The majority of the pet people population (is that a thing?) believe that cats are some of the easiest pets to share life with. Cats have a reputation of being aloof and simple. In fact, many will adopt a cat as a “test pet” when considering animal companionship. However, being a cat parent is much harder than one may think. Other than the fact that you don’t have to walk your cat, dogs are easier than cats to care for, in my humble opinion.

Sure, cats will seem like an easy companion if you simply “own” them, but if you want to welcome your kitty as part of your family you’ll need to understand the complexity of kitties. As cat parents of 6, we sometimes get overwhelmed with how much care our kitties need.

So here are the top 3 reasons why we believe dogs are easier than cats as companion animals.

1. Dogs are expressive while cats are stoic. Dogs have big personalities and are easy to read. When they don’t feel well or get hurt, you know. They’re kind of like children and usually express their pain, stress and other emotions well. Cats, on the other hand, were created to mask their pain. You see, cats are predators just like dogs, but they are also prey. If they show weakness in the wild it leaves them vulnerable to other predators… so they hide their weaknesses. This makes it difficult for cat parents, as we often don’t know that anything is wrong until it’s very wrong. This means that we have to be very proactive at taking our kitties into the vet for regular wellness exams to catch any illness before it gets bad.
2. Vet visits. Speaking of vet visits… this isn’t an easy venture for most cats. The majority of dogs love car rides and walking them into the vet’s office on a leash is easy peasy. A checkup usually means extra love and treats from more humans. Cats, however, aren’t so easy to get to the vet. Unless trained young and regularly, cats don’t like car rides – at all. They also don’t appreciate being poked or even touched by strangers. While vet visits are necessary to keep our furry family member healthy and happy, it’s just not easy for us or the kitty.
3. Dogs will eat anything. I know that there are picky dogs, but they are few and far between. You want your dog to eat a species appropriate raw diet? No problem… just throw down the food and watch him eat it with gratitude. Cats are known for being finicky eaters, so upgrading their food to a healthier option is often a loooong process. They get addicted to the unhealthy foods, like kibble, and it can be a task to transition them to a better diet. If you aren’t feeding your kitty a variety of foods, good luck if the one food she’ll eat is recalled or no longer available. We recommend feeding variety to help avoid the hassle of switching foods.

Cats are such loving, amazing companion animals, however, they just aren’t as easy to care for as so many people tend to think. We gladly accept this challenge, as they are all worth it. 🙂

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