There is no question that the most popular pets are dogs and cats, as most pet owning households have them. Is it a coincidence the most popular pets are carnivore?
Carnivore are predators. Herbivore are prey animals. In theory, predators have to outsmart prey in order to catch them. Does it make carnivore smarter in general?
Which one do you believe make better pets?
Carnivore (predator) or herbivore (prey)?
Being on the top of the food chain, most humans seem to respect other predators or at least like them better. On Animal Planet channel, every time there was a chase going on between a predator and a prey, my mom used to swear the voice in the background was always on the side of the predator.
Most people also believe dogs and cats make the best pets. I guess they would vote for predators. I have the plan to get a cat myself, just because they are cute and can be playful, not because what they eat.
People tend to favour carnivores as pets because they tend to act as sentries around the homestead. They are more alert and defensive as compared to herbivores. The latter also have to be controlled in order on to run into danger from either predators or humans. They are also less intelligent and more likely to ruin gardens around the homestead. But they also make docile and admirable pets.
If this thread excludes cats and dogs then I would settle for a bird which is mostly herbivore. We once had a pigeon who was very affectionate. Sometimes it joins the dogs in the dining room when we are eating meals. Our pets have that habit of waiting for crumbs and scraps. We feed the pigeon grains but it also feeds on some fruits. Sometimes we give it crumbs of bread that it likes so much it would fly to be on the table.
Dogs had always been man's partner when hunting. Being descendants of wolves, they were naturally carnivore. Smaller cats as descendants of the wild cats are also carnivorous by nature. They are both largely preferred by households because they are simply more beneficial to us. Dogs guard the home from strangers and cats chase away pests. If they still prefer eating meat all the time, I doubt that many households would keep them because that would be an inconvenience to us. Fortunately for us, domesticated animals have learned to adjust to the diet man can afford to give them.