I lived with one very affectionate cat - and two cats that were indifferent - perhaps even going over into antisocial. Which wouldn’t be bad if they were independent cohabitants, but I had to change the litterbox, feed them, take them to the vet, etc. In exchange, I want to share space with someone who doesn’t see me as an inconvenience that feeds them.
You know what I like about dogs and cats is the way you play with dogs. You can throw a ball and play fetch. You can wrestle. You can play tug. You can go for a jog and have the dog keep you company (well, I can’t, bad hips on my dog). Cat play (if you have a cat that plays) is less physical.
I find some of these answers kind of curious. I’ve had both and am fond of both. In days past I was certainly more a dog person, these days it’s pretty much dead even, with cats getting the nod for ease of accomodation.
But I find people that dislike ( as opposed to preferring ) one or the other slightly odd. Not in a perjorative sense, exactly. It’s just that I can’t quite wrap my own mind around that. They’re both congenial quasi-symbiotes that have been attached to humans for tens of thousands of years ( recent discoveries having pushed back the human-cat association quite a ways ). They both provide affection and companionship ( my own cats are hardly indifferent ), they both can provide useful utilitarian qualities under the right circumstances. Yeah, they’re different animals, but in those senses not all that vastly different.
I find the oft-stated comparisons of the political and personal differences between “cat people” and “dog people” ( i.e. cat people tend to be Democrats, dog people Republicans ) pretty ludicrous. In my mind all of these always boil down to what seems to me to be pretty obvious cases of confirmation bias.
But then I like fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles as well. shrug
A bit late to this thread. I just discovered it. One appeal that dogs, or any other pet, has to me, is that you never have to take care of them as you have to take care of a child. You never have to school a dog in anything other than basic obedience and good toilet manners. You don’t have to prepare a dog to grow up, get an education, move out of the house, and live on its own. You can completely control a dog’s sex life. In fact, it is considered good dog ownership to have its reproductive parts removed. You can control a dog with a leash and a good fence. A dog will never bug you for a learner’s permit and the keys to the car. It can seriously stunt a child to treat it in the manner you can treat a dog. And most parents will say it is very rewarding when your offspring does go out into the world, finds his place, and a mate, and has children of his own.
Many of us recognize that we’re not willing to cope with all that responsibility, though. But for very little work, we can have the benefit of a loyal and loving pet that will give us many years of happiness and demand so little of ourselves. All it takes is a couple of good meals a day, frequent treats, a little exercise and play time, vet care when needed, and a gentle word and pat on the head or a scritch behind the ears. In return, you receive much undying love and devotion.
( But I know what you mean. )