dogs are better than cats

no

Though I myself own both a dog and a cat, I must negate that "dogs are better than cats".

I will allow my opponent to start with an affirmative case.

Resolved: Dogs are better than Cats
I have 8 main points to my case

1) Dogs can learn to do tricks better and faster
2)Dogs can save lives
a. Example: Police dogs, Fire Dogs etc.
3)Dogs help keep drugs out of America
a. Drug dogs are used to help find dogs
4) A dog's sense of smell is amazing and can help Investigators
5) There are hundreds of breeds of dogs-which means more variety for the owner to pick from
6) Dogs are man's best friend
7) Dogs can fetch, swim, and run in races
8) Dogs help people who are blind to function in everyday life
9) Dogs give comfort to the sick
10)Dogs are a great companion for lonely people

First, I will present my own case.
1) Cats are generally cleaner than dogs.
You will never have to give a cat a bath. This is because they clean themselves [1].
2) Cats are generally better looking than dogs.
This is because "whereas dogs have been bred for utility, cats have been bred solely for appearance" [2].
3) Cats do not require a human to exercise.
The cat owner does not have to feed their cat.
4) Cats are significantly quieter.
Dogs bark loudly when they are bored or insecure, but dogs are just prone to barking [4]. Cats make sounds that are much quieter and pleasing to the human ear [1].
5) Cats are easier to clean up after.
This is because they use a litter box [1]. Dogs pee to mark their territory[6] and are picky about where they poop[5].
6) Dogs can not be left home on vacation.
Unlike dogs, cats are independent and "will not be traumatized" if they are left alone when their owners are on vacation [1].
7. Dogs submissively urinate [7].
8. Cats are more intelligent than dogs [8].
9. Cats will not beg their owners constantly for food [8].
10. Cats show their affection better.
This is because they choose to purr and rub themselves against their owners [1]. Dogs, on the other hand, lick their owners. This lick is unsanitary because dogs will lick their privates and eat other dog's poop [9].

Now, I will address my opponent's points.
First, I would like to assert that keeping drugs out of America is not a good thing. Arresting a man for pursuing his own happiness is a violation of god-given rights, as defined in the American Declaration of Independence [10]. In pursuing his own happiness without any cost to others, the man is arrested.
Dogs have been put to the use of destroying human rights and jailing innocent human beings.

Second, I would like to point out that many of my opponent's points also apply to cats. These include his second, fifth, seventh, ninth, and tenth points.

Third, I would like to point out that my opponent's sixth point, that "Dogs are man's best friend" is just a saying and has absolutely no meaning in this debate.

After eliminating the points aforementioned, we can see that there are only ideas regarding what dogs can be trained to do. Cats can be trained just as easily as dogs; however, they must be trained using different techniques because they think differently [2] [11]. Cats, being more intelligent than dogs [2][8][11], are capable of learning a plethora of tricks [11] and can be trained to do anything a dogs can do.

In conclusion, cats are lower maintenance, give better affection, and are more intelligent than dogs. Cats can be trained to do anything a dog can do. Dogs are used to destroy human rights. Therefore, cats are better than dogs.

Sources:
[1] http://therealowner.com...
[2] http://www.messybeast.com...
[3] http://dixiemeows.com...
[4] http://dogbarkinghelp.com...
[5] http://www.petplace.com...
[6] http://wiki.answers.com...
[7] http://www.petplace.com...
[8] http://www.articlesbase.com...
[9] http://www.seefido.com...
[10] http://www.archives.gov...
[11] http://www.messybeast.com...

Now i will refute my opponet's case:
1) Any animal has to clean themselves, or be cleaned. Giving a dog a bath, or sending them to the vet to get a bath is no big deal.
2) Who are you to say that cat's are better looking? Do they have "cat shows"? no they have dog shows. You can't present your opinion as fact.
3) You claim the cat owner doesn't have to feed their cat? I dont know what kind of a owner you are, but you have to FEED your pets. Its considered animal cruelty when you don't give them food. Where are they to get this food?
4) Cat's "meow" at everything. And they are quite annoying, and almost every cat it prone to shedding badly, wheras you can find a type of dog that is quiet and does not shed.
5) You don't have to clean up a dog's pee when it is outside.
6) If cat's can live without humans...it must mean they don't love you as much right?But dogs can be let home. There are things called OUTSIDE dogs.
7) Cats urinate too. So did you when you were little. You can train a dog, just like a cat is trained to use the litter box.
8) In what instance is cats more intelligent. Dogs can be trained to do hundreds of tricks and to help out police and people who need help. This is intelligence.

Now on to my case:
1) seriously? you are saying keeping drugs in America is ok? So, you are for people ruining their lives and harming others when they are under the influence of drugs? This is an invalid point. So, if I was pursuing my own happiness" was to go around killing people, is this correct? No.

2) Dogs can be trained to do things that are useful- i.e. seeing eye dogs, fire dogs, drug dogs, and police dogs. What are cats able to be trained to do? Poo in a litter box and chase a mouse toy.

-In conclusion I've proven how my case is best, and dogs are indeed better than cats.

I will start with the negative case.

1) My opponent may consider not giving an animal a bath to be a big deal, but this is considerable labor that must be taken into consideration.
2) Actually, there are cat shows [1]. Again, it was not my opinion that cats are better than dogs; it is a fact that dogs were not bred for looks, while cats were [2].
3) I apologize for the wording, but it should be semi-obvious that I meant "The cat owner does not have to exercise their cat." My opponent did not object to "Cats do not require a human to exercise", so I assume this point was conceded.
4) There are types of cats that do not shed, just as there are types of dogs that do not shed. My opponent's rebuttal is void.
5) Dogs that defecate outside have to be cleaned up after in some neighborhoods, so my opponent's objection is, again, void. One must also consider the labor required to take the dog outside regularly.
6) There are outside cats as well, so my opponent's objection is, again, void. Feline independence is not due to their hating their owners.
7) Again, my opponent ignores the labor required to walk the dog to its favorite spot.
8) Again, cats can be trained to do anything a dog can do; however, intelligence studies (sourced last round) have found cats significantly more intelligent.

My opponent also dropped two of my points.

On to the final blow to the affirmative case:
1) Unlike murder, there are no victims in drug use; therefore, my opponents objection is entirely nonsensical. Dogs are put to the use of enforcing purely victim-less crimes and in this action, violate basic human rights.
2) Again, a cat can be trained to do anything a dog can be trained to do. This includes helping the blind "see" [3].

My opponent concedes the rest of her points.

Because my opponent has dropped all of case except the government's enforcement of laws of tyranny and abilities that apply to both cats and dogs, the resolution can not be affirmed. Further, I have provided a plethora of reasons to negate.
Vote CON.

[1] http://www.cfa.org...
[2] http://www.messybeast.com...
[3] http://www.animalliberationfront.com...