Cats
People have been keeping cats for the pleasure of their company for over 7,000 years. The ancient Egyptians treated cats as incarnations of the goddess Bast, and in China they were believed to keep evil spirits away from the house. Cats are fastidiously clean animals – they keep themselves groomed and cover up their excrement. Cats kept indoors need a litter tray to use as a toilet, which needs to be cleaned regularly – you might also consider using a litter tray for indoor/outdoor cats if you find they dig up your flowerbeds. Cats may occasionally vomit up hairballs – this is normal. Cats are often neutered – this stops females producing unwanted litters and makes males less aggressive and less likely to ‘spray’ foul-smelling urine around the house.

Dogs
Dogs have been ‘man’s best friend’ since prehistoric times and millennia of breeding has led to the same species encompassing everything from the tiny Chihuahua to the meter-high Irish wolfhound.Dogs are intelligent, trainable, loyal, and have a great sense of fun. A dog is – more than most pets – a serious responsibility. Dogs need exercise – the bigger the dog the bigger the workout – and also need much more companionship than cats. If there is nobody in the house for long periods each day, then a dog is not for you. There are also the civic issues – you need to clean up after it, keep it on a leash in public places, and make sure it doesn’t attack or threaten other animals or humans.