Although they are both furry friends, the two types of animals are very different from each other. Cats have many favorable traits, including their ease of care, cleanliness, and adorable antics, making them a wonderful pet for any family.
If you've ever tried to share a bed with a golden retriever —or even a tiny dog —you know they take up a ton of space. Between their size, their love for stretching out into everyone's personal space, the room they need to play and exercise, and their stuff such as a dog bed or dog toys , dogs need a solid amount of room to live a happy, healthy life.
Cats, however, don't need a lot of space to thrive. As long as you can fit their essentials, such as litter boxes you need one box per cat plus one extra and food and water dishes, you can pretty much guarantee your kitty will be happy.
Over the course of their lifetimes, cats are generally more affordable than dogs. While buying a specific breed of cat can be expensive, generally, adoption fees are lower for kittens and cats than they are for puppies or dogs—particularly during kitten seasons or times when the shelter has a major influx of kittens.
Some shelters may even waive their fees or offer a two-for-one deal on pairs of kittens. Once you own the pet, there are plenty of expenses you will have to incur, from supplies to caretakers. Because dogs have a tendency to destroy their toys , they have to be made from much tougher and much more expensive materials—or replaced often. Cat toys are relatively cheap to buy and even cheaper and easy to DIY.
Plenty of exercise is absolutely vital to a dog's health, but getting two or three walks a day can be tough when you have a full-time job. Cats, however, are perfectly content lounging, napping, and playing with their toys at home alone while you work the day away. It's even better if you have two kitties since they'll keep each other entertained. It's virtually impossible for dogs to have an indoors-only lifestyle; they need a lot of exercise, plenty of walks, and time spent outdoors to live happy and healthy lives.
But if you don't have a yard or access to parks, or have limited mobility, this may present a major challenge. Not only are cats much safer indoors , but they're perfectly happy perched next to a window or curled up in a sunny spot on the couch. Simply crack a window for some fresh air but make sure it's not open wide enough for kitty to escape , and your cat will be totally content watching birds and bugs all day long.
Even the biggest dog lovers have to admit: Whether your dog is barking at a passerby, another animal, or simply because its favorite toy is stuck under the couch, incessant barking can get pretty annoying.
While cats certainly do make some noise— especially at night , when many cats are most active—meows and purrs tend to be pretty quiet.
Meowing and purring are cute, but even better, you'll begin to recognize what your cat's meows actually mean. You'll learn how to differentiate a meow that means "I'm hungry" from a meow that means "Cuddle me! Both puppies and kittens require an incredible amount of time, energy, and attention. Between getting it comfortable in its new home, introducing it to its new diet, and starting some preliminary training, you may be a little bit sleep deprived during the first few weeks with your new pup or kitten.
Puppies, however, need ongoing training especially for potty training , but once kittens are weaned from their mothers and have learned the basics of using the litter box, they can be left at home unsupervised during the day. Do you want to be extra safe? Put your kitty in a room where it can't get into mischief while you're gone.
Even without outside access, cats can be content as long as they are fed an appropriate diet and have access to a litterbox, toys and scratching posts to keep their minds and bodies busy. It's also essential that you interact with them frequently, so if you're going away you will need to find somebody to look after them, which may mean asking a neighbour to check in on them regularly or putting them in a cattery where they'll be looked after while you're gone.
Although they don't tend to show the boundless energy that dogs do, cats often prove to be more self-sufficient and make loving, affectionate, relaxing and entertaining pets. A lot of people love cats and dogs equally, and under the right conditions the two can get along quite happily in the same household if you give them time to get to know each other. For more advice on introducing new pets to the fold, see our guides on introducing your dog to other pets or introducing your cat to other pets.
If you really can't choose between a cat or dog and are able to offer a good home to both, a puppy and kitten raised together will usually learn to live with each other right away, and may even become the very best of friends!
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Message us. Discover our range of cat food. Buy Now. Discover our range of dog food. In a nutshell, dogs require more time, attention and money , but as pack animals are often much more social than cats. On the other hand, cats, being more independent, are easier to care for, much neater and usually cost less. All pets require love, attention, play time, some grooming and regular veterinary visits. How much differs between a dog and a cat. The choice comes down to what you want out of a pet and how much energy you are prepared to devote.
Where you live also plays a big role in the decision — or even makes the decision for you. Some apartments or condos have restrictions on the size or type of pet you can have. The worst thing to do is to adopt a loving puppy , and then return him to the shelter. Dogs want to be involved in all aspects of your life, more so than cats.
They also require more care. Walks should be something to look forward to. A dog needs to spend quality time with you as well. Again, this is something you should be looking forward to all day — not a task that you want done and over with. Vacations or business trips add to the complexity. You will need to find someone to dog sit because he will get very lonely without you. Finding the right kennel can also be time-consuming, not to mention expensive.
On the whole, dogs tend to cost more than cats. The bigger the dog, the more food he needs — and the bigger the droppings to be picked up. He also requires periodic grooming and bathing. These may sound like a lot of downsides, but dogs want to be totally involved in your life.
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