I love both but have to say people have pets for various kinds of reasons.
My family once lived with a cat for ten years when I was still a little boy. Due to the shortage of food, we often had little to feed it. It is so great that it can catch mices, sparrows and even fishes. But my mum will get it out when it carried its booties home in its mouse. I always saw it crouching on the roof quietly to seek chance for catching sparrows.