cats vs. dogs

i've been a self proclaimed cat person my whole life and although I've grown up with a ton of pets (dogs, cats, birds etc) I have recently entered dog ownership.

dogs are like people only incredibly single minded. they require companionship and love, exercise, food and entertainment. they are jealous, occasionally destructive and needy. they become a part of the family, which may be due to the amount of room they take up...and how frequently they're in your face.

cats are like people too, only they are waaay more vindictive. they also require love and food but could give a shit about human companionship (unless you only have 1) and entertainment is mostly a perk. they're happy to sleep all day and dine on the hour.  but, here's where they get you.

while a dog will literally walk on your heels until you shout in frustration, a cat will stack the affection deck in their favor by admiring you from a far. looking all picturesque the human will smile when they see kitty laying on the bed spread and look at doggie and ask "won't you just lay down for a while?". you may be wondering why i think this is so sneaky on the cat's part. well, just when you've decided to claim you 'cat person' title after cleaning up a chewed shoe or broken glass, knocked off the table by doggie's tail, you find a pile of shit on the floor directly outside the clean litter box or a pile of vomit just barely touching your laptop bag. if that water isn't fresh or the bottom of the food bowl can be seen through the last few food morsels kitty strikes back, whereas doggie's messes are just because he wants to play or can't wait to see you home from work.

as my sister pointed out just yesterday, having a dog is a little like being broken into everyday. you come home to see what kind of damage has been done and hope it's nothing too valuable. but having a cat is like having Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as a permanent house guest. dog's accept their punishment and attempt to correct their behavior, if for no other reason than to make sure they get that extra pat on the head, but a cat doesn't care about discipline and makes the choice to continue down the path of naughtiness.

i don't know, i guess all animals are pretty cool. but at the end of the day i still look for my kitty to snuggle me in bed...while i await doggie's dawn wake up call to go outside and pee.