# CATS vs. DOGS **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 2, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677 "2014-01-02T04:05:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/21 "2014-01-02T16:40:57Z")
You forgot “Loves dogs, wants to ban cats from the country.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/22 "2014-01-02T17:09:38Z")
> [@gracer](#): > > I completely disagree: dogs may show enthusiasm for any- and everyone, but it’s not the same as “their people”. > > To my dog, I am her person and I go before everyone else. She loves everyone, she’ll wag and show her belly and fetch you her favourite ball. But I am her person. If you tell her to do something, she’ll quickly look at me. If she’s scared she’ll come to me, because I am the strongest and the bravest, to her. Safety to her is falling asleep with my hand in her mouth, like when she was a puppy. She has a special sound for me, a sort of manic snorting/huffing sound. She goes bananas when she picks up me up at the airport, she won’t come and say goodbye when she sees my packed bags. She likes to hide her head between my legs. She has petty little jealousy issues when I give another animal attention, which she expresses with mournful looks. And she will do anything for me, because she trusts me blindly. She’ll sit and stay because she knows, and never doubts for one second, that I will come back for her. She would jump blindfolded, if I told her to. > She’s an old, old lady now and a little arthritic. The vet was bending and stretching her joints to test them, and she had her head buried in my chest. The vet said every time I said “good girl” she could feel her bend that bit further even though it hurt her. Because she would do anything for me. Being nice to other people is just her good character, it doesn’t negate that we belong together. I was about to write something but you summed it up very well. Our dog is a coward and will run away from people until they are in the house for a few hours and she gets used to them. So she doesn’t show enthusiasm for everyone. Unless they have a dog with them. She loves playing with any dogs and has no idea why some don’t want to play with her. Cats are icky. We foster cats and dogs at times. The girlfriend sneaks the cats into the basement and never tells me how many. I don’t ask she doesn’t tell. ---
**Author:** ![as\_u\_wish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@as\_u\_wish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/as_u_wish)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/23 "2014-01-02T17:12:42Z")
I weighed in as love cats and dislike dogs. But “love” is much too strong a word for cats. I’m just ok with cats. And I really really really REALLY dislike dogs. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/24 "2014-01-02T17:35:43Z")
My choice is not on the list. Love or like many / some dogs & cats. Working dogs are great. Have come to think that most Cats & Dogs are worth a lot more than many people of which that list is growing exponentially. Dogs are more useful IMO. I hate people who mistreat any animal. I am totally responsible for my critters, so I will control them, you won’t. If I even think you are going to try, you get on the list if you live. Like, Love, Tolerate, don’t Like or Trust, etc, all depends on the individual animal or human. I hold human 1000 times more accountable for their own actions than I do any animal. Comments or rant, I am not sure but at least I am done now. Aren’t you glad? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/25 "2014-01-02T17:49:41Z")
Both are lovable and have their specific upsides. Like, dogs are great to pet ; but cats are _awesome_ to punt. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/26 "2014-01-02T18:41:37Z")
I guess I can’t make a blanket statement about all dogs or all cats, Kobal. Some dogs are great to humans, some are loathsome. Same with cats. And other animals. Same with _people!_ And I know a French-Canadian family whose kids I once chided about their dislike for cats. Those kids haven’t been kids for lo, these many years. And if I told my older brother what you said about cats he would punt _me!_ ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/27 "2014-01-02T21:30:09Z")
I voted “Love dogs, like cats,” but it would be more accurate to say that I do not actively DISlike cats. I wouldn’t treat them like my forebears did - drowning them in bags and what not - but I don’t go out of my way to show them affection, and I’m not tempted to get one. Stated another way, if I meet a dog at dog park that is frightened of me, I am a little put out, and will make small talk with the owner in hopes of convincing Fido that I’m a good guy. If my friend’s cat hisses at me, I don’t care in the slightest, though I will pet a cat that comes over to me. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/28 "2014-01-02T22:50:51Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Cats are totally cool if you don’t get a crazy one. They have dignity. A dog will eat cat poop and then try to lick your face. A dog will rub its asshole along the carpet or roll around in any dead animal it finds. Dogs freak the fuck out whenever the phone or doorbell rings. Cats don’t do any of these things. My cat rubs his butt along the carpet. I don’t fault him though… he doesn’t have toilet paper! ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/29 "2014-01-02T23:08:51Z")
