Cats are Superior Pets to Dogs

Pro then dismisses this format, dropping a number of points in the process. For the sake of the audience, I have done my best to condense the remaining contentions. 1. Dogs are more diverse My opponent concedes that dogs are more diverse than cats. He then attempts to relabel my argument as one based on gross ownership statistics. This is a red herring. My argument is not that there are more “dog people” than “cat people. ” Rather, my argument is that in offering a greater variety of shapes, sizes, personalities, preferences, and skills than cats, dogs necessarily fill a wider pet niche for their owners and can be specifically selected to meet one’s unique preferences. Whether one wishes a pet that can do tricks on command, defend their property, perform in shows, tend their flocks, or simply nuzzle them at the end of the day, dogs meet their needs. In fact, of ten of the most common reasons people own pets [. http://tinyurl.com...], dogs surpass cats in nearly every respect. 2. Dogs help reduce depression I have shown that dogs provide health benefits in their owners, including reducing depression and cultivating a healthier lifestyle. In response, my opponent once again relabels my point by presenting this as a function of owners’ personalities. This is both unfounded and irrelevant. First, those qualities my study showed alleviate depressive symptoms - affection, physical activity, and social networking - are either exclusive to dogs or demonstrated far more in dogs than cats. The fact that he believes such affection is a sign of some sort of “spiritual weakness” remains confused and unsubstantiated. Second, my opponent has not presented a single social, emotional, or physical benefit cats provide to their owners, let alone one as significant as that provided by dogs. 3. Dogs are more hygienic Pro concedes that cats cause more allergic reactions than do dogs. As a primary function of a pet is play, especially with children, and given that alleviating allergy symptoms is often costly, difficult, and time consuming, this point should be heavily weighted. Pro then attempts to counter this point with an article suggesting that dogs may require more baths than cats. Considering cats also require bathing and are notoriously more difficult and violent during this process (due to their natural aversion to water), this point is at best a wash (pun intended). This same article goes on to say that the bacteria cats carry in their mouths are more prone to infection and that their teeth are more likely to puncture human skin. Combined, in terms of hygiene and safety, dogs are clearly superior. 4. Subjective vs Objective benefits Pro’s opinion that cats are funnier is irrelevant and contradictory. Remember, it was Pro who mentioned earlier that this debate is a discussion of quality, not quantity. No amount of Youtube videos on this issue can constitute an actual argument. The subjectivity of Pro’s point defeats it. Conclusion Dogs are more diverse than cats, and as such, the skills and perks they provide are far more vast and varied. Dogs rather than cats provide physical and emotional benefits to their owners. Dogs are also healthier for young children and their upkeep in terms of hygiene and allergies is simpler and less expensive. With no substantive arguments backing the Pro position, the rounds thus far weigh heavily in favor of dogs.