Who is better - a cat or a dog? Many people ask themselves this question. It happens that they want a dog, but take a cat because it’s easier. And it happens that someone in the family wants a cat, but buys a dog, because... children dream about her. Sometimes it is very difficult to decide. Our comparison of cats and dogs is long, but if you are really interested in this topic, read to the end. We will look at all the most important points that will help you make the right decision.
How to make the right choice
A comparative table of the characteristics of these animals will help you understand who is better, a dog or a cat.
| Sign | Dogs | Cats |
| the washing up | Hygiene procedures are necessary after each walk, in particular, washing the paws. | Cats are clean. You can do without washing. Almost all breeds do not require special care. The exception is Exotics, Persians, hairless cats, but they do not require daily bathing either. |
| Wool | All varieties, except hairless ones, require regular combing. Many breeds are also groomable. | Long-haired cats need to be brushed three times a week. During shedding, it is recommended to do this twice a day. Only long-haired varieties require regular brushing; some short-haired breeds require regular brushing only during shedding. Hairless cats - this procedure is not necessary. |
| Toilet | From an early age it is necessary to accustom them to walking for the toilet or to a diaper for small breeds. | You can learn to go to the tray or toilet in a few days. They require litter box training from 2-3 months. |
| Training | They require training, are quite easy to train, there are special cynological schools. | It is not customary to train cats, although many breeds quickly remember the simplest commands. There are no specialists for training. |
| Physical exercise | Throughout life, repeated daily walks and sufficient physical activity are required. | Does not require walking. A sedentary lifestyle is most often compensated by special nutrition. |
| Attitude towards children | Many breeds require special training to educate and correct correct behavior in human society. | They only need affectionate and friendly treatment throughout their lives. Cases of aggression towards humans are very rare. |
Price issue
Expenses for the animal start from the first day of acquaintance, this includes:
- The cost of the pet itself. The price depends on the breed and whether the animal will participate in exhibitions or in breeding.
- Cost of food. The higher the quality of the feed, the more expensive it is.
- The portioned food intake increases in direct proportion to the growth of the animal. For example, a Rottweiler eats 10 times more food than a Murka.
And if the cat is large - chausie, then it should be fed only with poultry: quail or turkey, where the daily norm is 1.5 kg.
- Clothing for walking in the cold season;
- Carrying;
- Stand with feeding bowls;
- Walking harness + leash;
- Bed;
- scratching post;
- Automatic drinker;
- Toilet tray;
- Absorbent or clumping litter
- Furminator, brushes for combing wool;
- Toys, rustling tunnels.
- Animal skin care products;
- Vaccinations and veterinary drugs;
- Veterinarian services.
And this list can only be replenished as necessary. For some people, such a list can be a big minus, for others it can be a plus. It's all about personal financial capabilities.
Advantages and disadvantages of dogs
Man's best friend is not called that for nothing. Probably no other creature can compare with his willingness to cooperate with him. Over the years of living together with the owner, the dog is able to become a member of the family.
There are many dog breeds in the world. We offer a top of 6 friendly and sociable representatives for novice owners:
- Golden Retriever - with a balanced character, active and friendly to people, often used as a guide or rescue dog.
- Collie, a Scottish Sheepdog, is smart, with luxurious fur, and is rightly called a nanny.
- The Labrador Retriever is active, cheerful, easy to train, and gets along well with children.
- The Border Collie is one of the smartest breeds in the world and is rapidly gaining popularity today.
- The Jack Russell Terrier is active and cheerful, loves children.
- The German Shepherd is a breed popular all over the world, used for everything except hunting.
Problems of mutual existence of a person and a dog
The owner of a small puppy should walk him 4 times a day. Regardless of your mood or well-being. It is necessary to keep the baby busy by offering special toys. Otherwise, he will have fun on his own. For example, chewing on shoes. And you can't blame him for that.
It is worth considering seasonal molting twice a year, in spring and autumn. Because of this, representatives of short-haired and smooth-haired breeds are better suited for keeping in a city apartment.
During the period of sexual desire, the animal becomes less sane. You will have to take this philosophically or sterilize your pet.
Large and strong dogs definitely need to be trained. In addition, keeping them in an apartment is quite problematic due to the large size of pets.
We recommend reading the article about how to make friends with a cat and a dog at different ages.
Cleanliness
Dogs on a walk are active and for them, even a puddle or mud is just fun. After playing in the company of a dog, the pet must be bathed from head to paws. Or buy protective clothing for walks, although your paws still get dirty.
