Dogs are better than Cats

I shall negate the resolution, "Dogs are better than Cats. " =============== Definitions: I assume my opponent and I are in agreement that the words "dogs" and "cats" in the resolution only refer to household pets. However, I feel an obligation to define the key word in the resolution: better- of superior quality or excellence. . http://dictionary.reference.com... =============== Burden of Proof: As Instigator and Pro, my opponent holds the Burden of Proof to affirm the resolution and prove his contentions superior to mine. If I am able to refute my opponent, the resolution will be negated. =============== Arguments: a) Trainability- There are varieties of cats who are just as trainable as dogs. My opponent creates an argument that is purely opinionated and does not provide any form of evidence. Furthermore, my opponent claims that it is completely natural for a dog to be submissive to a master. If this was so, there would not be obedience schools for dogs or movies like "Marley and Me" that exhibit the lack of control many dogs possess. A cat can just as easily be taught to sit, play, or fetch as a dog can. Once again, my opponent's argument was completely opinionated and did not bring up sound evidence. b) Service- My opponent's argument implies that dogs are better than cats because of the service that they can perform. However, cats are able to give just as positive and influential services that dogs can. Cats are able to feasibly capture unwanted mice in a household that may contain family members afraid of these "little critters. " In comparison to dogs, cats are able to see much better in the dark, which can come in handy in case a burglar decides to roam the neighborhood looking for potential subjects. The cat can immediately see this disturbance and alert its master. There are also various stories where cats themselves have saved dogs from being killed or seriously injured. Additionally, cats can climb trees in search of lost items or personal belongings too high for a person to reach. Clearly, cats can provide an equally acceptable or even better form of service than dogs. c) Cleanliness- Cats are generally considered to be more cleanly than dogs. Although cats "go to the bathroom in a box," that is usually the only place a cat will "do its business in. " This is beneficial to the owner because it is quite easy to clean a cat's litter box. With all of the automatic cleaning devices these days, it would take a matter of minutes. Dogs not only have to be taken out to go to the bathroom, but the owner must collect the poop droppings and smell the rotten stench for the rest of the walk. Also, dogs tend to have many more accidents in the house than cats do, making dogs less cleanly and considerate than cats. The remainder of my opponent's argument is nonsense. Although people may not suffer from "dog-bite fever," people who are bitten by dogs usually end up going to the hospital to check for harmful bacteria, creating much more inconvenience. d) Choice- Similar to dogs, there are hundreds of unique breeds of cats to choose from as well. My opponent's argument focuses on the point that "there is a dog for everyone" and that dogs are quite suitable. However, my opponent's exact argument can also be applied to cats as well. My opponent has not given a real reason as to why dogs are a better choice than cats. ============= Conclusion: I have refuted all of my opponent's points and shown that his arguments are either faulty, not backed up with evidence, or can be applied to cats as well. The resolution is negated.