Which Are Best......Cats or Dogs?, a short story by Twinkletwinkle. Date added: 2011-05-05. Times viewed: 2006.

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Intro: So, you want a pet. Do you choose a cat or a dog? Which is best? Let's look at the evidence....

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Which Are Best…Cats or Dogs?

 

I love cats and dogs, I’ve owned both at different times, and for a few years a cat and a dog together.

But they are very different…..in their behaviour, needs and how they interact with us, their owners.

Firstly….

Behaviour

Dogs are pack animals. They look for a leader to follow and if they don’t see you as a leader, will take on the role themselves, thus causing you untold problems. So, be strong and show them who is in charge, before they run amok.

Cats, on the other hand are more independent and do not require a leader. They take orders from no-one.

Dogs tilt their heads and will hang onto your every word when you talk to them. Cats just yawn and close their eyes as if you are boring them to death.

A badly treated dog will stay loyal to their cruel owner, as they have attachments to people, not territories.

A mistreated cat will usually not stick around for long, they know where they’re not wanted and will find another cat flap to infiltrate.

Dogs will give you unconditional love forever. Cats will make you pay for every mistake you’ve ever made.

When dogs roll onto their backs, exposing their bellies to you, they are showing that they are submissive.

When a cat rolls over for you to rub its tummy, it is showing trust, not submissive behaviour. This is proved when the cat deems it’s had enough of your ministrations, it will grab your hand with claws and teeth and let you know who is in control of the situation.

Dogs wag their tails and entire bodies with uncontrolled excitement when they see you.

Cats are more restrained, an erect tail with a gentle quiver is more than enough energy usage required to say hello.

Dogs live to please. Cats please themselves.

Dogs like to jump up at you to show their happiness that you are there, even if it’s only ten minutes since you last saw them. Their over exuberance can be disconcerting at times, and when you’ve got up off the floor and brushed yourself down, they can still take a while to calm down.

Cats also like to jump up, but they like to wait until you are comfortably seated, so that they can jump up on your lap, claw at your clothes and keep you incapacitated until they have had enough of you.

Dogs howl, whine and bark. Cats hiss, meow and purr…..no contest on that point then….

Dogs are needy, if left alone for long periods, they can suffer anxiety problems.

Cats on the other hand, require peace and quiet and relish an empty home for periods when they can catch up on some sleep.

Dogs need to be taken for a walk, need lots of running and catching games, and they don’t stop until they are physically exhausted. Cats take themselves for a stroll, if and when the mood takes them…..very leisurely…..stopping now and again for a sit down.

A dog will bring you a ball or a rubber bone to play with. A cat will bring you a mouse. If you are lucky, it will be dead already; otherwise you may just have a problem on your hands. Cats have a way of looking incredibly smug and get a perverse pleasure from watching you try to catch a mouse!

Dogs will let you give them a bath and you probably won’t come to any physical harm..….. just you try that with a cat!

Of course, one reason why cats feel that the requirement for baths doesn’t apply to them, is because they already spend up to 30% of their time washing and grooming. I think they have a point there. Cats always seem to have a lovely clean smell and dogs often smell…well…sort of…. doggy.

Dogs will protect their owners, will bark and will scare off intruders.

Cats will puff up, arch their backs and hiss loudly, then will retreat swiftly behind the sofa when the doorbell rings.

If you wake a dog, it will be happy and excited to see you. Wake a cat and it will pretend to be asleep whilst putting up with you stroking it, for as long as it likes.

Cats will annoy relentlessly to be fed and once it knows the food has been put down will disappear, not touching it until it feels ready to eat. It will then pop back at intervals during the day to snack when it fancies it.

A dog is grateful for its food and will gulp it down in one go, then look for more. Always in a state of disappointment that no more is forthcoming.

Training

Dogs are easy to train. They are keen to please and relish in the one to one attention that they get from their owners when training. Getting rewards helps with the training process too. Getting a dog to learn how to ‘Come’ and ‘Sit’ is relatively easy with a tasty morsel in your hand.

Cats use a litter tray instinctively because of their need to bury their waste to mask their scent. That comes easily to them, not much training required there.

As far as training them to obey commands or do tricks….forget it…..don’t waste your time. Tell a cat to do something and it will smirk and walk away. Not even rewards or bribes work with cats…they are above that.

Physical Qualities

Dogs have the most incredible tracking capabilities, an acute sense of smell, exceptional hearing and can run fast and can be trained. That’s why dogs are used by the Police Force, Bomb Disposal and Drug Detection.

Cats are far too busy for all that nonsense and would demand too much pay and holiday entitlement.

Cats live in a three dimensional world of running, jumping and climbing. Their flexibility is remarkable and their night time vision is excellent. Their sense of hearing and smell is acute.

It never ceases to amaze me how a tin of tuna being opened in the kitchen, can bring a sleeping cat from its slumber beneath a bush in the garden, within two minutes. How do they do that?

So there you have it, pretty much. It depends what you want out of a pet really. I have to admit I prefer cats, but mostly because they don’t need walkies, and are more self sufficient…….and they don’t hump your leg.

But whatever you choose, give them your love and they will give it back fourfold.

A quote I read recently sums up my thoughts on cats and dogs….

“My dog looks at all the things I provide for it and it says, ‘You are wonderful.’

 My cat looks at all the things I provide for it and says, ‘I am wonderful.’ ”

 

Which is best? You decide……

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