I have 2 cats and one dog. I will mostly focus on the "negatives" of having cats and dogs, although, in my opinion "the good" far outweighs the bad when it comes to having pets:
CATS:
Cats are good because they are low maintenance and can be left alone especially if you go away for a couple of days. The con about cats is that they can be very territorial and spiteful and lots of people I find are allergic and/or hate cats for whatever reason. My male cat hated my ex-boyfriend and used to spray and crap and throw up all over my apartment whenever he came over (that's another thread though: ANIMALS KNOW WHEN SOMEONE IS WRONG AND BAD FOR YOU) . It was very annoying. But I think this also has a lot to do with how people treat the cat. Cats also get hair over everything. When I wear black (or any dark colors for that matter) I have to put it on right before I leave my apartment or I will be covered in cat hair. I also vacuum my apartment daily and wash my comforter once a week because of the cat hair (even if I am not using it). If you are not someone who likes to clean regularly I do not recommend getting cats because of the hair. Also you need to remember that you have to clean a smelly litter box or your house will stink!!!!! Oh yeah, when cats are kittens they may also keep you up all night too!!!! I know my cat Skylar I've had since a kitten certainly did! As I said, cats can sometimes be spiteful so you may find "surprises" in places you least expect. (Always keep your closet door closed). Friends and I have also experienced both male and female cats peeing on vinyl/plastic goods.
DOGS:
I love my doggy but having a dog is like having a baby. I am going through the stage right now with my puppy where he cries when he is put in his crate and keeps me up all night long. Dogs are also more expensive than cats in terms of health maintenance. Also I find that whenever I am at a store I constantly "find" things that would be just perfect for Darby, the perfect dog toy, the perfect dog treat, it all adds up money-wise. He hasn't been given unsupervised free reign of my apartment yet but I know people who have had dogs ruin things in their apartment from chewing. I had a friend who left the dog alone for an hour and it ate his whole futon matress. If you value sleep and enjoy a lot of free time I don't recommend getting a dog. They can't be left alone for very long and just think, if you end up going out one night and have too many shots, are you going to be able to go home and deal with walking the dog, and again in the morning if you are hung over? If you leave the dog in his crate for a long time he will most certainly need a bath since his pee and poo will have gotten all over him! Lastly puppies bite and pee and poop all over the place. Sometimes it is runny and gross and icky and smelly. (Sorry to be graphic). Also I was playing with my doggy just last nite and he jumped up and bit my nose. I have 2 marks on my nose now! Oh yeah, as I said, puppies don't sleep! They whine and cry and there is going to be a time where you have to walk them every 1-2 hours during the night!!!! Just some stuff to think about
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