Ah, the age old American question. Which makes the better pet, a cat or a dog? Well, I'll just get straight to it. For me, cats make a better pet. Then again, I've always had a propensity for them rather than a dog. But, now that I have lived with both a cat and a dog, I can clearly say that I like cats better.
But, as to the question of whether a cat or a dog make a better pet, the answer to the question lies in the eyes of the beholder. It seems as if most people in America prefer a dog over a cat. That is the vox populi among people in America. A dog is the "great American Pet"; A man's best friend. Well, I'm an American. I am also a woman. But it seems as though I don't share the same sentiments as the rest of America. Sometimes I'm puzzle by how surprise some people will be when you tell them that you prefer a cat over a dog. Some will even take unwarranted, and severe umbrage to the fact that you would prefer a cat rather than a dog. Dogs are part of that "American dream". You know, that dream of going to college, getting married, having 2.5 kids, a white picket fence, and a dog. So, saying that you don't like dogs (which I do, but I don't like having them as pets) is down right American sacrilege. Saying that you don't like dogs is like saying "I hate America". Yes, some people do take it that seriously.
Now, like I said, it's not that I don't like dogs. I do like dogs, but not enough to have them for a pet. I was searching on Google one day, and I came across this blog about cats. On the blog there was a saying. The saying went, "Dogs live for you, but cats live with you". I think that this statement is more or less true. Although you may be the cat's "master", a cat doesn't have that same mentality. Cats are very independent and they practically take care of themselves. This is what I love about a cat. Because of their independence, they are more low maintenance. All you need to do is provide the food and the litter box. They got the rest. With a dog, they require so much more care. Things that a cat does on their own, you have to train a dog to do. For example, going potty. Cats, for the most part, are already trained to go to the litter box by their mother. And, if they aren't trained completely, it wouldn't take long for you to train them. I remember back in 2004, my sister had bought another cat (she already had one prior to this one) from the pet store. Her name was Sasha. Well, Sasha had a little trouble going to the litter box at first. Initially, instead of going to the litter box, she would sometimes go on the floor. Well, my sister had to train her to go in her litter box. And, not ever a week, she started using the litter box on her own. Now, with a dog, this is not the case. Dogs are not internally equipped to know to go to a certain area to go potty. Nope. They will just find the cleanest, hardest to clean, and the most expensive places to go potty. Next thing you know, your dog just shited on your brand new, $150 rug. And this won't be the first time he will do this. Oh no. Unless trained, this will be his most common area to go potty. And, when you do train him, it can take weeks, even months for him to learn to go outside every time. For this, you must have a lot of patience. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of patience. But, I waded it out as best I could. Also, when you do train a dog to go potty, it is recommended that you give them a treat. A treat? Are you fucking kidding me? I have to give a dog a treat just for doing something he was supposed to be doing anyway? Now, if we were teaching a dog a trick like, rolling over, playing dead, stand on two legs, than I would see why I would give them a treat. But, having to give them a treat for taking a shit outside? I never thought of that as a "trick". But, I nonetheless, gave him a treat. Hey, if giving him a treat was going to be his incentive to go outside and poop, then I'll take whatever help I could get. Cats never required getting a "treat" or praise for doing something that should be doing anyway. I have never had a cat come up to me and say "Hey, I just took a shit in the litter box. Where's my tuna?"
Another thing that I love about cats is that they don't require a lot of baths. Well, besides that fact that cats HATE water ( if not drinking it), they groom themselves. They do it before they go to sleep, and after they get out the litter box. I know what you're thinking. "Do dogs not do this, too? I always see him licking his balls. Isn't that cleaning?" Yes, but it just seems to be mainly that area. They give themselves a few licks and they are done. With a cat, they give themselves a whole shower. They clean their private areas, their backs, their paws, and tails, and even their faces. They have this internal instinct to clean themselves, whereas a dog doesn't. Not to say that you should never give your cat a bath. But, they don't require as many as a dog would (assuming that your cat is a house cat. Meaning, you don't let them go out and have them roam around the streets all night. Than, in that case, they do require frequent bathing). Dogs should be bathed 1 or 2 times a week, where as with a cat, maybe a few times a month? I guess it varies. Dogs are easier to bathe. I'll give them that.
