Dog person or cat person?

[Darsithis]

As someone owned by shibas, I’m a dog guy

[RCA]

Dogs all the way. The below is great for animals lovers, as I watched like a week ago. It'd be cool to get a bigger one, but I think we all learned last year that anyone who gets big cats as pets, are fucking out of their mind.

[Witchblade77]

Yes, this nails it exactly. "Loyalty" given for the sake of it, to whoever happens to be there, is not loyalty. That's obedience to whoever they see as the "pack leader". Cats are VERY loyal, but you have to earn it, which is how it should be.

not true though. pack mentality just means they are social and like being part of a family. but they STILL chose the family they are loyal to. and they keep that loyalty through thick and thin. dogs aren't just loyal to whoever comes along anymore then cats are. they are often friendly to variety of people, especially if they see that those people are friendly with their family, but their loyalty is very much family specific.

even within the family, they often chose a favorite to who they are particularly loyal to above other family members. (in my case, our girl is very much my SO's dog. she loves me, but she loves him more. meanwhile, our new puppy is a mama's boy through and through. he loves my SO, but I'm his primary human. yes, you can tell. he also very definitely chose to be with us - its a long story, but lets just say we weren't supposed to be his permanent family)

[Stormspark]

I didn't say cats aren't territorial, I researched enough on the subject to know this. But they are very loyal creatures to those they bond with, and it sucks when the disingenuous talk about things like "those cats are just being territorial and not protective and loyal to their companions" with no self-awareness of their own ignorance of the subject. And almost every subject that came before this.

Yeah no kidding. I hate it when people push that narrative, it pisses me off, because it's not true. Someone who is an expert in cat behavior said the cat was definitely protecting the kid and not "territory". The cat didn't care one bit about territory, when the dog was out of the way she IMMEDIATELY went back to the kid. It's blatantly obvious.

[Lane]

Cats are my ideal animal companion, they're largely independent but can also be snuggle bugs. Dogs are just too much everything. I've had almost exclusively black and tuxedo males and they are the sweetest, most loving cats.

[Shadowferal]

I remember way back I was dozing off on the couch, I had two kittens in lap mock fighting... I slept for just a moment waking to the sound of purring in my ear. Momma cat curled into my shoulder, two kits sleeping on my lap, and their runt brother had his head on my arm.

...no one with a camera...alas.

[Sunseeker]

Prefer cats. Dogs are acceptable but I feel more energy needs to be spent training them, making them more like children, and too many dog owners don't put in that time and energy. Poorly raised animals I don't like any more than poorly raised people, but I at least feel bad for the animals since the problem is really that their owners were shit.

So really, it's people I can't stand.

[Dread Pirate Phayde]

I like both, though I'm probably more of a cat person, as I've never had a dog of my own. The last two dogs that my Mom had definitely endeared them a bit more to me, had to have her last one put down last March, and the house definitely feels empty without the 170lb baby.

[Tuor]

People who do not like dogs are terrible people.

I'm not a dog hater, except they make noise, and they poo everywhere... Does that make me a bad person? Cats don't do that, they only scratch...

EDIT:
I had a siamese cat, she did amazing stuff, like going up to the Roof, she always catched me whille i was in the balcony busy with my cigarret, i miss her so much.

EDIT2:

[Fahrenheit]

Definitely dogs. The few cats I’ve known in my life have been pretty much useless in their one job of companionship. They typically do a much better job of smelling up people’s basements, mud rooms, or bathrooms, or wherever they have the litter box.

[Seirith]

Definitely dogs. The few cats I’ve known in my life have been pretty much useless in their one job of companionship. They typically do a much better job of smelling up people’s basements, mud rooms, or bathrooms, or wherever they have the litter box.

All cats are different but all the cats I've ever had and I've had a lot are great companions. They have all either been lap cats or want to not be on your lap but near you. I have 2 adult cats right now who are laps cats and 1 almost 6 week old kitten I've bottle fed for 4 weeks who loves to play but when its nap time she comes and curls up on my lap.

[shadowmouse]

Definitely cats. I seem to be sensitive to the smell of many dogs, and the gotta go walk the dog thing doesn't work for me. I've known people with paper trained dogs, but ... no. Paper training (or even cleaning up behind the dog outside) strikes me as more nuisance than a litter box, especially the more modern ones.

I miss my cat, and I wish conditions would let me have another, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

[Ashleyxoxo]

Neither are cute.

[Stormspark]

Definitely cats. I seem to be sensitive to the smell of many dogs, and the gotta go walk the dog thing doesn't work for me. I've known people with paper trained dogs, but ... no. Paper training (or even cleaning up behind the dog outside) strikes me as more nuisance than a litter box, especially the more modern ones.

I miss my cat, and I wish conditions would let me have another, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards.

I know the feeling...I lost both of my best friends in 2020. One in January, one in October, both to the same thing (sudden, severe pancreatitis, even getting them to the vet right away nothing could be done). Still don't know what the cause was...infections, trauma, and toxins were all ruled out, and they had had full vet checkups and clean bills of health less than a month earlier. It wasn't food either, my roommate's cat is still with us, and he's older than the other two were (they had both just turned 14), and they were all eating the same food. I could get another cat...but I just don't think I'm ready, it would feel like I'm replacing them.

[Shadowferal]

[shadowmouse]

@Stormspark The calico looks a lot like my cat. Sad story.

In comparison, mine is happier. I got hit with an antibiotic resistant infection that hospitalized me for months. This time I got lucky and was able to get someone to at least keep food down for her, but she was not well taken care of and I'd been afraid I would have to ask someone to let her out to join the local community of outdoor cats. There are cat lovers who keep food out for them and sort of take care of them (big apartment complex). When I got out of the hospital, I made a push to find a new home for her, and she is now a factory cat in a community run by a cat lover. The owner is a friend of a friend and made sure to send pictures and videos as she settled in. As you said, yours were 14 years old. As much as I miss her, it would be irresponsible for me to let myself get another cat unless I could know that they would be taken care of if anything happened to me.

It may be too soon for you now, but may you have many more years of ears to rub and purrs.
@Winter Blossom Yep, still needing walks, probably a bit of barking, the oily coat problem, non retractable claws (available living spaces are apartments, with tile floors). Imma stick with cats.

[Orby]

doggos I love my silly little goof ball

[Gutler]

I love both cats and dogs but i prefer cats because i like to have a pet thats as lazy as me (also have 2 leopard geckos and a bearded dragon)

[Progenitor Aquarius]

Dogs of course. Cats are weird. Can’t really say what they want from you or if they like you at all.

[Zeth Hawkins]

Cats.

They have never attacked and killed anyone, as far as I could find.