- By Times’ Junior Journalist Rio Carter
The age-old question of cats or dogs has been unanswered for centuries.
It cannot be answered in a single statement, but it can be answered with categories, like which is better at playing with you, or which is better at cuddling you.
The first category: playfulness. Dogs are well known for their energetic personalities, and they will enjoy playing with their owner whenever they feel like it.
Cats, who are known for their lethargic personalities, prefer sleeping most of the time.
Occasionally, they might go into a catchy mood and begin to zoom around and catch at household items.
If a string is dangled near them, they will almost 100 per cent catch it and begin to play.
However, if a ball is thrown near them, despite their eyes tracking it, they will likely not get it.
So if you like a pet that’s a little bit playful, a cat wins this category, but if you are a full-on athlete, a dog’s your pick for this.
Next up is empathy. Cats, though people don’t realize it, are full-on cuddle machines.
They love their owner and they notice if he or she is sad.
If they are sad, then the cat will begin to purr and nudge them, comforting them and making them feel better.
Dogs also are empathetic towards their owners, but in a different way.
Cats focus on making the owner feel better, whereas dogs distract the owner from it with a game of fetch or sometimes, more rarely, a cuddle.
Let’s talk about these animals and their maintenance. Cats have surprisingly low maintenance.
All you have to do is feed them once or twice a day, with some snacks occasionally.
Apart from that, you have to take them to the vet every so often, give them flea medication, but that’s pretty much it.
Dogs, on the other hand, have lots of maintenance you have to do.
You have to take them for walks every day, feed them, play fetch with them, and more.
For low maintenance, cats win this category.
Our last category: sanitation. To change it up, let’s start with dogs.
Dogs are incredibly lovable pets, but they’re dirtier than they seem.
They poop on the ground, leaving their owner to clean it up, they get muddy, and they often lick the owner’s face.
Cats bury their poop, lick themselves clean, and don’t get dirty very often.
However, dogs are easier to clean as they can be bathed, but cats hate water (I know this from prior knowledge).
To summarise: If you want an animal with lots of energy, high maintenance, and a good level of empathy, a dog’s your pick.
If you want an animal with enough energy to cuddle and care for you with their high level of empathy and reasonable maintenance, a cat’s your pick.
Like I said, this is an opinion-based thing. The categories can help you, but it can’t be said in one sentence which is better.
Please, if you have the time, go to https://forms.gle/tfyRRdrSwZgxyZBg7 and enter if you like cats or dogs more – it takes ten seconds!
- Rio Carter is in year 8 at Bucklands Beach Intermediate School