If you don’t wash the dog, then all the street dirt and sand will spread across the apartment floor, sofas, and bed. And you need to walk your dog at least twice a day. And wash your paws and brush your fur the same number of times.
It is in the issue of toilet and daily walking of dogs that the biggest disadvantage of keeping lies. Imagine: day, night, bad weather, and you have to take your friend outside.
It is necessary, it is necessary, otherwise there will be an unpleasant embarrassment in the apartment.
And the little murochki are neat. We walked around, ate, and before going to bed, we licked and washed ourselves. Because they don’t like foreign smells on their fur coat and paws. For big and small things, the cats go to the litter tray. The owner only needs to keep the pot clean. Otherwise, picky beauties can go and shit in the corners.
Advantages and disadvantages of cats
Cats have lived alongside humans since ancient times. They are still popular today because, in addition to fighting rodents, they can do a lot. For example, purring magically, calming and putting the owner in a positive mood. In modern apartments there are not always mice, but a good mood is still relevant.
Cleanliness is a distinctive feature of cats and one of the reasons why many people prefer them.
Problems of mutual existence of a person and a cat
A cat owner will definitely be faced with the question of what to do with a pet that has felt the call of nature. Even a balanced person will not be able to simply ignore his sexual desire while in the same house. The solution is sterilization.
They like to keep their claws in order. To prevent furniture from suffering, you can purchase a special scratching post. They are smart and easily learn rules of behavior. Therefore, other problems are usually resolved amicably.
Place of residence
An animal is a family member, a friend. You also need to find a place or corner for it in the house where it will sleep. You can, of course, have your pet sleep on the bed with its owner. But if the Saint Bernard weighs 60 kg, and is more than a meter long. Inconvenient and unhygienic.
Families with small living spaces should consider this issue before purchasing a large breed puppy.
From a scientific point of view
Science has proven that cats have better vision. And the sense of smell is a dog’s trump card. Both have excellent hearing. Much better than a human.
There are 12 laboratories around the world studying the intelligence and physiology of dogs. Nobody deals with cats to such an extent. Therefore, they remain mysterious creatures.
The life expectancy of both animals is the same. Unfortunately, only 12-17 years old. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s Murka or Sharik, loss is always difficult.
New Scientist magazine tried to find out who has more advantages in keeping a dog at home - a dog or a cat - from the point of view of scientists involved in the study of animal behavior - behaviorists and animal psychologists.
| Parameter | Cat | Dog |
| Brain volume and number of neurons. | 25 g/760,000,000 | 64 g/2 253 000 000 |
| Both in terms of brain weight and the number of neurons, dogs are far ahead. Plus in favor of the dog. | ||
| Who was domesticated first? | 9.5 thousand years ago. | 16 thousand years ago. |
| Although these numbers vary greatly among many sources, dogs are undeniably domesticated earlier. Plus in favor of the dog. | ||
| Attachment to a person | Selects place of residence or relatives. | The person always comes first. |
| Dogs also win on this point, although the criteria for assessing this parameter are not entirely clear, and there is no data on the statistics of experiments. 3:0 in favor of the dog. | ||
| Popularity (number of individuals in families) | 204 million | 173 million |
| The assessment was made based on the total number of individuals living with humans in the countries of the European Union. The score is 3:1 in favor of the dogs. | ||
| Intelligence (number of commands learned) | No more than 20 | About 200 |
| Although an important factor in assessing this parameter was the desire of the pets to perceive and carry out commands. The cat simply does not have such a need. We give a point to the dogs. The score is 4:1. | ||
| Selection of an algorithm for solving assigned problems, ability to make decisions | Do not know how. | They can do it with a stretch. |
| Scientists gave primacy to dogs only on the basis that they serve as guides for the blind and, therefore, are able to make decisions. All the experiments proposed by animal psychologists (eating pieces of food in the right order, opening doors one at a time) failed miserably - neither the dogs nor the cats completed the task. Dogs get another plus. The score is 5:1. | ||
| Sounds made | Meow. Feature: purring. | Barking. |
| All pets are divided into “silent” and “talkative”; some simply bark, while others meow. But cats became the winners in this round because of their purring, so beloved by all people. Cats get a well-deserved plus. The score is 5:2. | ||
| Education, training | There is no exact data. | Training abilities. |
| Of course the dogs win. But there are simply no schools for cats, not counting the Kuklachev Theater, the only one in the world. Nobody really tried to train them. Dogs practically tear out their plus point with their teeth. The score is 6:2. | ||
Sense organs:
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| Despite the fact that the dog’s senses have been used by humans for many centuries and have been actively developing, cats are the leaders here, they see better in the dark and have perfect hearing. Plus cats. The score is 6:3. | ||
| Ecological impact: average land area required per individual | 0.15 ha | 0.82 ha |
| Both pets are hunters, exterminating certain types of zoomass for many centuries. But the assessment of the degree of land contamination with biowaste was considered by scientists to be more important. Cats get their well-deserved plus. The score is 6:4 in favor of the dogs. | ||
| Benefits for humans | They destroy rodents. | Hunting, security, police work, guides and guides for blind people, etc. |
| According to this parameter, dogs win, but the power of influence of love for a pet on a person was clearly not assessed here. The dogs turned out to be more useful, for which they receive their final plus. The score is 7:4. | ||
| As a result, dogs scored 7 points, and cats – 4. It turns out that according to certain criteria, it is better for a person to choose a dog as a pet. | ||
According to scientists, dogs are better than cats, although it is difficult to agree with such biased criteria, due to the obvious controversy of their assessment. In addition, dogs are more difficult to keep than cats, at least from the point of view of the need for daily walking.
