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/Why do a lot of people prefer cats over dogs and if they don't, why do they prefer cats?
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I am owned by a cat, but I am a dog person. I can admire cats and like cats, but I love dogs. Maybe it is because I know that my cat really doesn’t need me for anything. Cats can revert to a feral animal and succeed as a feral animal far easier than a dog.
Cats are cleaner, have softer fur, do not require being walked, can be litter-trained, are cheaper to take care of (eat less), do not bark, may eat vermin and you can’t have nasty accidents with them (I never heard of anyone, even a young baby, being seriously hurt by a cat… worst case you get some scratches or a small bite but a dog can kill someone easily).
Also cats have different personalities than dogs, they are smart, independent, they cuddle more often, but are not as clingy to they masters - a cat owns you, you don’t own a cat.
Dogs and cats are both pets but so very, very different. I have both and consider myself more a dog person. I adore my cats for being cats. Their grace, athleticism, and those sleek, whiskers. Purring melts me every time. Yet, as my big, goofy Doberman sleeps across my legs at night, I’d not want to give him up. I couldn’t pick one over the other because they are the sun and the moon. Important parts of my life for different reasons.
Depends entirely on person to person.
cats often need less looking after. Can be left alone for longer periods than dogs, if they are outdoor cats and have a cat flap.
Even then indoor cats do much better longer periods alone than dogs. They are obviously smaller, groom themselves almost entirely. Basically not as demanding as dogs. Some dog breeds are small and need less exercise and care. So then it comes down to how much care you are willing to give and time you have.
people who prefer dogs, have time for long walks, training, and round the clock attention.
especially working breeds.
dogs hate being left alone and it's really bad for them to be unstinulated. You can't let your dog roam the streets and poop in neighbours gardens. They need to be contained.
Dog breeds vary so much more widely than cat breeds. So a lot of factors come into play when choosing the right dog breed for your life. Busier people tend to get cats, who still want the love and companionship of a fury friend. You have to be very invested to get a dog, to the dedication needed to keeping them safe, happy and healthy.
Some people prefer cats over dogs because they feel like they're easier to housebreak. I had both dogs and cats for my pets and had no problems with housetraining them at all
I have both in my house. The dog is usually more full of energy and wants active attention. The cat will want attention but will settle down after a bit. Provide food and water for both. The dog will need more of both the next day. The cat will be good for several days. They both can be good companions depending on the mood of the owner.
I get it that dogs are smart, playful, and incredibly loyal. I know they're awesome for blind folks and just the best at sniffing out bombs and contraband weed. Sure!
But…can they purr?
Cats are easily as cool as, or cooler than, dogs! They are beautiful, graceful animals with lots of personality. They let you know where you stand. You can feed a cat daily and still have it hate your guts. So you know that if your cat loves you, it really loves you! I'm sure all of your dogs love you, but can you be REALLY sure- I mean REALLLY sure- your dog is not a gold digger- just using you for food? I couldn't live with the uncertainty.
Cats are awesome, vicious little predators who also happen to be really talented at snuggling. I don't know about you, but I always fall for the bad pets. Am I right?
I’m right.
I have both, two of each. The dogs are smaller than the old cat and the kitten who considers them playmates. I like them both equally well but for different reasons. Yes, cats can be self sufficient if you have to leave them for a few days. As long as the items for survival are provided, they can entertain themselves. This does not mean they don’t miss companionship. If I am gone a couple of days, I am greeted with meows, pats, headbutting etc. I check to make sure there is food and water, but that is usually not what they want. They want me to sit down with them for a while for body contact, then follow me around the rest of the day. Sitting with my cats relaxes me and them.
The dogs cannot be left even for 12 hours without engaging in unacceptable behavior. It can be equated with leaving a 3 year old unsupervised. You would not do it with a child. A dog is the same way. Dogs have to be walked several times a day. This is partly so they can relieve themselves but mostly because they require engagement with their environment. While cats prefer to observe the world around them and glide through it, dogs are more interactive with their world. If they are denied this stimulus and locked up for long periods, they slowly go nuts and devise ways to self stimulate which is not always acceptable behavior. Dogs being the interactive creatures they are, force me to be more interactive with people too, in order to satisfy their needs (the dogs).
