The question of “Dogs or Cats?”, has been one of the most battled-over, debated, controversial questions. You will be reading the factors that apply to each of these animals and then vote your final answer in the poll below. Here are some of the many aspects that can be contributed to your answer.
Section I: History
Cats
Cats have been around for not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of years. Before humans interacted with them, cats hunted in packs, just like wolves and dogs have been known to. The earliest time known that humans interacted with cats was in Ancient Egypt about 4,000 years ago. Cats were very cherished and worshiped as they killed snakes and bugs. They were also believed to protect the Pharaoh from evil. Cats have been found in artifacts, carved in caves, and built as statues in Egypt. The Great Sphinx is an example of this. To this day, some cats are still used to kill pests. Even simple house cats still have instincts to kill rodents and bugs. If you have a cat, you may notice this behavior.
Dogs
Dogs evolved from gray wolves about 15,000 to 30,000 years ago. They were domesticated by hunter gatherers before the development of agriculture in the neolithic age. Early dogs were used for hunting, herding, and guarding, while humans started their agricultural lifestyles. They were found in Siberia about 23,000 years ago. Various types of dog breeds were the result of selective breeding; Each breed had their own responsibility, like herding sheep and pulling sleds.
Today, dogs are not only our friends, but they also serve in multiple different jobs like service, therapy, and in law enforcement.
Section II: Features
Cats
Known to be agile and sly, cats have many aspects to them to be the sneakiest beings they can. They have retractable claws hidden in their innocent, soft paws. Instead of having their claws scratch the ground wherever they go, they only retract when needed. This is the same idea as what happens when you keep your knives in a drawer. It keeps your knives sharp and safe until they are needed. Cats also have impeccable balance. Like birds, cats love to be in high, contemptuous spots. If they fall, they resort to twisting their body mid-air and landing perfectly on their paws. Cats love to play it cool. They also have an amazing leap. Have you ever seen a cat jump? It’s fascinating. My cat could jump higher than I could! What they do is bunch their arms and legs together, bend down and extend their legs to jump. Mid air, they stretch their body and touch the targeted surface with their paws. They end just about the same way they started, with their legs bunched up together.
Dogs
Dogs are known as a man’s best friend. But why? They are usually known as the more affectionate, intelligent, loyal, and energetic kind. They have sharp teeth to chew on their food. Dogs have an excellent sense of smell, they have about 50 times more smell sensors in their nose than humans. The part of the dog’s brain that identifies and recognizes scents is MUCH bigger than ours. Dogs can track where someone has been even if it was hours ago! They can also know when a person’s blood sugar is low! Dogs can see fewer colors than humans, but they are not completely color-blind. Some colors that dogs can see are blue and yellow, but they have a hard time finding the difference between red and green. During the night, dogs have excellent vision. They can see much better than humans at night. They have a special layer in their eyes, called tapetum lucidum. This layer reflects light and helps them see in the dark. Dogs rely more on their sense of smell than their sight. They can understand their surroundings better through their smell.
Section III: Opinions
These are the opinions of some students attending Gibbons Middle School.
- Dogs- “Honestly, I’m kind of scared of cats.”
- Cats- “Big fear of dogs. Cats are cuter, fluffier, chill, and relaxing.”
- Cats- “Exposed to cats more than dogs. When I was exposed to dogs, it was an unpleasant experience.”
Remember to vote on the poll if you haven’t yet!
