Dogs vs Cats: Dogs Are Better
Dogs vs Cats: Dogs are better
Time for a AFB PetClub favorite, we will be publishing the counter part next.
Dogs are (hu)man’s best friend, right? That’s the common perception anyway. But how do we know that dogs are better than cats? Let’s take a look at 10 reasons dogs are better than cats to find out!
You are their favorite thing
Dogs love you unconditionally and would never betray you like a cat might by knocking over your favorite glass of water, or worse, scratching up your couch when you’re out of the house.
They want to be around you all the time, which means they’ll follow you from room to room and keep you company when it’s time to do laundry or clean the kitchen floor, or go to the bathroom. You can take them with you on errands or walks – not that we recommend letting them ride in your lap while driving, but that’s an option too.
You don’t need to buy them expensive gifts: All you have to do is pet them and tell them they’re doing a good boy or girl – how much easier can it get? You are the apple of their eye.
They’re better protectors
Since dogs were domesticated tens of thousands of years ago, one of their core functions in our lives has been to protect us. Although somewhere along the way my dogs seem to have forgotten this, many dogs still have this inherent instinct.
They’re always on the lookout for signs of danger (you never know when the mailman is going to try to kill you) and will bark when someone approaches the house, (or in the case of our house, if they sense someone walking by within a forty-three block radius). You are part of their pack afterall.
They love you unconditionally
Dogs ooze love. Bad mood? The dog still loves you. Good mood? The dog still loves you. Got fired? The dog still loves you. Got dumped? Yup, the dog still loves you. You catch my drift. Dogs love you all of the time – you are the centre of their universe while cats are the centre of their universe.
While cats can act like they’re doing you a favor when they decide to snuggle up with you, dogs will stick by your side no matter what.
No litter boxes
Cats may be cute and cuddly but the litter boxes are a lot of work. The litter box can be smelly quickly, and needs to be cleaned often. Litter is expensive and can get tracked all over the house. It’s hard to find a good spot to put the litter box that doesn’t stink up the rest of the house, and scooping the poop and pee from the litter box is not a favorite job of anyone.
Dogs don’t use litter boxes – Hooray! Housetrain them to do their business outside and you only have to clean up the poop – which is easily done with a poop bag.
They make you more active
Studies have shown that owning a dog makes people more active. When is the last time you took your cat for a walk after all?
A study published in PLOS One found that the likelihood of obesity was reduced by 22% for those with dogs, and a study from Glasgow University found that dog owners were 30% more likely to get the recommended 150 minutes of exercise per week than those without pets.
Even if you don’t feel like going for a walk, your dog does and he will convince you to with his sad eyes and please take me for a walk face.
You can take them (just about) everywhere you go
Dog-friendly places are popping up all over the place and more and more locations are allowing you to bring your dog with you (my dog loves going to the hardware store for example).
The great thing about this is that the dogs can help their owners who are highly anxious (like me) break the ice in social situations by being the segue to conversation.
Dogs come in all shapes and sizes
While there are endless breeds of cats, they all look relatively the same – having the same shape and size. Dogs, on the other hand, come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They range from small toy breeds to large working dogs that can grow up to 150 pounds.
Their personalities vary just as much as their appearance, making it easy to find one that will fit into your life and lifestyle perfectly.
They don’t scratch furniture
I currently have plastic sticky things on my couch and chairs because our cats seem to enjoy scratching them more than the five (very expensive) scratching posts we bought them.
My dogs? They just like to lay on the couch and chairs. Except for that one foster dog one time, who ripped apart our couch – stuffing and all.
They aren’t fussy about their food (usually)
Cats typically only eat what they want, when they want it. If you don’t feed them at the right time, or if you don’t give them enough food, or the right food, they won’t eat.
They judge you instead. Even if they liked their food yesterday, there is no guarantee they will today. Dogs on the other hand will usually eat whatever you put out for them, and be so happy you did.
They are (hu)man’s best friend
Dogs are mans best friend and improve your quality of life, which are two very good reasons why they are so much better than cats.
They provide companionship and their company can lower your blood pressure while they keep you active, all while giving you unconditional love and a partner to go on adventures with.
Cats might be able to do some of these things but not as well as dogs can, plus they don’t have the same level of loyalty and adoration from humans that dogs do. Dog’s truly are (hu)man’s best friend.
There you have it. Dogs are better than cats. Agree? Disagree? Tell us. Next week we will publish Cats vs Dogs: Cats a Better, be sure to come back for that.
Updated: Feb 15, 2023
Originally Published: Nov 23, 2022
