Cats and Dogs versus Fish and Reptiles - Essay Example

? of Lecturer] English, Essay ification to Cause and Effect Essay on Animals Introduction For those who love pets,whether a cat, a dog, or a reptile is the best pet depends on several factors. For instance, one’s personality and the role a pet is expected to play in the owner’s life are some of the factors affecting the choice and appropriateness of a pet. Mostly compared in the debate on the best pet are cats, dogs, reptiles (turtle, tortoise, and fish). The other point worth noting is that each kind of pet has its own advantages and disadvantages and it depends on what its owner expects of it. In addition, the nature and behavior of a pet also determines whether it is the best or the most appropriate (Radford 24). For an illustration, a dog may be quite laid back by nature while one may acquire and keep a cat which has uncharacteristically high energy. Similarly, if one wants a pet to take a stroll, play, and go places with, then a dog would come highly recommended. On the other hand, cats are easier to care for and are thus recommended for pet owners interested in a more relaxed atmosphere while dogs are for fun and outdoor people. The comparison is however not always about dogs and cats; sometimes dogs and cats are compared with other kinds of pets such as reptiles and fish. In these comparisons, a good pet is defined on the basis of characteristics such as temperament and the ease of care and upkeep (Radford 43). Many pet lovers also concur that the best pet is not only gentle but also good natured and easy to take care of. This paper compares dogs and cats on one side and fish and reptiles on the other. Cats and Dogs versus Fish and Reptiles There are several advantages that dogs and cats have over reptiles, which make them better pets over the latter. Among the positive aspects of cats and dogs are loyalty, easy to manage, simple feeding/diet, easy to find feed, they are playful, and are fun to be with. However, there are several bad aspects of keeping cats and dogs as pets. For instance, they need medications/shots for diseases such as rabies, mange, cough, worms, and they must be licensed. In addition, dogs and cats need to be neutered and are costly. The main advantage of fish and reptiles such as lizards, tortoise, turtles, snakes, and fish is that they are kept in cages hence easy to keep and manage. Moreover kid, especially boys love reptiles. Since they are mostly in cages, they require little attention from their owners once they are fed and have few problems of running away from home. Nonetheless, there are several problems that make reptile pets a bit difficult to keep. That is, they may cause salmonella-related infections, more so to kids, who should always be kept away from such pets. The second problem with reptiles is that they require specialized diets and costly tanks and cages for fish, snakes, lizards, and turtles. These cages must also be cleaned as regularly as possible since reptiles, more so fish are rather delicate. The other pets often compared with cats, dogs, and reptiles are bunnies, which happen to be fun to play with for a lot of people. In addition, bunnies are easy to feed, smart, social, and play a lot, thus entertaining and easy to bond with. A rather boring aspect of keeping bunnies is that one cannot walk and play games such as “catch” or swim with them. Further bunnies do not like being held a lot and are rather frail. From the mentioned advantages and disadvantages of cats, dogs, reptiles, and bunnies, it is clear that each pet has its own good and bad sides. As mentioned earlier, what determines the best pet is the owner’s personality, lifestyle, the nature of the pet, and the expected role of the said pet in the owner’s life. In fact, some people have compared pets to children. For example, for someone always working, with little or no time to take care of a pet, a cat would be highly recommended instead of a dog since cats are mostly indoors. This scenario presented by a cat is quite unlike the case of a dog, which might feel lonely and develop separation-related anxiety due to absence of mental and physical stimulation by the owner (Radford 72). Although it is perhaps the commonest debate among pet and animal lovers, whether a cat, a dog, or a reptile is the best pet is a matter of one’s opinion. There are in fact, valid arguments that support each kind of pet. Unfortunately, while some present good scientific arguments for their cases; others contribute to this debate with a rather comical approach. It is thus recommended that one adopts a scientific and valid approach while debating the subject of the best pet. For instance, a pet owner may have cats, dogs, fish, lizards, and bunnies and still love all of them in equal measure. Or he/she could love them in different measures depending on their services, personality, and intelligence. The scientific approach should thus compare these pets on the basis of training and housebreaking, personality, intelligence, cleanliness, and services to the owner. Of all these classes of pets, dogs and cats are easier to train although dogs are the best in this aspect of training on obedience, playing, appeasing their master, and doing tricks. On a more positive note for the cat, it does not require training to behave in a certain manner, unlike dogs, which might develop unwanted behaviors if not trained in a particular way. However, it is the obedience and respect, which dogs and cats are trained to portray towards their masters that make them the best pets (Radford 80). Among these groups of pets, cats also happen to have a personality that is closest to that of human beings. For example, cats’ communication is also a lot easier to guess compared to the other pets. Among the kinds of pest, dogs and cats are more intelligent, with cats scoring higher than dogs in this context. What is more, the cat is also cleaner than the other pets, more so dogs, with which the cats are often compared. The area of service to man however goes to the dog, which is a natural born protector for owners and their homes. Unlike dogs and cats, reptiles and bunnies have little, if any services to their masters and only need to be fed and leaned. The notion that what a pet is depends on the personality and the lifestyle of the owner is supported by the fact that reptiles such as fish and turtles have become equally famous as pets in recent times. In fact, if the latest research findings are anything to go by, there has been an explosion in the numbers of reptile pets, which have become mainstream pets in current times. Perhaps the suitability of reptiles as pets over the traditional dog and cat pets stems from their ability to fit in modern lifestyles since they are less time-consuming and thus easier to keep. Reptile pets are also relatively cheap to buy and to keep and need less upkeep than other pets. They also produce little and solid dry wastes. Conclusion Cats, dogs, bunnies, and reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and turtles are among the commonest of pets kept by man. Although people prefer different pets, whether a pet is the best depends on the pet’s nature, the owner’s personality, lifestyle, and the role of the pet. Nonetheless, dogs and cats are relatively kind and friendly compared to the reptiles. However, dogs and cats could be medically costly due to their many diseases and the need to license them. The reptiles on the other hand are easier to handle and appropriate for those who do not want affectionate pets. On the other hand, bunnies are great for those who want a pet that is there but not all over you. Generally, all pets have their pros and cons and they only require commitment from their masters to keep. Work Cited Radford, G. D. Caring for Family Pets: Choosing and Keeping Our Companion Animals Healthy, First Edition, 2011. Praeger. Read More