When I was about 7-years-old, our family got a cat. I named him Evan because, for some reason, on our way to pick him up we drove past a 7/11 station and I immediately thought of the name. He was long-haired, gray, and had the most piercing yellow eyes I'd ever seen on an animal. It would've been almost creepy if he wasn't so darn cute.
As the years went by, Evan and I became inseparable. I think once I even tried to take him to school and my father caught me as I was getting out of the car. Ridiculous, I know. I was attached to that furry little feline at the hip.
As my younger brother grew older, my parents decided that it would be a good idea to get him a dog. He was obsessed with Transformer movies at the time, so he named our cairn terrier after Shia Lebouf's Chihuahua, Mojo.
When we went to pick him out, Mojo was playing by himself in a corner while all of his brothers and sisters were clamoring to get to my dad, waiting to be played with. When my father walked up to him, he cowered for a moment, tentatively sniffed his hand and then licked it. My father, without hesitation, said, "he's the one."
During the car ride home, he sat in my lap. He looked at me, so I started petting his ear. He immediately rolled over onto his back, baring his belly. I scratched it, and he started to whine (for those of you who have never had a terrier, they are very talkative. They whine all the time, even when they're happy). That day, he followed me around the house, mirroring my every step. I continued to pet and play with Evan, but Mojo was persistent, so, I eventually started to play with him too.
While he was a puppy, he slept in a kennel. When he got older, my parents decided to let him sleep in my little brother's room. The first night, they put him on Jackson's bed and shut the door. A few seconds later they heard a scratch—it was Mojo, asking to get out by scratching his claws on the door frame. They opened the door, thinking that he wanted to go into his kennel, but instead he walked down the hall and scratched on my bedroom door. I opened it, and he walked inside, jumped on my bed, and immediately fell asleep. My brother was devastated, but my parents decided to let Mojo stay in my room for the night.
As the nights went on, Mojo continuously followed me around and slept on my bed. Jackson, my brother, fought with me about it for years. Sometimes he would win and mom would let Mojo sleep in his room, but Mojo would always end up scratching the door, someone would open it, and he would waltz into my room.
Eventually, we became inseparable. I would bring him to friends' houses when I hung out with them, I'd sometimes skip doing activities altogether just to spend time with him, and he slept on my bed every night. He became my best friend. I loved Evan, but Mojo was the best thing that ever happened to me.
As someone who has owned both a cat and a dog, I have near-constant arguments with people over whether dogs or cats are better. In my opinion, dogs are better. They always want to see you, they are born with an unconditional love for you, and you can take them virtually anywhere with you. They're the epitome of all that it means to love another being as much as, or more than, you love yourself.
To finally put an end to this ceaseless argument, I've decided to consult science: Which species is truly a better companion?
Historically speaking, felines are the stronger species. According to a recent study wherein scientists studied fossils, felines were proven to be the most resilient of the two species. Apparently, cat species from around the world successfully beat out 40 different dog breeds over the course of a few evolutionary cycles.
However, according to a recent article by Business Insider, dogs are better companions than cats.They are scientifically proven to make you laugh more, they inspire more interpersonal human interactions than cats, they can sniff out cancer, they are more capable of being technologically savvy than cats, and studies have shown that they are more likely to keep you fit. A study recently showed that children who are exposed to more "dog dust" are less likely to develop asthma or allergies, and dogs can help the elderly, and pretty much everyone else for that matter, feel less depressed overall.
So there you have it, folks. Cats are the stronger species from an evolutionary standpoint, but dogs will forever hold our hearts.
Love you, Mojo.
