Before you try to compare a cat to a dog, you need to understand that both species of animals differ greatly. A cat is generally smaller than a dog. A dog can bark, and a cat can meow. Cats can climb trees, and dogs cannot…etc, etc. Because of all these differences, no one can really say, “a dog is better than a cat, because…” and vice versa as a proventruth (You may voice it aloud if you are stating it as an opinion). Although the statement above is rather impossible to say truthfully as a fact, you cannot deny that a cat is typically a much more convenient pet than a dog.
For one, cats cannot bark. This is a very good quality for a pet to have, because then you are not kept awake at night by it making a cacophony of sounds at every single random creature seen moving around outside. Also, cats are not able to irritate your neighbors in the loudness sense, because they generally do not make many powerful sounds. If your pet does not aggravate people nearbye, you do not get any rude phone calls telling you to “get your dog to shut up,” and as a result, you are much happier and at better terms with your neighbors (though you may not know it at the time).
Secondly, cats do not require walking - they know how to exercise themselves in the house, and the majority of them will come back if you let them outside. If you don’t have to take your pet for a walk, it saves you a lot of time when you could be doing something much more worthwhile. Also, when you don’t have a dog that needs to get outside, you aren’t required to pick up the waste they deposit when they relieve themselves in the middle of the sidewalk. Because of this, you are spared the embarrassment of being observed picking up and carrying your dog’s business.
As well as everything I have mentioned above, cats are very efficient, too; they can clean themselves. Dogs, especially larger ones, are unable to perform this task, so you (their owner), are compelled to do it. This can be a pain – especially when you are loaded down with your own work that needs to be done. Dogs can also acquire terrible odors when wet, but the average cat hardly smells at all. Consequently, if you do not need to give a dog a bath, you won’t get sprayed with foul water when they shake themselves dry. This will definitely keep you happy.
Lastly, cats are much more cautious than most dogs. This means that they will not eat random objects that are very bad for them, such as jump ropes or plastic bags. Since cats will not consume things that could potentially become life-threatening situations for them, their owners are spared the worry of their dog dying, the guilty feelings of putting their pet through surgery in order to get the offending item out, the expenses of all the trips to the vet, and the disgust as the dog regurgitates whatever it ate.
So as you can see, the typical cat is a much more convenient pet than the average dog and easier to look after. A cat will be able to bathe itself, it won’t need to take walks, it will be cautious, and it most certainly won’t bark. I am not attempting to imply that cats are superior to dogs in any way – that is a matter of opinion, but it is a blunt truth that they do have fewer needs than most other dogs.
During our newspaper unit, I learned all about tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, the front covers of newspapers, and a few techniques used by newspaper editors/publishers in order to sell their products. A tabloid newspaper is generally smaller than a broadsheet, and it is more of a gossip paper, whereas a broadsheet newspaper will tell you more facts about politics and world news, instead of the latest scandals. The front page of a newspaper will usually have its title and price, the weather forecast, and some interesting headings, article snippets, and pictures. Sometimes, they will also contain ads. In order to draw attention to newspaper articles to get more customers, the editors and publishers will highlight interesting words and phrases such as “scandal” and “murder” and “desperate save.” That way, when the average person is scanning the newspaper just to see if they’re interested, those words will pop out, and make them want to buy it. All in all, I discovered that there is a difference between broadsheet and tabloid newspapers, that the front covers of newspapers are generally catchy, and that important newspaper words and phrases are often put in bold to gain the readers’ attention.
Quite recently, elephants have become a big problem for farmers in Africa. These animals gorge themselves on a wide variety of human crops, toppling over fences and ignoring loud noises from the farmers all at once. One thing yet found will deter the giant creatures. Apparently, scientists have discovered that elephants are afraid of ant-covered trees.
This was discovered when researchers from the University of Florida had been studying the eating patterns of the elephants and noticed that they ate everything in their path, except one type of plant. This tree was smothered in ants. It was problematic as to which thing was driving the large animals away, so the researchers tried an experiment needed to figure out whether it was the tree or the ants. To do this, they experimented with some elephants and a couple branches from the tree---some with ants, and some without. They discovered that elephants will enjoy that specific species of tree with as much relish as with all the other plants on their menu, but when ants march into the picture, the branches suddenly seem unappetizing.
Scientists soon realized that, although most of the parts of an elephant are covered by tough, leathery skin, or stiff, bristly hair, the interiors of their trunks are soft and tender. When an elephant noses around over a tree branch covered in ants, the ants feel threatened. In defense, they’ll bite - audaciously ignoring the fact that they are small, and the elephant is big. One of the most vulnerable places for ants to pinch is the inside of the enemy’s nose - it’s most tender spot, and that’s what they aim for.
Trees can be rescued by ants. Now, researchers say it could also be possible to help save crops with ants, too—now that’s a discovery to put a swagger in someone’s footsteps!
Hirji, Zahra. "Hungry Elephants Are No Match for Fearless Ants : Discovery News." Discovery News: Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, Dinosaurs, History. Web. 09 Sept. 2010. <http://news.discovery.com/animals/hungry-elephants-are-no-match-for-fearless-ants.html>.
