From emotional support to care animals, pets are very common for a person to have. Cats usually have more independence, while dogs are portrayed as protective, but these stereotypes aren’t always true. 

     There has been a rivalry between the species these last few years, expressed through shows, movies, books, and even games. In order to find some sort of victory to this rivalry, I collected a sample of people in Miami High and asked their opinions as dog and cat owners.  

 Dog Students in Miami High  

     Dogs definitely ruled this sample of 50 students. Naomi Murillo, a sophomore “dog person”, has two chihuahua-yorkie breeds. Naomi said that she was a cat person at first, but that changed when her family friend’s dog had babies, and she  adopted two of them. “I don’t know how much money I spend on them, but their food is expensive… and we have to buy a big thing for both of them,”  Naomi states. Her biggest reward from having two dogs is the kisses her younger chihuahua-yorkie breed gives her after school.  

     Elizabeth Solar, a junior “dog person”, has a half chihuahua dog breed named Leo. She says that her mom is usually the one who takes care of and spends money on him. She thinks the biggest rewards of having a dog is the company, protection, and friendship. She states, “He can be like a sound alarm. If someone breaks into our house, he barks relentlessly.” The biggest challenge is also the barking, though. She mentions that he barks whenever someone knocks on the door or visits her home, which can get loud and annoying. 

      Jayson Escobar is a sophomore “dog person” with a burning desire for a cat. He has a Shih-Tzu named Oreo. He claims that the largest challenge of having an older Shih-Tzu is the fact that he can’t play with Oreo since the dog is so tiny and old, but he enjoys sleeping with him. Jayson mentions that he wants to have a cat, and plans on adopting one with different colored eyes, also known as heterochromia, once he has the opportunity.  

 Cat Students in Miami High 

     Just like Jayson, Miami High has a fair share of cat people, too, with a total of 14 out of the 50 student sample.  Emily Matter, junior “cat person”, has two cats which are  taken care of by Emily and her dad. She has always wanted a dog, but instead got a cat when she was around eleven years old, and has been a cat person since.  

      Aaliyah Lopez, a senior “cat person”, loves cats, but has recently found out that dogs are pretty cool too. Her oldest cat, Leila, is eight years old. “We call her grandma because she is the grandmother of the rest of our cats,”  Aaliyah said. 

Emily and Aaliyah both agree that the biggest reward of having a cat is their emotional support and their cute tendencies, but they also agree that the biggest challenge of having a cat is their litter box and fecal matter. Aaliyah also mentions the possible risk of the cat getting sick or unhealthy, and the vet bills that come along with this. Emily adds that cat hair gets on everything because of their constant shedding. 

      Celine Corbea-Blanco, a junior, has a tabby cat that is only a few months old. Celine says it’s a struggle cleaning the litter box everyday because she gets lazy at times. Despite this, Athena, her cat, still serves as Celine’s emotional support. 

     Some teachers at Miami High are pet people too! Social studies teacher Mr. Rivera has two dogs, one being an American Bulldog named Lola and the other a Mini-Goldendoodle named Kara. Mr. Rivera says the biggest challenge of having dogs is having to take care of them when they get older. His American Bulldog, Lola, is thirteen years old, and he has to help her up the stairs and into his car. “It’s sad,” Mr. Rivera adds. The biggest reward, however, is their unconditional love. 

     English teacher Ms. Guerra is a dog and cat person. Her older tabby cat named Khloe is “kinda brown with stripes, and has beautiful green fluorescent eyes.” Ms. Guerra has had multiple dogs, her oldest being a Labrador named “Blackie” who lived to be around fourteen years old. Like a lot of students, Ms. Guerra admist that he biggest challenge to having pets is the cleaning, but she also mentions that the biggest rewards are their unconditional love and how sweet, fluffy and furry they are.

Pet owners at Miami High