My aunt's puppy literally ate the wooden stairs in her house. He wasn't left alone for long.

My cat did destroy a futon mattress by peeing on it. When you get a cat put waterproof covers on all mattresses.

This is OP and after reading these responses I'm leaning toward a small-med size dog young adult dog. The problem with cats, as far as I can tell, is that it's harder to change bad behavior because they do want they want and you can't watch them 24 hrs a day. We tried everything with the peeing problem and are still dealing with trying to eliminate the odors long after the cat is gone.

Cats are gross. No matter how much you think otherwise, your house *does* smell like cat and litter and any visitor can tell the moment they step through the door. Dogs are gross too, but some non-shedding small ones that are frequently bathed are tolerable. Big dog, big mess.

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.

Everybody says this but you simply have to shovel it out frequently, into a small foot-operated covered trash can. I enjoy keeping it clean and I'm far from a neatnik. Call me nuts but I clean it out maybe 4 times a day just because I enjoy it. It never gets out of hand that way.

Or you may be noseblind to it

I've had both and the cats did more damage. If you are doing what you should, dogs can be contained and redirected, cats will just destroy whatever in the eff they want.

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 dog has caused zero damage and we’ve had her since a young puppy. I still have to look at the claw shredding from a car I had 10 years ago n

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.

Everybody says this but you simply have to shovel it out frequently, into a small foot-operated covered trash can. I enjoy keeping it clean and I'm far from a neatnik. Call me nuts but I clean it out maybe 4 times a day just because I enjoy it. It never gets out of hand that way.

We have 2 cats - both one year old. We got the robo litter box which essentially eliminates the scent issue, and you don’t have to scoop litter. It also accommodates multiple cats. Once we found scratching posts they loved they don’t scratch furniture anymore. We even took them to our vacation house this summer and they didn’t scratch one thing bc we ordered more of their favorite scratch pads. Finally, we clip their nails. If you can get cats with mellow personalities (find a good rescue and see how they are with the foster family) they can be very easy and low maintenance pets. I have had dogs as well, and they were probably less destructive but one had behavioral issues and in general they were a lot more work because dogs just need more.

I’ve had both and would generally say dogs cause more damage..:

Cats (2, in their teens, had since they were kittens): scratched up one armchair, had 2 peeing outside the box phases which we were able to resolve in a few weeks time with no permanent damage or excessive cost). For the pee, we used natures miracle, kept them out of the area, addressed the issue with litter box causing the issues, then rented a steam cleaner for carpet and let cats back in. No more peeing.

Dog (11mos): chewed a corner of an upholstered ottoman- ruined, scratched up several doors (she jumps and tries to open them with her paw), chewed up one dining table chairs leg, chewed up the trim on the pantry door, has knocked over a baby gate several times in a very physical manner resulting in minor wall damage, has chewed up the irrigation 2 times which needed repairing

Now, most of the dog stuff stopped months ago so I do think the small puppy phases is where most things happen. We have trained her and she listens much better now but still...

The main issue with cats tend to be severe peeing issues that are not resolvable. We’ve been lucky and not had those.

Anonymous wrote:Cat owner 45 yrs and never had issue with peeing outside litter box. They do this if litter box is not cleaned in a timely fashion or they have other weird issues. I wouldn’t put up with that nasty cat pee smell for a second. Some dogs really smell. I have friends who own labs and their houses stink.

I grew up with labs and adore them, but will never get one because of the smell.

I love cats and would love to have one, but I remember how angry my mom always was at our cat when I was growing up because she clawed the furniture. It didn't matter how many scratching posts or what types we bought her or the anti-scratch guards used, the cat loved the furniture and found a way.

Because of this, I've always had dogs.

My cats have caused more damage to furniture — only one scratches it and she did not start until she was 10 years old. Sisal scratchers help.

My dogs have caused damage to hardwood floors just by walking on them.

We have two cats and recently got a dog. The dog just takes the damn cake with everything.

Smells: litter boxes smell right after they go, and if you don't change the litter enough. Odor is pretty much eliminated with an air purifier that we keep next to them. We have never had an issue with them going outside the litter box. Cats themselves don't actually smell--they keep themselves clean and they smell nice. The dog, on the other hand, just makes everything she touches have a dog smell. We have to vacuum and shampoo furniture/rugs and wash anything she touches pretty regularly to keep it manageable. And she gets baths regularly.

Destruction: cats will scratch furniture and can really screw it up, but if get the right fabrics then it's fine. We learned the hard way--microfiber/velvet only! Puppies will chew ANYTHING but you can train it out of them. Of course our dog chewed up some stuff before we got her to stop (rugs, the couch, a baseboard, some chairs). She doesn't do it anymore and we feel pretty good that if we replace the stuff she chewed, it won't happen again. But the puppy stage is brutal!

General cleanliness: As I mentioned above, cats bathe themselves and don't smell. Ours don't go outside so they don't bring anything in. Dogs go outside and get dirty and track in dirt/mud/leaves/etc. So much harder to keep the house clean.

Of course I think all of our animals are worth their messes because they're adorable and sweet, and if you are diligent about cleaning your house and training the dog you can manage it just fine. But now you know what to expect!

Cat owner 45 yrs and never had issue with peeing outside litter box. They do this if litter box is not cleaned in a timely fashion or they have other weird issues. I wouldn’t put up with that nasty cat pee smell for a second. Some dogs really smell. I have friends who own labs and their houses stink.

Depends on the size of the dog! A large breed can cause 1000s in damage if you have expensive furniture. My husbands last dog chewed the plantation shutters which cost 1000s. She also had accidents that destroyed travertine tile floors. The urine penetrates natural stone and hardwood and you can’t get the smell out. Our new very large breed dog has literally tried to chew very expensive furniture rt in front of me! I have to watch her 24/7 because I know the damage she can cause in seconds. She literally tried to bite the drawer in my brand new expensive kitchen. Her teeth left a huge mark. I know if I left her alone all day it would cost thousands. On the other hand I also have 3 cats that use their litter box. I chose tight woven fabrics they don’t claw at. Stay away from linens, silks and leather. They are left alone daily with zero issues. I would not keep a cat that pees outside the litter box but luckily have never had that issue. So either a small dog or a cat.