I’m sorry
cats: horrifying and unpredictable. claws. hates you and people find that charming? my human family already dislikes me why would I want a pet that does too.
dogs: 100 pound freight train love missile whose obsessed with you and may eat an intruder as a little treat.
I will stick to my 2 love missiles who scream at me when I don’t give them enough attention thank you I know where their loyalties lie. I know they like me.
Also their claws aren’t scary.
I think if you asked me “man or bear” about sleeping in a room with a cat I’d have to think about it.
your phobia is not an objective evaluation of an entire species of domesticated animal
my cat is exactly as you describe your dogs: a "love missile who screams at me when I don’t give him enough attention thank you I know where his loyalties lie. I know he likes me." My cat follows me into the bathroom and cries if I don't move the shower curtain so ha can sit next to me on the tub. His claws are not scary. He flops onto the bed and gives me sad eyes until I rub his chin.
MEANWHILE, I don't want to be anywhere near an 100 pound animal that "may eat an intruder as a treat". Dogs are horrifying to me. I can't read their needs, every sound they make sounds like they're about to bite me, their teeth are terrifying and there are dozens of stories of people minding their own business getting mauled by pet dogs. I don't know why people find dogs charming.
but I'm not going to insist they're objectively terrible and they are actually unpredictable and everyone needs to be as scared of dogs as I am. Because that's stupid. if either dogs or cats were inherently awful bestial monsters they wouldn't be incredibly popular pets
