Dogs or Cats?

Started by LostInTheMist, October 19, 2023, 01:03:18 PM

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LostInTheMist

I realize this might be polarizing, and might actually belong in the PROC forum, but I want to keep it light and keep it fun. If you could only have one type of pet, would you prefer cats or dogs? Why?

For me, I'd almost certainly pick dogs, even though they need more care than cats. Cats are more independent, but with a dog, you have a creature that absolutely, unconditionally loves you. No matter what you do, how badly you screw up or how terrible you feel, your dog will always love you. I can't count the number of times my dog comforted me when I was at my most wretched, miserable state. I had a few bad years in there, but she was always there for me, even when it felt like nobody else was. She was a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a veritable love sponge. They don't make good guard dogs, because they don't regard strangers as a danger, only as new potential best friends. She was large for her breed, and died of congestive heart failure just a few weeks short of her 11th birthday. It makes me sad sometimes, but now I remember the good times and all her quirks and it makes me smile.

I like cats just fine, and they can take care of themselves better than dogs. I don't feel guilty about leaving cats alone for a few days with just someone to check in on them daily. With a dog, I'd want to hire a dog-sitter, someone to live in my house while I was gone to take care of and keep my dog entertained while I was away.

In conclusion, cats are easier, but dogs are worth it. IMHO, YMMV, TM2C.
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Starling

I would pick a cat.

When a cat loves you, there's something far more flattering about it, because it's less likely to just "love" on absolutely everyone.

Moreover, cats tend to be quieter and you don't need to train them just to stop them from barking at people, humping people - why do people let their pets do that, I will never understand -, and aggressing just because you walked past their garden, even if you remained outside it.

In comparison, cats will only hiss/scratch once you get into their personal space.

Plus, cats can genuinely be taught to do things just for the sake of a cheek rub or a show of affection, and, like most non-humans, will not judge you simply for breathing. Matter of fact, cats that were not part of my own household, would often walk up to me, listen to me ramble and rant, and let me stroke them without having any reason to do so. Whether or not I'd feed them, they'd still extend their affections - heck, I'd had one random cat lick my nose despite knowing me for all of three minutes, which was both the sweetest and strangest experience I'd had with any animal - and comfort.

Besides, a cat's purr has been known to boost healing, because of its frequency.

I find their reduced neediness, yet understanding nature to be a much-needed de-stressor in my life, one that I'm sorely lacking in.

Don't get me wrong, dogs can be sweethearts. When they're raised well, any breed of dog can be of a reasonably amicable personality. However, to me, they're not as curious or mysterious as cats. They're not as subtle, they tend to be louder, messier, and, in my childhood, anyway, they would often add to my stress, rather than take from it. With cats, I could easily figure out where I went wrong: I was bothering them, I encroached on their personal space and I failed to read their warnings and the signs that they were uncomfortable. If I get attacked or hissed at by a cat, it feels deserved because it only happens when I lose sight of the cat as an individual with individual wants, needs and limits. With a dog - especially an untrained one - it can seem sudden and out of nowhere because even when you're separated by a fence they'll still bark at you like you're breaking into their home. Untrained dogs have less chill than the average cat, but sadly, untrained dogs have made up most of the households in the area I used to live in, and that's hard to forget.

I never felt compelled to take the long route home to avoid a cat, but I have done with dogs and humans.

Besides, I think, as someone who was a bit of an outcast, I can relate to being seen as other, as boring, cold, and uncaring. Yet, cats are really so complex and varied in their personalities. There are the extroverted and introverted ones. The shy ones, burnt by experience, and the confident ones, unafraid, even of god. The grumpy cats, and the sunshine, the affectionate ones that constantly want to be loved on, and the ones that act like they hate your face -- they usually don't. The ones that will fight anything and everything, and those that avoid confrontation. The lazy ones who only yearn to lie around without a care in the world, and the ones who can't be still. My time on Earth and around cats has not been that long -- only around two decades or so. Yet, in that time, I've met so many individual cats.

A grey fighter that would visit my back garden, and sometimes follow me around the block.

A black long-furred fellow that would stand up on its hind legs and nudge my hand for a pet.

A short-haired tux that would listen to me ramble and let me pet her as long as I needed, and then we'd just sit still together, watching the world go by.

A hissy, snappy tabby tom, who would scratch others if they tugged at his tail, but he never snapped at me (maybe because I didn't insist on pulling his tail, but that's just a guess.)

My mother's friend's ginger tom who for the longest time couldn't stand me because I was a brat who didn't respect his space. He'd come around once I finally showed some respect and let him approach me on his own terms, and since then I've even been able to pet him without getting scratched.

Two little kittens that I'd watch over for four days in the summer and that's all it took for me to get attached to their playful, curious little spirits. The sad part was that initially, when I was only leaving for the shops nearby they thought I was leaving for good and tried to follow me out, genuinely seeming attached and upset to see me leave. But then when I genuinely had to leave permanently the next time, they seemed to have figured I would come back, as they seemed way more casual about it. Sometimes I wonder if I were to ever see them again if they would recognise me. (In my head I named them Dragonheart and Dawnflight, because I thought of them as little warriors, only for the mother cat's owner to basically name them "Demon" and "Kitty". xD )

A little short-furred black kitten I'd watched over for a couple of days that managed to make a lovely mess in the house, but nevertheless, I couldn't help but get attached, because, at the end of the day, he was an affectionate boyo despite the boisterousness. He's grown up since then. I've seen him a few times since, but he's an indoor cat, so I only get to see him when he's sitting by the window when I'm in the area.

Just your average assistant to a villain.

WanderingBlackDragon

I grew up a dog person. But, my job had also given me a chance to interact with cats. I was surprised by how affectionate some of them are.

wolvenrogue

Cats ... but then my Cat is 21 lbs, 40 inches long nose to tail, and stands 23 inches tall, with  1-3/4 inch diameter paws,  bigger than most small dogs, and certainly faster.  She is still a young cat with growing to do. a Maine [url="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2F2b6761_41c84b490eda49afa966dc0638588f30~mv2.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_640%2Ch_440%2Cal_c%2Cq_80%2Cusm_0.66_1.00_0.01%2Cenc_auto%2F2b6761_41c84b490eda49afa966dc0638588f30~mv2.jpg&tbnid=8mItl7PlsBzdDM&vet=10CNIBEDMopwJqFwoTCIjn1qj9rYIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lmcooncattery.com%2Fmaine-coon-colors&docid=G2bNkv1ZGl8w8M&w=640&h=440&q=maine coon" pic&ved="0CNIBEDMopwJqFwoTCIjn1qj9rYIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD"]Coon[/url].

wolvenrogue

 maine [url="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2F2b6761_41c84b490eda49afa966dc0638588f30~mv2.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_640%2Ch_440%2Cal_c%2Cq_80%2Cusm_0.66_1.00_0.01%2Cenc_auto%2F2b6761_41c84b490eda49afa966dc0638588f30~mv2.jpg&tbnid=8mItl7PlsBzdDM&vet=10CNIBEDMopwJqFwoTCIjn1qj9rYIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD..i&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lmcooncattery.com%2Fmaine-coon-colors&docid=G2bNkv1ZGl8w8M&w=640&h=440&q=maine coon" pic&ved="0CNIBEDMopwJqFwoTCIjn1qj9rYIDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD"]coon[/url]