Defense of the home depends on the dog. My aforementioned dog CoCo, was about 2 years old when we lfet to visit family out of town, the neighbor was going to come over once a day to feed and water her (there was a dog door, so she could go outside all she wants) He went in one day, gave the dog food, gave her some water, then went to the backyard, where he figured she was to just check on her to make she she wasn’t hurt or anything. He couldn’t find her in the backyard, he couldn’t find her anywhere in the house. He thoguht he left the front door open and she got out so he went up and down the neighborhood for 2 hours looking for her. He went back to our house and then heard a thumping sound. That’s when he found CoCo hiding under the couch, wagging her tail (the thumping sound - her tail’s like a whip), waiting for him to go away.
Get the dog. no question.
I have recently decided I will never again get another pure bred dog. All those years of interbreeding have taken their toll on the genetics of dogs. All kinds of diseases and problems are just way to common with the purebreds. Hips problems, eye problems, heart diseases just arn’t a lot of fun. My last 4 purebred dogs have all died of tumors in the head, so from now on I’m going down to the shelter and picking the strangest, most mixed-up mutt I can find, cause they are usually much healthier,
Well, I have 2 dogs and 2 cats. I’m not gonna offer an opinion as to which you should get, but dogs are more work, but they also respond to you better. My one statement is to beg you please, please get your animal from a shelter. It breaks my heart that millions of wonderful animals are killed each year, yet people still pay good money for defective pets from puppy mills and the like.
Just for all you animal lover out there, I don’t think any of our family pets ever came from anywhere but the humane society, and except for the fox terrier, they’ve all been mutts. I also find mixed breeds to be more intelligent and healthier than pure breds. I do not like puppy mills and am not so hung up on status symbols as to get a pure bred because it’s fashionable. This is just a basic question of what animal would be best for an apartment, keeping in mind that my GF will be living with so someone would be there to take care of a dog.
As for the suggestion I get a monkey - if I want an un-evolved screaming hairy primate to throw its feces around the house I’d do it myself.
You should get a dog.
I point out your statement that a frisbee will just knock a cat over. I’d like to offer a short list of other articles which will knock a cat over, with proper aim:
A ball peen hammer
A bowling ball
The crank-case of a '75 Pinto
Your foot
Your other foot
A stick of lit T-N-T
If you don’t believe the veracity of the above list, try them out … often.
Actually, I’m a dog person too. I just wouldn’t have one live in my house. I used to live in the country & we had kennels. My ex-roommate however, is a cat person. So, we had a cat when I lived with her. I cleaned the litterbox every night when I got home from work & her parents (our landlords) never even knew we had a cat. And they used to visit often.
I know I said earlier to get a monkey, but I’d like to amend that a bit. I’ve been thinking how dogs are better for home protection, but here’s the ultimate solution in a pet for burglar-proofing your pad, get a male silver-back gorilla. Whaddaya think? Can you see the look on the face of anyone daring to break in when he gets an eyeful of that son-of-a-bitch?
get a cat and make it an outdoor cat. he will do all his bathroom stuff outside and will only use the litter box if left inside for 24+ hours - not nearly enough to get stinky. when he comes in, he will eat, wash, and sleep, and sometimes tear-ass around the house and then go back to sleep. be prepared for the possibility that he will die in any one of the numerous ways in which an outdoor cat can get himself into trouble, but that’s the real life of a cat - not that sterile, lazy, looks-longingly-out-the-window life of a pathetic indoor cat. outdoor cats are happy, strong, playful, and friendly to other animals and people. you never have to walk them or worry about them when you’re away for a few days. it’s fun to watch while it lasts. mine’s been doing his thing for over 4 years now. yeah, he’s got some scratches on his face from a fight here and there, but it just gives him character. just make sure his booster shots are up to date.
You’ve been watching too many Tom and Jerry cartoons.
My answer: cat cat cat. When I’m a guest in someone else’s house, I always hate being greeted by an overly enthusiastic pup who just can’t comprehend the concept that I DON’T WANT TO PLAY NOW! Especially if the dog owner just ignores the situation. If you’re going to get a dog, at least be considerate of guests and put the dog up if it’s being a pest.
Zwaldd, That’s how I do my pets. I love the little buggers and they love me. I have two male, neutered, indoor-outdoor cats. And a cat door. One is the big man cat that ambushes German Shepards for fun. The other doesn’t leave the property and much prefers sitting in your lap, purring. (the slut)
Cats are more individual, they have personalities beyond genetics. Dogs, while I love them, are predictable according to breed. Are you a control freak who needs the ego boost of a pet that thinks you are God? Or do you want to appreciate the wonders of another being living with you?
