Posted on 02/23/2012 10:00:18 PM PST by Altariel
Isn't it funny how we feel the need to describe someone as a "cat person" or a "dog person" when introductions are made? I happily consider myself a "multi-species person," although I admit to favoring cats (apologies to my Scottie, whom I love dearly!)
Cats and dogs have very different skill sets when it comes to fitting into a family. Let's add up the plusses and minuses to see which one makes the better pet...
* Cats are quiet (+1) * Dogs, while loud, make great low-cost home security systems (+1) * Cats are independent (+1) * Dogs are in-your-face creatures (-1) * Cats only come to you when they want something (-1) * Dogs are always glad to see you come home (+1) * Cats are not good travelers (-1) * Dogs love to go for rides and walks on the beach (+1) * Indoor cats require a litter box (-1) * Dogs require "yard duty" (-1) * Cats jump on food prep areas (-1) * Dogs can't reach those areas (+1) * Cats can be left for hours and even overnight on occasion without worry. (+2) * Dogs can't be left alone for long stretches and need to be boarded at times (-2) * Cats eat much less than dogs (+1) * Dogs are less finicky when it comes to food (+1)
Well, it's a tie and I'm still confused. Both animals offer unconditional love and companionship so personal preference is the way to go. Oftentimes you won't even get to choose as the pet picks you.
For some odd reason, dogs are considered more adoptable than cats, although there are more felines in homes in the U.S. than canines, according to the Humane Society of the United States This is probably due to the fact that 52 percent of cat owners have more than one cat, while only 28 percent of dog owners have more than one dog. (Another "plus" here for cats?)
Whatever you decide to bring into your own home as a family member, please consider your lifestyle and the requirements of the pet. We, of course, encourage you to consider a cat or two as 10 percent more of them are euthanized each year than dogs in the shelters, according to the ASPCA.
Kitten season is beginning and soon there will be scores to choose from. Please help us stem the tide of overpopulation by having your pets spayed and neutered this month. And call us if there are free-roaming feral cats in your neighborhood so we can TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) them before they breed.
Marci Kladnik is a board member of Catalyst for Cats, a Santa Barbara County nonprofit organization dedicated to the welfare of feral cats. For more information, call 685-1563 or visit www.catalystforcats.org.
OK, I had to google that and yes, they are rather handsome. :)
I think every mix possible has been tried. But, on the other hand, I think a basset could be quite dangerous...if you tripped on one. I tell people that’s how my golden would be most dangerous! :)
Oh, don’t EVEN get me started... *sigh*
Really dumb question.
A cat is a rodent compared to a dog such as a German Shepherd.
Yup, tripped over more than one and they are cat-like in that they are always underfoot.
Consider though that as a low-rider Bloodhound, they haZ a VERY large set of teeth. And they are poised to bite at bad ‘altitudes ;)
True story: A friend of mine had a Basset and a greyhound he’d trained as a rabbit hunting dog. He sends them out and the Grey is off like a rocket - the basset is nose to the ground and plodding along into the woods.
A while later he hears “WOOOOOO WOOOOO WOOOOOO” WAY off in the distance and a couple moments later the rabbit comes out of the brush with a full-tilt Grey on his fluffy little tail.
Hunter 1, Rabbit O
So he and another guy are sitting there BSing, and they hear “WOOOOOO WOOOOO WOOOOOO” getting closer.
More talk ensues that the basset will be disappointed.
Finally, from the exact place the rabbit came out of the brush (atop a chest level rise) the basset flies out, nose to the ground...except the ground is about 4 feet down.
Plows full Basset sprint airborne into the guy holding the rabbit and sends both sprawling.
A dangerous animal indeed.... ;)
In an infinite universe there exist infinite possibilities to do something ‘wrong’
This is all of them. In one dog.
People suck.
Everybody was kung fu fighting....
The horror.
LOL
Thanks for starting my day out with a hearty laugh.
Bottom line is that dogs are way better than cats and certainly better friends than most people.
Thanks again...panax
LOL! If you bathe them when they are kittens and you do it regularly, they don’t mind it, and I’ve seen some that liked it. Now the blow dryer is another matter. When you try to use a blow dryer on most of them it’s like trying to poke hot grease up a wildcat’s a$$.
Awww...what a sweetie! Beautiful baby.
There’s nothing wrong with them....I was stating my preference, and my opinion that the shorthaired cat-—usually the kind found in pounds-—is closer to its wild relatives, in appearance and activity level.
I’m not a fan of breeding animals to death, whether it’s cats or dogs. They have more health problems, for one thing. And all you have to do is show me a picture of the cat with no fur (Sphinx) or the cat with tiny short legs (can’t recall the breed name), and I will go into orbit. God designed these little animals to perfection. It took humans to come along and cripple and deform them, to their detriment, all so someone can brag about having a fancy cat that cost a few thousand dollars.
LOL well he was on the scent!
No. No. No. They’re trying to “dignify” this by giving it it’s own breed name?
It’s a mutt, and they should STOP crossing those breeds!
Is it too late to join you in screaming, lamenting and wearing sackcloth and ashes?
:-)
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