Dogs are much more loved by society than cats

I'm not really keen on the concept of pets altogether.

But you can ‘read’ a cat’s feelings: tail up and a trot over means they’re pleased to see you, flattened ears/bristling back and tail mean it’s feeling threatened, etc.

Many cats do behave like a pet ie they’re friendly, playful, come to talk to you/lie on you/ sleep on your bed etc.
They're very beautiful too.
And their presence tends to put off mice and other vermin, whether or not they’re successful hunters.

They would if they could though.

I love both cats and dogs and I'm lucky enough to live with one of each (I wouldn't go so far as to say they're friends, but they happily tolerate one another and occasionally play together). They're both fantastic in their own way. I love the dog's enthusiasm for life and his affectionate ways. I also love the cat's comical antics (he's very playful) and I'm chuffed to bits when he chooses to spend time with me.

I think you have to live with cats to fully appreciate their qualities, whereas dogs are more accessible - they're out and about on walks and elsewhere, so people tend to interact with them more.

Dogs don’t roam and shit in other people’s gardens, kill wildlife or dig up your flowers

It’s exactly this. You know when a dog is happy, you can see when it’s sad or distressed. You can see if a dog is obedient or goofy - you can’t do any of that with cats.

I have both dogs and cats. The dogs entertain us daily with their behaviour. The cats are loved equally but they just don’t provide anywhere near as much ‘content’.

There’s also so much emphasis on dog breeds. We know labs are greedy, border collies are clever, cockapoos are cute, sausage dogs are sassy, Jack Russell’s are lively - you can’t stereotype cat breeds in the same way.

It just wouldn’t work with cats.

I totally agree with you! I have grandogs who I love dearly but I love cats more and adore my two!

There’s that too. I think I’m on the fence.

YANBU. I would love to see a kitty program!

Never understood the fascination with dogs. People are obsessed with them.
All that jumping on you and constant attention and love isn’t for me 🤣

I’m 100% a cat person maybe as my personality is more cat too, aloof independent, like to come and go as I want.. like cats I’m not everyone’s cup of tea but that’s all good 😊

I love your analogy! Yes, it’s true about people being fine with offending cat owners.

Cats shit relentlessly in people’s garden and kill baby blue tits. What can you expect?

I hate dogs, but I never tell dog owners that. They get really upset. It's like telling them you hate their kids! People often tell me they hate cats, they don't care about my feelings. Mind you, I don't treat my cat as a kid, she's a cat, I love her dearly, but she's a pet.
It's like you can tell a conservative voter that you vote labour and hate the tories, but a conservative voter who says they vote Tory and hate labour would get death threats, or at the very least, lose a friend.

A working dog is a very different thing to the spoilt, pampered and badly behaved pet dogs that proliferated as a result of endless lockdown puppies.

I disagree with @OtherS - of the 8 cats I've had across my life, all but one has been friendly, loved to sit with us, play with the children etc. The one was an emergency rehome and we took him to prevent him being put down, but it wasn't a normal situation.

Each to their own. But historically, dogs were much more useful than cats. They were essential to pre-industrial life as sheep dogs, hunting hounds, ratting terriers, guard dogs, guide dogs etc.

Cats caught mice.

So it isn't surprising they are more highly valued. They are much more trainable.

That’s true.

Not a fan of cats. Strongly dislike the shitting and murdering wildlife, especially as they often torture whatever poor creature they find - and then just leave it in pieces for someone to find.

I also don't really see the point of them to be honest, everyone says how cats aren't nice to you the way dogs are, so I wonder why bother then?! Though I certainly wouldn't ever dress dogs up or treat them like a child, they are definitely family members in a way cats don't seem to be. People's cats just seem to lounge round the house glaring at them, very occasionally deigning to be stroked - and anyone who has a more cuddly cat says how wonderful it is as it's just like a dog! So just a bit bemused by the idea of them as a pet. I certainly wouldn't tell a cat lover that though, I'd smile and coo as they show me their boring photos.

In our Muslim communities, there's a lot more love for cats than there is for dogs. While it would be wrong to say that no Muslims have pet dogs, it's true that dog ownership is extremely low amongst UK Muslims and that many Muslims regard dogs as being unclean and not to be allowed in houses. Cats, however, have a special place in Islam, there are tales of the Prophet Mohammed's fondness for cats and cats are allowed to enter homes and Mosques. Consequently, plenty of Muslim families here have much-loved pet cats.

I guess it would be quite difficult to do a show with cats really. You can’t make them sit still like dogs.

I love cats in principle, but find it really fucking annoying that they’re free to roam about and shit all over my garden. Dogs don’t do that.

🤣

Its easier to relate to a dog. You do things with them and the bond between a dog and its owner is fierce. You don't get that so much with cats.

Yes, it's true, there's no equivalent of the heartstring-tugging dog rehoming shows for cats. I suppose cats aren't so easy to film or edit because they probably won't act 'cute' for the cameras as much as dogs will e.g. running up to people, licking their faces (ugghhh) etc).
Pity. There are so many cats needing homes.

This is slightly incidental, but this thread reminded me of it: two people have independently said to me recently, in a conversion about dogs and cats, that, while they 'wouldn't harm' a cat, they'd far rather have a dog as a pet. I find that so weird; why is not harming an animal the flip side of having or wanting one as a pet? . I don't want a guinea pig/rabbit/gerbil, but I'd never say I 'wouldn't harm' one in a conversation about them.

We are a house of 2 cat people and 2 dog people. We currently have 2 cats. I am in no rush to change this. Dogs are a pain the the arse. Cats are fantastic!!