Do you prefer dogs or cats? Why?

Had both. In general I prefer dogs, but every once in a while I find a cat with an amazing personality.

Dogs, because, well…everything.
Cats are an emotional crutch for the permanently bewildered, more or less.

@lugerruger How about a link for the dogs helping whales?

I don’t think one is better than the other. I prefer cats. Dogs are more likely to smell, to jump on you, to ruin your clothes, and I am mildly afraid of dogs, because I know too many people who have been bitten. I know people who have been bitten by cats too, but that was because they were bothering the cat. I know people who have been chased by dogs. Also, a dog requires more care, so that is another reason I have avoided having one. I really don’t want to worry about getting home so my dog can pee. I would worry about the dog or cat like I woud worry about any living thing, and a dog needs more attention.

I like both. Cats are cute and easy to raise, and dogs are loyal and more capable to express feeling.

But then again, I like animals in general.

Neither.

But I dislike cats more than I dislike dogs.

See this

Dogs, they taste less gamey.

I am more of a cat person; you have to earn their respect and affection. Dogs just slavishly love you, no matter what. (I have both.)

Dogs helping whales from becoming extinct Here you go @snowberry.

I’m ambivalent. I prefer the company of dogs, but I think cats taste better, when properly prepared.

Shoot, I should have read the thread. @rojo beat me to my answer.

I wrote this regarding the difficulty one has with teenagers, but it points out my position on dogs and cats.

Raising teenagers is the most ghastly experience in life.
It’s like dogs and cats.
When you come home from work, the dog greets you at the door, excited you’re home.
A dog comes when it is called.
A dog plays with you when you want to play.
Feed a dog, it will eat.
Dogs think you are the smartest, most wonderful person, and they love to show you their affection.

When you come home from work, the cat doesn’t care.
Call a cat, the cat ignores you.
Try to play with a cat, and it ignores you, till it gets angry and snaps at you.
Try to feed a cat, and it may or may not eat. It often just ignores you.
Cats think you don’t know anything. They think it’s best if they pretend you aren’t there.
Cats figure you are at best an incovenience. If they choose to show you any affection, it is probably only for their own personal gain.

Children are born dogs. When they turn 13 or 14, they suddenly turn into cats. They stay cats for 5 or so years, then fade into a middle ground between dog and cat behavior. They never fully become dogs again.

I never realized how frustraiting, painful, difficult, and demoralizing being a parent would be. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I like both and have one of each, but I think I’m partial to dogs. They both have their fair share of cons, though.

It really depends on what you want out of a pet. If you want a low-maintenance, but cute and fuzzy, creature running around your house that doesn’t take a whole lot of your time, cats are for you. If you want a more active, fun, loyal animal, dogs are for you. Dogs take a lot more work to have than cats. I can be gone from the house all day and not think, “What’s Chloe doing? Does she have to pee and/or poop? What if she is destroying the house?” On the other hand, you leave a dog alone long enough without exercise, entertainment, and access to outside for potty breaks and you’re coming home to a mess. Cats are just easy. Feed them, pet them, keep their litter clean, and they’re perfectly content.

Dogs are fun, but they’re challenging. Training them can be like a full-time job for the first few months to a year or so. Some dogs are more challenging than others. You have to think about them more often than you have to think about cats. But they’re totally worth it, if you have the time and patience to spare. I don’t know what I’d do without my Daisy. Just thinking about going home and her not being there to jump around all excited and growl at me with a toy in her mouth gets me choked up. She can be aggravating, but she’s our baby.

In my life I’ve had both but for now I prefer cats. When you have no cartilage left in your knees, having to walk a dog in the middle of freezing winter can be just too much.

Plus, dogs are so obsequious it can get really annoying. They are so needy all the time.

If a cat chooses to love you, you know it’s genuine.

Right now I’m caring for my landlord’s little Shitzu and he’s very cute and all, but I wouldn’t want that for myself 365 days a year. A few weeks is fine.

So, even tho I love both, I’m much more of a cat person.

I have both and have usually had both my entire life.
Each species has its good and not-so-good points.

My old dog is constantly underfoot and follows me around like a, well, like a puppy dog. But he is old, his hearing is gone and his eyesight is failing and he is afterall a social, pack animal so I am a lot more tolerant of him than I would be if he were a pup. I realize that our time together is coming to an end and if it makes him more comfortable and happy then so be it.

