Are you a cat person or a dog person? In the age-old schism of cats versus dogs, there has always been a debate for both sides. No matter what side is taken there will always be a debate about which animal is superior. People choose pets based on a certain kinship they feel with the animal. Now, perhaps cat lovers are uptight, but they don’t choose to claim kinship with a creature whose first act upon meeting a new member of its own kind is to sniff its behind. There is also the problem of dignity and discrimination — as in, dogs have none. Where’s the discrimination in an animal so mindlessly arduous that its overpowering instinct upon seeing someone is to hump his or her leg? And what’s dignified about a creature so mad with joy at your (somewhat predictable) daily return from work that it is forced to hurl itself at you like a furry cannonball, intent on knocking you down and likely to induce concussion? In contrast to this slobbering, effusive eagerness, the calm, independent companionship of a cat will be taken any day.
At least when a cat displays the occasional enthusiasm over your presence in his world, it can be rest assured that hospitalization is not the most likely result. People own animals for companionship, not so they have to be responsible for the animal twenty-four hours a day. Cats, unlike dogs, are independent. Cats do not mind being around so long as it means being well fed, provided with warmth and comfort, and allowed to do pretty much what they want to do, including being left alone.
The Essay on Compare and Contrast Cats and Dogs
... social class. Dogs are day animals. Another very obvious difference between dogs and cats is that dogs are usually bigger than cats. When it ... comes to verbal command, dogs ... similarities that cats and dogs share, but at the same time they are very different. These two animals are two ...
Dogs, if permitted, will share their owner’s meal, chair, and bed. They like to be patted and praised and demonstrate their own affection by slobbering all over their owners after any separation lasting more than fifteen minutes. Owning an animal can take up a lot of time. For most people time is of the essence, and spending a lot of time on an animal is unrealistic.
Cats are able to live without their owners for days on end. They can usually find something to eat, and pee if plants for example. But dogs need to be put in kennels and looked after by another person. Dogs also have to be put on leashes when they are outside. Cats have the ability to roam freely because their owners do not have to worry about them causing a lot of trouble. A cat is allowed to be outside until late hours because owners know that the feline will make its way home, where as a dog at night is usually brought inside, or chained up outside.
Practicality and simplicity help animal owners decide what type of animal they should own. If your house or apartment is full of mice, a cat will solve the problem. Although, some dogs hunt for small rodents in a home, they usually confuse live animals with toys. On the other hand, dogs can be trained to do a variety of things, but sometimes training can be tedious and teaching a dog how to sit can be impractical for everyday life.
Dogs live in a benevolent universe in which every event and every encounter is a potential learning experience. The casual stranger is not to be ignored, as he or she may be a new best friend.
