Dogs and cats are both cute companion pets. They're usually furry, and walk on four legs. Besides the obvious differences, we'll be going over 5 interesting facts you (probably) didn't know, as well as 2 bonus facts about each species.
Dogs vs. Cats Facts + Secrets About Both
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Fact #1- Dogs are Easily Verbally Trained
Dogs are very easily verbally trained, and can respond to commands like "stop, go, and sit." Cats are not able to respond to verbal commands like dogs are, and are not as easily conditioned. This is because dogs are subservient to humans or its pack, and is seeking to please its masters. It sees us as its master, and so it seeks to please us. Cats are a little bit more independent in that regard.
Cats will meow at you, and can be conditioned. By rewarding a cat with food or pleasure for a certain behavior, it will continue to do that behavior until it becomes a habit or you can trigger it with a stimulus. However you will very likely not be able to verbally train a cat to respond to human words without a lot of hard work conditioning the cat.
Fact #2- Cats are Easily House Trained
Dogs may have a leg up on conditioning, but cats win for house training. Set a cat in the liter box and it instantly knows where to use the restroom. Cats adapt quicker to the house environment, and learn the rules much quicker than dogs can. Cats simply feel better in a house environment.
Some dogs can never adjust to a house environment. If/when they do, it takes considerably longer than cats, and it can be painful teaching a dog the rules of the house. Dogs overall will be more maintenance than a cat. Clean the litter box and feed a cat and you're good, but dogs will require lots of maintenance.
Fact #3- Dogs are More Social
Dogs are more social creatures. Dogs get attached to their pack or their master, whereas cats are attached to their territory. Dogs see us humans as their pack, and they will follow us wherever we go. They aren't so territorial, and are okay with being a bit more nomadic.
Cats on the other hand get more attached to their territory. They still can build connections with us humans- especially if raised as a kitten- but they are more attached to the property you provide them with. If you've ever tried place another cat or dog next to a cat who has been living in a residence for quite a while, you'll know that the cat is NOT happy. It can take the cat several days or even weeks to be comfortable with a new animal being in its territory.
Fact #4- Dogs Run Marathons; Cats Sprint
Dogs can run much longer than a cat can. When in the wild and hunting, dogs kill their prey by running it out for a very long time. Cats on the other hand have to catch their prey by surprise. They are significantly faster than dogs in the short term. Cats catch their prey by surprise, then rapidly kill it to eat it.
Because of this, dogs are great for hunting or going on runs with. Cats on the other hand are better for keeping rodents and insects out of the house!
Fact #5- Cats Have Better Memory
A dog's memory lasts only 5 minutes. A cat's memory can last up to 16 hours! Dogs can be conditioned faster, but a cat can hold onto specific memories if it wishes to.
2 Interesting Cat Facts
Did you know all cats are born with blue eyes? Cats eye color changes as it grows older and matures. However look at any fresh born kitten and you will see that its eyes are blue!
Also cats only meow for human attention. They never meow at each other. So, if you hear a cat meow, it's not meowing at another cat or any other animal for that matter. It knows that meowing gets YOUR attention, so if you hear a cat meow, you know he's ringing for you!
2 Interesting Dog Facts
Dogs are NOT colorblind. Contrary to popular belief, dogs have been shown to see and interpret color. They just don't see it as well as we humans do.
Also domestic dogs can breed with wolves. Dogs and wolves are still close enough genetically to be able to mate and produce offspring!
Thanks for reading- let us know what you thought!
-Wildlife X Team International