| | New Pet SoonI'm probably going to lose my cat in the next 12 months to a kidney diease, and when that happens I will want to replace her with another pet. Because I know it's going to happen, I'm starting to think about it now. The trouble is that I'm not sure what to get.
I've had dogs: Karma (the most beautiful Norwegian Elk Hound), Elisa (a Dalmatian), and Dale (an English Springer Spaniel). I've also had cats: Tara, Bushwack, Tasha, Sandy (domestic short hairs) and Prudence (kin to a long haired Angora). I've even had them at the same time. And I loved them all.
Now I'm sort of lost as to what to do when Sandy dies. The fact that it's not a pleasant thing to think about probably has something to do with that. But the issue uppermost in my mind is the amount of care each needs.
In the case of a cat, they need almost no care at all. Give then a litter box, some food, and water, and they're happy and usually out of your way, though I've found that my cats seem to insist on putting themselves down right on top of whatever I'm working on at my desk. You can leave a cat by itself for a couple of days if you have to make a quick business trip. The down side is that you can't play with cats, and they don't travel well in a car, so you can't take them with you on a vacation.
Dogs, on the other hand, can provide hours of companionship, and they love to ride in the car. You can take them out when you go grocery shopping or on cross-country drives, and you can roll with them on the floor. In the process, you get some good exercise too. As long as you don't buy one of the more aggressive breeds, you don't have to worry too much about how they will act around other people.
On the down side, you can not leave a dog alone for more than 8-10 hours. A dog has to go outside several times a day. In the country, one can simply let a dog out in the back yard. When they're done, they come back to the door and you let them in. Not so in city and suburban areas. There may be a fenced yard available, but usually the dog needs to be taken for a walk on a leash at least twice a day, and some require more. Since I no longer own a house (I sold it last year and bought a condominium), I would fit into the "Let's go for a walk" category. And this must happen come rain or shine. If it's well below freezing and there's 2 feet of snow on the ground, the dog still has to go, and you have to go with it. And no sleeping in late either, or you may wake up to an unwanted present.
Both animals, cat and dog, shed hair, and it's a constant battle to keep their hair off your clothing. I've heard some people say that dogs shed less than cats. Others say that it's about the same. I think it's a matter of which breeds you have and how much time you spend combing them out.
It any case, there you have it. If it were you and you can only have one pet (condo rules), what would it be. A cat or a dog and why?
[EDIT:] Sandy lived longer than anyone expected. She died April 12, 2008. She was almost 18 years old. |
| | Posted 4/4/2006 8:30 AM - 7 comments
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