Another thing that I love about cats is that they aren't too clingy (if at all). This quality that is absent in some cats, seems to be the one quality most people love about dogs. When you get a dog - especially a puppy - they will follow you around where ever you go. I mean, EVERYWHERE. If you go to your room, it goes to your room. If you go to the kitchen, it goes to the kitchen. My mom's dog will go into the bathroom with her. And she allows it. And then, when you leave to go somewhere that the dog can't go (like shopping or work), they will start barking, barking, and barking. They will bark so incessantly as if you're never coming back. I mean, damn, talk about clingy. Why people like this shit, I will never know. I think that, as the dog gets older, he will abate this, if he doesn't stop completely. A lot of cats, on the other hand, are not like this. They don't follow you everywhere. If they are comfortable chilling on the couch, they are not moving an inch. Not even for you. They got better shit to do. That's good because I don't like being followed everywhere I damn go, even if it is a dog that's doing the following. And, when you leave to go shopping, work, etc, cats will look at you like "Oh, you're leaving? See you later". Sometimes they may run to the door before you leave. But, it's not because they want to go with you. It's because they may want to go outside. One of the complaints from dog lovers is that cats don't greet you when you come home. The moment you walk into the house, the dog is there wagging his tail and jumping on your leg. They are even barking in excitement because their master is home. With a cat, they may see you come in, but they are not going to go running to you while meowing incessantly. They may give you a look like "Oh, you're home", but nothing beyond that. This seems to be a lot of people's excuses as to not wanting a cat. They don't greet you when you get home? So the fuck what? Most people have kids. And, kids aren't always there salivating and jumping on your leg when you get home. That doesn't mean they don't love you. They do. Shoot, when my mom comes home, I don't always greet her. I may give her an occasional "hey," but that's it. Personally, if I had just came home from and 8 hour shift at work, I am in NO mood to have a dog constantly barking in excitement, and jumping up and down my damn leg. When I get home, I am either tired, hungry, or both. You want to play? Go play with a ball. I am in no mood for your excitement right now. I just want to relax for a bit. Cats see you come in, and they don't do anything; just the way I like it. They give you space. If a cat does greet you, they just give you a simple nudge on the leg, and that's it.
Which leads me to another thing. Some dog owners tend to think that cats don't show their masters love. That is NOT true. I lived with two cats. They thing with cats is that they have different personalities, where as a dog, although they look different depending on the breed, generally have the same personality. Some cats are not the affectionate type, while others can give you a little too much affection. I used to stay with my sis. And every morning I would get up and go to the kitchen. Whenever I was in the kitchen in the morning, one of the cats would always follow me in there. She would constantly nudge her head against my leg, give me kitty kisses (aww), and meow affectionately (which I thought was strange seeing that she didn't meow much). And everywhere I would walk in the kitchen she would follow me. At times, it had gotten so much so that it would annoy me. I didn't want her to stop, just to tone it done a bit. As much as I loved that cat, she had problems. One minute she's all lovey dovey with me, and the next, she would run away from me scared, as if she never seen me before in her life. So, some cats do show affection. So more, some less, some not at all.
Another thing I don't like about dogs is that they whine. Cats don't whine. If they need something, they will just meow until they get your attention.
Cats are way too cute. They have those big eyes and small heads and noses. Too cute!
Cats are so funny. Whenever their curiosity peeks, or their predator instincts kick in, get ready for some laughs.
Another thing that I love about cats (this will be my last one because it's almost 3 am in the morning, and I'm tired), is their purr. I just find a cat's purr so hypnotic and relaxing. It kind of equates to hearing the soft sounds of the ocean. As a matter of fact, I remember reading somewhere that a cats purr can help lower blood pressure. It's because a lot of people find a cat's purr so tranquil and relaxing. One of my sisters cat would just come sit on my leg (as if I was a piece of furniture) and just start purring. I loved that so much.
Well, that's all I am going to write about cats. It's about 3 am. This post isn't quite what I wanted it to be, but I am very sleepy. So, I did my best. But, I do want to leave off on this note. People are different. Some people prefer cats, and some prefer dogs. As I said, which pet is better is determined by the person's personality and preference. But, for me, I would rather have a cat live with me rather than a dog. I like dogs, but cats are my choice for a companion.
