Bailey and Diane

I've always been a pet lover, but there have been times when I'm ashamed to say I haven't taken very good care of the animals in my charge. I won't go into detail, but there you have it.
For a very long time, I only had cats in my life. Cats are easier to take care of, they use a litter box, you can leave them home alone relatively safely as long as you put out two big bowls filled with water and food. So when my life was busier, when I was much more interested in being out and about as often as I could, cats were fine.
But now that my life has slowed down a bit, I find myself owned by two dogs. Yes, owned. I'm lucky enough to have someone to take care of Max and Wolf when I go away, or make spur of the moment plans for after work, but it's still tougher. MUCH tougher! I think about them more often, if they're ok, did my escape artist (Wolf) manage to break free, were they fed, is there enough water for them, are they having fun? Dogs LOVE to have fun! Wolf adores a good game of tug of war and he'll run after and retrieve certain of his toys til he (or more likely you) tire of it.
I notice when I am home, Wolf positions himself near me. And when I come home, usually I'm greeted at the door by both of them, although the last few times, Wolf was sleeping hard upstairs and didn't hear me til I started walking up the stairs. This worries me! Is he getting deaf? Is he sick? Or is it just the rain?
How about you? Do you have pets? Do you think cats are easier? How about chickens? ;-)

Max (foreground) and Wolf

I love pets. :) But I don't have any right now...our apartment's too small for a dog, and the Boy is allergic to cats, but oh, how I would love a small furry companion!

Cats probably ARE easier, but I think dogs give you an awful lot more reward for the effort you put in. :)

Well I think you know about me! :) I like both cats and dogs but Paul is allergic - he is even allergic to normal doggies! :( I would have cats if I could though. I like them and their purring - but I also love how interested dogs are in you and what you're doing.

You know when I asked you about the size the of the shiba? The show was about a shiba who kept on escaping too! I bet shibas are too smart for their own good!

i've always had pets... from cats to birds, gerbils and bunnies. i can't imagine not having animals in my house... i love being greeted at the door by wagging tails and cuddling up at night with my kitties at my feet. now that we have two dogs and two cats (sorry, but the fish just don't count) i can honestly say cats are easier. we're going away in December for two nights... the dogs will be kenneled (separately as one hates the other) for two nights and groomed so they don't smell doggy when we pick them up - that's close to $200 right there. the cats will get a big bowl of dry food and a few bowls of water around the house. hmmm... quite the discrepancy in care!

i think people who grow up with animals have more empathy than people who didn't... what do you think?

I think cats are easier. I had a dog for a short period of time, and I just couldn't keep up with him. :( He went to a great family though.

I like other people's dogs though. ;) Just given my preference, I'd only have cats.

I've always been a cat person. We had a ton of them when I was growing up. We had a dog, too, but he was just there and belonged more to my sister. I had a dog for a while and I loved him sooooo much. He has sadly gone to live with his daddy, my ex. I can't wait to get another dog! But I do have cats. Well, chickens. Well, cats. They are the most wonderful precious little devils you've ever met. i just lose their idio-chicken-crasies.

I love pets. I have never had one myself. My parents never wanted me and my sister to have pets, but I would love one. I know it's a lot of responsibility. I agree that cats are easier to take care of. My sister has a very cute cat. I love dogs, too, but I don't know if I would want to have one right now. How about a guinea pig? ;)

I've had them all over the years! And yes, cats are "easier". Right now I live in a home that's not mine so I have no animals but my brother here has 9 cats. all house cats! all were strays that came by .. all have been fixed and have yearly shots etc and all eat better than I do! so... after I die I plan on coming back as a cat!!

I grew up having a dog but had cats only for many years. Now I've gone back to having a dog and I love it. Yes, it is a lot more work. I can't pick up and go on vacation, or go out right after work. But then again, I have a kid and that's even more work than a dog! LOL

I love animals too. I find great comfort and happiness with my pets!
I completely OBSESS about my baby Bear. (Deb thinks Im nuts - I think she is jealous! lol)
I cant go on vacation with a clear head because "I miss my Bear" - Im sad without him!
He NEEDS ME!
He cries when I leave the house...its heartbreaking!
I have often wished I could bring him to work with me!!!

I love dogs - but yes, cats are MUCH easier. I find that with my job and being out most of the day, that to have a dog would be unfair at this point.

I never understood how ANYONE could hurt an animal.....it just amazes me that people could be so cruel.
I am brought to tears when I see a dead deer laying on the side of the road! Or when horses get hurt.....Im just a big baby when it comes to animals!

I am a cat person..as we know. I do not like humping dogs (as you witnessed in a phone call)..drooling or jumping dogs, I think they frighten me a bit. That is why I like cats - they are mushy - like me...and they don't hump ...like me (well, usually anyway)

Dogs are easier than hedgehogs. :-) I think I am getting a touch of depression because there are no furries (nor quillies) in our house. I feel really lost without pets! I have go to Petsmart weekly, and talk gooey to the gerbils so I won't go full blown suicidal. Now that's sad, my friend!!!

My dogs run my life. I feel guilty if I hit the gym after work because I know my pups are waiting for me at home. I always tell Ryan, "we're not ready for kids! the dogs are hard enough!". But the reward is sooo good. My dogs are great company, and my Karma is the best snuggler who always knows when I'm sad.

We had 2 snakes (we recently found them a new home) and they were the EASIEST to take care of. Feed them every 2 weeks, check their water, that's it. But we didn't spend enough time with them and we felt guilty about that all the time. I'm glad they've got an owner now who was thrilled to have them. It still hurts though...

Well, like you said... I'm owned by two Shibas. Although, I have to say, really I'm only owned by Snickers. He owns all of us, including Secret. I grew up with dogs and horses (yay horses!) and I had one cat when I was in my twenties, but only because I saved his life as a kitten. I'm not a cat person. Hate the litter box AND I'm allergic to them. Oh, and I had a Blue Front Amazon parrot for awhile (after the horses and before the cat), but had to give him to a friend with a warm house and a big family because he was always catching colds in my drafty apartment. Overall, I prefer the dogs - they're adaptable, they're fun, they're part of the family!

Cats are easier unless one of them has intermittent diarrhea and refuses to use the litter box.
Yeah.
Refuses.

We think about putting him down. We've taken him to several vets and they can find nothing organically wrong and no reason for diarrhea. It gets really old shampooing the carpet every week and spot cleaning a few times a week.

Dogs, are awesome. I do have an ADD dog and he's some work. I don't know if I'm getting lazy or old but it isn't as much fun as five years ago...having dogs. In that span of time I have also come to grips with not ever becoming a mother and that whole nuturing spot in my heart has sorta dried up.
But I understand we don't always do what we should for our pets. Sometimes it's hard to see what's right under our noses.
Great post Janet.
♥Pam

I had a dog, Montana, that I truly loved and still mourn 2 1/2 years later. I also have two cats, a 20 year old and a 15 year old. The cats are definitely easier to deal with. Now that we have been without a dog for so long and have had to deal with THREE dogs in the house for 12 weeks (see my blog for info LOL) I think we may go another few years before getting another dog............

I love my dem. having had both, cats are of course easier. Dogs are so demanding although they are less bitchy than a cat.

I miss Brutus.

Aren't pets great!!?? We have a dog and two cats.