inator wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:58 am
I just mean that, while giving them as much attention as they want, it seems to me that cats are on average less hyperactive.
Cats can be pretty hyperactive in the middle of the night, and I've found them more likely to wake me up while sleeping.
Overall though, that may be, but as NonZeroSum said, I think that's an argument FOR dogs, which makes humans healthier and gets them out to do things (ideally).
I would also add that dogs seem more capable of managing their hyper and down-time and expressing them at more socially appropriate times and places. Cats do not seem to have mastered that, or don't care.
inator wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:58 am
Or maybe the fact that they are generally smaller makes it easier for me to deal with their activities, I don't know.
Getting a dog on the smaller side (just not a really tiny one) can be a viable option. They also tire out much more quickly on walks.
inator wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:58 am
A cat may open my closet and take out all my clothes to play in them, but it's pretty unlikely that it will also chew on them and destroy them.
Maybe, but it's easy enough to keep things away from a dog. And a cat is more likely to spray and urinate everywhere. Cats are not really potty trained like dogs are, they just naturally prefer the litter box...
usually. If they're in the mood to pee somewhere else, they will. A dog is doing it because he or she knows it's the right place to go, and going on the carpet is bad.
It's true that dogs are more destructive when they're not getting enough stimulation whereas cats tend toward overeating and lethargy. If a dog is stimulated enough and has toys, chewing on things is less likely.
inator wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:58 am
Or if it runs around the house, it probably won't knock over everything in its way.
Cats are more likely to jump up on tables and counters, even on top of your fridge, and knock things over and make a mess. Unlike a dog they might not eat your food, but they will lick it. With a dog it's much easier to keep things out of the way.
I would say, also, that appropriately trained and well behaved dogs are very careful not to knock things over. I don't think I've ever seen a cat that cared how many things he or she knocked over, and they don't grow out of it like dogs do. You can safely have a lot more nice things with a dog than with a cat.
inator wrote: ↑Mon Jun 19, 2017 4:58 am
If it's chasing and trying to catch me, I'm not as concerned that it may sever one of my arteries. Ok, that last one was exaggerated. But still.
That's true: a bad dog is much scarier than a bad cat.
But a good cat is much scarier than a good dog; with a cat, even a relatively well behaved one, he or she still might turn around and bite you randomly if you pet ever so slightly wrong, or just when the planets are aligned as such. Dogs seem to have better impulse control, and once socialized are less likely to bite.