For as long as we can remember, humanity has always debated which is better: cats or dogs. It's led to heated arguments between avid dog lovers and cat worshippers, and with each passing year of the Internet's existence, more and more visual evidence has emerged in favor of one side or the other.
Well, our selection today isn't actually intended to sway you one way or the other, but rather to convince everyone that cats and dogs are equally awesome and beautiful. So here are almost 40 incredible examples of this – just feel free to scroll through and see for yourself!
More info: Instagram
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There's an Instagram page called "Cats and Dogs of the Day," which has already collected over 2.2K photos of our pawsome furry friends and has gained unprecedented popularity thanks to these photos. Its 236K followers are further proof of this. So today, we present to you a selection of the cutest images from this page.
Of course, any of the photos presented on this page could legitimately claim the title of "The Cutest Pet Ever," so choosing wasn't easy. However, 26 of the most popular photos feature cats, 10 feature dogs, and one features a kitty and a doggo together. But who exactly is the most adorable - it's up to you, dear readers, to judge!
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People have depicted dogs and cats in their paintings since ancient times, although dogs, it must be said, appeared in human art much earlier. This is because they were domesticated several thousand years earlier, and the functions of ancient dogs made them more likely to appear in cave paintings and frescoes.
A typical theme of ancient frescoes, found in caves where ancient people lived, is hunting scenes, and it was precisely in these scenes that dogs assisted people! So it's no surprise that dogs can be found, for example, in ancient rock paintings discovered in Indonesia (they're approximately 45K years old).
And in ancient paintings recently discovered in Saudi Arabia, we can already see humans interacting with dogs. A fresco dating back 7K-8K years shows a man with a bow, with lines extending from him to several dogs, clearly symbolizing leashes.
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Cats appeared in human art way later, but their depictions already demonstrate the much higher status of these animals in human society. For example, in Ancient Egypt, cats were worshipped as gods, and one of the goddesses of the local pantheon, Bastet, even had the head of a cat and could transform into one. Ain't it a definite plus for felines?
As for the first photographs of cats or dogs, according to All About Photo, they date back to the mid-19th century, when photography was still a rare and pricey art. Photos back then were quite expensive, so the very fact that pets appeared in the photos means that people loved and cherished them - otherwise, they wouldn't have shelled out for a photographer's services.
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Either way, experts are almost certain that your pets really deserve a place in a family photo shoot, both from an artistic standpoint and to create a relaxed atmosphere during the shoot. After all, they let people, both adults and kids, relax and feel more at ease in the frame.
"Pets help you and your kids relax, laugh, and forget there's even a camera involved," Jess Marks, an Australia-based professional photographer, writes on her blog. "They are the perfect distraction to help capture those sweet, unscripted moments that make candid family photography so special."
And, of course, every cat and dog is incredibly photogenic, per se, even without posing. Just let them do their thing - and a great shot is almost guaranteed!
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Whether you're an avid dog person or a devoted cat lover, we're pretty sure this collection of nearly forty photos will keep you entertained and will definitely brighten your day! So now, please feel free to enjoy scrolling through the list, looking at these wonderful animals, and maybe add a pic of your own incredible pet in the comments below!
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