Cats vs Dogs

Summary

Smash Boom Best: "Cats vs. Dogs"

Podcast: Smash Boom Best – A Funny, Smart Debate Show for Kids and Families
Host: Molly Bloom
Debaters: Tom Weber (Team Cat) and Nancy Yang (Team Dog)
Judge: Oscar Wolf
Release Date: May 31, 2018

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Episode Overview

In this lively and humorous episode, the classic showdown—cats vs. dogs—gets the Smash Boom Best debate treatment. Debaters Tom Weber and Nancy Yang passionately argue for their species of choice, with young judge Oscar Wolf, purportedly pet-neutral, deciding which is truly the best pet. The episode features rounds of fact-based arguments, playful challenges, and creative thinking, perfect for families and kids who love to take sides—or just learn how to craft better arguments.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening Arguments and Personal Perspectives

• Early anecdotes highlight the quirks of both pets (eg: getting scratched by a cat while snuggling [00:00], debate about the ability to play with cats vs. dogs [00:41-01:05]).
• Judge Oscar establishes himself as a neutral party with only fish-owning experience, primed for unbiased judgment [01:44-01:59].

2. Round 1: Declaration of Greatness

Team Dog: Nancy Yang [04:32]

• Asserts that dogs’ unconditional love and lack of judgment make them better pets.
• Dogs help humans live longer: Studies show dog owners have lower risk for certain heart diseases and lower cholesterol [05:01].
• Health benefits for babies: Exposure to dogs might train developing immune systems, potentially preventing illnesses (the “hygiene hypothesis”) [05:20].
• Community builders: Dog owners are more likely to know their neighbors and make friends [05:47].
• Stories of loyalty and heroism:
  • Hachiko, the loyal dog who waited for his deceased owner every day for 10 years [07:01].
  • Working dogs: Sniffer dogs, search and rescue, service animals, and dogs that delivered medicine during the 1925 Nome diphtheria outbreak [07:44-08:12].
• “Can you imagine a cat doing that? No. No way.” – Nancy Yang [08:12]

Judge’s Reaction:
Oscar is moved by Hachiko’s story:

“That thing about the dog always coming back for its owner… it showed how much dogs can love and how much emotion.” [08:20]

Team Cat: Tom Weber’s Rebuttal [08:49]

• Cats also lower blood pressure when they enter a room.
• Cats make friends, especially through sharing cat videos online.
• “Some people need to be judged every now and then, and that's not the worst thing in the world.” [09:05]

Team Cat: Tom Weber’s Declaration [09:31]

• Cultural domination: Cats are internet icons, with a higher estimated pet population in the U.S. than dogs [10:06-10:16].
• Mystery and independence: Unlike dogs, cats domesticated themselves; people serve cats, not the other way around [11:26].
• Historic reverence: Cats were worshipped in ancient Egypt, mummified alongside pharaohs [11:48].
• Superior hunters and senses: Cats hear even higher frequencies than dogs [12:23].
• Failed attempts at “usefulness”: Belgians tried using cats for mail delivery; the CIA tried to train spy cats. Both efforts failed because “you can't tell me what to do” [12:48-13:27].
• The magic of purring: The science behind purring is still mysterious; it may even help bone density and healing, with an effect on their own recovery [13:54].
• Closes with: “Cats rule. Dogs drool.” [14:09]

Judge’s Reaction:
Oscar is surprised to learn cats are more popular pets and intrigued by the science of purrs:

“I had no idea about that…that cats were actually the more popular pet…also, the thing about purrs at the end.” [14:18]

Team Dog: Nancy Yang’s Rebuttal [14:43]

• Challenges the popularity claim about cats.
• Argues cats only entertain online because “they have nothing else to do but star in cat videos.” [15:03]

3. Round 2: Micro Round — "If Your Animal Ruled the World" [16:34]

Debaters imagine a world run by their pet species:

Team Dog (Nancy):

• People would “live in the now,” be less stressed, and more forgiving—mirroring dog behavior [16:59].
• “They are givers… think about if dogs said we had to spend our time trying to make other people happy, everyone would smile more and we'd all be a lot nicer.” [18:00]

Team Cat (Tom):

• Less online divisiveness, “more cats online—which can’t be a bad thing!” [17:13].
• Mandatory napping and higher furniture for climbing (“sign me up!”); social seating on public transportation (“sit all over each other”) [17:42, 18:14].

