on their own they will tend to either run away and get themselves lost. Or wander aimlessly after the smell of something that they think will taste good when they find it. A dog left to its own devices will also become lonely and will pine for you while you are away. Often taking the opportunity to destroy any soft furnishings or clothes you have left around the house at the same time.
When you do walk dogs, they will often defecate indiscriminately, which of course you have to pick up for them and put in a doggy bin. Cats in this respect go to the bathroom where no one can see them, and will often either hide or bury what they have done. This of course saves you another rather unpleasant job, and can save you from getting in trouble as well. A dog let out to go to the bathroom in a yard will drop it anywhere. A cat will hide in some bushes on on soft ground where it can be buried, which is a clear advantage to owning a cat.
Cats are of course much smaller then most breeds of dog as well, meaning that they will need less food to eat, making them cheaper. They do on the other hand need to be fixed sooner if you don't want any kittens, because of the fact that they will be around other cats when they go out. Dogs can only see other dogs if you let them, and you being there will give you greater control over the situation.
Overall i think a cat makes a better pet because of its independence and because it doesn't need as much care as dog. There are some advantages to dogs over cats, but overall i think cats are the best. They will usually live longer then most breeds of dog as well, so you can look forward to many years together.
Learn more about this author, Dambrath.
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