this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2025
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Sorry but one of the reasons why I prefer cats is because they don't just love you unconditionally like a dog does. You have to earn their trust, and I respect that a lot more. You have to work for a cat's love, while dogs just give it out to any old asshole for free.
I also appreciate that they're more hygienic, and generally lower maintenence than dogs.
It very much depends on the dog. I've seen some nasty dogs in my time, where the dog wasn't cleaning itself and the owner never gave them a proper bath, and then there's dogs like mine, never smells of defecate or urine, gets cleaned professionally once a month and grooms himself thoroughly. His fur is soft and non greasy, he's properly de-shedded, and his coat type means mud turns to dust and simply shakes off.
Same goes for cats, I've seen dirty cats who spread shit everywhere with their dirty bums and I've seen hygienic cats that never skip a groom day.
I will admit that cats are lower maintenance. A dog is like a child you can't drop off at kindergarten, and they require hours of exercise and attention every day, but that's exactly what I signed up for: something to occupy my mind and keep me exercised. I can't cani-cross a cat, unfortunately!
Exactly.
What we did to dogs was monstrous.
Take a wolf and give it the brain of a neurotic brain damaged human toddler, biologically enslaved to us to the point of needing constant work and praise to avoid being a bad dog.
(And we didn't stop there; no, we had to keep meddling and turn them into misshapen shrunken parodies of themselves, living in constant pain and horror.)
I suppose it was somewhat fine back when we spent all day working together, but keeping that locked up all day in a small house or flat with nothing to do but bark at the occasional passerby is downright animal torture.
I don't need another reminder of humanity's hubris every time I get home. I have more than enough guilt as it is.
At least cats did it by themselves¹, on their own terms, and won't tolerate the kind of abuse most dogs routinely endure, if given an option.
1.– Except for designer breeds, of course. If cruel and unusual punishment had a place in society it'd be being applied to child abusers, people who talk or use their phone in theatres, and pet breeders.