The Cats: The Advantages of Owning Felines over Canines

There are many different kinds of pets that you can own today. There are pet rocks, exotic pet snakes and spiders, and the more traditional cats and dogs. The best pet that you can own is a cat. Cats are fairly easy to take care of; you do not have to spend ages training them or worry about your neighbors being attacked; and you do not have to walk them 5 or 6 times a day.

Cats have a bad reputation, especially when compared to dogs and other house pets. We have all heard of that crazy old woman who lives in the giant house and owns a thousand fur-balls, but who in fact, turns out to be a pleasant 40 year old widow, who has two feline companions, and stays in her husband's ancestral home as a way of keeping his memory alive. They say that the easiest way to tell that someone is lonely is if they are single and own a cat or two. Why else would you want a pet other than to keep you company and serve as a faithful friend, albeit one that cannot speak too well? Some people say that a dog is man's best friend.

They might not be wrong, but dogs are unarguably a lot of work and require significant amounts of care.

What are some of the benefits of cat ownership versus dog ownership? What are some of the benefits in taking care of a cat over a dog? What do you have to do to keep you cat groomed and taken care of? Both canines and felines have to be brushed to keep them from shedding everywhere. Both have to have their teeth brushed and their nails clipped. Both kinds of animal have to be washed and shampooed to keep them clean.

One of the advantages that cats have over dogs in this arena is their size. Felines are easy to wash; you can shampoo and rinse them in a large kitchen or bathroom sink or even in your bathtub. Dogs on the other hand, are far more difficult. There are small dog breeds, but as a whole they can be pretty big when compared to their feline counterparts. The only way to wash the majority of dog breeds is to put them in a bathtub or an outdoor (inflatable) pool. Another thing that you don't have to worry about with (most) cats is house-training them so that they don't attack or leap up on your visitors.

Unlike a dog, which if it is overly excited or angry or protective will leap upon your visitor, cats are pretty docile. Usually, if a feline doesn't like your visitor it will just disappear, and declawing further removes the risk of any clawing.

Cats also have one unbeatable trait over their canine counterparts: potty training. You don't want your pet (either feline or canine) to just let loose all over the house, and so you have to house train them.

To house train a cat all you have to do is teach them to use a litter box, which requires very little cleanup and only occasional maintenance. Dogs have to be house-trained to go outside, and this mean that you have to put them on a leash, take them on multiple walks per day, and pick up their excrement after them. Cats are perfect for the single businessman or Ðwoman, or anyone who just wants a great companion.

Unlike dogs and many other house pets, cats are easy to keep docile, keep cleaned, and keep relatively happy. All they really want at the end of the day is a nice, big bowl of milk and a good petting.