Dang, a point in cats' favour. :/ *mutters about small children* But I suppose that's not what everyone else thinks, so it's okay.

Would that be a point in favour of cats? You like children being attacked? Because from what I understood by what Singollo said, is that cats are prone to attack children more than dogs... unless he was being sarcastic.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! *squeal*

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay for kitties! *cuddles his cat*

No, Singollo wasn't being sarcastic, and no I don't like small children, but it was a joke.

Actually I believe that studies have shown cats are more effective than dogs at reducing their owner's blood pressure and similar therapeutic health effects.

My guess is cats and dogs both help about the same, but then dogs burn up some of the advantages by peeing on the carpet, barking at invisible motes of nonexistent dust for hours, getting into the garbage, sniffing your guests' crotches, throwing up half-digested squirrels under the dining room table, begging for your supper, and all those other wonderful things they aren't smart enough not to do.

...half digested squirrels? What the heck kinda dogs do you HAVE over there?

Mine can never catch the stupid things.

Don't have one at the moment, actually. Another advantage of cats: if you're living in rentals, it's a lot easier with pets, but if you have a pet, it has to be a cat.

But now the dream house is done, so come spring (when we can let a puppy outside without shoveling out three feet of snow) it'll be time at long last to get a dog.

The cat is not going to like it. She's been the only pet for a couple of years now, which she never was before, and she's liking it.

Shir, ya see, the thing is this.

American squirrels are much more stupid than British squirrels (I know first hand for I've seen them both). As such, the squirrels here are much easier to catch than the squirrels there (completely independent on the level of the dog's intelligence). Evident by the fact that if a squirrel does manage to get up a tree, said dog in question will sit there, jumping up and barking up the tree like all dogs do.

It has to be a neutered cat, don't you mean? Regular cats can just be problematic as dogs in small spaces... and even in small spaces you can have very small dogs like Chihuahua. Also, reason why cats don't show their prey is because they eat them. Dogs on the other hand are kind enough as to show it to you as offering.

Best pet for small apartments: fish. *nod*

The reason dogs are better, is because you can interact with them so much more than with a cat. Almost everything a cat can do can be replicated by a movie of a cat and a warm fuzzy pillow. The few things that those two can't do include meowing incessantly in the 6 hours before each meal, leaving various waste products around the house without warning you, and hissing at you when you get anywhere near. That's my experience with cats, at least.

At least where I live, pets should be neutered because there's too many poor animals without homes dying in, and out of, shelters. No sense making more while there's perfectly good ones being neglected. So, yes, all my pets are neutered, it's the responsible thing to do.

This is probably a myth, but I am quite sure that animals that have been neutered loose vigour and become completely more submissive, which is more evident among those of their respective kinds. So I dislike neutering.

I think dogs are at least trainable and more controllable when it times of heat, or whatever you want to call it. So, chances of them breeding unnecessary isn't that big. Unless you are very careless with your dog and let them loose to wander around the streets for "too much".

Dogs are the only living mammals stupider than Shiro.

Cats are more intelligent than most posters.

Cats have been rumored to possess esoteric connections/abilites for millenia.

Dogs eat their own feces.

Cats prefer Labat Blue over beers that a dog would drink, such as Budwiser, or distilled moose piss.

Cats can take down dogs upwards of four times their size. (My cat ate the neighbor's pitbull when it attacked him.)

There are some effects from neutering, but they are not deleterious to the health of the animals, and in many cases are quite positive for their health. It makes a difference when the animals are neutered, too. If they're neutered early, as is recommended, there will be little or no impact on the energy level of their personality.

I of course urge anyone to speak to their local humane society, which will be quite happy to offer you materials on this. You may well think they're biased, and of course they are, but if they're worth their salt they'll be able to point you to the science, not just the claims.

Shiri, sorry if this is a hijack. It's something I feel strongly about. I'd work in a humane society but it's too heartbreaking for me and I'm just not strong enough.

I've seen just as many cats eat their litter as I've seen dogs eat their crap.
That pitbull must have been a little passive. Or you're making it up. Cats simply do not have the speed, intelligence (its a myth that a cat is more intelligent than a dog, its instincts are simply different), or structure to take on a dog. That is presumably why then run until they are cornered.

Nah, Gwylifar, it's not a hijack.

This can be answered using a simple equation:

Dogs > Cats

QED

Can't play with cats properly. Dogs, you can wrestle with for fun, and if they bite, they don't bite to hurt. Cats may or may not play, and when you think they're playing, they're just waiting for the chance to pierce skin.

And, if yo'uve got a cat sitting on your lap, and you move in a way it doesn't like, it's far more likely to bite you than a dog, who'll probably just move.

But, that's my experience with the little furry demon-spawns. Maybe other cats are a little less ruthless.

I think cats would want to rule the world if they could be bothered. Dogs would want to share it.

Summer, Summer, Summer. Confused as usual.