Essay 4

The Beauty of Cats

          Currently, more than half of all citizens of the United States are pet owners. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimates that in 2008 alone, Americans spent 43.2 billion dollars on their pets and their pets’ various needs (McWhinney). Pets are a part of a person’s life that may seem insignificant at times, yet they are an extensive part of many individuals’ lives. If a person is willing to take on the responsibility of owning a dog or a cat, but is not able to decide on which animal to get, then he should buy or adopt a cat rather than a dog. Cats are better pets than dogs because cats need less maintenance, they are cheaper to care for, and they have longer life expectancies.
          One clear advantage of owning a cat instead of a dog is that cats need much less maintenance in order to keep them healthy and happy. The tidy physical appearance of a cat is easy to maintain because "the cat is well equipped to groom itself" with its tongue, paws, and claws, according to veterinarian Trevor Turner. A cat can use its flexibility and rough tongue to remove substances from its fur and it can integrate its paws by licking them and then brushing its coat to reach difficult places (Edwards 72). A cat’s fecal and urinary matter is also very easy to collect and dispose of once the cat is trained to use a litter box. The use of a litter box helps humans avoid contact with the waste, which could result in the risk of contracting diseases, and it creates a small defecation area that requires minimal maintenance. A cat’s exercise habits are simply integrated into an owner’s life as well because, as stated by the veterinary surgeon, David Taylor, "cats stay in trim without having to spend any time working out in a gymnasium or jogging around the park"(Taylor 79). Cats are easily managed pets as well because they are accepted in almost any housing unit due to their small size and adaptability (Edwards 19). Cats are low-maintenance pets that require minimal care and little effort to sustain.
        Contrary to owning a cat, administering enough maintenance to a dog often requires more labor and time. A log-haired dog is not able to groom itself with its limited flexibility, so owners are advised to spend some time every day brushing the long hair to prevent matting and tangling (Stregowski). Although a cat may defecate or urinate many times in a litter box before an owner has to clean the box, a dog must constantly be followed and cleaned up after each time it defecates. When cleaning up after a dog releases its waste, the owner is also at a greater risk of contracting diseases or parasites, such as E. Coli and tapeworms, because of the close contact with the poop when scooping it with a bag ("The Dangers"). While a cat is able to stay fit without much exercise, a dog needs to be taken on walks in order to remain healthy, which is an activity that may seem cumbersome to many owners. Depending on the type of dog, the animal may need to walk for anywhere between two blocks and two miles ("How"). However, a conflicting interest in a dog’s exercise habit is the amount of room that it is given to play and live in. Since dogs are generally larger than cats, dogs need as much living space as possible to move around in and obtain proper amounts of exercise in. The inability of dogs to adapt to different living conditions greatly diminishes their attractiveness as pets. An examination of their lack of self-sufficiency reveals that dogs require more maintenance to stay satisfied and healthy than cats normally do.
          Another reason for why a person should not choose to own a dog is because of the negative financial impact on a person. Beginning with the initial step of purchasing a dog, a prospective dog owner will already pay more as a result of choosing a dog instead of a cat. If an individual decides to adopt a dog, the decision may cost anywhere between seventy and three hundred dollars. When purchasing a pet-quality dog, a breeder typically asks for between three hundred and fifteen hundred dollars ("Buying a Dog"). Because of the larger bones and bodies of dogs, more food is needed to provide extra energy than is needed in cats. Feeding a dog can cost as much as $25 per week, depending on the size of the animal. Also included in a dog’s expensive care is its surgical needs that will possibly arise, accounting for an annual average of $574. If a dog owner chooses to buy insurance for his pet to minimize large expenses, even the average cost of dog insurance is $225 ("Pet Care"). After ten years of possessing a dog, an owner can expect to dole out an average of $15,710 to care for his dog and provide for its various and unexpected needs (McWhinney). Choosing to own a dog should be taken with extreme caution due to the animal’s negative impact on an individual’s economic aspect of his life.
         Besides needing less maintenance on a daily basis, cats are also cheaper to purchase and care for than dogs. The cost of purchasing a purebred cat from a breeder can be between three hundred and twelve hundred dollars. If a person would like to pay even less for a cat, adopting a kitten from a local shelter may cost as little as $50 ("Buying a Cat"). On a weekly basis, the cost to feed a cat may be as little as $4, which is comparably cheaper than the $25 needed to satisfy a dog’s appetite. A cat owner may find that their pet needs surgery throughout the year, yet the owner will only have to pay an average of $337 in medical bills, providing an average of $237 in savings that a dog owner will not have. With the extra savings, a cat owner can even provide the cheaper$175 insurance rate for his cat. Over the course of ten years of cat ownership, a person pays approximately $9,190, which provides significant savings over the cost of owning a dog (McWhinney). There is no doubt that deciding to own a dog or a cat is a costly economic decision, however, a pet owner would benefit financially if he decided to purchase a cat rather than a dog.
        Aside from being cheaper to care for and easier to maintain, cats have longer life expectancies, giving their owners more time to appreciate and enjoy their time together. Whether humans buy pets for show, entertainment, or to make a profit, most pet owners want their animals to survive for as long as possible. By purchasing a cat instead of a dog, owners are giving themselves the better opportunity to spend as much time as possible with their pet. In 2009, it was estimated that the cat population was 82,455,000 ("Pet Dog"). On average, a domestic cat is expected to live between ten and fourteen years if cared for properly. The Guinness World Book of Records has even documented the oldest living cat as being between thirty-four and thirty-six years. Even as they age into their twenties, some cats are still able to birth kittens, revealing the lasting health of their aged bodies and the longevity of their reproductive systems that allow cat breeders to reap profits ("Dog Life").
         The life span of a dog is near that of a cat’s, yet it falls short and it will deny many years of an enjoyable relationship between a dog owner and his companion. Portrayed by the 2009 dog population of 64,687,000, cats are outliving dogs and reproducing more often to establish the cat population of 82,455,000 ("Pet Dog"). This statistic shows that dogs are dying without reproducing at a faster rate than cats, creating clear evidence that cats are surviving and prospering for longer than dogs are able to. While a cat lives on average for fourteen years, dogs have shorter life spans as they only live for between ten and twelve years. While some dogs may outlive their general life expectancy, they are still only estimated to be able to live for a maximum of twenty-four years, which is at least six years shorter than a cat’s maximum life span ("Dog Life").
        The decision to purchase a pet is an important one that can affect many different aspects of an individual’s life. Pets can change lives positively by raising morale, or they can alter lives negatively by placing a person in an economic pit of debt. When debating on whether to purchase either a dog or a cat, a person should choose to buy a cat. While people may try to argue that dogs are better pets to have than cats, the facts and research reveal otherwise. Cats are better pets than dogs because cats need less maintenance, they are cheaper to care for, and they have longer life expectancies.