It seems that when it comes to pets, just picking one type isn't the issue that music is with a lot of folks. There were some definite preferences stated, with only four classes of critters even making the board. Cats and dogs were split evenly at 44%, with fish and horses each getting 6%. The poll was, of course, which you'd choose if you could only have ONE. I dig my Ball Python, but if I could only have one, it wouldn't be a snake, it would be a cat.

I always had both when I was a kid, but I became a cat person as an adult. Being young and a deadhead, I found cats an easier fit in a "pick up and go on a three-day road trip" lifestyle. Leave plenty of food, a clean box, and a thin drizzle in a sink or tub and they will be fine for a few days. Mind you, I don't regret one second of my 15 years with Angus, but adopting him did create more work in preparing for a trip. And his chewing on the furniture to express his displeasure at the situation didn't oil our relationship any in those early days, either.

As O'Tim said, "cuz there's just no bestester pals" about dogs, and he is right to an extent. One can be just as close to a cat as to a dog, it's just that the relationship with a cat takes time and effort. For cat people, it's the forming of that bond with what is essentially a wild animal that is fulfilling. Dogs give that instant buddyhood that many people prefer. The people who say that their cat "is just like a dog" are simply trying to say "This cat is one of the many that is affectionate like dogs usually are, so you can approach it like you would the dogs you're more used to." A cat can be a great cat without that quality, though. These people aren't saying this to make excuses for their cats. Cats need no one to make excuses for them.

For people who like to share outdoor activities with their pet, dogs are the better choice. You can't go mountain biking with your kitty.

Still, cats are a lot of fun. No, you can't play with one like you can with a dog. However, if you play with one like you can with a CAT, then the cat is a very fun toy, and will think the same of you. "You can't teach a cat to play fetch", the dog people say. So what? The dog has no idea how much fun a three foot length of string can be.

People will use the same arguments to say that dogs are smarter than cats, which is of course palpable nonsense. "You can't teach a cat anything". Bullshit. My cats, for example, were taught all the areas they were NOT welcome in. Fifteen years hasn't gotten Angus out from underfoot. We played games, as well. No, I never taught Sybyl to fetch, but we made up some games together that were a lot of fun. True, you don't see police cats, but I've never seen a dog housebreak itself in one hour, either. They're both smart in different ways, let us say. If they had an industrial society, dogs would be the workers, and cats would be the planners.

I think the most germane difference in the cat/dog argument, however, is in the owners. I know many dog lovers that hate cats. I know few if any cat lovers that hate dogs. Cat lovers seem to be more likely to be all around animal lovers, whereas there are a lot of people who seem to like ONLY dogs. Once again, I think that is because dogs make the relationship stage fast and easy, and some folks just have to have it like that.

Anyway, new poll to the right. Be HONEST, now.