Judge’s Quick Response:
Oscar quickly assigns his point (“Okay, I know this one”) [18:47], indicating both presentations were strong but one resonated instantly.

4. Round 3: Sneak Attack — "By Any Other Name" [19:02]

Debaters invent new names for their species and for the opposing team’s:

• Tom (Cats):
  • “Dignified house lion”
  • “Awesome purr machine”
  • (Dogs:) “Slobbery mouth breather” [20:12-20:24]
• Nancy (Dogs):
  • “BFFs” (best friends forever)
  • “Good boys, good girls”
  • (Cats:) “Rascally… now go away demons!” [20:29-20:48]

Light-hearted teasing highlights the personalities of both pets.

5. Final Round: The Final Six [21:23]

Tom (Cat):

“Humans want to act like cats.” [21:25]

Nancy (Dog):

“Dogs are happy. Cats are grumpy.” [21:31]

Oscar silently tallies his final point.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On dog loyalty:
  “That was just really convincing and persuading because it showed just how much dogs can love and how much emotion.” — Oscar [08:20]

• On cats’ independence:
  “Cats kind of decided to live where they wanted, eventually indoors, and we went along with it. You could argue that cats tamed and trained us.” — Tom [11:26]

• On internet cat stardom:
  “The Museum of the Moving I.M. New York had an exhibit a few years ago called ‘How Cats Took Over the Internet with their Awesomeness, Obviously.’” — Tom [10:40]

• On the failed cat spy experiment:
  “The CIA once tried to enlist cats to help eavesdrop. ...The experiment ended when the cat was hit by a car. ...The cat sacrificed itself to declare, ‘You're not the boss of me.’” — Tom [12:51]

• Kid Judge Oscar’s dilemma:
  “Every round was really close. And my final result is… Dogs win.” [21:52]

• Tongue-in-cheek accusation of bias:
  “Can I just say that Oscar's last name is Wolf, which is a kind of dog. I'm not saying anything.” — Tom [22:26]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening and Icebreakers: 00:00 – 02:13
• Judging Neutrality Established: 01:44 – 01:59
• Declaration of Greatness (Dogs): 04:32 – 08:12
• Oscar’s Response (Dogs): 08:20 – 08:41
• Rebuttal (Cats): 08:49 – 09:20
• Declaration of Greatness (Cats): 09:31 – 14:09
• Oscar’s Response (Cats): 14:18 – 14:36
• Rebuttal (Dogs): 14:43 – 15:13
• Micro Round – If Your Animal Ruled the World: 16:59 – 18:36
• Sneak Attack – Alternative Names: 19:02 – 20:55
• The Final Six: 21:23 – 21:35
• Oscar Announces Winner: 21:52 – 21:59
• Oscar Explains His Choice: 22:11 – 22:25

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Final Results and Reflections

• Oscar, the judge, found both sides persuasive but was ultimately swayed by the positive, loving qualities of dogs.
• “The world needs more love.” — Molly and Oscar, agreeing that dogs bring out the best in people [22:24].
• The show emphasizes that debate is fun, that everyone can learn to defend their opinions, and that you can vote for your own winner on their website.

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Conclusion:
This energetic, fact-packed episode delivers a delightful back-and-forth between the virtues of cats and dogs, with plenty of kid-friendly humor. Both debaters rely on emotional appeal, surprising facts, and playful jabs, all carefully weighed by an earnest and witty young judge. In the end, Team Dog wins—but the real victory is for families who love a good debate.

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For Further Fun:
Cast your own vote at smashboom.org and share which pet you think rules!

Transcript

[A]

I was trying to snuggle the other night with both the dog and the cat. The cat scratched my forehead because it was trying to get into the right position.

[B]

That's cause you were doing it wrong. You did it wrong. It's your fault, not the cat's fault.

[C]

From the brains behind brains on, it's.

[A]

Smash Boom Best the show for people with big opinions.

