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Pet Ownership
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| Dog | 62% | 2609 votes | Total: 4182 votes | |
| Cat | 38% | 1573 votes |
Dog
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Add to FavoritesIT'S REIGNING DOGS!
No question about it, dogs win, paws down!
I knew as soon as I picked up my dog for the first time as a puppy that she was the one I would be taking home. I held her up, she licked my face, and we bonded instantly. Are you going to get that from a kitten? No, they'll look your way for a few moments at best and then get distracted by something shiny.
Dogs are beneficial to your health. Any of you who have a dog probably know 'the look.' That's the one that says, 'I've got to go outside. Now!' See how the dog can get you off your ass and out of your chair, at least long enough to let him out in the back yard if you're not quite motivated enough to take him for a walk? A cat won't do that. It'll just go poop in a box that you've filled with sand so that you can easily and conveniently clean it out later, holding your breath and gagging the whole time. Litter boxes are no bed of roses!
Of course, not all dogs are the active Type A breeds that want to be on the go all of the time. Some are more reserved in their nature and prefer to lounge loyally at their master's feet while they work or sit. Or if the owner isn't home, the dog will wait patiently for their return, worry knitted across their brow until we arrive home safely. Or so we like to think. After all, it's plainly obvious by all of the tail wagging and prancing and jumping that we were sorely missed.
You won't get that kind of behavior from a cat. If you wealk into a room and the cat is sleeping in there, (like they do anything else) you are most likely to get the one eye half-open, ears cocked back, 'this had better be good, you're pissing me off' look. And I won't even get into cats running and jumping to greet you; it just doesn't happen.
Often a dog will sit and watch you like it desperately wants to help you in any way it can, if only he could overcome the language barrier, (or maybe it's hungry) but at least it looks at you. In my experience, I've noticed that cats prefer to sit with their backs to you, ignoring you completely, and may bless you with a glance over their shoulder if they're feeling particularly generous.
Another thing dogs are great for is home security. Your pooch might not be a trained patrol or attack dog but at least if your family is sleeping and someone tries to break in, the dog will almost certainly make some type of noise to alert you. The cat? You wish. The most a cat will do is give the burglar the evil eye warning that he is not to be disturbed; his highness is sleeping. The cat pretty much tells the burglar to help himself, just don't take the chair that I'm sleeping on.
A dog's loyalty knows no bounds. They see you as part of their pack, their family. Even people who abuse their dogs can be recipients of this faithfulness, no matter whether it is deserved or not. Meanwhile, a cat will look at you, assess whether you're capable of operating a can opener, and if you are, you're hired!
Dogs like to have fun. You can take them outside and throw a ball for them or you can take them to the lake for a swim. Maybe you can hike, chase squirrels, or play tug with a rope. The possibilities are endless; the dog is always game for a game! Cats will play too, if you can catch them when they're not sleeping. You can do cat things with them: throw a catnip mouse, wiggle a string in their face, etc. Whee! And maybe that is fun for some people, but we know it never ends well. Somebody always ends up scratched and it isn't the cat.
Dogs are happy and friendly and eager to please. Cats are happy to be left alone, friendly when they want something (food), and eager to do as they please. A dog will listen to you (though it may not obey) but a cat will flat out ignore you.
As I heard somewhere one time, 'we praise the dog for being loyal to us and condemn the cat for being loyal to itself.' Dogs give us an ego boost and make us feel important. what's better than that?
P.S. my cat is sitting here watching me write this and she does NOT look happy about what she's seeing. I think I'd better go...
Learn more about this author, John Hummel.
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Cat
The question asked here is clearly a matter of personal choice. Well, to some very real extent it is; many factors may preclude a "pet parent", (just flatly hate the word owner when speaking about life, animal or human), from keeping one over the other. Allergies, renting guidelines, noise issues and time constraints to name but a few. It is important to note here that keeping any pet safe from harm, well fed, treated for disease and from running wild in the streets is noble and should be congratulated. But, having said that cats are a better choice of pet.
Cats require less moment to moment care than dogs. They need not be walked to relieve themselves, being smaller they need not be exercised out of doors and when upset or excited they need not be quieted so as not to anger the neighbors. Cats are capable, when brought up in a home that sees to there needs and gives them attention and love, of being as responsive to affection as dogs, as able to obey a simple command and as loyal as any dog. Some breeds of cat, namely the Maine Coon, are thought to have an intellect that rivals that of a three year old human child. This makes the Maine Coon easily trainable and highly responsive to it's "parents".
Many pets, of either species, shed their coats. There is cleaning needed of the home that either one is kept in and there isn't any way of escaping the fact. But, cats will use a litter box instinctively. New born cats, once made aware of the existence of a litter box are drawn to it without any further training being needed. Litter boxes can be cleaned as often as a pet parent feels it is warranted. Cats do not, as a rule, need to go outside to leave behind waste that some person's child can step in should the dog's parent not clean up the mess. Dogs need to bathed. They don't really do a very good job of handling this task for themselves. Cats are experts at the handling this job for themselves or in the case of two or more aiding one another with the task. While this is a concern in the area of the dreaded "hairball", it is more manageable than is a medium size dog's "accident" on the carpet.
Cats have very sharp claws which they enjoy sharpening and on occasion they do so on your furniture. While that is true given a bit of teaching and the right scratching posts the furniture is usually very safe. Dogs, being larger can often find space in the home a bit smaller than they need and often knock over the most valuable of things. They do have an instinct to chew things and having bigger and more powerful jaws can make short work of anything that they see fit to devour. Dogs, some of your larger varieties, will slobber or drool quite a good bit and that's just the way they are made. Cats just don't have this as one of their problems.
All dogs and all cats deserve the love, affection and caring of decent parents. They deserve ethical treatment at the hands of all humans. There is really no better pet than the one you love and care so very much for that you have made them a part of your family. What preceded this is an opinion and nothing more. Take good care of any pet your keep in your home. They deserve nothing less at your hands.
Learn more about this author, Nouri Arif.
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