Dogs are much more loved by society than cats

I've got a cat and a large dog...I love them both..But I respect and admire my cat for her independence, her boundaries....and the quiet purring way she just knows to sit by me and expect nothing. 🥰

I understand this - luckily our cat is too lazy/incompetent to hunt and can't even catch flies.

I prefer cats (grew up with them) but I cannot bear them to catch birds, which are my first love. That’s one reason I’ve never had a cat as an adult.

There are things others do that I don't like but I don't have it in me to hate something that gives millions of people comfort, whether cats or dogs. Yes cats are bad for birds. Most of the way humans live is bad for the planet. Dog food is bad for the planet. Is anyone seriously going to try and ban cats or dogs?! No.

Good luck trying to stop cats finding humans to feed them though. Cats decide these things, not humans.

Several people die from literally everything though

I asked my cat - he says he has enough self-regard that he doesn't need to lower himself to a showbiz TV career.

its not a sly dig. it's an outright criticism 🤣 they literally got one without buying any gear 1st or doing any research or having a plan about what they woukd do when they were at work. Are you saying that's the best way to go about being a responsible dog owner?

I don’t get the dog obsession and people treat them like children. And it is easy to prefer to humans as dogs don’t answer back or have their own views and some people seem to like that. Don’t have to reason with a dog!

I voted YANBU despite being a cat person and having 3 cats. Because I do think it’s true that, as a society, we prefer dogs to cats. There are more dog lovers than cat lovers. It doesn’t mean it’s true for me, I just agree with what the OP says. (Obviously there are other people like me who are cat people.)

And actually I love dogs too, well-behaved ones anyway. I just wouldn’t want to own one.

You are making an awful lot of ridiculous generalisations about dog owners here.,
Well, no, I'm talking based on my experience every single day. There are many many more dogs in my area since lockdown. I really don't think many of the people who have a designer crossbreed are showing or working them; it's an urban area and most people have their dogs just as pets.
I believe buying a dog when so many need homes to be morally indefensible. Not all rescues are going to be hard work/unpredictable/dangerous – or to put it another way, any dog is potentially all of these things. And a good rescue will know their dogs well, know what they need and don't need, be able to pick the right people for the right dog and give support to anyone getting one of their dogs.
It is clear that many of these newer owners just don't know how to handle them and can't be bothered learning. Levels of ignorance, incompetence and entitlement among dog owners here are off the charts, and so levels of bad dog behaviour are too.
Dogs allowed to bark/whine/wander about in cafes, getting under the staff's feet and annoying people with their noise.
Dogs running up to people picnicking in the park, trying to steal food.
Dogs running up, unchecked or ignoring calls to come back, to small children, almost or in some cases actually knocking them over, and often scaring them.
Dogs running up to me, jumping up uninvited and planting muddy paws on my nice clothes.

I really like dogs and frankly think they deserve better owners than the ones I see every day round here. Dogs not properly trained and socialised don't know their place in the 'pack' and get stressed and insecure or neurotic. It's not fair on them.

Oh I understand all that perfectly @LittleBitofBread , but the designer mongrels of the type that you describe come from puppy farms, not from breeders.
Not all of us want a rescue dog, some people like purebred dogs for work or show, sourced from reputable breeders and are very responsible owners.
You are making an awful lot of ridiculous generalisations about dog owners here.

As a person living with both cats and dogs I don't think the mad cat lady comments in any way compare with the level of nastiness and ridicule that I see on dog hate threads.

I hate cats. I hate the fact that neighbours can decide to get a predator and release it basically until your garden. If I had my way then cats would be banned as pets.

There's a reason there's not a similar show for cats.

The producers approached cats and said, "How about we do a show where you do stuff that shows how clever and lovable you are, and the humans like, really love you, and you really love the humans and we generally make a big deal of how great it is to be a cat and to hang out with cats?!

And the cats said, "....Fuck off, mate. Just open the back door."

I've seen threads on here that talk hatefully about cats and use the old tropes of women with cats being 'mad cat ladies', lonely, etc etc.

I don't think that's a sly dig; she's very open about it!
And I totally agree, too many people just get a dog because they think a puppy would be cute/fun, they buy one because they CBA with the work of a rescue, and then they proceed not to bother training or socialising it or learning anything about taking care of it.
My neighbourhood is crawling with people who got one of those designer crossbreeds in lockdown. They've bought their dogs all sorts of expensive coats and accessories that they don't need, but clearly haven't bothered spending any money or time on research/training. They let their dogs run up to people and try to grab their food/lick their face. Their dogs have been taught zero recall and they have to resort to running in and grabbing the dog's collar to drag it away.