My cat is a very affectionate animal (except to the dog, she tolerates him, just barely) and is always into our business and on our laps wanting to be petted. I think her purrbox gets very little rest. Like many she is nocturnal and that poses a few challenges when she is on the prowl and would like company. She has two major failings, she is destructive to furniture and carpeting and, second, she has decided that the front room is actually a cat box while I insist it is a formal living space. She has a clean, accessible cat box to use and does so but seems to feel the need to pee in the front room. I think she does it when she is pissed at me, or my wife, or the dog, or some passing whimsy. Stupid cats.

@rojo

Have you checked out that front room from the cat’s perspective? What I mean is that many times a cat will pee out of territorial insecurity. (They really don’t do it just to annoy their humans which are, after all, considered part of the family.)

Are there roaming cats in the neighborhood which pass by the door or windows? If not noticeable during the day, it’s possible there’s nighttime activity of which you are unaware. Setting up a motion triggered camera for a few nights might prove informative.

Although as a kid we had as many as 14 shepherds and 30+ cats at the same time, I have only owned one cat in my adult life. He was the biggest, sweetest furball you’d ever want to meet. I took him in fully grown. He was with me for years, then swallowed a sock or glove holder-thingy and I had to have him killed. Likely my last pet.

Dogs are just too damned needy. I don’t care if a cat ignores me part of the time, because there are going to be times when I want to ignore and be ignored.

I prefer cats as well. I have had dogs when I was younger but honestly, they annoy me and are a lot of work. Cats are easy, cute, quiet, loving and playful without all the drama and work of dogs. My favorite animals are cats, birds, geese and horses.

@ibstubro Yes, that’s it…dogas are needy, always in your face. Gah! lol

I think cats edge dogs by a bit. Dogs have their place, they can do tricks (if that is important), and dogs can protect the owner, even when you are out on a walk. Dogs really do take way more work. The people I know who own dogs are like slaves to the animal; they have to get out there no matter what the weather, to walk the dog. Dogs will eat about anything you feed it. Medical for dogs is much more expensive too.

Cats are more auto pilot, you can put food put or use an automatic feeder and they will nibble all day as they need it. Cats do show affection. They will also greet you when you come home. I had a cat that knew the sound of my car, whenever she heard me drive in no matter where she was she would materialize and be right there at the driver’s door to meet me when I got out. Some cats due have the tendency to want to scratch things; furniture, curtains, etc. The again, dogs chew things. If the cat is an indoor/outdoor cat then you really don’t have much of a litter box problem; at least my cats preferred to go outdoors than in the box. The only real risk to cats are cars, if dogs were able to roam free like cats I suspect their numbers would be worse as far as accidents. Cats can snuggle in bed with you better than dogs. Cats also don’t leave ”stuff” all over the lawn, that needs scooping up. IMO cats get the nod.

I like both, but I prefer dogs. They give more love back.

@marinelife our dogs know the sound of our car too.
Is my family the only family who has a fully outside dog?

I don’t like dogs because of their lousy owners who let them bark all day/night, run wild through the park/neighborhood and attack people. Also I hate when a big friendly dog jumps on me and or sniffs my crotch. It is also so disgusting to see a dog lick someone on the mouth. You know where that tough has been.

Of course there are bad cats too. But there has never been a cat that sent me to the Urgent Care to get sewed up or barked relentlessly all day long.

Kitties! I like cats because they’re quiet and don’t jump all over you when you get home. I’ve always been a cat person. Don’t get me wrong, I do love dogs, but I just prefer cats for the reason that they’re not as energetic.

My 22 lb. Ragdoll male and my 7 lb. Siamese female are having a major play session, wrestling match right now. Loads of entertainment and no loud panting. Major cat bonus. lol

<————— Just look at that face! My Myles! :-)

@gondwanalon I thumbs up that answer, as a bonus I gave it a thumbs up because the grammar Nazis missed something in it.

@snowberry I don’t actually have proof of them saving whales, I just saw something about it on a website. So, I don’t know that it is true.

While I have nothing against dogs, cats are my favorite. I have 2 of them and they add to my enjoyment of life, the sound of a loud cat purr is comforting to me.