Both cats and dogs provide me with a balance needed in my life. Just from personal observation, not professional, I have noticed that people who are extroverts, tend to prefer dogs, while people who are introverts, prefer cats. I am about in the middle, having equal amounts of extrovert and introvert tendencies. It may explain why I find dogs and cats both answer certain needs for me.
Personality Differences Between Dog and Cat Owners
Understanding Introverts And How they’re Like Cats - Self Development For Introverts and Highly Sensitive People
Don't get me wrong. Dogs are sweet and loyal. But they are to much work. Cats are easy to take care of . Feed the cats clean up thier litter box. But dogs you have to take them for walks give them baths. They are to needy. Cats are more calmer sometimes . They purr which is calming . They lower your blood pressure. And have more positive health benefit. And come on would you be mad at a face like this
1 Cat are smarter than dogs. I’ve watched them figure out how to do something and then do it while a dogs just barks or runs straight at it.
2 You can go away for a long weekend and leave enough food and water for the cat and when you get home there’s still lots left. The cat just sleeps while you’re gone. You can’t even leave a dog for a whole day because they’ll eat everything immediately and then starve until you come home.
3 You have to put on your coat and boots and walk dogs in the middle of the night or in blizzards and thunderstorms while a cat you can just change the litterbox even in your pjs and at your convenience. See #2 for going away for a few days.
4 Cats are soft and fluffy, nice to cuddle. Even lap dogs are bony and wiggly and don’t have soft fur to put your face up to.
5 A dog will be best friends with any human, even cruel ones who abuse them. A cat won’t just be with anybody, you have to EARN its respect. Much more of a challenge. Much more of a reward.
6 Cats all have really different personalities from each other. Dogs seem to have personalities only by breed.
7 Cats are generally polite. They ask for what they want most of the time. Dogs will just push their way in and take what they want.
8 Dogs can be really expensive to feed, to keep a fence in, to keep the yard nice (digging holes or urine burns on the grass) while cats are happy with just a few pennies of food a day and some litter for the box.
9 Cats can be just as loyal as dogs. Greeting you at the door when you come in. Curling up in your arms watching TV.
10 Cats purr. Dogs pant.
11 When you have a new friend over, dogs go up and sniff her crotch. Cats just watch in the background and wait to be introduced.
Need I say more?
While cats do take time and care, and they do need attention and they certainly like routine, they don’t need as much of it as a dog.
Dogs need to be walked. Dogs are up when you are. Dogs want you to be up when they are. It’s more difficult to leave dogs alone for longer periods of time.
If you have time for a pet, but you don’t have 5 times daily for a dog - or more - then you shouldn’t have a dog.
Why do a lot of people prefer cats over dogs and if they don't, why do they prefer cats?
Would you like to rephrase this question?
I prefer cats. They're independent, snobbish and only sociable when it suits them. Dogs are obnoxious, messy, loud and high-maintenance.
You can certainly do more with dogs, so I get why people enjoy them. It's like having a retarded buddy to hang out with all the time. The downside is it's like a having a retarded buddy to hangout with all the time.
Can’t explain why I love cats completely but will try. Think it’s an inner thing, about personal needs. I can appreciate a cute dog but I wouldn’t own one. Cats are more subtle and they don’t grovel like dogs. I like their attitude, it’s honest and more human. Once you learn to read their body language, there’s a respect between you.
My cat is sleeping on my bed with me right now and it’s the nicest feeling in the world. That’s a real compliment from a cat. You can’t make a cat do anything, it’s not biologically programmed to be dependent.
I also (like the other poster) don’t like that people can abuse dogs and that they can put their emotional issues them. Dog people can sometimes expect far too much from their pets. And I think the label “crazy cat people” is really unfair. Cat people are very “live and let live”. We expect less from our pets, we may even be less needy and more unconditional.
I will try to answer this question but never owning a cat personally, and yes I am a dog owner, I can only comment on observations and personal interactions made with friends and acquaintances over the years.
First i will exclude people that own both cats and dogs as owning both does not show preference , next we will remove breeders whose business is really only to sell breeds of cats for profit and generate income. Next we have “cat ladies” people who unfortunately have a mental disorder and have no logical reason or can justify owning 6 or more cats, what we are left with is a smaller group of individuals that do not own or would ever consider a dog under their roof.
The group now even smaller is the one I will focus on and try to define.
First let me say this group is intelligent but has similar character traits, they tend to be introverted , submissive and prefer a solitaire lifestyle.
