Cat or dog: pros and cons
The problem cannot be solved in one plane. Animals are as different as one can imagine. It is comparable to making a decision about the need to live nearby a living creature, which will either be loved with all its shortcomings, or will poison the life of the owners with its daring antics. Only by answering internally whether we are ready to patiently improve next to them (in fact, endure all the negative aspects of their lives), can we decide on the animal itself.
In fairness, it must be said that internally the future owner has decided who he sees next to him: either the devoted eyes of a dog, or a cozy purr on his lap. This inner urge determines the further attitude towards considering the advantages and disadvantages of living together. And then the question no longer arises: “Who is better, a cat or a dog?”
Who are they living next to us?
Every person at least once in his life has encountered cats and dogs.
A black cat crossing the road only evokes negative emotions in us, and drivers strive to slow down and wait for someone to cross the road first. But a purring creature on its knees is a picture of quiet family happiness and well-being in the house, and then the answer to the question why cats are better than dogs is clear.
A dirty dog, restlessly running back and forth, scouring garbage dumps in search of food - this can only be seen in a nightmare. But a trained, silent dog that immaculately obeys its owner, whose devoted eyes constantly watch him, almost always gives reason to dream about his own.
This is probably why we cannot immediately decide: a cat or a dog.
You can talk a lot about who is better - a cat or a dog, but the decision will come spontaneously, although after serious thought.
Controlled and managed
It is impossible to control a cat! Dogs are intelligent, submissive and obedient. The Internet is filled with pictures demonstrating the behavior of animals in the house:
- cats consider themselves kings, considering people as subjects called to care;
- Dogs perceive humans as masters, serve, value, and protect the family.
Large animals misbehave and damage furniture when the breeder is not at home. Upon returning, the owner realizes the mistakes. They know the word “no” and obey commands. This type of control does not work with cats. Owners complain: cats shit on the bed when they see human discontent. The only goal is to hide away after a prohibited action.
Problems of mutual existence with cats
A small kitten (it is best to adopt it at the age of one and a half to two months - then it will grow up and meet the owner’s requirements) is not accustomed to anything. He can eat, drink, jump, run, climb. The discharge of natural needs occurs almost spontaneously - where I wanted, it happened there. It will take two, or even three, months to potty train a kitten (tray with filler). No one will do this for the owners, although if you have enough money, you can take a purebred kitten that has already been trained in everything at 4-5 months of age. And if you're lucky, then an ordinary one - not a thoroughbred. But this will already be a creature with a pronounced character and not completely the master’s - he was raised by others, he will remember them all his life.
What if the content requirements are different? Maybe he was climbing the curtains, but you don’t allow it. He grew up with a cat mother, she taught him to eat properly, but he cannot lick himself, and washing a kitten (to remove fleas) is already a problem.
Cats are much cheaper to own than dogs
The real truth is beyond dispute, and the reason, of course, is the size of the animals. But there are breeds of dogs - no bigger than cats, which, moreover, can never be taken outside, so as not to spend money on shampoo... I don’t recommend this - God forbid! But in fact, I noticed that food for cats, even from the same manufacturer and similar composition, is more expensive than for dogs.
The reason most likely lies in the smaller packaging. But what struck me most was the composition of a huge part of the assortment of cat food. Cats, unlike omnivorous dogs, are obligate carnivores. Their diet should ideally consist only of meat, and when you see only “animal products - 4%” in the composition, then, frankly speaking, you slowly sink to the floor... And if you also recalculate the cost of the bag per kilogram, then you risk never again you can't get up from it.
What you need to know about cats and cats?
The kitten chooses the place where it will sleep; it cannot be forced to do so.
He himself will determine the food - food from sachets, unfortunately, will be swallowed instantly, but also quickly eliminated from the body. And the creature, always hungry, plaintively screaming, scratching the legs of its owners, will force them to feed it real food. And then you will rush to the store to buy him fresh meat (chicken, fish) - what will your pet want?
