I have small dogs (hair not fur) and they smell very little. I'd say they don't smell at all but I guess when they are wet there is some smell. They were chewers as pups but never enough to damage anything except maybe one of our kid's toys (lesson learned!). They mostly chewed their toys. The absolute only thing they have damaged is the paint on the back door where they scratch to be let back in. We do get them groomed regularly and they have to be brushed but otherwise very little effort re: house.

I have had labs before and, as wonderful as they are, I couldn't go back and live with the huge amount of shedding and slobber.

In my opinion cats are the hardest. I grew up with cats. They are much harder to train, they scratch and pee. And I hate the litter box smell.

Both can make a house pretty gross, but a lot of it is dependent on you. I would say cats are worse because cat allergies are more common than dog allergies and once a cat has lived in a house for a few years, it has to basically be gutted to be livable for those with allergies. Cat pee smell is also horrible.

We have a dog, but we take him to the groomer once a month and are diligent about avoiding any accidents inside. That has kept our house from having a doggy smell, but I have family members with multiple dogs who don’t do these things and the houses are disgusting.

An anxious dog can definitely do a lot of chewing damage, but unless you have a really bad case that can generally be avoided by crate training and keeping a close eye on them until you know you can trust them.

I would vote for a cat too because a girl cat is very unlikely to have pee problems (it's boy cats, even if neutered, who tend to have more issues with pee.) However, the clawing things up can be a thing. You need to get some great cat scratchers, make sure you dose them regularly with catnip, and keep the nails trimmed. This means get a kitten so you can work on trimming their nails while little, so they are used to it and happy to have their paws touched.

I have a dog (a lab) and he doesn’t destroy my house…but it is exhausting cleaning up after him! The constant vacuuming. The slobber. The vomiting on my rug because he ate something weird outside. The dander and dust and muddy paws. So. I would go for a cat.

Cats are gross, and once their pee permeates the place it's all over. No thanks.

OP. Thanks all for your input. It was a cat that's the causing the need to replace our carpet (pee) and we have several pieces of furniture ruined from cat claws. We've had to get rid of a few rugs. The comment about cats being a crapshoot made me laugh.

For dogs it's a combination of luck and training.

If you want to maximize your chances not to have mess, you should get a highly trainable dog breed with a balanced temperament. A good, reputable breeder will be able to tell with some accuracy what type of personality a puppy has at around 10 weeks. You'll nee a dog that isn't more high energy or more intelligent than your lifestyle can handle, and that you train from the start, potty training, what's touchable and what's not, etc. This means close supervision for months, OP. You need to do the actual work. The easiest way is to attach the leash to your waist and the dog has to follow you around the house for a while so you get an idea of what makes them tick. They go in the crate/pen when you can't supervise them. Separation anxiety is Enemy Number 1: dogs can eat through sofas and doors when they're anxious and alone. You need to habituate them to be alone, first with treats and safe toys in their crate, then pen, then the house. It's a process that lasts more than a year.

The only time my dog was destructive is when he was an older puppy, we left him in his pen to go out, and he managed to push his pen to my husband's study and piles of paperwork. By sheer luck, he started to recycle the waste pile, not the all-important visa pile (we were applying for a visa and had a huge stack of our work, research, recommendations, etc all ready to be mailed).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never really had any major problems with either, but if I was looking for a pet right now, I'd go for a dog. I'd go for a dog because I think cats, and their litter boxes, can leave an odor in the house.

Dog smell can permeate a house just as easily. I’m living this scenario now with our new house.

You can avoid this if you get a dog that doesn't have a lot of oil in its fur like a poodle or spaniel.

Anonymous wrote:I've never really had any major problems with either, but if I was looking for a pet right now, I'd go for a dog. I'd go for a dog because I think cats, and their litter boxes, can leave an odor in the house.

Dog smell can permeate a house just as easily. I’m living this scenario now with our new house.

If you get a puppy and properly train it you won't have a problem. Cats are a crapshoot, some are great but some will scratch, pee, and poop all over your house and you can't easily train a cat.

I've never really had any major problems with either, but if I was looking for a pet right now, I'd go for a dog. I'd go for a dog because I think cats, and their litter boxes, can leave an odor in the house.

Really depends on the individual. Cats can destroy things with claws or peeing and spraying inappropriately. Dogs can chew through furniture or scratch floors with their claws. I think a small toy type breed of dog would be the least destructive, generally.

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the cat/dog. Cats get the rap for clawing, but I’ve seen dogs chew and claw through interior doors.

This. My grandmas first dog ripped wallpaper off the wall and even gnawed through baseboard. Her next dog was an angel that never set a paw out of place or destroyed a single thing. Personality matter.

Depends on the cat/dog. Cats get the rap for clawing, but I’ve seen dogs chew and claw through interior doors.

Before anyone starts to say I'm unworthy of owning a pet, let me just say that I love my kids dearly but don't want them destroying the house either. The question is prompted because we recently lost a pet we loved, but we're having to replace what had been good carpet and some pieces of nice furniture because of them. I'd be happy with either a cat or dog, but am wondering if one is harder on the house than another. It's been a long time since I've had both. Or do you just have to accept a certain amount of replacement and it varies by pet, so there's really no answer?