Greetings ,
Are you a person who likes animals? Do you have a pet? Even if you answered 'no' let me ask, which animals do you prefer - dogs or cats? Here in Germany I see lots of people with dogs. I don't see many cats. In the 11 years I've been here, I have probably seen about 10 cats. So it was noteworthy when I saw a cat at the weekend, but I'll get to that in a minute...
So why do people like cats or dogs?
Dogs are social animals. They like spending time with other dogs or with humans. That can mean problems if someone gets a dog, which then has to spend hours at home by itself everyday.
However, the social part of dogs means that they support those in their group. Dogs will bark to warn of strangers, or even attack to protect their territory or members of their group, even human members.
Dogs need exercise and that means taking them out for a walk (a pro and a con). They are also known for how smart they are. Assistance dogs, like the ones blind people use, learn lots of things to help their owners and some people train their dogs to do heaps of tricks.
Cats are different. They are not such social animals so they don't mind being home alone. They don't bark, so aren't going to annoy the neighbours. However, they don't warn about strangers or intruders, either...
Although they aren't usually good at learning things, cats like to play. When watching kittens practice their hunting skills you realise how similar they are to their big cousins on the plains of Africa.
One good thing about cats is that they are happy to have one special 'toilet' place. Give them a tray of kitty litter and they're all set. You don't need to take them out for walks in the rain or freezing cold.
Which brings me to last weekend. I saw a cat with its owner, by the river. The cat wasn't going to run off, because it was wearing a harness and leash! I was very surprised 😮. However, the owner wasn't 'walking' the cat, she was relaxing on the grass with the cat.
What do you think? If you had a cat, would you take it out on a leash? Do you like cats, or do you prefer dogs? What are your experiences with pets? Please go ahead and share your stories with me.
Catch you next week,
Andrea
P.S. I prefer dogs because I'm allergic to cats. But because I ignore them, cats are quite happy to invade my space!
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