We had both cats and dogs when I was growing. For most everyone else in my family though, the dogs were the pets while the cats were barn cats. Except when one of them had kittens, none of my brothers paid much attention to the cats. Except, once in awhile, in the winter, no one fed the cats. I grew up on a farm and we had a large barn which, with the cows and the horses, was pretty warm all winter, so they weren't out in the cold and, since they surely weren't starving, I imagine there were enough mice and other critters to keep them fed.
While I liked the dogs (we had two, Wags and Freckles), I made friends with the cats, getting to know their individual quirks. My mom wouldn't allow any animals in the house, but one of them would come up to my third-story window, and I'd let her in at night. She was in my room one day when we all went somewhere, I don't remember where, and when we got home, the cat had had kittens in the middle of my parent's bed. My mom tried to be angry, but everyone could see the humor in it.
As an adult, I have only had cats. Although I like dogs well enough, in the beginning, when I lived in apartments, cats were easier to keep and later, of course, my cats wouldn't appreciate me getting a dog. My two older cats are 24, and I have had their mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, whom someone dropped off in my porch one day.
I wouldn't mind having a dog, but probably never will.
