Depending on the person you are talking to, declaring yourself as a cat person can put an end to your friendship or get you served with divorce papers. Even though it is scientifically proven that both cats and dogs provide health benefits to their owners, the age-old battle between cat and dog lovers still rages.
Owning a pet of any kind is the most rewarding and wonderful experience, however, as in any battle, there is only one winner, and it is time that the whole world learns why cats are better than dogs.
Any cat owner can tell you that felines are wrongly portrayed as uncaring and aloof when they are in fact independent, smart, funny, and at times mischievous. While dogs are considered man’s best friend, recent studies have shown that cat owners scored higher on intelligence tests. This is only one among many other reasons why cats are better than dogs.
In this article, we will list 17 reasons why cats are better than dogs. Remembering a few of them may help you the next time you get into a heated argument with a hardcore dog person.
Here are the 17 Reasons Why Cats are Better Than Dogs
Even though cats were considered deities and worshipped as such in ancient civilizations, there is still a lot of things we don’t know about them.
Being a cat person, you certainly know that cats are caring and loyal furry bundles of joy, but unfortunately, most people perceive cats as self-serving and cold.
To change that perception and help you win your next debate with a dog person, we will list 17 reasons why cats are better than dogs.
1: Cats take up less space
The average cat weighs around 10 pounds, which isn’t much when compared to large dogs like the Great Dane, that can weigh up to 120 pounds.
True, not all dogs are that big, but let’s face it—most of them are bigger than the average cat. That means that dogs take up a lot of space physically, and additionally, you need space for a dog bed, toys, a yard for running and playing to keep a dog happy and healthy.
On the other hand, cats don’t need a lot of space to thrive, and you will only have to provide space for a litter box, food and water bowls, and a sleeping area to make a cat happy.
When it comes to cats, the size of the space fades in comparison to its functionality from a cat’s point of view. As long as a cat has her bare essentials—a few perches to climb and a quiet corner to nap—she will be content in a studio apartment.
- See Also: How Much Space Does a Cat Need
2: Cats don’t smell
Even the biggest of dog lovers can’t deny that all dogs smell; it is just a matter of time until they also start smelling like a wet dog.
Furthermore, the whole house, furniture, and carpets included, get engulfed in that distinctively doggy odor. And while some dog breeds don’t smell that bad, the fact is that they all smell worse than the filthiest of cats.
3: Cats won’t harass your guests
While some people find it adorable to be jumped on, licked, and ecstatically barked at when they enter a friend’s home, this isn’t your preferred way of having fun. In general, dogs are very friendly and will jump on a chance to leave hairs, paw prints, and a bit of drool, on top of performing an occasional hump on a leg when guests arrive.
While it can be flattering to be worshipped and at the center of attention for a little while, getting a 100-pound dog on your leg can be more than tricky.
Cats, on the other hand, don’t feel the need to let their presence be known and will let you and your guest catch up in peace.
Most cats hide when they realize that guests are coming or they position themselves on higher surfaces to have an undisturbed view of their surroundings. Cats can be a bit standoffish at times, but that is still better than paying for a friend’s dry cleaning bill because a dog peed on him from excitement.
4: Cats are independent
In some ways, dogs are like four-legged toddlers—you can’t leave them alone for prolonged periods of time. A dog needs to go out a few times a day to do his business, and in some cases, people use their lunch breaks to take their dogs out for a quick walk.
Moreover, some dogs get easily bored when they are home alone, and owners end up coming back from work to find their furniture completely destroyed.
As far as most cats are concerned, they are content spending their time napping and eating as they please. Cats are more independent than dogs, and while they rely on their owners to provide food and shelter, they don’t need someone to entertain them all day round.
5: Cats are less expensive to keep
Cat and dog ownership comes with certain expenses; it’s worth it because there isn’t enough money in the world that will make you feel the way your companion pet makes you feel.
Still, it is always better to consider the cost of owning either a cat or a dog in order to ensure that you will be able to provide for them accordingly. In most cases, adopting or buying a dog costs more than adopting or buying a cat.
Generally, dogs are larger than cats, and they need more food to function properly. Hence dog owners spend more money than cat owners. Additional costs like vaccinations, emergency vet bills, toys, leashes, collars, houses, and fences make dogs expensive pets to keep compared to cats.
While cats also need vaccinations, toys, and vet check-ups, their size and ability to preserve toys for longer make them a cheaper choice.
6: Cats are quiet
It seems that dogs spend a lot of their waking hours barking at everyone and everything. While it is great to be alerted when someone is approaching your abode, constant barking can become really annoying pretty fast. Moreover, the neighbors may not take a dog’s constant high pitched bark lightly, and you may end up with a noise complaint.
On the other hand, cats aren’t physically capable of producing high pitched barks, and howls like dogs are. A cat will use a low pitched meow to solicit food or to indicate to you that she is ready for a play session.
Cats may feel restless and chatty from time to time, but she most certainly won’t wake up the entire block with her meows like a dog would with never-ending woofs.
7: No need for potty training
Getting a new puppy is bound to bring a lot of sleepless nights, midnight walks, and pee cleaning. Those initial weeks make it seem like there is a new baby in the house and most owners are constantly sleep deprived. While it takes some time to teach a dog to do his business outside in the normal hours of the day, it takes close to nothing to teach a cat to use a litter box.
In most cases, it is enough to show a weaned kitten the litter box once, and she will start using it whenever she feels like it. Kittens and cats that are allowed to go outside will use the neighbor’s yard more than the litter box, and that’s perfectly fine if your cat remains unseen.