They prefer living in apartments or flats, are single or live with their parents, they live mostly a sheltered life and their interests are varied , or few but they seem passionate about them.
They tend to seek affection rather than companionship,
They seem to be non-conformists, preferring to be expedient rather than follow the rules.
They seem to treat cats more as equals instead of pets.
Cat owners are grateful for their cats attention.
My answer above is meant to reveal that people with these traits prefer cats but doesn't explain why cat owners have these similar traits which was not the question.
Cats carry a parasite that infects the mammalian brain — including that of humans. It causes its host to adore the cat, thereby facilitating the parasite’s reproductive cycle. Rats, cats, people and parasites: the impact of latent toxoplasmosis on behaviour and Rats, cats, people and parasites: the impact of latent toxoplasmosis on behaviour (same paper; PDF gives you free access).
This is one reason you’ll hear people telling you cats are cleaner than dogs (they’re not; they’ll urinate and poop all over your house, and the stink is impossible to remove), smarter than dogs (they’re certainly not), that their cats must be allowed to run loose to pee, poop, and depredate wildlife on your property, and on and on and on. Their minds may have been altered by infection with this unpleasant parasite.
The parasite, by the way, has been fingered as a cause of schizophrenia, among other mental illnesses:
Rage Disorder Linked with Parasite Found in Cat Feces
Cat parasite linked to mental illness, schizophrenia
Latent Toxoplasmosis and Human
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322306007104
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Suheyla_Unal/publication/41165548_Is_there_any_role_of_Toxoplasma_gondii_in_the_etiology_of_obsessive-compulsive_disorder/links/56a4ec0008aef91c8c14c3b3.pdf
http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/images/4/4e/Webster2001.pdf
Dogs may annoy you, but they don’t make you crazy. ;-)
I love both animals, and don't prefer one to the other. I choose to keep cats because dogs can be more problematic, destructive and prone to testing boundaries.
I have parrots and I know that if a cat gets hold of one of my birds, I've got loads of time to help the bird as cats don't tend to kill little creatures quickly. With a dog, the bird would die from the first bite.
Every time I think about getting a dog, I force myself to remember what happens when I mind friends’ dogs. The dogs constantly create new disruptions to the cross-species balance. They can't help it. It's basically how they find and test their place in the world.
I’d love to have a dog, but it wouldn't be fair on the other animals.
I like both and have had both at the same time. I live in a senior apt complex. No animal over 40 lbs allowed. I like BIG dogs--German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees. They need a fenced yard and lots of exercise. Cats only need things to climb and toys to play with. And they are under the weight limit of 40 lbs.
Compared to dogs, cats are discrete, independent, silent and clean.
They might flick small items off the table, but they won’t chew through your carpet, homework or shoes. They might wake you up at night but they won’t wake up the whole street with sudden bouts of loud and annoying barking. They may need potty training once but they won’t do their “business” randomly in the street. You’ll never even see their “doo-dah”, because they will quietly bury it out of sight. They might kill little birds (and even frogs:( but they will also catch mice. They won’t protect you or your property, but they won’t bite the postman either.
A dog won’t sit on your shoulder freely without a harness in the knowledge that you’ll take them where they want to explore and keep them safe from dogs and foxes.
I will actually put this in a manner that will ensure it gets through. The same reason that some people get pugs as opposed to German shepards.
It is not that they do not like the; hell, people probably love them. It’s a matter of the scenario, though. Someone with an apartment and somewhat limited budget is not as likely to get a big dog. Those need walks, typically have a lot of energy and it is unfair to coop them up in an apartment. Pugs, as opposed to other breeds, are lower energy, physically small and easier to care for, but they love you the same as the bigger breeds.
With a cat? Relatively low energy companion, is not prone to erupt into fits of barking because of something thumping next apartment over, overall easier to care for because they do not require visits to the outdoor world. Yet, if you are their human, they will still love you like any other animal companion loves their human. Cats just tend to have a more arrogant expression (unless they are babies. Kittens are just super adorable).
I agree that cats require less effort to care for. I grew up with not just dogs and cats but horses, goats and sheep. Under different circumstances I would love to have a goat again, and also some dogs. But I live in the city and I often travel, and a cat is my choice. But it isn't just the effort or level of care they require, I feel like, well to me a house isn't a home without a pet, and if I have to pick my favorite, I like cats best because they're complex. They're not going to just like you because you're there. They make toys out of found objects. They have distinct opinions.
