Whenever I have stood outside in inclement weather as I take my dog out to do his business, I sometimes wonder, “Could I train him to use a litter box like a cat does?” I love, love, love my dog, but I will confess it can be a lot of work on occasion. There are the multiple daily walks; the cleaning off his paws when he gets in the mud; the grooming tasks; the cleaning up the messes he makes in the house tasks; and more. However, at the end of the day, when we are on the couch watching TV (I refer to this as couch cuddling!), I realize all the extra work is worth having a dog.
Now, cat owners may disagree. There has been an ongoing debate as to which pets are better: cats or dogs? Well, we all know dogs bark and run around like crazy when greeting you. Dogs bark to ward off intruders, when they get bored or frightened, or simply because they want to give the neighbors something to complain about.
Then there are cats. Chances are, your neighbors won’t hear your cat when it comes to noises. However, you may get an upset call if your cat just so happens to dig up the neighbor’s garden.
So, how do you decide which is better: a cat or a dog? Granted, personal preferences take the lead here, but there are a few things to mention in stating your case for either pet.
Team Dog!
If you love a constant companion, get a dog. Never a dull moment here. Even going to the bathroom is an adventure. No matter where you wander – around your home or around the world – your dog will happily tag along.
Plus, dogs can be taught to understand many verbal commands and many will interact well with children.
Team Cat!
If you are looking for a fan club to follow you around, you probably won’t find it in a cat. Certainly a cat’s personality is unique to the cat, unlike dogs wherein the breed largely determines the overall personality. While dogs are happy to indulge in a game of fetch, cats tend to invent their own games to play with their humans. (Is this possibly a case for citing superior intelligence in cats?)Cats even exhibit a greater range of emotions than dogs do. If you want to observe a wide range of feelings, consider a cat who will take you through contentment, disdain, affection, disappointment, resignation, annoyance, exasperation, bliss and more all in one day. You just never know.
Certainly cats love and appreciate their owners, but if you are looking for that same sense of adoration and worship dogs shower upon their owners, you probably won’t find it in a cat. The first rule in owning a cat? Understand the cat is the boss.
Dogs vs. Cats: additional points to ponder
If you have a cat, you don’t need to pick up after him or bathe him. Plus, he will bury his own feces. With a dog, be prepared to scoop that stuff up, bag it, and throw it away. Further, cats tend to eat less than dogs and don’t have a tendency to sniff someone’s crotch.
Then there is the famous independent streak. With a dog, chances are you plan your day around when he has to go potty. With a cat, well, you can leave him alone for longer periods of time without much worry. And you probably won’t come home to a chewed up pair of shoes, because, well, boredom got the best of him.
And while dogs take the lead in terms of being able to learn new things and understand direction, cats prefer to teach their owners a few things instead: relaxing and appreciating a glorious life of leisure.
In short, I don’t think we can uphold which pet is better. It all depends on YOU and what you desire in a pet. But sometimes when I am outside at 5 a.m. standing in the pouring rain or bitter cold, I have to argue with myself, “Would a cat make me do this?” And then I find myself several hours later snuggling on the couch with my dog and have completely forgotten about that early morning chore.
(Source: odordestroyer.com)
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
