This. Cats ARE typically easier than dogs. You don't have to rush home to let them out. When you're sick, you don't have to suck it up and take them for a walk anyhow. They're typically going to run you less money as far as food and such. Jeeze, people, get your panties out of a wad. No one's saying you should get a cat and never do anything with it because, "Hey, it's just a cat..." And I certainly am not saying Jairi should get a cat. But yes, cats ARE typically going to be easier to care for than dogs.
I think some of us (myself included) think that cats might make a better pet for someone who wants a little less work and involvement. That is not to say a cat is fine for someone who has no time to care for and love, be social with. No one is saying it's okay to have a cat and ignore it completely and certainly it's not okay to let it starve. They're social animals. Some aren't as much as others. But many cats love cuddling and hanging out with their families.
They don't require training to be a nice pet. Dogs really do. They don't need to be taken for a walk. Dogs thrive on taking walks or some form of exercise and romping. They can have a litter box that lasts for quite a while if you're gone over the week end. And they often times free feed okay. I had one cat though, that would eat the whole thing. He was a piglet.
Anyhow, here's the thing that I think might make some of us see a difference between a more dependent, attention hog: the dog and a less dependent, care-for-himself a
little better: the cat is......that some think the cat is in the process of becoming domesticated. Or if the cat is already domesticated, it happened much more recently than the dog. The dog and human, it is thought had a convergent evolution that began a lot further back in history. This evolving right alongside each other and influencing each other's own evolution makes the dog much more attached at the hip to us, I think. They're genetically designed to live with people by way of this converging evolution. The whole human dog thing is really quite phenomenal. Domestic dogs are a total phenomenon in themselves.
So while I don't think cats should be starved, ignored, left to their own devices, I think they're easier as a pet for busy people on the go than dogs might be. They still thrive on attention, companionship and love....at least I'd say the majority of them. Some are so independent, they really don't have time for their people. I've seen plenty of those. I was lucky in that all the cats I've had (5) were really
very sociable and just great companions.
However....I don't think Teal should have
any animal because there's something really wrong and no animal should ever be subjected to what this fila puppy was.