Cats or dogs? That is the classic question that everyone has been asked.  Often the argument against cats is that they are mean or don’t love owners as much as dogs do. Cats basically perceive us as bigger versions of them; how cats interact with humans is almost identical to the way they interact with other cats. Whereas, dogs interact with humans in a much different way than other dogs. When your cat brings home a dead mouse or bird, it may do so to show you that you suck at hunting. Humans are basically bigger clumsier cats and that is adorable.

Many people think that cats are mean or not as sweet as dogs. This could be because cats and humans have nearly identical sections of the brain that control emotion, meaning that they feel many of the emotions that we do. Cats can be very petty and angry if you do something that they do not like. Cats can also change their meow to manipulate a human. They often imitate a human baby when they need food. Basically, cats and humans are very similar in the way their brains process emotions so if you don’t like cats you must not like people very much either.

Much of cats behavior towards humans is like it is with other cats. For instance, when a cat kneads you, they are using behavior that they would use toward their mother. Same with when they groom people, that is what their mother did when they were a kitten so that is what they learned to do.

Cats are less social than dogs, so if you want an animal that is always ready to love you then cats probably aren’t for you. However, if you want an animal that will sleep in whatever room you are in and look adorable doing it, then cats are an amazing companion. My cat will wait for me when I get home from school and even though he isn’t super cuddly, he likes being in the room with me whenever he can. Cats are wonderful pets who and are much smarter and loving then people give them credit for.

More random facts about cats to help people better understand them:

• Owning a cat can reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack by a third.
• A cat’s brain is 90% similar to a human’s — more similar than to a dog’s.
• A cat’s cerebral cortex (the part of the brain in charge of cognitive information processing) has 300 million neurons, compared with a dog’s 160 million.
• Cats have a longer-term memory than dogs, especially when they learn by actually doing rather than simply seeing.
• Cats have a lower social IQ than dogs but can solve more difficult cognitive problems when they feel like it.
• A cat rubs against people to mark its territory.
• Only 11.5% of people consider themselves “cat people.”

Owning a cat brings just as much joy into your life as owning a dog, cats are pure creatures that give just as much love as dogs–only in their own way.