This is an opinion piece. Tommy Diegnan is a senior at Mendham who writes for global and school news. All of the views expressed in the following editorial are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Patriot. 

Both dogs and cats are two of the most common house pets in the world, but dogs are a better overall pet if you are looking for a household companion.  

Dogs are known to be man’s best friend, and there is no doubt that this statement is anything but 100% accurate.  Most dogs love human interaction, influence physical activity, provide calming benefits, and are extremely smart.  If you have ever been in the presence of a dog, you most likely know that their curiosity will get the best of them and they will run up to you with a wagging tail to greet you.  This is one of the greatest qualities of the superior pet because after a long tough day at school or work, who doesn’t want a joyful greeting at the door.  Another benefit to having a dog as a pet is that you will always have them to look at you like you are the greatest person ever, no matter what you have done or said.  

On the other hand, Cats are extremely independent.  They usually like to do their own thing whether that is wandering around the property in which they belong to or hiding out in obscure areas of the home away from people.  Their interaction with people, even those they live with are much more limited than dogs.  On the up side, if you are looking for a pet with minimal maintenance and care, a cat is for you.  Also, maintaining a cat is relatively less expensive than maintaining dogs.  The only maintenance that needs to be done for cats would be changing of litter boxes, vet visits, providing food and water and toys available to keep them occupied.  

Yes, dogs are considered to be pretty high maintenance, but unlike cats they become more a part of your family and exceed the classification as a pet.  A dog needs attention!  They also need food and water, affection from their owners and other, toys to plays with, treats to keep them satisfied and vet visits.  According to Vanderbilt University science research, it was “found that a dog’s cerebral cortex contains more than twice the neurons of a cat’s brain.”  This would explain a dog’s communication skills with people which is common through eye contact, whining, body language and barking.  A dog is able to effectively communicate with people throughout the day.  If they need to go outside to the bathroom they have many different ways to communicate that to you in the same way they will let you know if they are hungry and need to eat.  That brings up the next point. 

Cats pee and poop in the house!  Yes they use a litter box, but it is still in the house and needs to be cleaned up.  Not it!

As far as dogs being territorial goes, they do understand boundaries.  They will know if certain areas of the house are off limits through training.  Cats have the inability to be trained because they are extremely territorial animals.  When a cat is brought into a household, there are no limits as to where it can go and what it can do.  Prevention measures can be taken, but they are difficult to enforce in such independent animals.  Cats will walk along countertops and tables on which you eat and prepare food and this can be extremely unsanitary as they are predators and kill rodents often.  This can be unsettling to people as a cat is an animal and can track in dangerous germs and bacteria.  

Dogs do have some of the same tendencies such as counter surfing, but this is a behavioral issue that can be curbed and fixed.  But their energy can be channeled into mutually beneficial activities.  Dogs need lots of exercise, and this is a great chance for an owner to keep their friend happy and their health in check.  Going for walks and runs are good for your dogs to positively burn off their energy and will keep you active as well.  Another health benefit of dogs is the ability to meet and interact with other dog owners.  Going to places like the park to walk your dog can expose you to other owners and help you form new relationships.   These benefits are often forgone with cat owners as felines are largely independent and do most things on their own.