I like dogs, but I hate irresponsible owners.

@DangerousAlchemy
You say you're sick of cat bashing but then you have a sly little dig at "friends and neighbours who got puppies from breeders on a whim". Very nice.

I foster cats and kittens (yes, I know, I'm hugely biased 🤭) but I'd say from meeting 60 cats and kittens over the last 2.5 years it's been a real eye opener on how amazing cats are (not all). Kittens that have been living on the streets covered in fleas or with ringworm and they become the friendliest most loving creatures usually within a day of being in my house. Truly heart-warming. I'm sure dogs are similar. I love dogs too but realised what a huge tie and responsibility they can be so we went down the cat route instead. Otherwise I would have adopted a rescue greyhound. Some of my friends and neighbours got puppies from breeders on a whim and they don't exercise their dogs enough, haven't trained them properly and don't provide any/much enrichment. Considering dogs are pack animals this seems a shame to me. Owning/fostering cats has been so good for my well-being and mental health I'd say. But I can see the benefits of walking a dog twice a day too and chatting to people and getting fresh air/exercise. When I tell people I foster kittens some people will use say 'urgh I hate cats' which I find quite rude as I volunteer and pour my heart and soul (& most of my free time) into caring for these sick, abandoned animals. If someone said to me 'I'm a pediatric nurse/childminder /nanny/teacher' I wouldn't respond with 'god I bloody hate babies/children' so yes I'm sick of cat-bashing too. I've put a huge amount of work into my own cats too. one is a blind, semi feral Cyprus street cat and now he's velcroed to my knee and so so friendly. I've enclosed our back garden so he can still go outside safely and I've built platforms and ramps outside for them both to sunbathe on. I think some dog owners are lazy. one quick walk then ignore the dog all day. My cats are loved and cherished but they aren't my babies, I don't dress them up or take them to cafés with me or thrust them in people's faces lol.

Have you had a really bad experience with a cat? just interested. Have you ever met/known a gorgeous lapcat that jumps on your knee purring and has a nap for 2 hours? Sometimes people have never known a really lovely cat & that can make such a huge difference in their perception of them.

@Emmz1510
Well you'd be wrong about that, because several people in the UK have died in recent years from cat scratches becoming infected. Which has also been the case in some of the deaths attributed to dogs. Infection sets in. I realise as a dog hater you'll say that's different though.
You've perfectly illustrated the point that I made earlier about cat haters compared to dog haters, with your insults about dogs.
I have both dogs and cats, the cats are far more work, smellier and more destructive around the house. Not all dogs are "needy", or jump up, salivate or smell. And this is what I mean when I say that dogs are actually more hated. And I say this as an avowed cat person who also happens to live with dogs.

Look the people who claim dogs are innocent and cats are villains when it comes to shitting and destroying wildlife are deluded. Dogs would do the exact same and worse if they were allowed to roam free. It’s not some personality flaw of the cat, it’s their natural behaviour. So let’s take that out of the equation cos it’s unfair to the animal and 100% about the owners sense of responsibility.
I’m a cat person and not a huge fan of dogs. That neediness and wearing your heart on your doggy sleeve is not appealing to me. Nor is jumping up, salivating whenever you eat, smelliness, anal glands and general messiness and chaos that comes from having a dog. Cats are lower maintenance, incredibly beautiful, can be sweet and loving without being over the top about it and are a calming influence.
Pretty sure a cat has never killed or severely maimed anyone either.

This 200%

Which one are you talking about here? Cos where I live both cats and dogs are guilty of this…..

Yeah, and scooping up dog shit that some inconsiderate and lazy dog owner has left on your front garden or trying to avoid it while walking on the pavement is a barrel of laughs…..

I like dogs and cats, I’ve had both over the years. I think I’m probably a bit more of a dog person because I find dogs more interactive and you can take them out on adventures with you in a way you can’t with cats. I also find cats a little harder to handle, in the sense of getting them into a carrier to the vet or similar. My current cat really scratched up my arm trying to get her into the carrier. Dogs seem to understand humans more in a different way to cats. However I have found cats very loving and interactive in their own way. I just find dogs easier.