Let’s say that you’ve finally decided to get yourself a pet because having human friends is too difficult these days or just because you want a warm and fuzzy animal by your side that cares about you. Either way, it can be a bit difficult to decide if you want a dog or a cat. Both animals are wonderful and can provide a strong sense of joy in the house.
There are plenty of factors to consider when you want to choose between a cat and a dog. Otherwise, you might even consider having both animals under the same roof. While this latter variant could indeed be more complicated, let’s learn a bit about the pros and cons of having a dog or a cat, and it will be up to you to decide which one of these beautiful animals is best for your household!
Dogs
Pros:
- Loyalty and companion: dogs are well-known for their loyalty and pleasure in accompanying their owners. These animals are able to form strong bonds with humans and can even be very affectionate.
- Protection: a lot of dogs, such as the German Shepherd breed, can serve as great watchdogs and protect the household of their owners from intruders.
- Outdoor activities: having a dog as a pet requires taking that animal out for walks regularly and keeping it physically active through activities such as playing fetch. This obviously means that you need to spend time with your pet when you might have other things to do.
- Obedience and training: you can train your dog to perform various tasks and follow commands.
Cons:
- Time and commitment: as we said, you need to take some time to train and exercise your dog as you take it out for walks.
- Space requirements: Some dog breeds, especially large ones, may need more space. This means that living in a small apartment might not be suitable for some dogs.
- Healthcare costs: you obviously need to take good care of your dog’s health, which means that you need to take that pet to the vet for preventive care, vaccinations, and so on.
Cats
Pros:
- Litter training: cats are programmed by nature to use a litter box, which means that these beloved animals are easy to house train. In other words, you won’t have to take your cat out for walks.
- Low maintenance: Cats are more independent and require less hands-on attention compared to dogs. Cats will even groom themselves and often like to be alone for longer periods of time.
- Affectionate beings: although cats are more independent, many of them can be affectionate and enjoy spending time with their owners.
- Adaptability: cats are able to adapt well to various living spaces, including apartments. They don’t even need outdoor walks.
Cons:
- Independent nature: some cats are more independent and may not want as much attention as dogs do. If you want a highly interactive pet, this can be a disadvantage for you.
- Allergies: some people are allergic to cats, which means that you need to make sure that a member of your family doesn’t have something like that before bringing a feline into your household.
- Scratching behavior: cats are born with a natural instinct to scratch, and they may damage various items around the house if you don’t train them properly.
Of course, choosing between a dog or a cat depends on your lifestyle, personal preferences, and living situation.
