Dog vs Cat: Choosing the Perfect Pet for Your Lifestyle
Introduction
The best pet, dog, or cat? This is an endless debate. All pets are precious and family members, be it a dog cat or any other animal that can be kept as a pet. Whichever pet you prefer, is more a matter of your choice, lifestyle and necessity. Whichever pet you prefer, that pet is the best.
Dogs make good companions for you if you prefer outdoor activities like taking the dog for a walk/trot a couple or more times a day or playing fetch objects with it or taking it to play with other dogs. The cat is ideal for you if you want a pet that does not require too much outdoor activity.
Both pets have individual characteristics and it is difficult to call one of them the best pet.
Dog and cat: common factors
Let us see the common factors between dogs and cats.
- Love & care: Both dogs and cats require the utmost love and care from us.
- Medication: Both dogs and cats require the necessary medical attention like periodic injections and treatments as may be required for their health.
- Food: Both dogs and cats require their specific dog food or cat food, as may be prescribed by their vet. Some may have digestion or other health issues and therefore need to be fed prescribed food.
- Grooming: Both dogs and cats are required to be taken for grooming to the groomers periodically.
- Expensive: Both dogs and cats have expensive upkeep, be it medical treatment, Vet fees, food, toys, accessories etc.
Factors determining getting a dog
- Time: Keeping a dog is a full-time job that lasts lifelong. From a puppy to a full-grown adult, your dog requires your time. Take time to sit with it, talk with it, and play with it, as it requires your attention, most of the time, and it is not suited for solitary life. It requires love, care and pampering and be sure it will return tenfold of the love that you feel for it.
- Space: If you have a big apartment or house with a small garden, it is ideal for a dog. The dog will have space to move around and play rather than being cooped up in a corner of a small one-room apartment. Dogs need space as it is freedom for them.
- Outdoors: Dogs need to be taken for their constitutional twice to thrice a day. If you don’t take them, then they will soil your house and you will spend the better time of the day cleaning it!
- Activity: Dogs enjoy running in the open. Take the dog to a pet-friendly park and watch him enjoy running around, chasing butterflies, playing with other dogs, and rolling on the ground. It will make you smile.
- Neutering: Dogs need to be neutered/spayed when they are puppies so that they do not reproduce. This is done for the safety of the dogs, as there are breeders who ill-treat dogs and breed them to be sold for money.
- Training: Dogs need to be trained to obey your commands like no, sit, stand, down, fetch and even potty training. Some dogs are trained to use the bathroom so as not to spoil your house. There are certified trainers who train the dog not to bark or bite without provocation. Some dogs are aggressive and therefore require proper training to reduce their aggressiveness.
- Vet: Dogs require periodic checkups to control fleas, ticks, worms etc. and to be given anti rabies injections, vaccinations, etc. The pet parents are also required to take injections to protect them from their pets when they are teething or if the dogs suddenly injure them. More like preventive measures in advance.
- Dependent: Dogs are not very good at being left alone for longer durations. They tend to get anxious and may chew apart your socks or slippers or anything else within reach like mobile chargers, sofas, etc. Leave your dog with a friend if you have longer working hours and if you live alone.
- Dog spas: The new trend is dog spas where they groom your dog from head to toe.
- Expensive: Keeping a dog is expensive (dog food, medicines, vaccines, training charges, Vet charges, grooming charges, grooming tools like soap/shampoo/perfume, pet accessories like leash, muzzle, belt, training stick etc.) and therefore you should be reasonably well off to keep it as a pet.
Factors determining getting a dog
Let us see the factors that determine if a cat is the one for you.
- Time: Cats are more independent than dogs and can be left alone to do their thing. They have a short attention span as compared to dogs. They will happily play with you for a while but later, move away and jump on the table/sofa and sleep.
- Space: A cat can live comfortably in an apartment as it does not need lots of space. It is content sitting or sleeping on its bed or around the house.
- Clean: Cats are cleaner as they keep licking themselves clean.
- Litterbox: Cats require a litter box for their constitutional and are not required to be taken for walks/trots to “do their business”. Once they are taught, they use the litterbox.
- Activity: Cats like playing but not the entire time. There are toys of various kinds that they can play with.
- Neutering: Male cats are castrated and female cats are spayed to prevent reproduction as well as protect them from illnesses.
- Cat behaviourists: Cat behaviourists are trained professionals who can help fix any issues your cat may be facing.
- Vets: Cats require periodic visits to the vet to control fleas, ticks, worms etc. and regular health checkups.
- Independent: Cats are somewhat independent and can be left alone for short durations. A friend or neighbour can check up on them if you have longer working hours and if you live alone.
- Grooming/spa: Cats require some grooming from professional groomers too – to clip nails, trim their coat or a good shampoo and bath. A visit to the cat spa can do wonders for their coat making it shiny and healthy.
- Expensive: Keeping a cat is expensive (cat food, medicines, vaccines, Vet charges, grooming charges, grooming tools like soap/shampoo/perfume, pet accessories like collar, training stick, toys etc.) and therefore you should be reasonably well off to keep it as a pet.
A cat is not for the faint-hearted – it may suddenly leap on the top of your table your lap or the refrigerator thereby startling you!
Your circumstances are all that matter for you to decide whether to keep a dog or cat. Both these animals are ideal companions. Both of them deserve your love and care. Both of them can sense your emotions. If you are ready for a lifetime commitment, then you can keep a pet, as per your choice.