The cat will inevitably ask for a walk. Estrus (estrus) is a natural physiological process; no one has yet managed to cancel it. These will be tense times in the apartment: guttural meowing (even at night), tearing wallpaper or grabbing the owners’ heels (out of great tenderness) and looking inward. Moreover, it is categorically impossible to scold a cat during estrus - you can leave her as a psychopath for the rest of her life. Of course, you can use special sedative tablets and drops. Immediately after the first heat, owners should decide whether to sterilize their cat. Then transfer her to a special diet so that she does not gain weight.
The cat will definitely try to mark the territory. And it will do this if appropriate measures are not taken - there are special means. He will have to be punished. At the age of eight months, a cat (if it is not adopted as a purebred for the purpose of reproduction) must be castrated, otherwise it will simply be a disgusting creature, provided that the pet lives only in an apartment and does not go for walks outside.
Unsterilized cats and cats are completely predictable, natural creatures in their impulses. They scurry around basements, catch mice and birds, and sometimes hunt in garbage containers (even well-fed ones). But in a big city, they bring a lot of worries to the owners - they can disappear for several days, and after that they come and either, if it is a cat, they need to wait for the offspring, or, if it is a cat, they need to wash it and fatten it. In any case, annual vaccinations and examinations by a veterinarian for diseases contagious to people (and this is important for children) are mandatory.
If these problems do not seem insurmountable, then, without hesitation, you can adopt a feline. And then there is no point in considering the question of who is smarter, a cat or a dog.
Cat
The cat, as you know, walks on its own. This self-sufficient creature is a narcissist who loves only herself.
There is no home territory for a cat, and not a single cat in the world, as advertising correctly claims, knows that it is domestic. The cat considers himself God and only allows someone to stroke him. Sometimes persistent and long...
At the same time, a cat is a cute, funny and such a dear creature that you completely forget about its narcissism. The cat walks on its own, so it doesn’t require special attention to itself, except perhaps for stroking. She will not cause any problems if she is raised correctly and not turned into a spoiled, over-selfish creature. The main thing is to feed her on time and change her tray more often.
The cat intuitively finds sore spots in a person and lies down to them, taking away the pain. Maybe all this is not scientific, but it has already been proven by practice.
Disadvantages of cats. They can also become significant
To begin with, cats walk on their own and you are not perceived as their owner in any way. You are simply the source of their desire fulfillment. Cats manipulate people and in the end the person himself does not notice how the unreasonable creature of God becomes his Master...
If we take the practical side of life, then cats have no benefit other than the decorative component. Cats become pregnant every three to four months if they have access to the street, and cats mark the apartment. It is very difficult to stop cats from marking.
How do owners feel around cats?
If the problems of growing up are overcome, the pet is toilet trained, and has decided on food, then, quite naturally, good times begin in the apartment.
The owners live in a cat's rhythm, adapting to their pet. He wakes them up at night: cats are nocturnal animals. Their great-great-great-grandparents behaved exactly the same way. And it’s good if, after waking up, the pet finds its favorite toy and starts fiddling with it. But most often he will demand to feed him, and once caught in this, the owners will be forced to get up before dawn, and then it will be very difficult to fall asleep. It doesn’t even help if the cat is kicked out to another room. He jumps alone for about ten minutes, then starts yelling under the door. You have to go out, pick him up, talk - this lasts for two hours. And it’s already morning there. And the cat falls asleep and doesn’t even move his ears when the door closes behind the owners. He can sleep for a long time, gets up, eats, and then goes back to the side. He wakes up and meets his owners. Yes, that's the kind of creature he is.
Children love to play with kittens, carry them in their arms, cuddle them, getting great pleasure from this. Sometimes, if you squeeze your pet too much, he may hiss first and then scratch. Conclusion - children should be limited in playing with cats.
Cats choose their owner themselves; they only tolerate other pets. There is no reasonable explanation for this. A cat can purr on anyone's lap, but the caresses end immediately when the owner of her choice enters. And for a long time now, he (or she) no longer needs to solve the problem of who is better, a cat or a dog.
Details
Content
Walk
Walking cats and dogs is required not so much for relief, but for physical exercise. Yes, a cat can be trained to wear a harness, there are breeds that are happy to go out for a walk in this way, but still the cat has time to jump up and play enough at home, especially if there are systems of shelves and hanging houses, and the owner is not lazy to devote time to the pet.