Rather, a global survey of the owners of these pets living in all corners of the planet would help here. But there are no such statistics.
Walking on their own
Dog: “We love each other - we are best friends - we like to walk together so much - play with me.”
Cat: “Go away. Come back. I like you. Let me go. Give me something tasty. Leave".
Every joke has some humor in it. Everything else is based on real events and is even scientifically explainable. Dogs are members of a pack and see their owner as parent, friend and leader all rolled into one. Cats, by nature, are solitary animals, but this does not prevent them from expecting tasty food and a fresh tray from their owner.
Fun jogging and swimming with a dog - or the comfort of home and taming an obstinate cat? The choice is yours!
Mr. Cat recommends: who is smarter - a dog or a cat?
You can argue about who is smarter. But only with a specific task in mind. And although both are predators, their hunting methods are different.
Representatives of the canine family prefer to starve out their prey, attacking it after a grueling chase. This method developed their ability to cooperate and social intelligence.
Domestic cats prefer to hunt alone, attacking from ambush, investing their energy in an accurate and swift throw. To succeed here you need to have excellent control of your body. It is impossible to do without developed sensorimotor intelligence.
Scientist neuroscientist Alexey Piskunov believes that cats cope with the tasks assigned in the laboratory no worse than dogs. But they are more difficult to motivate. Moreover, the number of neurons in a cat’s brain is almost twice that of a dog.
In a dispute about who is smarter, cats or dogs, each side will find more and more new arguments. The question relates rather to the psychology of a particular person.
Four-legged healers
Depression, energy deficiency, cardiovascular problems - these are the ailments for which pet fluffies are treated.
The affectionate purring of the cat, the warm soft tongue of the dog, the cheerfully wagging tail - these are living, fluffy pills for stress, tension and daytime fatigue. There is no overdose from taking such a medicine, only vitality increases.
Education
- This is a serious issue that receives a lot of attention. Dogs are highly trainable, they master even the most complex acrobatic tricks, go to exhibitions and receive prizes for obedience. For a reward the little animal will do anything, just give him a piece of cheese or another delicacy.
- As for the furry representatives of the cat family, however, it is difficult with them. They are very wayward, proud, and disobedient. It is almost impossible to train a cat. All she requires from a person is food, shelter and water. Therefore, it is not possible to force an animal to stick.
- Dogs sense their owner's mood. They intuitively understand from above what they want from them. From the opposite side, and the owner will understand what the dog needs at the moment. If we consider a cat as a family pet, then such an animal is difficult to understand. Even if it stops purring, it will not always be possible to find out what exactly is small: illiterate like that.
- To sum up this point, we can conclude that without the skills of a psychologist with cats, it is more difficult to find a common tinkling sound. Now about the negative side. If the dog does not obey the training, it will not be a problem. Especially if the chick is large and is classified as a fighting dog.
Hunting methods
Basically, the behavior of a wolf is clearly manifested during a hunt, and hunting behavior is built on the basis of innate traits such as: catching up with kill prey, hiding when an animal approaches, etc. Even in the games of wolf cubs, some rudiments of the method of obtaining prey are revealed, and the wolf cubs play together Therefore, the principle of group hunting works. The wolf is a master at finding a habitat and ways to feed himself.
The cheetah is a predatory mammal of the cat family, the fastest land creature. Unlike wolves, cheetahs prefer a solitary lifestyle. Like the wolf, the cheetah is a predator. Its hunting is characterized by sneaking up unnoticed, and then quickly jumping after prey at great speed.
