Cats or dogs?

[budcrew08]

After reading the thread started by MrWrite about losing and finding his cat, I thought I would start a thread asking which people like better and why. So is it cats or dogs? I have never had pets myself, but I'm going to say dogs.

 

[Bubbler]

Dogs. Cats can get bent.

 

[BYH]

Cats x 1,000,000.

They are able to take a **** in the middle of the night without me having to get up. They clean themselves and rarely smell. There's nothing more peaceful than a cat resting in your lap (have fun with that!) nor a happier sound than the purrmeow squawk.

And you have to work for their trust, but once you earn it, you've got the most loyal lifelong friend you could ever find.

 

[buckweaver]

Dogs. You don't have to earn their trust; they give it unconditionally. And every time they see you is like the first and best time they've ever seen you.

The happiest sound in the world is hearing your dog smacking his tail on the floor and doing a little dance while waiting for you to unlock the door and come inside, so you can pet him and rub his belly.

The second-happiest sound in the world is the sound his feet make when he twirls in six circles trying to get comfortable before plopping down in the exact same spot he was in, giving a great big sigh, and falling asleep against your leg.

 

[Giggity]

Dogs. You don't have to earn their trust; they give it unconditionally. And every time they see you is like the first and best time they've ever seen you.

The happiest sound in the world is hearing your dog smacking his tail on the floor and doing a little dance while waiting for you to unlock the door and come inside, so you can pet him and rub his belly.

The second-happiest sound in the world is the sound his feet make when he twirls in six circles trying to get comfortable before plopping down in the exact same spot he was in, giving a great big sigh, and falling asleep against your leg.

Cats. You have to earn their trust. They don't give it unconditionally. And every time they see you is like their one and only best friend came home, and they couldn't be happier about it.

The happiest sound in the world is when you've had a house full of people and everything quiets down, and your cat comes out of hiding and starts rubbing your leg and purring, and is like "Hey, ****, I've been waiting all day to hang out! Now that these idiots are out of my zone, let's focus on some belly-rubbing or some toy-dangling or some treat-eating and chill for awhile."

 

[BigSleeper]

While I have nothing against dogs, I'll always prefer cats.

 

[EStreetJoe]

Cats.
Once you've got their trust they'll love you unconditionally. Love the sound of being at the front door and hearing the jingle of the bell/tags on his collar as he comes to greet me. Cats don't need to be walked or let out at any time of day or night to go to the bathroom, they just know to go to the litterbox. The sound of a purr of contentment lying in your lap or in your arms while getting a bellyrub is hard to beat.

 

[User 1019]

Dogs.

 

[Moderator1]

Dogs. Reasons too numerous to list. Don't dislike cats at all. Just don't want one. I couldn't sit on my deck for hours and play "ballie" with a cat.

 

[forever_town]

Cats. It's not even close.

 

[mike311gd]

I prefer dogs for all the reasons Buck said. Cats, in my experience, are hit or miss. My sister had two cats. One of them, the older of the two, was extremely possessive and ornery and way too private for my liking. The other one was great. He liked to play and hang by my leg. I miss that guy. But I've never had a bad experience with a dog -- except that one time I got too close to a chicken bone with meat on it.

My dog was incredible. She knew what mood I was in when I got home and adapted to it immediately. She was very protective of me and my family. It was just really cool to watch.

Anyway, when I debate such tough questions, I usually consult the experts:

Shadow: [after Sassy is lost in the river] I shouldn't have made her come.
Chance: It's not your fault, she wanted to come.
Shadow: But it's my responsibility. I had a responsibility to Sassy - to love her and protect her - the same as I have to you... and to Peter. And the same as you have to Jamie.
Chance: But we didn't ask for this job.
Shadow: We didn't have to. It's built in. Has been ever since the dawn of time... when a few wild dogs took it upon themselves to watch over man, to bark when he's in danger, to run and play with him when he's happy, to nuzzle him when he's lonely. That's why they call us man's best friend.