With dogs it's more complicated. Walking is required both for going to the toilet and for mental, physical and emotional stress. The larger and more active the breed, the longer and more energy-consuming the walk should be. You can just wander around the house only with dogs of decorative breeds, but everything that is larger and more active than a Chihuahua requires active games, long walks and exercises at dog sports grounds. And, of course, all this must be done in any weather every day.
Training
Comparison of the intelligence of a cat and a dog occurs precisely at the time of training. Many cats can easily be trained to follow household norms: go to the litter box, use a scratching post rather than the sofa, do not climb on the dining table, sleep in a bed. But still, a cat cannot be trained like a dog. There are service dog breeds, but not service cats. Not because cats are extremely stupid, but because a cat is an animal of a completely different mentality. Just as among people there are mathematicians and humanists, so a cat is different from a dog. Each animal has its own level of mastery of skills proposed by humans.
Therefore, if you need a well-mannered pet, then everything depends on you - how much effort you put into the animal, that’s the return you will get.
INTERESTING: The ratio of neurons to brain volume in cats is higher than in dogs: 25g/300mln and 64g/160mln, respectively. At the same time, on average, a cat is able to master up to 20 commands well, but a dog can remember up to 200 commands.
It should be especially noted that even trained cats are worse at making independent decisions than dogs. Many breeds of dogs can act as guides, caregivers, and therapists for people with developmental and mental disabilities, but cats naturally cannot participate in such “charity” because they are unable to appreciate such a delicate situation and act depending on the circumstances, and not just following the commands.
Care
Nutrition
You can feed both dogs and cats “dry” or “natural”. The issue of difficulty is equal for both species, as is the principle of nutrition. The only difference is what size your animal is and what its daily load is. As long as the size of the cat matches the size of a miniature dog breed, the price for food in terms of a daily ration is the same. But if we are talking about dogs over 8 kilograms, then obviously they need more food, which is why the cat becomes a more economically profitable animal.
Health and visiting the veterinarian
Cats and dogs equally dislike going to the vet. For them, visiting a clinic is always stressful, even if it’s just a routine examination and vaccinations.
The cost of services in veterinary clinics always depends on the complexity and size of the patient, so the larger and more purebred the cat or dog, the more expensive medical care will cost you, because many selective breeds also have a set of congenital diseases that manifest themselves to varying degrees with age. pet.
Relationships
Attitude towards children
Dogs are more kind to children than cats. Even if the breed is not a nanny dog, it will not just rush at the baby. Almost all dogs have an understanding of their special relationship with babies, so accepting a new family member is easier for dogs than for cats. Of course, there are dogs with a high level of egoism that are very jealous of the appearance of a baby, but this is more often the exception than the rule.
IMPORTANT: do not buy a dog for a child as a toy. The wrong attitude of a child towards a puppy causes great harm to the psyche and health of the future adult dog, which may even become unreasonably aggressive due to the constant fear that the child is a danger and pain.
Cats are much less likely to perceive babies positively, preferring not to make contact until the new family member masters the rules of interaction with the cat. Kittens generally have little control over themselves when playing with children and can scratch a child not out of harm, but simply in the process of playing.
IMPORTANT: cats offended by children can subsequently act out their resentment and fear not only on children, but also on all family members.
INTERESTING: dogs were domesticated 16 thousand years ago, and cats only 9.5 thousand years ago, so the “baggage” of experience of dogs interacting with humans and families is higher than that of cats.
Perception of guests and outsiders
The dog will guard, and the cat will simply observe. Even very friendly, non-aggressive and well-socialized dogs always perceive guests or even strangers on the territory with caution. And the collie, and the Rottweiler, and the Yorkie - all dogs will first bark, then look at the owner’s reaction to the visitor, and in the case of obvious aggression, they will certainly rush to attack, regardless of breed and size.
The reaction of cats most often consists of third-party observation. Particularly timid ones will immediately hide and will not come out until the smell of a stranger has dissipated. Brave cats will first come closer, quietly sniff, and after some time allow themselves to be petted.
Cats always see off guests in silence - when leaving, go away. The dogs will bark at the visitor again, since they have already accepted him into the family and now they do not understand where the guest has gone.
