To Meow or To Woof?

by Louisa Dassow

Cats or Dogs? Dogs or cats? One of the most dividing questions of our time. I believe I am well qualified to answer this question, having had in total four cats and four dogs. Currently I have three dogs and one cat (and a rabbit), each with their own individual personality and each completely different from the other. I've never been able to decide which animal was my favourite. When I was younger it was definitely cats but then I got dogs and now with both I can fully appreciate the advantages of each animal.

“Dog's are a man's best friend” - They're more loyal. A dog will stay by your side til the very end, they are easily distracted by other dogs and food but they will always come home. If somebody is walking with a nice-smelling dog and treats in their hand your dog is going to find it very difficult not to leave your side or if your dogs are as friendly as mine even the cleanest stranger will cause them to run off. On the other hand there are cats. Cats will freely wander through the neighbours' gardens and eat their food, occasionally i've heard stories of cats who have become more attached to the neighbour's house and disappear. But in my experience cats always come home, I may not see my cat for a couple of days but eventually she'll stroll in through the cat flap and crawl up on my lap. nevertheless in terms of loyalty dogs usually win.

Cats are much easier to look after. If they have biscuits and water then they'll fine roaming outdoors (although they'll need a litter box if indoors). Cats are quite happy to wait until you're settled before crawling all over you and demanding attention but dogs are quite insistent; barking, howling, jumping up. They need regular walking, constant watching (you'll be amazed at what becomes edible when you have a dog), they need washing and they need to be cleaned up after everywhere you go. They're definitely not just for Christmas – if you have a dog they're with you the whole time, no rest, you can't leave them on their own for long periods of time and when you go on holiday they need to be properly looked after. Cats aren't as high maintenance and therefore better if you don't have vast quantities of time and energy to put into looking after your dog.

Dogs do tricks! Generally I don't believe that dogs are smarter than cats, often it's the other way round but obviously it depends on the breed. I believe the reason that dogs can be trained is that they're more eager to please and cats are probably more lazy. Either way it's a great feeling when after hours of training your dog rolls over without being fed handfuls of treats. It's a great way to bond with your dog and it's unfortunate that cats are not that way inclined. Dogs are more active and in that way they're more entertaining but every cat has their moments which are truly side-splitting. (see video)

In conclusion, I like them both equally. It's not a great conclusion but it's the best one I can come to because every cat and every dog has a different personality. Every breed is different and I'm not saying that I like all cats and dogs – some are downright nasty animals. I believe they're pros and cons are balanced: cats bring you “presents”, dogs smell most of the time. Cats will stay in a warm spot for hours, whilst dogs move around a lot. One is better than the other in certain situations. In my opinion they're both brilliant, loving pets. Having said that – Are you a cat or a dog person?