Which is the better pet? I say Cats. As proof I offer the following story of the single coolest exploit of my pet Mac. If you feel differently back it up with a story that shows why dogs are better!!!
I live in NYC and due to the rediculous real estate situation it is neccasary (for most) to have roomates. One evening I was sleeping when my roomate came home with a girl and they proceeded to go to his room and get frisky. The door to his room wasn’t really a door, more like some beads hanging down, so Mac could get in whenever he wanted. A half hour or so after they came home Mac comes into my room, hops on my bed, and right in his mouth is this girls bra!!! He went from being named Mac (as in the character from “One flew over the cuckooo’s nest”) to Mac (as in Mac Daddy)!!!
My dog is loyal and loving, but he can be a pain in the ass sometimes. Mrs. Sasquatch! and I refer to him as “Avedis the Pesty Boxer”, because he will follow you EVERYWHERE you go with that look on his face that says, “Where are you going? Can I come? What are you doing? Can I help?” BUT, I would rather have a pet that loves to be by my side than a pet that is much more aloof, as most cats tends to be.
Yes, this is a sweeping generalization, and I’m sure that there are examples of this to prove to the contrary, but dogs have more personality than cats. I’ve always gotten this vibe from every cat that I’ve met that they really couldn’t give two shits about anyone…even their owners. They’re snotty animals. Oh, and every cat owner that I’ve met thinks that their cat is the one cat that has personality…and most of them have been wrong.
Yeah, I like cats better, but they are a bit standoffish. It’s cool, because I don’t like people or animals in my face.
Cats are precious! I go nuts over cats. I talk to every cat I see, even if it’s sitting in a closed window and can’t hear me. I’ll talk for hours about cats. I’ll even talk to complete strangers about how cute even the cat’s butt-hole is… just like a little drawstring purse! I mean, you gotta love every part of the cat!
Oh, I know my cat doesn’t give two shits about me. Most of the time, anyway. Last fall I was quite sick for a week and I swear you could see it in his eyes: “Don’t die. Who will feed me?”
But what balances that for me is that any affection you do get from your more aloof cats is quite the feline gesture of caring. For instance, on hot nights Marlin will ignore me and retreat to the bedroom, where the a.c. is. But often as not, he just has to be in the room I’m in, whether I’m on the computer (he’s by my feet) or in the shower (he waits outside the bathroom door). And once I turn in for the night, he’s always in the bedroom even though he’s not a bed-sleeping cat. I’d let him, he just doesn’t go for it.
Also, Marlin has helped me rid the apartment of the occasional Large Bug (ewww). He’ll chase the sucker until he gets it pinned under a paw, then sit there and look at me like, “Ok, I did my part, now you squash it and then feed me.”
That said, I do love dogs but I’m not sure if it’s a good idea for me to get one right now; it’s turning into Wild Kingdom in my apartment as it is (one cat, two ferrets).
That’s the problem with dogs. Intelligence. I’ve heard people say dogs are smarter than cats, but I don’t buy it. To engage in a little personification:
When I see a dog I imagine it thinks:
“Can I come? huh huh Can I Can I??please please I’m good boy, love me and pet me and call me george, I’m just a big dope”
When I see a cat I imagine it thinks:
“Listen, if you want to pet me that would be fine. Otherwise I’m just gonna go get a nap in. Have I mentioned how great I look today? Yes, I seem to be the most attaractive thing ever seen by human or feline eyes. Would you mind taking care of the litter, and a spot of tuna would be nice. A little brushing and then I’ll retire to the closet.”
Kind of like a Dog will fetch. Some offer this as evidence the dog is smarter. But the cat is fully capable of going and getting the ball/stick/slippers. He just realizes “Hey dumbass, you threw it you go get it. I’m relaxing.”
They just have different personalities. Cats are like royalty, dogs are like dolts.
They are independant. I find this quality attractive. I’m not looking for a mindless worshipper. However, they give out the love something fierce. Cat’s can be very affectionate. They just don’t have to have total affection all of the time!
With mine, it’s more like “Hurry up and die. We’re gonna dine on your corpse.”
Personally, I like cats and dogs. I have Buster, The World’s Coolest Dog. He’s loyal and affectionate and does what I tell him. I have Spot, aka Little Nag. With her, I don’t need to get married again. Every time I come home she greets me at the door: “Where have you been? Did you bring any tuna? Will you share your dinner? Why haven’t you cleaned my sh*tbox yet?” Then there’s Pete. I don’t know much about him other than he’s freaking huge and he lays in the windows all day. Finally, there’s Keaton. She’s not really my cat, she’s Buster’s, but he doesn’t help with the litter box[sub]at least not in a non-disgusting way[/sub]. You can bet your ass that if Buster had opposable thumbs, he’d be scooping the catpan if he ever wanted to ride in the truck again. Of course, if he had opposable thumbs, he’d probably just steal the truck anyway.
My cat Cherokee will play fetch. No kidding. and as cats go, she’s as smart as a whip. On the other hand, my cat Theodore acts like a dog, begging for attention nonstop.
The general rule that cats are standoffish is, I find, completely untrue. Most of the cats I’ve owned have been very affectionate and not at all snobby. And if they’re any smarter than my dogs, I don’t see it. They LOOK smarter because they’re more graceful and don’t drool, but they really aren’t any smarter.
Dogs are better, there’s more meat on them. And cats can be stringy. You have to marinade them for a really long time. The same with terriers, though. So I guess it’s a toss-up.
It really boils down (Ha! Another cooking term!) to what you are looking for.
If you are a normal, well adjusted person who wants loyalty and companionship, you should get a dog.
If you are a twisted serial killer, who is away for weeks at a time, then a cat’s for you.
I vote: dogs.
-Rue. (who is not a twisted serial killer)