So, you've decided you want to become a pet owner. If you're trying to decide between a dog or a cat, there are some differences that you should be aware of. Hopefully, this post will help you decide which pet will fit into your lifestyle best.
Dogs are naturally servants. A dog feels respect, even admiration, for his owner. Dogs are like a faithful friend that enjoy the camaraderie with their owner, and they'll go to great lengths to please and protect their masters. They can be trained to do all kinds of tricks and tasks, and will go about performing them with enthusiasm.
Cats? Well, not so much. Cats serve no one - willingly or unknowingly. Cats are instinctively hunters - and that is what they live for, the hunt. They teach themselves to hunt from a young age with no intervention from their owners. I have yet to know anyone that has trained a cat for some human benefit. Ever see a cat retrieve the daily newspaper from a porch? Exactly. Most cats won't even come when being called - unless she feels like it.
Dogs are incredibly reliant on their human masters. They actively seek out our companionship; they want to play and they need to be cared for. Dogs are naturally pack animals. They learn their place in the pack and enjoy their role in it.
Cats are pretty self-sufficient. You never really need to entertain your cat. She'll do it herself. That doesn't mean that they don't enjoy playful interaction, or that watching them isn't entertaining in and of itself. It's just that cats tend to keep pretty full schedules. In their world, they have lots of things to do. They don't need you to keep them occupied. Cats prefer independence, and this makes them in many ways, an easier pet to take care of.
Choosing between owning a dog or cat will depend a lot on your own personality. If you tend to be independent and you don't want to be tied down worrying about entertaining a pet or taking them "out", a cat is your best bet. If you like being in charge, a cat probably isn't your best choice, as she isn't going to stand for that. Looking for companionship and undying loyalty? A dog will provide you years of both. That's not to say that cats aren't affectionate and that they don't provide companionship - they certainly do. It's just that they have their own way of doing things, and will never really be dependent on you.
Regardless of what type of pet you choose, you'll be blessed with many years of love and companionship.
