Dogs have an honesty about them. You can look at their face and read what they're thinking, whether they're happy, hurt, sad, hungry, lonely, etc. And when you walk in that door, they are genuinely happy to see you.
I'll concede that cats are lower maintenance. But all cats that I've met have this holier-than-thou aloofness to them which really puts me off.
Then you've met cats who wheren't raised propper.
I've never had a cat who didn't come to greet me when i got home, or come running when i call their name, and i've never had a cat who treated me with a "houlier than thou" attitide.
You need to raise a cat, it takes alot of love, but you also have to make sure you are the alpha, but in a good caring way (your pet must never fear you!), then the cat will respect and adore you.
They are certainly not low maintenance, not if you want a great pet, just like dogs, it takes work.
You
can just let a cat go its own merry way, and just feed it and pet it once in a while, but you will never get a good pet like that, but with a little understanding of how cats work, and a lot of love, a cat will be as faithfull a companion as a dog.
You'd be supriced how much work i've put into Sambo, he was abandoned by his mom, and manhandled by the little girl who had him and liked his sister better, he was a mess, scared of his own shadow,and very fearfull of humans.
Today he is a wonderfull cat, trusting, caring, happy, i still have some more work to do, it takes time to undo the damage done when an animal was just a baby, but he's getting there!
Bamse came from a good home, and has been much easier, he has never known fear.
I've had many pets, dogs, cats, birds, even a turtle! and you can get a great pet out of anything with some love, and a little understanding of how they work.
Cats are not that different from dogs, with the right care, they are faithfull and will look at you with undying love, but raise them wrong (even if you treat them well and love them, but dont raise them in a way they can understand), and things can go badly wrong.
The error many people make with cats is that they dont make sure they are the alpha in the eyes of the cat, and this is very important, same with dogs, but dogs are easier as they will pretty much see you as the alpha on the sole merrit that you bring the food, cats work a bit differently though.
When it comes to cats, its important to be the leader of the pack, but beeing a caring leader that they can come to for safety or affection, as unlike dogs, who will follow the leader regardless, cats will choose to become a loner if they dont trust or like you, you have to have an understanding with them, much like with small children, there needs to be love, but boundries and rules, for as with children, a cat will walk all over you if you let them.
) atleast it reached a respectful age of 15.
