If you have decided to embrace a pet yet still uncertain whether to get a dog or a cat, there are few things you need to consider. First, sharing your home with any animal is an enormous obligation, albeit a very fulfilling one. If you lead an extremely hectic life and are not sure whether you'd be able to provide a dog all the human companionship, workout, and attention that they need, then maybe you would be better off offering your loving home to a cat.
A lot of pet owners consider themselves as either "dog" or "cat" persons. However, our feline friends have come to be exceptionally prominent in recent times. There are many reasons for this, and some of which are listed here:
1. Felines are Less Reliant than Dogs
Although cats need a great deal of care, it's less complicated to leave them by themselves for a day if you need to work or run errands. Cats generally do well if left by themselves, providing access to lots of fresh and clean water, sufficient food, and neat litter boxes to utilize.
Nonetheless, you can leave dogs on their own for a maximum of 4 hours, implying that you would need help to take them out if you are out for longer than that. It's pretty challenging to find someone who won't let you down and who likes dogs as much as you do, which is not as simple as it sounds.
2. Cats Do Not Need To Take Walkies
Unless you want to share your home with a Bengal, a cat that enjoys walks and the outdoors, cats don't need to be taken out for walkies which is a real benefit if you are more of a lazy-bones.
You have to love being in the outdoors if you decide to share your home with a dog. Whatever the weather might be doing, you're still required to take them out for a quick stroll so they can do their things--unless you have a back garden where you can allow them to run about. However, you still need to clear their "mess" if you do not want your grass messed up and want to avoid the danger of anyone walking in it!
3. Cats Live Longer than Dogs
Felines tend to have longer life spans than their canine equivalents. For example, some cats live to the ripe old age of 20+ whereas dogs tend to have average life-spans of 10 to 12 years, with bigger breeds having shorter ones than smaller canines.
4. Cats Require Minimal Grooming
Felines are experts in keeping themselves nice and clean. They continuously brush themselves, which is something that dogs don't do. Having said this, you would still need to comb a long-haired cat to minimize the danger of fur-balls, which can cause some significant health issues.
Nevertheless, if you decide to get a short-haired feline, you'll find they do not require that much brushing. In contrast, many dogs need to be consistently brushed regardless of how long their coat is, mainly when they shed. This generally happens throughout the spring and then again in the fall.
5. Felines tend to be Quieter than Dogs
If you have neighbors close by, sharing your house with a cat implies there's no possibility of them being causing troubles similar to when canine barks or growls, which can occur if they don't like being left unattended for long periods of time.
However, if you decide to share your house with a cat, the drawback is that if you do let your feline stroll the neighborhood, they may well do their "activity" in a neighbors flower beds, which might cause a couple of troubles!
6. Cats are Less Expensive than to Maintain
Cats often tend to be a fair bit cheaper to get than dogs, yet some popular cat breeds are on-demand, which means they can be a lot more expensive than a dog! With this in mind, you can always decide to take on either a feline friend from animal shelters, so you provide them a second opportunity to be in a loving home.
Once you have the pet, you will need to incur plenty of costs, from basic stuff to toys. In addition, because dogs tend to ruin their toys, they must be made from much more durable and more expensive materials or replaced often. However, cat toys are relatively affordable to purchase and more affordable, and very easy to DIY.
Cats are also generally more economical to feed than canines, although they still require good quality, nourishing, and healthy diet plans to stay healthy. They also need much fewer accessories, namely collars, leashes, and anything else that people often purchase for their canine buddies, specifically jackets, harnesses, and dog crates.
Nonetheless, if you intend to keep an interior cat, you would certainly need to buy a couple of litter trays, not failing to remember the cost of cat litter, which you would need to buy weekly. After that, of course, there are the necessary scratching posts that you'll need to stop your cat from damaging your furniture.
7. Felines Are Perfectly Content Inside The Home
It's practically difficult for dogs to have an indoors-only way of living; they require many walks and time invested outdoors to live happy and healthy lives. But if you don't have a backyard or access to parks or have limited time, this may present a significant difficulty.
Not only are cats much more secure indoors, but they're completely satisfied set down beside a window or curled up on the sofa. So open up a window for some fresh air (but make sure to have window screens!), and your cat will be entirely happy watching birds and napping all day.
8. Kittens Require Less Work Than Puppies
Both puppies and kittens need an incredible amount of time, energy, and attention. So between getting the pet comfortable in its new home, presenting a new diet, and introducing some preliminary training, you might be a little tired throughout the first couple of weeks with your new dog or kittens.
Puppies, nevertheless, require regular training (specifically for potty training). However, once kitties are away from their mothers and have learned how to use the litter box, it's not hard to leave them home unsupervised during the day.
Do you want some extra safety? Put your feline in a room where it can not misbehave while you're gone. It'll keep the kitty wrangled in one secure room and, due to its smaller dimension, it won't have the ability to create much (if any) damage from being contained.
9. Cats Keep Pets Away
Felines are natural-born hunters, so it's in their DNA to track, search, and pounce on their prey. So while you should never allow your cat to eat a pest or mouse it captures, a pest-free home is simply one of the many advantages of having felines. What's more, is that your feline's scent alone can keep rodents away from your home; if rodents smell a predator in the house, they're far less likely to get in.
10. Cleaning Up the Box Is Easier Than Consistent Walks
While it may be a little odd that your feline pees and poops in strategically put boxes throughout the home, clearing out a litter box are easier than needing to take strolls during hot summer days, late at night, or through the cold snow, all while scooping up the dog poop with a plastic bag over your hand.
Cats are generally clean animals, and one of their instincts is to hide their pee and poop. This hides their scents from predators who, like cats, utilize their no to locate their target. So although killers aren't necessarily pursuing home pet cats, people can reap the benefits of neat, tidy, and entirely covered waste.
Verdict
Whether it's a cat, dog, or other pets, taking on a new family pet is a significant duty that you must thoroughly think through. Taking a close look at your way of living and understanding how much time you can offer to your pet helps when it involves determining whether to share your residence with a feline friend or a canine buddy. Canines do need more time spent on them, whereas cats, although they need attention, are naturally more independent, making them that much easier to take care of.
