Since the beginning of time, and as well described by internationally recognized cat and dog researcher and author, John Bradshaw’s statement that "There's always going to be someone in a group who's going to stand up and say cats are aloof, manipulative little devils," there have been cat people, and dog people. There are good arguments regarding the benefits of each, but for people who are not living on a rural acreage, recent studies and professional papers make it clear that cats are the better choice for an indoor pet than dogs. Cats are more economical to own, leave a smaller ecological footprint with less damage to their owners home, and provide better security and health benefits with fewer garbage breaches than dogs.

Cats are cheaper than dogs in material expenses, additional leasing and rental costs, and cost of time. A report from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, published in 2015, set the average cost of owning a cat at $1,035 for the first year and $670 for subsequent years. Small dogs are slightly cheaper after a few years (their initial cost is higher, but their yearly price is lower), but medium and large sized dogs cost significantly more. Medium sized dogs, on average, costs $1,580 for the first year and $695 each year after while large dogs cost considerably more. If a pet owner is leasing or renting their home or apartment, Laura Agadoni of Landlordology explains in her December 9, 2016 article, “Pet Deposits, Pet Fees and Pet Rent---What’s the Difference,” that the deposits, fees, and\or pet rent required for a cat is usually half the cost of what it is for a dog. Additionally, according to Rent's article, “Pet-Friendly Apartments: What to Ask Before Signing the Lease,” dogs usually have more rules and restrictions about breed type, barking, leashing, collars, IDs, exercising and dropping fines than cats do. The time investment to properly care for a pet is another consideration to make when evaluating their total cost. Cats are usually quite self sufficient, while most dogs require walks or some sort of exercise. Veterinarian Dr. Susan O’Dell, in an article titled, “How Much Exercise Does Your Dog Need”, published in The Bark January 8th, 2014, stated that, depending on the breed, an average dog requires between 30 and 90 minutes of outdoor exercise a day. Meanwhile, Dr. Jennifer Garcia, another veterinarian, suggested in an article named, “10 Cat Exercises Your Pet Will Enjoy”, published on Everyday Health November 1st, 2016, that as long as a cat has access to toys, they will exercise themselves. Not only are cats clearly kinder to their owner’s time schedule and checkbook, but they are also less stressful on the environment.

Being smaller in size and using fewer resources, cats have a much smaller environmental footprint, both in their owner’s home and on the planet, than dogs. Architects, writers, researchers and experts in sustainable living, Robert and Brenda Vale, claim in their 2009 book “Time to Eat the Dog? The Guide to Sustainable Living,” that an average dog has a carbon footprint of .84 hectares of land annually, while a cat only has a footprint of about .15 hectares of land. To put that into context, the environmental impact of a dog is equivalent to two 4.6-litre Toyota Land Cruisers going for 10,000 kilometers each year; meanwhile, a cat’s impact is equivalent to just one Volkswagen Golf for the same distance. The meats, grains and other bi-products used to make our pet’s food require shockingly large amounts of resources, not to mention the energy used to produce them. Again, like money and time, cats cost less. Cats also have a less detrimental impact on their owners personal environment. One example is how the animals drink. A study by Princeton University, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and various other schools, published November 12, 2010, documented how cats and dogs drink. The study found that when dogs attempt to drink they smash their tongue into the water’s surface with up to eight times the force of gravity, leading to splashing and quite a mess. On the other hand, when cats drink they barely touch the surface, having an impact of only 2 times the force of gravity. So while dogs are turning their owner’s floor into a lake, cats are neatly getting the water they need without costly water damage. Although it could be argued that litter boxes are just as messy, a well maintained box will allow cats to cover up their own waste and odor without damaging their owner’s floor. Then there’s the difference in the amounts of animal waste. According to DoodyCalls, a Virginia-based pet waste pick up service, dogs in the United States create some 10 million tons of waste each year, while cats (and their clay litter) account for only 2 million tons. Altogether, cats are better for the earth and for our homes, in part due to the fact that they are just better equipped than dogs are.

Surprisingly enough, cats create a more secure home than dogs because of their heightened senses. A Louisiana State University report by professor of Veterinary Science, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, George M. Strain, compared the hearing of various animals. According to the report, dogs can hear noises between 67 and 45,000 hertz, while cats can make out sounds between 45 and 64,000 hertz showing that cats can hear a broader range of sounds than dogs. Additionally, both Carolyn Golon in her February 26, 2016 article, “Why Cats Are the Best Alarm Clocks,” found on VetStreet’s website and Angie Bailey in her Nov. 7, 2016 article “5 Ways That My Cats Are My Alarm Clocks,” for Catster Magazine, argue that cats can keep a household running on time with their flawless internal clocks and persistent methods. While both animals possess keen sight and can see objects at a distance extremely well, cats simply see better. Amy D. Shojai, a certified animal behavior consultant, in an article called, “Dogs vs Cats: Who has Better Vision” published in Global Animal August 3, 2011 found that dogs can’t focus on objects closer than 10 inches (for most breeds), while cats can focus within just a few inches. Night vision is where cats truly shine. While dogs are able to see in light levels five times as dim as us humans, cats are able to see in light levels six times as dim. To be fair, dogs do have a better sense of smell. According to an article called, “The Battle of Cats vs. Dogs” by Kalee Thompson October 15, 2012 in Parade Magazine, dogs possess between 149 million and 300 million olfactory receptors vs cat’s 45 million to 80 million. But this only means cats are less likely to steal the steak from their owner’s kitchen counter or scatter trash all over the house trying to find that container of take-out. The cat’s superior hearing and sight make them the better “guard dog” for anyone’s home, catching mice and other pests, while alerting their human to intruders, as witnessed in the viral video of a cat saving a Bakersfield California boy from a vicious dog attack, published by Daily Mail May 14, 2014, all without burglarizing their owner’s food. Along with having great senses, cats also help their owners medically in ways that dogs just don’t.

Cat’s also offer more health benefits than dogs. Researchers from the University of Minnesota published a report titled, “Cat Ownership and the Risk of Fatal Cardiovascular Diseases” in January 2009. They were able to conclude that cats, along with other pets such as dogs, were able to reduce stress and blood pressure in their owners which in turn decreased the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Specifically, they found that cat owners were nearly 40% less likely to die of a heart attack than those who did not own a cat. The researchers were not able to definitively say the same about dogs. Another study, published August 27, 2002 by the National Institutes of Health, showed that children who were exposed to 2 or more dogs or cats during the first year of their life were on average 66 to 77 percent less likely to develop allergies. Of course, as mentioned above, this benefit was also attributable to dogs. But because cats live almost twice as long (18-22 years vs 10-15 years according to the Companion Animal Hospital of Cornell University’s website) owners don’t experience the excruciating pain of having to lose a family member as often which also reduces the risk of a compromised immune system, heart attack, stroke or other stress induced diseases. Therefore, cats are medically superior.

As we can all obviously see, cats are clearly superior pets compared to dogs. Cats are cheaper in terms of both time and money required for ownership. Cats have less of a detrimental impact on their owner’s home in particular and the environment in general. Cats create a more secure, timely, pest free home and offer more medical advantages to their owners for a greater period of time than their canine companions, thereby making cats the best indoor pet for just about anyone. Bradshaw’s research also bear out this truth. In his 2013 book, “Cat Sense,” he finds that pet cats outnumber pet dogs 3 to 1 across the planet. Therefore. I think we can end this age old debate and agree that cats truly are better than dogs.