Disclaimer: I actually like cats now, after years of not appreciating their sassy-yet-cuddly demeanors. But, for the purpose of this article, they are mean little beasts.

“Are you a dog-person or a cat-person?” If you’re like most people, you immediately have an answer in mind.

“Cats rule, dogs literally drool,” thinks a cat person.

“Dogs are man’s best friend!” retorts a dog person.

There can be only one victor (in this imaginary scenario where you must choose only one), and that is the canine, the world’s best pet.

It may seem like there is a tie between puppies and kittens, because they are both so adorkably cute, but puppies are the best. Kittens are all the same size, but you get variety with puppies and their various breeds. Big puppies are just as spazzy and entertaining as the little ones.

Sure, puppies may chew, but let’s talk about some of the nasty things cats do. Cats literally litter.

Litter boxes are a pain; take it from me. When I lived in student housing in East Austin, I shared a bathroom with a girl who had a grumpy, orange cat named Callie. As the roommate who didn’t own an animal, I figured my roommate would clean the litter box however often you’re supposed to.

Instead, I learned to hold my breath when entering the bathroom because of the awful stench of decaying cat poops that always permeated the air.

I dealt with stepping on cat litter pellets every time I got out of the shower. Though I repeatedly asked her to regularly maintain her cat’s toilet cube, she stubbornly refused.

Hmmm, sounds like this cat owner had taken on much of her cat’s personality.

Cats scratch, bite and hiss, especially if you touch their stomachs, in which case they will violently maim and claw you to near-death. However, if you touch a dog’s stomach, they wag their tails and lay back in pure elation.

Dogs show unconditional love, while cats really make you work for it. Although it might be rewarding in the end to win over the affection of a cat, it takes almost no effort to receive sloppy kisses and cuddles from dogs that are loyal to the end.

I went to Zilker Park recently. With all the dogs that surrounded me, I found myself walking through the park to meet my friends with a huge grin plastered on my face. I probably looked insane, but the happiness of all those pups seemed to transfer over to me.

Watching owners shake their heads as their dogs rolled around in mud puddles made me laugh. I desperately hoped for some visits from the dogs that ran around us, and when I met a corgi-blue heeler mix puppy, my heart melted and he attacked me with puppy kisses.

Throughout my 18 years at home, I fostered multiple dogs with my mom, but we also had three permanent golden retrievers. Even though they were all the same breed, Goldie, Tripod (yep, you guessed it, he had three legs) and Amber all had very different personalities. They entertained me with their antics and showed me love constantly, as I was always petting one of them, particularly Goldie.

Amber was the last to go up to dog heaven, and although having a loved pet pass is one of the hardest things to happen for a dog lover, the years I got to spend with them is totally worth it. Dogs rule, but they also drool, and they will always be number one.