I have always had cats and I got a dog because I was told to get a dog i respect my uncles words and I did what I was told to do
Would you respect your elders and do as your told to do.
I like both cats and dogs not one more then the other
I do get sick of hearing people tell me I waste alot of money on stuff for my cats needs
One thing about having a dog around is you don't have to buy any litter for it and that's good. I say when I'm getting bitched at over buy my cats food and litter every few weeks I can't let them outside or they'll be dead laying in the road they've got to have something for them to crap on in the litter box
One thing I don't do is mix my cats with the dog because dogs and cats play different they don't play the same way as dogs do.
I'm not someone who needs to be smothered with attention 24/7 so easily I would prefer a cat. However, this doesn't mean cats don't give you attention at all, all the cats I had and have love cuddles just as much or even more than some dogs I had and have. I also think cats play time is much easier to handle, Im not chasing or getting bit on accident playing tug of war to get the dogs toy out of their mouth so they can chase it again. Nor do cats tear up anything they can chip-away at. But that being said I still love them regardless of getting bit or the destruction on my vaulables.
Hey there, Before I make any statement let me tell you that I'm a cat lover and a proud cat owner. 9 months back, I adopted a homeless cat from local street and since then my life has completely changed.
This is my cat, kaira.
Now coming to your question, We all know that dog has this unsaid privilege when it comes to people's attention. But some scientific researches and polls conducted in USA & Canada have pointed out some of the advantages of having a cat. I dedicated a whole article to this question in my post “ 7Reasons Why You Should Have A Cat”.
Thankyou!
I’ve always been a dog person and my wife a cat person. When we joined as a couple we both softened towards the other’s preferences. What I love about dogs is their 100% loyalty and, as a result of their pack mentality, they truly believe they are a member of the family (which ultimately they become). Cats are more independent but so much brighter than dogs.
I often joked with my wife saying, if a fire occurred in the house and you were trapped inside, your dog would get out and notice you were trapped and would run back into the fire to rescue you while your cat would be out sitting on the fence looking annoyed that it was going to have to find another house to freeload in.
Honestly I love them both. We had two cats and have two dogs. Our oldest cat, age 22, passed away two years ago and “his sister” died recently at age 20. I cried like a baby after each as I will when are two little dogs go too. They’re work and sometimes get into trouble, but they are loved and truly part of our family.
I prefer a cat over a dog because they are so amazin. Emotionally I am autistic and they seem so in tune to my needs. I Believe they go that extra mile.
Lily is the most loving Cat and she by far is so sweet.
My husband loves her as well
She knows how to get a person to relax. My husband has PTSD he did four tours to Iraq.
So he said her purring helps him to sleep.
There are many reasons people prefer them over a dog. These are our reasons…
There is less hassle involved here. You don't need to let them out every day to run around or take them for a walk. They also use the bathroom in an indoor litter box, so you don't need to rely on anyone to take them out for a potty break. Cats don't make as much noise. The cat will easily forgive the owner after a treat and a little love. However, cats do remember if there was abuse in the household. Cats have strong survival instincts, and these instincts force them to recollect abuse for a long time. Cats will avoid being in the same situation ever.
Two words: Litter box. The cats can pee and poop without my having get out of bed to walk them every day. They’re a lot cleaner than a dog as well. We interact because we love each other, not because they can’t get along without me. Even my biggest cat is easier to hold on my lap than the smallest dog.
I like dogs. I walk dogs as a part-time job. I have many dog friends and clients who are thrilled when they see me. Cats are family.
I used to think I was more of a dog person, because I get more attached to a dog. We had both cats and dogs when I was a kid, and the dogs and I had more of a relationship.
Then I went off to college and work. I always had a cat… they just seemed to show up in my life, even if I wasn’t looking for one. They left me alone a lot, and I left them alone a lot, and it worked out even when I wasn’t home a lot of the time. I couldn’t in good conscious have a dog during those time because they require more bandwidth. I didn’t have a dog for four decades.
Now I’m retired and home most of the time and finally have a dog again. But the cat is the one that gets to sleep on the bed. The dog stays in the crate. The cat doesn’t have bad hot breath and doesn’t try and lick my face all the time. He just uses me as “staff” and as hot pad.