[C]

Hi and welcome. This is Smash Boom Best. We take two things, smash them together to find out which is best. I'm Molly Bloom and today we have a fierce debate battle of domesticated beasts. It's cats versus dogs. Dogs definitely because they're more playful.

[A]

Cats because it's more satisfying when you tame a cat than a dog with a cat. It's a lot more cheaper, calmer, less stressful.

[C]

You can actually like play a game with a dog.

[A]

Many people say, oh, you can't play with cats.

[C]

Yes you can, because you have cat toys. And if I had a dog, I'd.

[D]

Just be running around with my dog all the time.

[A]

But I can't really take my cats at the park.

[B]

Dogs, because dogs actually love you. Cats are just using you for food.

[A]

Cats for sure.

[B]

Because you can't hold a dog, but you can hold a cat. Hey dog, you hold a dog. They're just so awkward, you know, Cats just.

[C]

This might be our most contentious episode ever. In one corner, human's best friend, licker of faces, chewer of toys, tail wagging. Happy to see you. Always up for a game of fetch. It's dogs. And in the other corner, sleek and graceful, quiet and self sufficient, down for a cuddle. Free pest control with a cute face to boot. Its cats. Here today to judge this high stakes debate is Oscar Wolf. Hi, Oscar.

[A]

Hello.

[C]

So where do you currently stand in this age old debate?

[D]

Well, I think I'm pretty neutral here because thanks to my parents, I have had neither. I have only had fish. So I think I should be pretty unbiased here.

[C]

Excellent. So you are the perfect judge for this debate. So just to start, I mean, when I say the word dog, what jumps into your head?

[D]

Fun. Fetch. Just playing with them because they're pretty playful animals.

[C]

What about cat? What jumps in your head when I say cat?

[D]

Cats. I feel like they're much more like alone. They can play by themselves. They have more of a sense of dignity.

[C]

Excellent. Well, how about you listeners? Do you think you have a favorite already? It's the perfect time to talk it out before we get started. You can hit pause and come back when you're ready. All set. Okay. Here to represent our feline friends is cat aficionado Tom Weber. Yay. In one pithy sentence, Tom, why are cats better than dogs?

[B]

I think that cats do all the things that we humans wish we could do on a day to day basis, and that's why they're better.

[C]

Very compelling. Now, representing good boys and good girls everywhere, we have Nancy Yang on Team Dog. Team Dog. So in one sentence, Nancy, why are dogs superior?

[A]

Dogs are, at the core, just what humans want to be like. They want to be good, and that's just what dogs are. They're just goodness and it's just overflowing. They really just bring out the best in people because they are so kind and so, you know, eager to love us and be loved.

[C]

I can already tell this is going to be an amazing debate. Okay, here are the rules. We're going to hear Team Cat and Team Dog compete in four rounds of debate challenges. The first round is declaration of greatness when both sides compete for your vote using history, science and the power of persuasion. Next up is the micro round. It's a creative challenge that both teams have had time to prepare for. Round three is the sneak attack. It's a different challenge every time and our debaters have no idea what to expect. And our last round is the final six, when both teams have to make their case in six words or less. After each round, we'll ask Oscar to give a point for the most convincing side listeners at home. You might want to grab a pen and paper so you can award your own points. At the end, we'll add it all up and see who gets crowned the best ever. All right, it's time to kick this thing off with our first debate round Declaration of greatness. Both teams have come prepared to deliver a declaration of greatness for their side. We flip the coin to decide and Nancy, you're up first. Have at it.

[A]

There's a reason dogs are called man's best friend. They're full of heart and they love you unconditionally. They'll never judge you, they don't hold grudges and they think you are the best person in the world. All of this makes them a million times better than cats, who are, let's be honest, kind of mean sometimes. Oh, stay back, Kitty. Ok, so aside from personality, dogs are actually good for us too. Let me explain. Fact one, dogs may help us live longer. A recent study from Sweden found dog owners are less likely to die from certain kinds of heart diseases than people without dogs. Other studies show dog owners have lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Maybe it's because dog owners get exercise from walking and playing with their pets, unlike cat owners, who really don't have to do anything with their pets. Fact 2 Dogs love dirt, and dirt don't hurt. In fact, it might be good for babies. One study found that infants who grow up with dogs in the house are less likely to get certain illnesses when compared to those in petless homes. Bless you. The theory is called the hygiene hypothesis. When babies are exposed to dog dander and the germs brought in from the outdoors, it helps train their developing immune systems to fight off more serious stuff like bad bacteria and viruses. Fact 3 Man's best friend helps us make new friends. A study from the University of Western Australia found that dog owners know more of their neighbors than people without pets. I can vouch for this. Whenever I'm out walking my Jack Russell terrier, people stop me all the time to say things like, oh, your dog is so cute.

