I originally joined Reddit in 2011, and in the beginning it was dominated by cat content. It was rare to see a post about dogs. Sometime in the mid 20-teens this phenomenon reversed. It’s always been a “pet theory” of mine that this reversal was due to Reddit becoming mainstream, and that it’s initial nerdy/techie user base preferred cats to dogs.
I think my theory is further supported by Lemmy. It’s pretty clear that most of Lemmy’s user base are techies, and currently it’s dominated by cat content. Just a shower thought. May be wrong.
NOTE: I love dogs and cats. This post isn’t arguing favoritism.
No offense but this reads like someone with very little experience with dogs nor much desire to have any which is find fine but you’re definitely wearing some rose-tinted glasses about cats.
I’ve had dogs, cats, and rabbits and love them all but currently have none. I had been planning on getting a cat and a dog when I moved but recently changed my mind about the cat so I’ll give you the counterpoints:
-Dogs may be worse for your flooring but cats climb everywhere. Hope you don’t mind disgusting countertops because your cat will take a piss then hop right up.
-Dogs do their business outside. I have never been to a home with a cat and NOT smelled the litter box. Sure you get used to it (I did) but it’s there. They smell. Meanwhile a dog doesn’t stink up the house at all if they get bathed
-Litter boxes are more work than picking up dog crap in your yard. If you’re worried about “landmines,” train your dog to use one spot
-Speaking of training - dogs are MUCH more trainable than cats. Cats don’t listen (which tbh is part of the appeal).
-Dog-proofing a home is just keeping the food out of reach. Cat-proofing is not putting anything fragile on shelves, guards for your furniture, hiding all your wires. In a “normal” home with “normal” pets, cats are WAY more destructive. Cats will also piss on your stuff if you’re late to feeding them lol
As for the slobbery and loud part, get a dog that meets your expectations…like don’t buy a mastiff if you live in Florida, don’t buy a husky if you value silence.
You’re just as bad as the person you replied.
You definitely can train your cat to stay off counters or anything else important.
And using an automated litter box with flushable litter is super easy.
I love dogs. Wish I could make the logistics work out. It just isn’t a good fit now or the foreseeable future.
Possibly, 2-3 years down the line when I might afford doggie daycare, I’ll look into it. Zero chance I’d leave any type of dog home while I’m away for work a minimum 15hrs/day.
In my experience most super destructive cats are either not getting enough attention/play, or grew up as strays with such harsh lives they never fully relax in a domestic environment
Yeah, there’s enough play and toys and cat trees to keep my gal happy.
Cats are variable the same as dogs. Maybe I got lucky but my cat doesn’t have any of those problems. On the other hand, my sister’s cats do all of the things you described.
All these pros and cons about dogs and cats yet none about rabbits. I’m disappointed :(
I haven’t been able to login so I didn’t see your reply earlier, sorry. I’ve had 3 rabbits so I’ll give you my reasons for why I’m not getting another one.
-if you keep them in a pen, it needs to be large. And you need to give them time outside of the pen every day
-if you keep them free range (like a cat), you need to rabbit proof
-rabbit proofing is way harder than cat proofing. Unlike cats, they WILL chew. It’s not a maybe. My baseboards in the kitchen were ruined this way. I kept baby gates up at all times
-healthcare is sooo much more expensive and not every vet treats rabbits. You have to be very selective about where you take them - make sure they specialize.
-they die fast and easily. You need to be VIGILANT because what seems like an upset tummy can kill them in 24 hours
-leaving them alone with other pets is risky. Even playing with a bigger animal can break their bones
-Going on vacation? Get ready to pay for boarding. Or the hassle of bringing over all their stuff to someone’s house. It’s a pain in the ass compared to cats (friend can stop by) or dogs (friend with a dog can take them)
-The mess. They can (and should) be litter trained but they don’t bury it like cats. There will always be hay and poop flying around
They’re great, though. As affectionate as a cat and the way they purr (chattering their teeth) warms my soul. I miss my last rabbit more than any pet I’ve had but I’m not ready to put that much work into a pet again.
I actually have two free roam rabbit, but thank you for the rundown anyway :D .
I agree with your points, but luckily my rabbits haven’t developed the habit of chewing on everything. They put their teeth on something new they don’t know but they do it gently enough that it doesn’t leave any marks. Cables and plants aren’t safe though, they need to be kept far out of reach.
One of my rabbits has had GI stasis 3 times but luckily is still alive and well. It’s an (expensive) nightmare for sure.
Ohhh whoops then I’m preaching to the choir!
If it weren’t for the cons I’d definitely have another one but once I move, a dog will be the easiest animal for me to have as a pet for awhile.
Another con I forgot is the dangers (to the rabbit) with small children! That’s a big one for me right now
if you put it like that it is just a negative. The appeal comes from the fact that cats CAN do a lot more in your home than dogs. If a dog tried to do what a cat did they would hurt themselves and destroy a lot.
This obviously not something that would put them in an objectively superior position to dogs but also thats not the goal here, at least not mine. I dont have either and i cant really decide yet lol.
I said it was part of the appeal lol I loved my asshole cats but it requires more proofing
I don’t think “cats are capable of pushing stuff off high shelves and dogs aren’t” is a point in the pro column, though
among other things ^^