I am going to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between dogs and cats. The similarities are innumerable, yet this holds true with the differences as well.
First, we shall discuss the similarities that these two creatures share. One of the most obvious similarities between these two animals is that they both have hair. When a creature has hair, it belongs to the mammal kingdom. This means that they give birth to their young. They also drink milk when they are babies. Another similarity that these animals share is that they are domesticated animals kept as pets. They also require love and affection from their owner. If you show love and affection toward these animals, they will show it back. Another thing that is the same in both of them is that when you pet them, not only does it relieve stress, it gets dog or cat hair every where. They both give birth to multiple offspring at one time, which must be very hard on the mother.
Now that I am finished with my explanation of the similarities between dogs and cats, I will now discuss with you the differences between these two majestic animals.
One of the main differences is that of their species. The cats belong to the family of felines. Dogs, on the other hand, are canines. Another difference is that dogs are pack animals, which means you should spend lots of time with your dog so that it doesn’t get lonely. Cats are loners, meaning they can spend allot of time alone without getting lonely. Another big difference is the sounds that they make. A dog goes woof, bark, growl, or howl. A cat, on the other hand, goes meow and purr. Another difference is their social status, and how they determine their ranks. Cats don’t have any. The determining factor in dogs is the tail. When a cat holds its tail up, it means it is happy, but in dogs, how high they hold their tail is how they determine ranks. If one dog meets another dog, and one holds it tail up, it is the one of the higher social class. Another difference is that cats are nocturnal, meaning they go out at night. Dogs, however, are day animals.
Another very obvious difference between dogs and cats is that dogs are usually bigger than cats. Cats are usually scared of dogs, and the dogs usually chase the cats. Dogs are also somewhat smarter than cats in the area of verbal command. For example, you can call your dog by name and usually it will come to you, unlike a cat. Also, you can train dogs to do tricks when commanded. Some of the most commonly seen tricks in dogs are role over, fetch, shake hands, sit down, lay down, and play dead. I have never seen a cat do any of these things, and I doubt that I ever will get an opportunity to see a cat preform even one of these tricks.
Another difference between cats and dogs is that cats hunt mice, birds, rabbits, and many other types of rodents. A dog will maybe catch a bird, but I have never seen a dog catch a rodent. Here is the reason most people have cats, other than the reason that they are cute, is to catch mice and other rodents. Cats and dogs also hunt in different ways. A dog hunt directly, and when it catches its prey, it kills it immediately. A cat, on the other hand, likes to play with its food, tease it is another way someone described a cat hunting. For example, when a cat sees a mouse, it will pounce on it, then usually claw or bite it, then let it go. It will then pounce on it again, and let it go. Cats will do this for about a half hour before it finally eats its prey. Another difference is their paws and claws.
While both of their paws are padded, cats are padded so that they can be stealthy. Their claws are different in the are of sharpness, among other things. Another difference in claws is that a cats are retractable, while a dogs aren’t. For example, when a dog is born, its claws are sharp, but since they are not retractable, they get ground down so they aren’t sharp any more. A cat, on the other hand, is born with sharp claws, but they are kept inside until they are needed, there by making it so they don’t get dull by just walking, like a dogs claws do. Another difference is their tongues. What I mean is that while they both have tongues, a cats tongue has little barbs, or hooks, that are used to get every last bit of meat off of a bone. So a cat can just lick a bone, and the meat will come off. A dog doesn’t have barbs on its tongue, a dog uses its tongue to sweat. Have you ever wondered why on a hot summer day a dog usually has its tongue hanging out? Well the reason is that it is just sweating.
Those are the differences and similarities in dogs and cats.
