PRO: Cats Are The Better Friend

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By Jasmine Bezotte, Reporter

Do you ever wish you had a furry friend and peace of mind at the same time? Well, look no further, for you can have a feline friend. Yes, owning a cat is way better than owning a dog. There are several pros and cons to owning a cat.

The first benefit to owning a cat is that cats are low maintenance. They are naturally born with the instinct to use the restroom in what resembles litter, meaning that if a person were to bring home a kitten, it would perform its business in the litterbox without training! With dogs, they have to be trained to go outside and communicate whether or not they have to potty. For a new owner, this would get pretty redundant and exhausting fast. There is no telling when a dog will have to use the restroom. It could be 12 a.m. when a dog has to be let outside!

Another benefit to owning a cat is that cats are solitary animals. That does not mean that a cat will not care about you, but it means that a cat will respect their owner’s space. With dogs, their system gets very hyper, causing them to jump all over people. With various sizes of dogs, this is certainly a downfall for those who own large ones. For example, a Great Pyrenees dog on average, weighs over 100 lbs. With that being said, no one would want that much weight to be put onto them at full force. 

Felines also manage pests such as flies and rats. The hunting instinct built into cats becomes a huge benefit when it comes to managing critters. Dogs just chase whatever that moves, and there’s no guarantee that what they catch will be beneficial. Dogs usually play with what they catch, but cats secure the kill. 

The last advantage of cat ownership is that cats require less grooming and upkeep. Cats do not need to be walked like dogs do. Felines also groom themselves, cleaning whatever dust or dirt is on them. Cats also do not build up strong odors like dogs do. There is no term for cat breath but there sure is one for dogs. 

Unfortunately there are cons to owning a cat, the first being that cats will put their claws on you at times. This could be out of the intention of playtime or irritation. Regardless, every person that has owned a cat, has been scratched at least once. 

Another disadvantage is that their litter box odors can spread around the house. This is not a pleasant experience and since dogs use the restroom outside, there are no fecal odors indoors. That means that the litter box must be cleaned daily.

Sadly, cats will claw at furniture. It doesn’t matter if you get them a scratching post. They will scratch at your couch. Their sharp claws damage furniture and that is not something that is easily fixed.

All in all, cats are the superior pets. They are low maintenance, respect your space and do not need to be litter trained. Not to mention, they are simply adorable.