IMPORTANT: you will never have to lock a cat in an enclosure for the safety of guests, but many breeds of dogs are still better isolated from contact with visitors to the house.
Places
Exhibitions and competitions
A cat show is a vanity fair - everyone sits in cages, outside spectators are often attracted, there is bidding for kittens and judges walk between the rows. Cats at the exhibition present themselves as beautiful and that’s it.
A dog show is an active event, even if you are the owner of a decorative breed. Ring, agility, service disciplines, a minimum of strangers and a maximum of like-minded people. An opportunity to see dogs of different sizes and colors. Dog shows are a full-fledged competition, where appearance is only a point on the way to the title, where education, talent to present oneself in the ring and act in sync with the owner are also assessed by specialists and sometimes play a decisive role between dogs with the same exterior score.
Attachment
“Those who want love get a dog, those who are ready to love get a cat, and a hamster will show that everyone is mortal” - this joke has a great practical basis. A dog of any breed is always more attached to its owner than a cat. Yes, both of them tend to single out the “main” person in the family, the one whom the animal loves more than anyone else, whom the animal misses and whose commands it responds to unquestioningly. But a dog always needs its person more than a cat. Dogs forget insults more easily and quickly, and cats cherish their “fu” reverently and tenderly, trying to take revenge on the offender for the rest of their lives.
"Chatteriness"
The most important difference between cats and dogs is the sounds they make. A cat meows when she wants to eat or something hurts and at least someone is listening to her at that moment, but a dog barks for any reason: guests have arrived, is bored, they brought food, they came to play, hears extraneous sounds, saw the owner approaching from work . Only huskies and huskies are silent; all other dog breeds do not mind barking and “speaking out” on the situation.
Dogs in apartments create a special problem, because the cat will definitely remain silent until the owner arrives, but the dog can accompany the noise from neighbors and sounds from the street, and it can simply begin to howl from boredom and longing for a loved one.
Problems of mutual existence next to a dog
A small creature, always poking at your feet, so inquisitive that it always knocks over everything in its path - this will be the case with a newly delivered puppy. And of any breed.
To make him an obedient, and most importantly, smart dog, you need to spend a lot of time and effort. At this stage one often gives up, sometimes the thought flashes through whether the choice is right, so who is better in an apartment, a cat or a dog?
You will have to start, oddly enough, with yourself. A dog will grow up healthy (with properly formed bones and joints) only if it exercises enough for the breed. Even a mongrel needs active walks. Therefore, in any weather or bad weather, first four or five times for ten to twenty minutes, and then twice a day for at least half an hour, the owner must walk his pet. And you can’t put it off until later, it needs to be done every day: most dogs cannot send their natural needs in litter trays, like cats. And in the first months, even frequent walks will not be able to protect the carpets from wet spots (they are usually removed when the baby is brought in).
With the selection of food, everything is much simpler - what you decide to feed is what your pet will eat. With inexperienced owners, puppies can become very fat (they are always hungry), and obesity, unfortunately, is harmful not only to people.
Cost of keeping cats and dogs
There is an opinion that a cat is much cheaper to keep because it eats little. But only at first glance. If you compare the cost of cat and dog food of the same brand, you will notice that the same volume for the former costs more than for the latter.
At the same time, dogs, as you have probably already noticed, vary greatly in size. And any Papillon, not to mention a toy terrier, is unlikely to be able to eat much more than a cat. And since you will feed him dog food, it will cost you less. However, you will have to buy at least one collar and leash, and small dogs often require clothing for walks in cold weather, some also require regular haircuts, so we can say that keeping a dog, on average, still costs more.
Cats, in addition to food, only need filler, but this is not so simple either. Firstly, cats have individual characteristics. Give one some sawdust, another - something to rustle under his paws, the third prefers fine clay, and the fourth is an intellectual who only goes to see the Literary Gazette.
You can, of course, accustom a cat to a litter box with bars, but the benefits of this method are not entirely obvious. After all, you will have to wash the tray clean after each cat visit, because if the cat wants to go twice in a row, and the tray is dirty, then you will also have to wash the floor. You will be tortured. And the smell quickly spreads throughout the apartment at the slightest delay in cleaning, which you and your guests are unlikely to like.