It’s the dependency of dogs – people call it love, but I see it as neurotic dependency – that is so annoying. Besides, most dogs smell bad. However, the dog I had growing up was the best dog ever, and my neighbor has a very lovable and very intelligent dog that I would take in a heartbeat, if needed. But I prefer cats. Even affectionate, people-oriented cats have an independent streak, and their beauty and grace is a pleasure to see. I’ve met more intelligent cats than intelligent dogs, and they don’t need to be walked outdoors when it is snowing and blowing and below zero outdoors. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/30 "2014-01-02T23:13:25Z")
> [@DaveRaver](#): > > My cat rubs his butt along the carpet. I don’t fault him though… he doesn’t have toilet paper! Butt dragging on the carpet is often a sign of worms or other itchy condition. Best take kitty to the vet. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/31 "2014-01-03T20:47:52Z")
Love cats. Since earliest childhood. Dogs: like them generally, but dogs I know personally (family/friend) are cherished just as much as cats. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/32 "2014-01-03T21:22:48Z")
Cats \> dogs ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/33 "2014-01-03T21:50:52Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > The way a cat thinks is closer to how a human thinks than a dog. Dogs are pack animals, they think in terms of ‘we’, while both humans and cats are more independent, thinking in terms of ‘I’. No, it’s the other way around. Monkeys and Dogs are both pack animals. They need a group to survive. Cats, otoh, don’t need anyone else at all, although they sometimes enjoy company. That’s why dogs were the first animals that we monkeys domesticated (or vice versa) - because our basic nature leads us both to understand social dynamics and the benefits of working together. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/34 "2014-01-04T01:15:09Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Cats are totally cool if you don’t get a crazy one. They have dignity. A dog will eat cat poop and then try to lick your face. A dog will rub its asshole along the carpet or roll around in any dead animal it finds. Dogs freak the fuck out whenever the phone or doorbell rings. Cats don’t do any of these things. cats will jump on your chest while you’re resting or napping. giving you a heart attack is their idea of fun. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/35 "2014-01-04T01:37:06Z")
I have to give the edge to dogs, but I do like certain cats quite a lot. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/36 "2014-01-04T03:00:36Z")
Gee, isn’t it amazing that we’ve never before had a thread like this? [/passive aggressive] ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/37 "2014-01-04T03:22:27Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > [/passive aggressive] Just like a cat. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/38 "2014-01-04T03:44:40Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Love cats, like dogs. Except, of course, MY dog. I love her. > [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Love cats. Since earliest childhood. > > Dogs: like them generally, but dogs I know personally (family/friend) are cherished just as much as cats. This is how I feel. I love **my** dog as much as my cats, but I’m more in tune with cats in general than I am with dogs in general. I like dogs just fine, and they tend to like me, but cats and I **get** each other. I kind of feel like I’m fluent in cat, but I speak dog as a second language, at best. I love my dog, but I get the definite sense that trying to communicate with me frustrates him a little. The cats and I understand each other much more intuitively. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/39 "2014-01-04T04:55:17Z")
Im mostly a cat person d/t their independence and cleanliness. How many dogs can you leave alone safely in the house if you have to work a double? But I do like dogs, well, _some_ dogs if they are clean and well-behaved. In other words, if they are like cats. And if they dont smell bad. I love Great Pyrs, tho. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2014, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677/40 "2014-01-04T05:34:52Z")
I love cats. I wouldn’t say I dislike dogs, but I don’t like the way they smell, I detest being licked, and I’ve been around them for such limited amounts of time that I’d say I’m uncomfortable with them. I don’t really understand how they act and I find them unpredictable, which makes me nervous. When a strange dog comes toward me I get pretty concerned and edgy. I imagine if I had a dog I’d get over all that pretty quick. But my current cat cannot be around other animals, so that isn’t an option at the moment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cats-vs-dogs/677677.md?page=3)