The great pet debate: Fidos or felines?

“When you think about it, their relationship with us is based on contract-like principles. They stick around filling a need we have for companionship, and all they want is a little food and a scratch behind the ears once in a while,” Boger wrote in a 2012 Facebook post about William.

Still, cats don’t quite offer the same affection as dogs do, said Carol Andrew of CJ’s Dog Training.

“(Dogs are) unconditional. They love you no matter what,” she said.

Over the years, Andrew, 72, has owned about 15 dogs — from poodles to an Irish wolfhound, and sometimes five dogs at a time.

Her fondness for Fido is what inspired her to switch to a career in dog training.

Battle Ground, Camas, Washougal, La Center and Ridgefield handle their own pet licensing. Each city only issues dog licenses, however. Some have voluntary cat licensing.

Between those cities, more than 7,700 dogs are licensed — and only three cats.

Obtaining accurate statistical data about pets, nationally, is challenging because most information is based on estimates from surveys of pet owners.

Even still, it’s estimated there are up to 80 million dogs and up to 96 million cats owned in the United States. This translates roughly to between 37 percent to 47 percent of households having a dog and 30 percent to 37 percent having a cat, according to the American Pet Products Association.

The reason why there are more cats but more households with dogs is because cat owners tend to have more than one, whereas dog owners tend to own one.

Boger got William and Harry because cats are easier to take care of.

Cats are also smarter than dogs, he said. “Just because they can’t do tricks doesn’t mean they aren’t intelligent. They just don’t see it in their interest,” Boger explained.

In his 2012 Facebook post about William, Boger listed some pros of cat ownership.

“They respect property rights, they have a healthy skepticism about people, and they don’t come when they are called unless they think it is a good idea. They have minds of their own,” he wrote. “They don’t necessarily need you for their happiness, yet they still like it when you’re around.”

Cats may be smarter than dogs, Andrew concedes, but their independent nature may make people think otherwise, she said.

Dogs are friendly, loyal and quick learners. “They’re honest, well, most of them are,” Andrew said.

All dogs are trainable, which is part of their appeal, she said. Andrew’s 9-year-old toy poodle, Boogie, helps her teach her dog-training classes.

She said she also likes that dogs tune into people’s feelings.

“They really help people calm down when they’re really wound up,” Andrew said. “They’re kind of like your little buddies, or big buddy.”

Dogs not only provide emotional support for people who are sick or depressed, she said, they also promote physical benefits. Dogs get people out of the house.

“They motivate you to do things you wouldn’t normally do,” Andrew said.

For Vancouver City Councilman Jack Burkman, it’s impossible to choose a favorite. “I enjoy them both,” he said.

Burkman has had both cats and dogs over the years, and currently owns two Australian shepherds, Tazzy, 5, and Rusty, 8, and a Ragdoll cat, named Missy, 16.

He said he likes his cat’s independent but loving nature and the camaraderie he feels with his canines. “Cats are not partners,” he added. “No one can claim a cat. They claim us.”

Burkman said for some parents, after their kids leave home, the household becomes too quiet. Having a pet gives people a purpose in life, he said.

“For many of us, they do become our kids. That’s pretty apparent if you talk to anyone who’s had dogs or cats for a long time and then loses them,” Burkman said.

No clear winner

There may never be a clear winner between cats and dogs, but it’s safe to say that Clark County residents, like most Americans, appear to be pet people.

In 2014, Americans spent $58.04 billion on their pets and are estimated to spend about $60.6 billion by the end of this year, according to the American Pet Products Association.

The survey found people spend more on dogs than on cats. It’s unclear if that’s because dogs require more or if their supplies and care cost more.

Internet-based retailer Amazon last year unveiled a list of the top 20 U.S. cities where residents pamper their pets the most. The list is based on 2013 sales of pet-related items. Although no Clark County cities made the list, Portland ranked fifth and Seattle came in at No. 2. Seattle residents apparently bought the most pet treats, according to Amazon.

Pet owners spend so much on their animals because they are seen as members of the family, said Chief Medical Officer Lee Herold of DoveLewis Animal Hospital in Portland.

“In the United States, our culture is such that pets live in our homes and are part of our family. They are in our daily lives and not peripheral,” Herold said. “I think how much we spend on our pets shows how important they are to us. All of that spending enhances the pet’s lifestyle. … We don’t shrug them aside when things get tough, just like any other member of the family.”

Herold, who owns four cats — Bagheera, 18, Shere Khan, 18, Boromir, 7, and Jet, 2 — and a Catahoula Leopard dog, Adalaide, 8, said both types of animals provide companionship for people, especially for individuals who live alone or are elderly. For families, pets teach a sense of responsibility or stewardship for children, she said.

They also enrich their owners’ lives, Herold said, by connecting them with other pet owners, promoting a sense of community.

What non pet owners don’t realize, she said, is the nuances — playing with and greeting each other — that bond pets and their owners together.

“All of the tiny things make them part of our families,” she said. “No one else can share that unless they’re in the same household with that pet.”