How do people feel around a dog?
When the period of growing up is overcome, a period of mutual agreement begins.
The pet understands the owner, he feels his mood, and raising his voice at the slightest offense makes the dog worry. It becomes difficult for owners not to humanize the dogs' actions - the response is often unexpectedly warmer than just friendly.
During this period, a person becomes not just the owner of the dog, but its friend. If such contact is established, then mutual existence is completely unburdensome.
The natural background is that dogs are in heat with the inevitable spots and the desire to run away in search of a partner.
Even the constant urges of male dogs to linger next to a delicately smelling friend are not annoying, and if you don’t put them on a leash in time, they will even run away.
The dog lives with the problems of its owners, but they do not burden him with theirs, having long ago decided the question of who is better to have, a cat or a dog. For them, the answer is always clear - of course, a dog, but only of the breed that suits their hearts (maybe a mongrel), of a size that will not infringe on the interests of the household.
Who is better, a cat or a dog: pros and cons
If we consider the issue of the psychological state of the owners after adopting a pet, then it is completely indifferent who becomes the furry friend.
The inevitable accompanying struggle with dirt (in one form or another) will almost always be present throughout the pet’s life, with cats a little smaller, with dogs a little more.
The benefits of keeping a cat in an apartment include virtually unspoiled relationships with neighbors. In the case of a dog that still needs to be trained so that it does not howl when its owners are absent and does not yap when someone passes by the apartment, relations with neighbors can even lead to scandals. There are many examples of this; the result can be a move - you cannot give your pet to anyone (although there are many negative cases).
You can leave your cat on vacation by entrusting its care to relatives or neighbors (this is an economical option, a more expensive option is in a special foster home). The dog is having a very hard time with the absence of its owner; its relatives cannot cope with it, let alone its neighbors. All that remains is an expensive nursery specializing in foster care.
From the point of view of routine and rhythm of life, a dog binds its owners to itself much more tightly than a cat. A dog is a lifestyle, but a cat, in fact, does not change anything.
General functionality
When deciding who is better than a cat or a dog, always consider for what purpose you are getting a pet. The cat decorates the interior and is pleasing to the eye; it is pleasant to stroke it and listen to it purr. Some breeds are especially good in private homes, where they function as mousetraps.
A dog is an endless set and combination of innate abilities and acquired skills, which depend on the breed and the efforts of the owner in the process of raising the puppy. Security, rescuing lost people, hunting, official duties, herding livestock, catching rats and, of course, decorative breeds as eye candy - this is an incomplete list of dog activities that have been developed by breeders and dog handlers over many centuries of interaction between species.
A cat and a dog are always different animals for the purposes of the establishment. A cat will never play the role of a dog, just as a dog will never become a cat. It is impossible to compare here due to initially different functionality.
IMPORTANT: if you plan to have both a cat and a dog, then it is better to bring both babies into the house at the same time. Many dog breeds are able to accept a cat only if they grew up with it. In this case, the kittens must be from a domestic cat, otherwise the scratchy savage may harm the friendly, curious puppy.
Based on the above comparisons, a cat can safely be called a comfortable pet; it requires less time, but also produces less heat compared to a dog. The dog will love you unconditionally, but the cat is a capricious creature. Therefore, the choice of whether a cat or a dog is better should be made by each individual before purchasing an animal, because only you yourself can determine for yourself with whom you feel more comfortable coexisting, what functions are required from the animal and who is easier for you to care for.
Living together with dogs and cats
In many families, dogs and cats live together, having acquired loving owners either at the same time, or appearing in the apartment in turn. The owners immediately and forever decided the question of who is better - a cat or a dog.
If these creatures appear at the same time, the owners spend almost a year in a tense rhythm raising them, training them, accustoming them to their household and life routine.
Cats, if they are still young, perceive puppies with caution. But then they begin to take care of them, probably perceiving them as their own children.
Unfortunately, not all dogs can show tolerance towards representatives of the cat family, but if this happens, a strong and cohesive union is born. Sometimes it brings greater joy to the animals themselves than to the owners.
