The Weekly Random Question: Cat or Dog

[Danoff]

Throughout my life here is the score on total pets:

Cats: 2
Dogs: 7


The cats were just not a rewarding animal to have as a pet. They're great and everything, but I don't understand why you'd want one in your home. I never got any affection from my cats. Now, that being said, I know that some cats are capable of being very affectionate. One of my friends has a wonderful cat that I could actually see living with - but his cat seems to be highly abnormal.

Dogs, if trained properly, view you as their leader (most dogs view themselves as the leader, but most dogs are completely untrained). Cats view you as a meal ticket and kindof resent you for taking space in their house.

With dogs you can go for walks, you can train them and they'll learn quickly, they are affectionate, trusting, loyal - everything that pets should be. Cats are fairly intelligent creatures, but as is the problem with monkeys, they're very difficult to train because they don't care about pleasing human beings. Dogs have been bread specifically for this trait, and it allows you to get every ounce out of their brain. I needed to train my dog to perform a certain task in less than an hour in a setting where I had no treats (he was being photographed for a greeting card, and they needed him to pose). I was able to get them the shot because my dog wanted to do what I wanted him to do. Not because he could get food, or because I provided him shelter, he learned the trick because he wanted to hear me say "good boy".

Some dogs are a lot like cats - unaffectionate, uninterested in learning, and abused ones especially are untrusting. But most dogs are at least capable of these traits, and very few cats seem to be.

 

[Encyclopedia]

Do dogs like feet? My cat did. He'd rub his face all over my feet. The sweatier the better. Tickled like hell but pleasant at the same time.

 

[Ross]

Definitely cats. They aren't as loud as dogs (especially little yappy ones), They don't smell, are more independent. The only bad thing is that they aren't that clever compared to dogs. Although Roffle seems to be plotting something evil .

Going to the issue of where they dispose of their waste, 3 out of my 4 go onto the neighbouring golf course, mainly because there is a dominant cat living next door to us. The fat, lazy one just uses the fruit tree plant pots on our own patio because he has difficulty climbing the 6 foot fence onto the golf course .

 

[MatskiMonk]

It's mostly down to personal experiences with pets. I grew up with cats, we had maybe 20-30 over the years, and most were strays so they were more than able to look after themselves, despite my mum trying to mother them as much as she could. Some would disappear for days, some never strayed more than 10ft from the fire or the radiator, some where bad tempered, some were cutesy, some (one at least) could catch hares, some were quiet and patient, some wailed and pawed for attention. Cats are a lot like people, they're all different.

I've only ever lived with one dog, and walked an old ladies dog for a few years, so my experience with them is less, but they seem to fall in to two categories. 1) Quiet and out of the way, 2) Stupid an annoying. Having said that, I pretty much detest all dogs either way, they just irritate the hell out of me. And, when it comes to vicious dogs - I often find their owners quite annoying too.

 

[Famine]

I actually grew up with neither - apart from a neighbour's cat visiting our garden and sitting on me while I was on the swings - because my brother had severe asthma, bronchitis and pet allergies. My first experiences of dogs was a petrifying bull mastiff called Max that lived at the start of the avenue - so I had to walk/cycle past his house to get in or out So I pretty much hated dogs and liked cats.

But a later friend of mine had a black lab/doberman cross called Jemima who was great and since that dog I've always wanted a black lab - just never been in the position to have one until a few years ago.

Now I've got two dogs and two cats and like both for their different qualities.

 

[ghskilla]

Throughout my life here is the score on total pets:

Cats: 2
Dogs: 7


The cats were just not a rewarding animal to have as a pet. They're great and everything, but I don't understand why you'd want one in your home. I never got any affection from my cats. Now, that being said, I know that some cats are capable of being very affectionate. One of my friends has a wonderful cat that I could actually see living with - but his cat seems to be highly abnormal.

Dogs, if trained properly, view you as their leader (most dogs view themselves as the leader, but most dogs are completely untrained). Cats view you as a meal ticket and kindof resent you for taking space in their house.

With dogs you can go for walks, you can train them and they'll learn quickly, they are affectionate, trusting, loyal - everything that pets should be. Cats are fairly intelligent creatures, but as is the problem with monkeys, they're very difficult to train because they don't care about pleasing human beings. Dogs have been bread specifically for this trait, and it allows you to get every ounce out of their brain. I needed to train my dog to perform a certain task in less than an hour in a setting where I had no treats (he was being photographed for a greeting card, and they needed him to pose). I was able to get them the shot because my dog wanted to do what I wanted him to do. Not because he could get food, or because I provided him shelter, he learned the trick because he wanted to hear me say "good boy".

Some dogs are a lot like cats - unaffectionate, uninterested in learning, and abused ones especially are untrusting. But most dogs are at least capable of these traits, and very few cats seem to be.

 

[Danoff]

Touche'

 

[Famine]

Pedigree dogs can be inbred. And in some countries, dogs can be in bread.

 

[sumbrownkid]

Pedigree dogs can be inbred. And in some countries, dogs can be in bread.

Yeah it's under the woof woof category.

 

[homeforsummer]

And in some countries, dogs can be in bread.

It's a dog's life.

 

[sumbrownkid]

I can't eat dog due to religious reasons (animals that are carnivorous are to be abstained from) but even I'm curious to how it tastes.

 

[Danoff]

I can't eat dog due to ethical reasons, but I'm sure they taste like chicken.

