Reflective Essay ~ Dogs Make Better Pets than Cats

Have you kept a dog or a cat before? Which makes a better pet? Different pet owners will definitely come up with different viewpoints, depending on the individual’s passion and personal experience with each particular of pet. From my point of view, I strongly feel that dogs definitely make better pets than cats and that is speaking from experience. Having been a pet owner of many years and having the experience of keeping both cats and dogs, I strongly believe that dogs, with their faithful and lovable nature, will definitely make better pets than cats which are on the other hand, very curious and more independent.

Cats are, by nature, lighter in weight and smaller in size than dogs. With their inquisitive disposition, cats tend to jump over fence and up high cupboards. It is also very difficult to control such behaviours because they are very nimble and cannot be easily caught. They are also very independent and do not like to be kept under constraint, so it is hard to cage them up as they will protest. The end result could either be a disaster created in your own house or worse still, become a nuisance in your neighbor’s house.

In the new house that I have recently shifted to, there is a four foot fence around my acre. My dogs are not able to jump over the fence, so the furnishing that I have done can be kept intact and save from any damages. However, my neighbor’s cats actually crawled under the house and jumped over the fence.

The damages they caused were beyond imagination, as the insulation was destroyed and there were many holes created in the acre. If only my neighbor had kept dogs like me, this would not have happened to my new house! As it is, I had to spend a great sum of money re-doing the affected area! This is definitely a great waste of resources and money. They will also not make a good bridge for cordial relationship between neighbors.

My dogs, Bojo and Lucky, are very obedient dogs which will do tricks and listen to commands. They will sleep on the floor in the house and not claw at the leather sofas. My neighbor’s cats, after entering the house, actually went into the living room and sharpened their claws on my brand-new leather sofa! They scratched at the sides of the sofa and tore out a huge piece of the new leather in the process! Dogs will never do that as they do not have the habit of sharpening their claws on furniture, so dogs will make better pets, especially if you intend to allow them in the house and you do not want your sofas to be destroyed within the day.

Besides being cuddly pets, dogs will also make good guardian angels. They will be very willing to stay outside the house to prevent any strangers from entering. My Bojo and Lucky are two very protective dogs which will chase away any trespassers, making us feel very safe at night. On the hand, cats will not be bothered to be protectors to their owners.

They are more concerned with knowing if their food is being prepared for them at each meal and after the meal, they would curl up for a good sleep. Should there be strangers in the house, cats would be the first to run and hide, whereas dogs will stay to protect their owners till their death. In fact, there had been instances of dogs rescuing their owners from house fires. Dogs will not be concerned with their own safety and will go all out to rescue their owners from the raging fires first, but cats will be the first to escape from the backdoor on their own!

 For those dog owners out there, you will fully agree with me that dogs are well aware of your moods. They make fantastic pets because they are very sensitive to your emotions and will try to cheer you up with their licks and loving eyes. When you talk to them, they will tilt their adorable heads and try to understand what you are trying to communicate with them. When you call out to them, they will come running to you with elation and jump happily on your lap, eager for your attention.

Cats, on the other hand, will not bother if you are happy or sad as they are more concerned with whether you remember where the can opener is! When you try to talk to them, they will walk away and when you call out to them, all that you will get is a look from their sleeping place if you are lucky! If not, they might not even stir from their sleeping position. Should you be persistent and try to wake them or carry them from their sleeping position, you will most likely get scratched by their sharp claws.

Dog owners will be very much welcomed home with a joyful bark and a thankful lick when you enter the house after a hard day’s work. It can be a very rewarding feeling to see your dogs welcoming you home and melting all your miseries. They will run up to you and shower you with licks the moment you enter the house, but for cats, they will either scratch you for leaving them in the first place or they might not even come anywhere near you. So, you should keep a dog if you want to feel that you are appreciated.

Dogs are very loyal and helpful pets to have in the house. They can be trained to bring you the newspaper and your slippers when you need them. They can go for walks or a jog with you when you wish to exercise. Try doing that to a cat! The best they can do is to bring you a dead rat in the morning and who needs a carcass as a morning gift?

Thus, in the many examples as I have shown above, dogs are definitely better pets than cats. They will make your life more fulfilling and brighten up every day of your life. Long live Bojo and Lucky!