Message
- A person does not have a pet as an attribute and a soulless creature. In the future, someone plans to communicate with him, play and show his love. Dogs are capable of reciprocal feelings, cats, in turn, do this as soon as they want. Some individuals never sit on top of the owner’s hand, do not allow themselves to be stroked or show lily.
- Dogs can feel the owner, while cats in most cases think only about themselves. The first ones are able to wait for the owner from work simply because they are bored. The second ones meow and ask for food, then move away until the next signal from the stomach.
- All this must be taken into account if you are planning to associate your Maslenitsa with a four-legged pet. Only some cat representatives are capable of showing sincere feelings. Most of them close themselves off from communication, which in itself is unacceptable. Because a person simply cannot approach a cat.
Decency
When living in an apartment, it is important to choose a pet that will quickly get used to the tray. Cats are not overly pliable in this regard.
They do not always empty themselves in the proper places, especially if the habitat is unfamiliar. When the dog grows up, the owner has to teach him to relieve himself outside the house, in which case he has to go to the toilet outside. If the animal understands this, it will not leave a puddle on the parquet, stop patiently waiting for your time to go for a walk. Cats, in their own way, can pee on the bed or sofa from the purzhit. They are willful and emotional. Dogs almost never deliberately leave marks in the apartment. Again, this cannot be said about cats. In order to prove something, they are capable of doing a lot. Usually the feces are kept in plain sight to convey to the owner who is in charge or to drive out an intruder.
Expenses
The volume of upcoming expenses must be taken into account when choosing a pet. A dog typically costs more than a cat when you factor in the costs of food, toys, training classes, day care, and veterinary bills. Because cats are more independent by nature, they are adept at taking care of themselves and tend to rely on their owner only for food. Even stimulation of play can be simple and economical: for example, a flashlight or a feather on a stick will be enough.
Maintenance cost
- Some people believe that keeping a cat in the house is much less expensive, unlike a dog. In fact, this is a misconception. The point is that, despite the cat’s lower food consumption, a high-quality product is more expensive than for dogs. Even if you prefer food of one brand.
- However, it all depends on the size of the dog. Some breeds eat no more than cats. Accordingly, keeping a dog is more profitable. Apart from this, do not forget that you will additionally need to spend money on a leash and collar. In addition, in cold weather, your four-legged friend will have to choose warm clothes.
- From time to time, dogs also need a haircut, so in general we can say that keeping them is more expensive. As for cats, in addition to high-quality food, it is worth taking care of the filler. It must be selected wisely based on the characteristics of the breed. Therefore, this also has its own subtleties.
Hunting methods
The cheetah is the fastest land creature. When hunting, the cheetah focuses on its speed, and, having caught up with the prey, pounces on it, thereby knocking it down. But first, the cheetah must sneak up on the prey unnoticed, and only then jump out of the ambush and run after it.
Both the wolf and the cheetah are predators, but the wolf, unlike the cheetah, is a pack animal.
Territorial behavior is also different. Wolves live in a limited territory, but the cheetah does not limit its territory, because it moves from one place to another due to changing environmental conditions. The wolf marks its territory, unlike the cheetah, which results in a highly developed sense of ownership.
Wolf and cheetah are predators. For a wolf, any living object is an object of pursuit, including fish, and for a cheetah, only herbivores and birds are the object of pursuit. The wolf and the cheetah cannot avoid competition in their environment. So the wolf competes with the arctic fox for prey (As Mowat writes, they mainly compete for mice - voles). The cheetah also competes with hyenas and lions for prey. A wolf can also establish friendly contact with an arctic fox, and a cheetah with some kind of bird. Joy Adamson writes: “Pippa soon met a pair of plovers and a secretary bird who teased her shamelessly. The stately, long-legged secretary stood completely still and maliciously watched Pippa, who was rushing towards him; at the last moment he quickly took off, dived at her from the air, and all her attempts to get him were in vain.”
The wolf, unlike the cheetah, is a pack animal. The pack has a strict hierarchy. It is a system with complex relationships, each member of which is tied to each other. The cheetah is a solitary animal and needs a partner only during the mating season.
Wolves primarily hunt in packs, focusing on numbers. The main task when hunting is to catch up and kill prey, or simply surround and tear it to pieces. When hunting, the cheetah focuses on speed, overtaking the prey in a short sprint, and then killing it. Before starting to sprint, the cheetah must quietly sneak up to the prey at a distance of at least 10 - 20 m.
