In your opinion, are cats or dogs better? Why?

In your opinion, are cats or dogs better? Why? In my opinion, it is a bad question. It is not a question about whether cats are better than dogs or vice versa, it’s about whether a person prefers cats or dogs.

Lifestyle

Whether a person prefers a cat or dog sometimes depends upon their lifestyle. This is where things can go wrong. People think that domestic cats are independent and can be left alone all day. Therefore, if they have a busy lifestyle they think they should have a cat. But cats don’t like to be alone all day because they’re quite sociable and form attachments to other cats and people. Neither do dogs accept being alone all day.

Women and Men

Both cats and dogs have their own characteristics which some people like and others don’t. We know that, in general, women tend to prefer cats and men tend to prefer dogs. However, this is a very big generalisation and often cats and dogs live together happily in the family home. Both husband and wife like the companion animals equally.

Misplaced Reasons

Not infrequently a person might dislike cats or dogs for misplaced reasons. They may have a perception about the animal which is incorrect. For example, some people think that domestic cats are aloof and not friendly enough. Whereas, they would say that dogs are very friendly and people orientated. Once they get to know cats they often change their minds.

Walkies

I think that one of the great advantages of dogs is that you have to take them for a walk every day. This is good for the owner and the dog. The counter argument for some people is that you have to take dogs for a walk everyday! They don’t like the obligation, which is why they prefer cats.

Claws

Cats’ claw are a problem for a lot of people. They are even a problem for people who like cats which is why a lot of people in America declaw their cat. This is something that should never take place and it is a very sad state of affairs.

Equal Ownership

If you look at the statistics for cat and dog ownership in America you will see that the numbers are almost equal. Therefore for half the human population of America cats are better than dogs. For the other half, dogs are better than cats. Therefore neither animal is better than the other.

Convenience

The convenience of a cat in a good reason why they could be described as better them dogs. It is said that they require less input from the owner because they are more independent. I disagree with that. The argument is misplaced. But that is the perception sometimes.

Cleaner

Another good reason why cats are better than dogs is because they’re cleaner than dogs. We know that domestic cats are fastidious about their personal hygiene. Often I see dogs coming back from a walk covered in mud. If you don’t like mud in the home maybe a dog is the wrong choice. Then again, if you don’t like hair in the home maybe a cat is the wrong choice.

Cost

If you look at the statistics for the cost of veterinary care for dogs and cats, you will find that people spend more on dogs than cats. I don’t know whether this is because dogs cost more to maintain because they are less healthy than cats or because dog owners are more concerned about the health of their dogs than cat owners are about the health of their cats. But dogs are more expensive per day on average but they live shorter lives therefore the overall bill for maintenance is similar to that of cats.

Dangerous

An obvious reason why dogs are less good than cats is because they are more dangerous than cats. This is why in the UK there is the Dangerous Dogs Act. It is also why cats are allowed to roam freely wherever they wish in all countries. Dogs often have to be kept on a lead and there is a far greater obligation on the owner to keep them under control.

Dog can frighten people in the street. I would argue that more people are frightened of dogs in our cats. I am biased, however, and prefer cats to dogs. Why is that?

Parents

My reason is probably the same as for many others. It is because my parents had cats in the household when I grew up. Therefore I got used to them and got to like them. On the other side of the coin, if parents strongly dislike cats they may tend to indoctrinate their children with their thoughts. The child will learn to dislike cats which carries into adulthood.

The conclusion is that neither animal is better than the other. It’s about personal preference, the reasons for which may be misplaced.