Dogs are much more loved by society than cats

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I was just watching For Dogs Sake with Pete Wicks and Dogs Trust and realised there isn’t anything like this for cats. This is the second season and there’s also been For the Love of Dogs, plus that channel 4 programme The Doghouse and probably loads more that I haven’t seen.

I never see anything like this for cats… I think Jo Brand did one years ago but other than that, where are all of the heartwarming shows about cats needing homes?

I also notice that when I tell people I have 2 cats, a lot of them say “ugh I hate cats” yet when I say I have a dog no one ever tells me they hate dogs. I feel like there’s this almost over the top love of dogs sometimes where people treat them like babies, whereas cats seem to be hated on a lot or seen as the inferior pet. (In general of course! I know there’s many many cat lovers out there)

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

Several people die from literally everything though

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

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.

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.

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

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. 🥰