Dogs are better then cats

I believe that dogs are better than cats. The biggest reason is because of the close bonding and relationships they form with their owners. Cats choose to be more independent and rarely ever play around with their owners. Dogs are man's best friend.

First and foremost, I'd like to thank my opponent for this debate. I look forward to respectful and enlightening arguments on both sides.

There has always been a bit of debate between whether dogs or cats are preferable pets. Personally, I favor cats.
My opponent says that dogs are better, stating,
"The biggest reason is because of the close bonding and relationships they form with their owners. Cats choose to be more independent and rarely ever play around with their owners."

I strongly disagree with this premise. Anyone who has had a cat and treated it with care and respect has known most breeds to be friendly, outgoing, and very loving companions.

"Cats choose to be more independent and rarely ever play around with their owners."

This is also false. Again, some breeds are more energetic than others, but it also depends on how they are raised. A cat that spends it's formative years loved and well-socialized will almost invariably grow up to be a well-adjusted and energetic cat.
I've had cats on both ends of the spectrum, from incredibly playful to extremely laid-back. Generalizing over 100 breeds of domesticated felines as automatically aloof and independent is unfair to the myriad of cats that are known for their playfulness and loyalty. (for example, Bengals, Ocicats, and Turkish Vans, to name just a few.)

My reasons for preferring cats are as follows;

1. Cats are cleaner.
A dog, while more playful, is also much messier. Dogs need to be bathed, they do not bathe themselves. Many dogs revel in rolling around in unknown substances, from trash to grass to feces.

Speaking of feces, dogs eat their own. If a bitch gives birth to puppies, she will eat theirs, too. The reason for this is simple; In the wild, a predator will track a dog down by it's excrement. To prevent this, the dog gets rid of it the only way it knows how. Cats have the same problem, but instead choose to bury theirs.

2. Cats are easier to take care of.
Dogs require grooming, and most breeds require a lot more food than your average cat. The only way you will find a cat that eats more food than a dog is if you are comparing a Chihuahua to a Maine Coon.
Cats groom themselves, don't have to go outside, are small (therefore needing less space) and even retain the ability to hunt for their own food, in the event that you are unable to provide any.

3. Cats are more intelligent.
Surprisingly often, I hear people go on and on about how it is impossible to train a cat. Of course, the people who claim this have never actually tried.
If you treat your cat with respect and patience, it is absolutely possible to train it. The problem lies with patience, and intelligence.

A dog is much easier to train, because they are not as intelligent and more inherently social. You are his Alpha, he is your Omega, and together you are a pack. He does whatever his Alpha tells him because it's in his nature to do so. If you hit a dog, he will continue to love and forgive you indefinitely, because you are his Alpha.
If you hit a cat, he will abandon you.

Training a cat is difficult because you have to treat him as a thinking being, rather than an autonomous response. You have to give him a good reason to jump through a hoop, beyond "because I told you so".

I will also point out that cats are so intelligent, that it is actually possible to toilet train them. That remains an impossibility with canines.

4. Cats are generally more independent.

My opponent says this like it's a bad thing. The truth is, that this is actually a good thing. Your cat doesn't need you. He sticks around because he genuinely enjoys it.
Furthermore, you can go on vacation without worrying about your cat destroying everything while you're gone. Not so with dogs.

5. Dogs are too powerful.

This is especially true with large dogs. I've heard many horror stories about dogs breaking from their yards to bite and injure a stranger, or worse, miscommunications between a large dog and a toddler. It's easy to chalk this up to simply irresponsible owners. But no one could deny that these people would not have these problems with a cat.

Consider this. Your lovely Calico gets a bit too playful and scratches your arm (a situation that many cat owners are familiar with). Yes, it bleeds, and maybe it even stings a little bit.
But now consider this. Your beloved Mastiff gets a bit too playful and bites your arm. That injury requires stitches, and lots of them.
In ideal conditions, neither of these scenarios would actually happen. But we live in the real world, and they do.

In conclusion, these are some of the more practical reasons why I prefer felines over canines. I look forward to my opponent's response, and an intriguing debate.