Make sure that you have one litter box per cat and one extra. Keep them clean at all times.
- See Also: DIY Cat Litter Box
8: Cats don’t need walks
When a dog needs to go, he needs to go. It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing, raining, or the meteor is coming this way—a dog owner always has to take his dog out. Taking a dog out is a great way to get some exercise, but let’s be honest, this is probably one of the most demanding aspects of being a dog owner.
On the other hand, cat owners don’t need to obsess about weather conditions or the time it will take for their cat to find a nice spot. A cat will simply use her litter box and come right back for more cuddles like nothing happened.
Although some people like training and taking their cats on walks on a leash, there isn’t really any need for this type of activity.
- See Also: How to Teach a Cat to Walk on a Leash
9: Cats are always clean
Personal hygiene isn’t on top of any dog’s list of priorities. An average dog spends the better part of his life smelling and being dirty. Most dogs never miss the opportunity to walk through puddles, or roll in mud, grass, garbage, or near a dead animal. A dog owner needs to bathe their dog two times a month, and no matter how hard they try, the dog ends up dirty again one way or the other.
Cats, on the other hand, are one of the cleanest animals, and they spend almost one-third of their time grooming themselves. A cat will clean her face after every meal and lick her fur to perfection for hours on end, and then lick it some more for good measure. And while most cats shed and will need to be brushed from time to time, they almost never require a bath to look their best.
10: Cats live longer
Sharing a life with a pet is amazing, and people want a companion who is there to stay and is able to share their life for years to come. The average lifespan of dogs is 11 years. However, this number can vary quite a bit since the size of a dog is a big factor in his life expectancy.
Cats on average live from 14-16 years, which makes them a great choice for everyone who is willing to commit the better part of their life to one animal.
11: Cats have good manners
A recent study conducted at the Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology shows why dogs are such sloppy drinkers and cats leave the bowl without spilling one drop.
Cats only use a force up to two times that of gravity compared to a dog’s eight when dipping their tongues to cleanly put a sufficient amount of water in their mouths to drink.
12: Owning a cat reduces the risks of a heart attack
It is scientifically proven that both cats and dogs have benefits for human health and significantly reduce stress in their owners. However, in a recent study done at the University of Minnesota, it was determined that owning a cat or a dog lowers the blood pressure in people who suffer from hypertension.
Cat owners are 40% less likely to die of a heart attack than people who have never owned cats.
13: Cats are happy to be indoors only
It is almost impossible to imagine a dog living indoors only since every pooch needs space to be active and exercise every day. Some breeds can adapt well to apartment living. However, regular walks and the occasional run are necessary for a dog’s well-being.
On the other hand, it seems that an indoor-only lifestyle suits cats since it prolongs their lifespan and offers far better living conditions. A cat is perfectly content and safe spending her days perched near a window observing birds, insects, and other small animals.
- See Also: Indoor Cat Lifespan
14: Cats are better exterminators
Their keen sense of smell and sight make cats natural born killing machines. Even the domestication couldn’t do anything to diminish that killer instinct and a cat’s knowledge to stalk, pounce, and hunt prey.
A cat will keep your house clean of any type of insects like bugs, cockroaches, spiders, and even nasty rodents like mice. Once all those nasty pests figure out that the cat is in the house, they will no longer feel the need to come near it.
15: Cats respect personal space
It comes naturally to many owners to include their pets in all aspects of their lives, and that includes the bed as well. Dogs have the amazing affinity to take up an enormous amount of space and leave their owners struggling to balance on the edge of the bed. No matter how big or small, once in bed, all dogs stretch to unimaginable lengths and assume custody of the whole bed.
Cats are completely different in this regard. They value their personal space and are willing to offer the same courtesy to their owners. A cat will curl into a little ball and lie peacefully near you without disrupting your rest or kick you out of bed.
16: Cats bring gifts to their owners
When a cat truly loves and appreciates her owner, she starts bringing them gifts. In terms of the gifts, you may receive a dead bird or a half-eaten mice. This may seem disgusting and bizarre. However, this is a cat’s way of showing how much she cares and loves you. Cats that aren’t allowed outside will bring their toys as gifts to the owner.
Dogs aren’t known for bringing gifts to their owners, since bringing you a frisbee so you can throw it doesn’t really count.
- See Also: Why Do Cats Bring Home Dead Animals
17: Owning a cat makes you smarter
Researchers from Carrol University in Wisconsin conducted a study to see the personality differences between dog persons and cat persons. They discovered that cat persons had higher scores on intelligence tests compared to dog persons. However, this is only true if you are a self-proclaimed cat person, and getting a new kitty right now won’t have any impact on your intelligence scores if you aren’t.
Furthermore, this research also showed that cat persons are less outgoing and more open-minded than dog persons.
Wrap Up
From the beginning of time, dog and cat lovers all around the world have debated who is the better pet—a dog or a cat. For a long time, it seemed that dogs have a slight advantage, but recent studies about cats and their behavior have helped people understand and appreciate them more.
Besides being cute, fluffy, and able to purr, cats are also cleaner, odorless, excellent hunters, and bring gifts among other things, which is why cats are better than dogs. Try to keep some of these reasons memorized so the next time you can tell that dog lover why cats are the best.
Do you think cats are better than dogs? Tell us and our readers why are cats superior pets in the comment section below. For more information on this topic, check out our article on why cats are the best.