 

[MrKoippa]

I picked cats for a poll answer.I have nothing against dogs though.
I have a female cat which is soon 10 years old.She was just a month or two old when I took her living with me.I did not plan to get a cat then,but I was asked to because of the place where she were was unsuitable for it´s well being.It had developed more bond with humans then cats usually do.Probably because it´s mother rejected it and carried her in the feet of a certain friend,who have passed away long time ago.My cat is an indoor cat.She was with me on the farm when I was dating a woman that lived there.My cat get along well with the two big dogs she had..But with the three cats she had(one male and two females)there was a constant fight.I still don´t understand how my little indoor cat which has been always afraid to go outside.Beated three farm cats which were used to fight(especially the male which had even lose a sight from his right eye)with other cats?Otherwise she is a kind cat and trusts me.She is in my lap kindly even when I have to shorten her nails.
I like dogs too..My father has had few of them in the past..

 

[ShobThaBob]

I prefer dogs, but own a couple cats. I don't have the time currently to raise and train a dog properly like it deserves. I like how independent cats can be.

 

[I Am Yellow]

I eat dog every Sunday. It's delicious.

Now seriously, I don't know. I never had really much contact with cats, (except two times I've been to a friend's home or so) and pretty much all the dogs I had (have in mind that I live in a small apartment) were a nightmare, as I didn't have a lot of time to take them for a walk or stuff like that, and they weren't trained.

However, when I was a little kid (until I was around 5 years old), I used to live with my grandparents, and they had a German Shepherd (?), which was really loving and cared for everyone in our family. My mom tells me that when I was a baby (I was 2 or 3), once I got under the house (it had some space under it, however strange it may sound), where were lots of spiders and rats, and it started to bark to my mom and my grandma and then took they there. It died a a few years ago. My grandfather was really sad.

(edit: A completely pointless story, yay!)

If I had to choose now a pet to have with me though, it would be a cat.

 

[otakukid96]

Cats. They are ultra cute and since they are fairly independent, you don't need to give them as much attention as you do a dog. Also, I've only ever had cats, and dogs stink and their barking gives me headaches quickly.

 

[Danoff]

their barking gives me headaches quickly.

Often-barking dog = bad owner

(unless, for some reason, the owner wants that behavior)

 

[cphbullet]

Dogs, you can have them on your lap while your sitting on a swivel chair and you won't look evil:tup:

Cats always claw me as well so that probably doesn't help.

 

[MrKoippa]

Dog is a loyal family member if it´s raised right.
No dog has personality disorder when it´s born.
My father has had two dogs.First one he took was one from his passed away friend when I was a little.The second one he took..Well.It was abandoned dog which came from my father friend who was in charge of animal welfare.Some sick person had left that dog to the woods.Tied with a metal chain to the tree,left to starve to death..
That poor dog was just skin and bone.It´s trust for a human had gone.
My dad and his friend for the welfare still had some hope.
So my father took her and started a retraining process that took over a year.
Usually it´s not possible to succeed such a process.
I saw how hard that was to my father to gain that dogs trust.
She bit my father several times because she did not have the trust for a human and she could not be left alone.She had to be used to it..One second at a time.
After a very long time that dog started to trust my father.Then another people around her.She turned out to be a healthy and mentally stable dog
During that time I realized what my father meant when I was a kid and wanted a pet,when he said"There is a huge responsibility my son.You don´t take one because it´s cute.They are not just for you..You are for them too"

Another pointless writing.perhaps..

 

[MarinaDiamandis]

Often-barking dog = bad owner

(unless, for some reason, the owner wants that behavior)

Yup, adding to that

Dog that always wants attention = bad owner

Dog that smells = bad owner.

 

[Zenith]

Dog that smells = bad owner.

I resent this! I could bathe my dog hourly and he would still find a way to smell terrible.

Language warning:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/dog_paradox

 

[sumbrownkid]

I can't eat dog due to ethical reasons, but I'm sure they taste like chicken.

The default taste of anything new.👍

 

[Joel]

My cousin taught in Korea a couple years ago, he ended up eating dog there once. He said it tasted like chicken

 

[XPOWER180]

Dog tastes nothing like chicken, it's more like a softer pork but that will vary slightly upon each breed.

 

[Famine]

Dog that smells = bad owner.

It's a unique feature of labradors that their paws always smell of biscuits (US: crackers).

More precisely, their paws have the exact smell of an empty biscuit barrel that, until recently, contained nothing but Nice (pr. "neice") biscuits.

 

[priesty_lfc]

Surprised by the outcome of the poll tbh,

I've always assumed cats to be more feminine than dogs. A dog would always be my first choice pet with a cat maybe at 4 or 5, even then it would purely be a house cat and either a Siamese or the breeds with tiger print.

I like nothing better than going to my parents and have there dog go crazy as she's happy to see me.

 

[edawg456]

Since I have a dog and a cat, I say both. But If i had to choose between them, I say my cat.

 

[Danoff]

Dog that always wants attention = bad owner

Dog that always wants attention = dog.

Dog that smells = bad owner.

Depends on the breed.

 

[Keef]

I've never had a cat that smelled bad. Despite that fact that they clean themselves with slobber, their fur smells fresh and clean, like hair washed with unscented shampoo.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Despite being an internet poll, and the fact that 90% of the internet is pictures of cats, I would have expected them to run away with it.