If you are in an apartment, cats are the only way to go. Dogs are only cool in the larger sizes and they don’t pen up well. Or you could get a yippy rodent pretending to be a dog. They do fine in apartments, and fit nicely in the microwave.
I think zwaldd’s reply was tongue-in-cheek, but nevertheless,if you get a cat DO NOT LET IT ROAM AROUND FREELY OUT-OF-DOORS! (unless you’d like to come across it as roadkill some day). That said, I’d like to address the issue of affection, or lack thereof as implied by many of the replies. No, cats do not come running at you and slobber all over you wanting attention, but they do need attention and affection and give it. My 4-year-old female cat, who I got from the shelter, is the dearest animal and she is affectionate. Yes, she has the typical cat quality of seeming to be aloof, but the thing to remember is, each cat has it’s own distinct personality. Kali doesn’t want to be picked up and is not a lap cat, but she gets into bed with me and flops down right up against me. (I have a choice of snuggling with her or my s.o. – sometimes I pick her!) My other cat is not yet 2 years old and she acts like a kid – very playful, a lot of running around, and snooping into everything, but she needs affection too and will come lie down next to me while I sit on the couch (the bed is Kali’s territory). The two of them get to mock-fighting and chasing each other around, and that’s entertaining. In fact, if you get a cat, I say get two of them. When I go on trips, I don’t worry about them so much because I know they keep each other company and play together.
just to clarify - my opinion about outdoor cats was not toungue in cheek (if that means facetious or something). i don’t like to see animals cooped up in an apartment or kept in cages - i hate zoos and things like that. i’d rather my cat come and go as he pleases. he is an ‘adult’ after all, and probably knows more about being a cat than i do. if he dies, he dies - he knows the risks when he goes outside. i’ve seen him scan the area for danger before trotting down the stairs. i’ve seen him bolt up a tree in the blink of an eye when an unleashed dog went for him. he’s been locked in the maintenance shack for 2 days. after all that, he doesn’t show the slightest hesitation or fear of going outside and enjoying himself. he’s neutered and vaccinated, so he’s not spreading disease or contributing to the unwanted animal population. it’s hard to explain what you get out of ‘owning’ a pet like this, but it is very rewarding as i’m sure others can attest.
Yeah, I just don’t get the concept of owning an out-door cat. You may as well just point to any stray roaming your block and say, yep, that’s my cat. It’s like “owning” the birds that munch out at your home-made milk carton bird feeder.
An old roommate of mine had an out-door cat. The frickin’ thing wouldn’t let a human get near it. All it did was come into the house about once a week, take a lap of water, eat some Fancy Feast, hiss at me, rip a gash in my leg from knee to ankle, and disappear for three weeks.
As for dogs annoying guests who don’t want to be annoyed, the key word here is TRAINING. If a cat jumps up onto your Auntie Mabel’s head and starts clawing at her eyes, your only recourse is to grab it by the tail and rip it off her (unless your not really that fond of Auntie Mabel). With a properly trained dog, however, a stern “OFF!” will do the trick.
I defy you to train a cat to do anything other than ignore you.
YES! 2 is not much more expense and trouble then 1 and when they play it is very amusing! My cat’s play tag and mock fighting, sometimes real fighting, but they haven’t hurt each other yet.
Or here’s a good solution:
Get a cat and a dog! If you get them when they are young they will get along. What is cuter than a cat curling up sleeping on a dog’s belly?
Welfy- if you have a 7-8 year old dog who pees everywhere, get it to a competant vet ASAP! The dog may have a real problem.
Our dog has never peed in the house (since potty training) and only has to look at a neighborhood kid or delivery man to scare off a potential robber. If he has just had a drink of water, he looks kind of like Cujo without the mange.
Dog training is crucial, whether the animal is large or small. There is nothing worse than a dog whose owner can’t control him.
Or should I say, there is nothing worse than an owner who doesn’t care enough to train and control their dog with consistent commands. BTW, this also confuses the dog, he never knows what to do or not do, and he will be miserable.
Well, this little debate is finished, and I had nothing to do with it. Talking with my GF the other day about the possibility of a pet, I finally said, “We’ll get either one, it really doesn’t matter to me.”
She says, “So you won’t mind coming home from work one day and finding a cat here?”
I thought this was a hypothetcal question so I said, “No, I wouldn’t mind.”
Guess what I found in my apartment yesterday when I got home after work. And no, Uncle Beer, it wasn’t a silver-back gorilla.
Yeah, thanks :rolleyes: A cat. Woo-hoo. His name is Patches BTW, she got him from the animal shelter, he’s been neutered, declawed, and has all his shots.
But now that she went out and got a cat, where am I gonna get the money for that Frisbee I’ve been wanting? sigh