Who else is tired of seeing dog owners and cat owners argue which one is better 24/7? I sure am. We should all agree that dogs and cats are equally cute and nice, but we aren’t going to do that today. Today, we are going to forever end this ongoing debate that for some reason has been going on for decades. To start, let’s talk about them both. Note, we are comparing them in 3 categories;   

1. Which one is the most useful 

1. Which one is the easiest to have as a pet 

1. Cool points 

Starting with their history. 

History 

According to Boehringer Ingelheim, dogs started being domesticated by humans over 30,000 years ago. They started off as wolves that would give their scraps to humans after hunting. In return, humans would provide shelter and protection. And before we know it, over 1000s of years later, they became what we call dogs 

According to Alley Cat Allies, for cats, they became domesticated 10,000-12,000 years ago. In ancient Egypt, cats were “worshiped, mummified, and sometimes ever dressed in gold jewelry.” That was to indicate the status of their owners. Cats traveled with people around the globe. Scientists argued that cats domesticated themselves because they knew that they could get free food and shelter from humans. 

With all this being said, let’s see the points these animals gathered up in the first round. 

1. More useful. With this category, they were both useful (yes even the cats). The dogs helped hunt for humans and the cats made humans look richer. But this point goes to dogs. 

1. Easiest to have as a pet. This section doesn’t really determine which one was the easiest. So we’ll skip that. 

1. Cool points. Cats used to be worshiped? They domesticated themselves just for free food?! This one is going to the cats.

So far, CATS (1), DOGS (1).

Ownership

Starting with dogs. Lucky Dog Animal Rescue gives up 10 tips to know/remember to raise a dog. Starting with life balance. You must find time to spend time with your dog so that you can build your relationship with it. Secondly, Foster good self-esteem. Dogs have a self-esteem, so their owners need to allow them to work out their problems by themselves. But do not micromanage or help them too much. Third, you need to set limits. Your dog should have a clear and consistent set of rules. Fourth, differentiating management and relationships. Not every interaction has to be that of obedience. Fifth, responsibility. You’re responsible for positively training your dog. Sixth, giving space. Dogs need space to be a dog. Seventh, Do things better. You should learn how to play, fetch, throw, go on walks (in any type of weather), being agile, etc. Eighth, model your values. Let people know how they should approach your dog or if they should approach it at all. Ninth, have age-appropriate rules. It’s best to have strict rules at first, but then be more lenient and calmer with them as they grow and understand things more and more. And tenth, of course, love your dog. Not much explanation is needed there. 

For cats, it’s different to some extent. According to International Cat Care, you need to provide a litter box for the cat and empty it once a day, provide a stimulating and safe environment, groom it regularly (at least once a week), and other essentials. Cats can fit into easier, busier lifestyles than dogs, since they are pretty independent. They can be left alone, and they are more suitable for smaller flats and houses. If you want a relationship with a cat, it might be harder if you take home a shy/nervous one because they typically hide from you if you try to approach them. It depends on the breed you get. Besides that, cats do need care and attention. When you’re trying to approach a new cat that you just got, they might get scared or avoid you. A cat needs to know exactly what is going on in order to be relaxed. It might be stressful to be around a lot of people like kids or inviting new people to your house. Also, cats need to be vaccinated.  

Now, let’s count up some points. 

1. More useful. A cat’s or dog’s “use” isn’t really talked about in this section. So, we’ll skip that. 

1. Easier to have as a pet. Cats are more independent and can be left alone for a little while more than dogs. With dogs, you got to take them out every day, no matter what weather. Convenience wise, cats win this round. 

1. Cool points. In this round, it seems like cats are scared more easily than dogs. So, this time, this point goes to dogs.  

SCORE: CATS (2), DOGS, (2) 

Time for the last and final round. Who is going to break this tie? 

Dirty…Dogs?

This is very, VERY important. Let’s see who makes your house stink up less. 

Let’s start with dogs. According to Wiscoy Pet Food Company, no matter what dog breed you have, it will be a dirty, messy dog if you don’t properly take care of it. You should bathe or groom your dog regularly. Make sure you give your dogs a healthy diet. An unhealthy diet will lead to your dog having many different body odors. But, according to Pet Keen, dogs are not dirty animals. But dogs can carry bacteria and parasites that can be harmful to humans. So, it is important to wash your hands after handling a dog, especially before handling or eating food. As for stinkiness, yes, dogs can stink. According to AKG Pet Insurance, their stench can come from things like moisture between their toes, bad breath, or foul air after coming in from the rain.  

On the other hand, according to RSPCA Pet Insurance, cats are very clean animals. They are able to groom themselves with their rough tongue. However, cats do need to be regularly groomed. But according to Amerivet, despite their cleanliness, cats can still smell bad. Reason can vary from natural scent, bad breath, and digestive issues. Lastly, according to We Are All About Cats, odor can also be caused by skin irritation, wounds, allergies, or parasites. It can even be caused if the cat overly grooms itself. 

Final round…. 

1. More useful. None of these are of use so we’ll skip this. 

1. Easier to have as a pet. This is a tough one since their grooming processes are almost if not equally as hard. They both need to be regularly groomed, but thinking about the process of trying to clip a cat’s nails and trying to get them into water makes you think less about this decision. This is going to the dogs. 

1. Cool points. The fact that cats self-cleanse themselves is a pretty cool thing to think about. I think cats will win this category. 

SCORE: DOGS (3), CATS (3) 

So, what did we learn today? Dogs and cats are equally nice. There is no need to compare them.

…But not comparing them defeats the whole purpose of this article so we will have a tie-breaker bonus round.  

This last round will not have the categories I mentioned in the beginning, it will just be off cool points and strength.  

Cat Family VS Dog Family 

We’re not going to dig too deep into this since this is a bonus round, so we’ll pick the strongest animal in the dog family, and the strongest animal in the cat family. 

The strongest/largest animal in the dog family is a grey wolf. According to the Wolf Conservation Center, wolves can run up to 36-38 miles an hour. According to National Wildlife Foundation, a female wolf can weigh 60-100 pounds while a male wolf can weight 70-145 pounds. Lastly, according to International Wolf Center, their bite force can be up to 400 pounds. 

In the cat family, the strongest animal is a tiger. According to Sciencing, tigers can run 35-40 miles an hour. According to AZ Animal, tigers can weight 380-580 pounds. Their bite force can be up to 1,000 pounds.  

Now what you know right now, how fast do you think the tiger will terminate the wolf? Let us know. 

Tie breaker time (even though we know who won…). 

1. Cool points going to tiger (cat family). Just looks cooler and IS cooler. 

1. Strength. No competition, I think. Cats winning this one. 

FINAL SCORE: DOGS (3), CATS (5) 

Now you know, we should not compare them. But if we were to, cats are subjectively better than dogs!