And ...

Sassy: You just woke me up from a very deep catnap.
Chance: What's the matter, Sassy? Get up on the wrong side of the litter box?
Sassy: Even a great beauty needs her beauty sleep!
Chance: Beauty sleep? You'd have to sleep for, like, a month!

 

[Stoney]

Dogs, in a landslide. The dogs in my life have been loyal, affectionate and mostly obedient because that's their actual personality instincts; the cats like us only because we're larger and we feed them and give them what they need.

A family can leave a huge and powerful Great Dane or St. Bernard alone with their children in complete confidence that they'll be OK. The dog could kill the kids in a second if it wanted too but NEVER would because it's instincts are just the opposite: to protect and provide companionship to the kids.

But if the cats I've had had been larger than me and didn't need me for food, I'm quite certain they would've tortured, killed, and eaten me in the same way they do those chipmunks in the backyard.

 

[Norman Stansfield]

Dawgs.

 

[snuffy2]

Good post by Buckweaver. I have a sheltie-type 'pound' street dog adoped from SPCA who is smarter/more intuitive than me. I have experience with smart and brassy cats (I inherited my mother's spoiled beautiful cat who is short on smarts but long on 'spit on the devil' brass) and I think the issue reduces to empathetic communication. Relationships based on friendship reward both human and animal, where 'ownership' by numbuts will cage participants in a sad grey box. Being psychically lazy, I prefer dogs.

 

[Write-brained]

The answer to this question definitely depends more on your personality than the animal itself.

I've had both cats and dogs growing up, but the only one I've felt comfortable with on my own is a cat.

Being needed all the time is something I can accept as a parent, but not something I want from a pet. My cats do their thing and I do mine. And when we're both done for the day, we curl up on the couch together and veg out. Doesn't get much better than that, IMO.

My attention is on high-demand as it is. Hell, I get annoyed at my big cat because, rather than jumping his big ass over our chain-link fence in the backyard, he'll scratch at the door until I will let him in and then he will go to the front door and scratch until I will let him out. Fat *******.

I credit anyone who has the time and patience to take care of a dog. I love big dogs, but I realize I don't have the time and resources for them. I hate seeing big dogs chained outside in the rain with empty food bowls.

As for cat fans. My daughter's cat just had kittens. My wife and daughter spent the weekend watching the cat give birth to four of them and making sure they have everything they need. There's four altogether. I think we're keeping one.

Anyone want one?

 

[sportschick]

If I was in your neck of the woods, I'd take one, W_B. I haven't had a little kitten in about 8 years (Stan was already almost grown when I adopted him), and I'd love to have a baby for once.

Course then I'd officially become a crazy cat lady since I'm single and I'd have three cats

 

[John]

Cats x 1,000,000.

They are able to take a **** in the middle of the night without me having to get up. They clean themselves and rarely smell. There's nothing more peaceful than a cat resting in your lap (have fun with that!) nor a happier sound than the purrmeow squawk.

And you have to work for their trust, but once you earn it, you've got the most loyal lifelong friend you could ever find.

What he said. Though I respect the cats that sometimes ignore you when you call them.

 

[Chi City 81]

Dogs. And you can get the **** out of my head, buckdubs!

 

[Write-brained]

If I was in your neck of the woods, I'd take one, W_B. I haven't had a little kitten in about 8 years (Stan was already almost grown when I adopted him), and I'd love to have a baby for once.

Course then I'd officially become a crazy cat lady since I'm single and I'd have three cats

The cat initially tried to get me to attend to her while she gave birth. I didn't understand at first, I was wondering why it kept biting my fingers and leading me to a dark corner in the closet. My wife and kid gladly filled that role.

My four-year-old was fascinated watching the cats come out. She didn't get grossed out until the mom cat started eating the placentas. She looked at my pregnant wife and asked, "Are you going to do that, too?"

 

[zeke12]

Cats.

They make you earn it.