[C]

Thanks.

[A]

See, I'm already making friends. Oh, and another study found that if you have a dog with you, people on the street are actually more likely to help if, say, you needed some change for the bus. Because, hey, if dogs are good and you have a dog with you, then you must be good too, right? Fact 4 dogs are insanely loyal and love us with their whole hearts. They would do anything for us, even wait for us forever. Take the story of Hachiko, a Japanese Akita. He lived in the 1920s and used to go to the train station in Tokyo every day to drop off his owner and then pick him up at the end of the day. Sadly, his owner died unexpectedly at the office one day and never came back. But Hachiko refused to leave the train station and he waited there every day for 10 years. I am pretty sure no cat would ever do that. And finally, dogs are real life heroes. Heroes. They keep us safe. Working as sniffer dogs at airports and at the mall. They use their supernoses to sniff out drugs or bombs. They're also police officers. They're called in to help look for survivors after tornadoes and earthquakes. They even work as service dogs, acting as our helping hands or eyes for the visually impaired. I have never seen a seeing eye cat, by the way. Probably for a good reason. Even more amazing, some dogs can be trained to sniff out certain medical conditions like cancer or. Or if a person has low blood sugar, which can be very dangerous. Bottom line, these dogs save lives. But have you heard of the dogs that saved an entire town? It was a cold blizzardly winter in Alaska. Back In January of 1925, a deadly case of diphtheria broke out in the remote town of Nome. Because of extreme wintry conditions, no planes or ships could get medicine there, but sled dogs could. Over just five days, 150 dogs and their 20 drivers relayed the life saving serum across 674 miles in some of the worst conditions imaginable. Can you imagine a cat doing that? No. No way.

[C]

Excellent work, Nancy. The canine contingency comes out swinging. So Oscar, what fact that Nancy shared grabbed you the most, would you say?

[D]

Well, that thing about the dog always coming back for its owner, even once it its owner had already died. That was just really convincing and persuading because it showed just how much dogs can love and how much emotion. That whole argument just brought a lot of emotion and it also had a lot of science and facts behind it.

[C]

It's a very touching story. So, Tom.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

You get 30 seconds to counter all of those facts and emotions. So your rebuttal starts now.

[B]

Well, on living longer, I would point to stats that also show that when a cat enters a room, your blood pressure goes down. That's worth. Not making friends is very easy to do if you have a cat, especially if you make videos of them and post them online. And this whole thing about not judging from the perspective of dogs, can we all just face it? I think some people need to be judged every now and then and that's not the worst thing in the world. And blind loyalty. What has that ever gotten us in the world?

[C]

Thank you, Tom. Now everyone keep cool. Don't make up your mind just yet, because Team Catch is on the prowl. Tom, take it away. Uh, Tom.

[B]

Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. I was too busy watching cat videos on my phone. Have you, have you seen this one? It's an oldie but a goodie. The cat announces his nom nom noms while eating. Do you have a favorite cat video? How about the one where a cat freaks out while watching the movie Psycho? Oh, or the one of the cat knocking the, you know, out of a printer. Classic. There are videos of cats battling rolls of toilet paper getting stuck in boxes. Or that masterpiece of a cat dressed in a shark costume riding a Roomba around the kitchen like it's totally normal. And therein lies the crux of my argument. Friends, cats are everywhere. And it's because they deserve to be. They entertain billions of humans across the globe. The Museum of the moving I.M. new York had an exhibit a few years ago called How Cats took over the Internet with their awesomeness, obviously. And, sorry, dogs. Cats are a more popular pet in the U.S. one estimate has about 94 million of them in the States, compared to 89 million dogs. And we have the videos to prove it. But I also vote Team Feline because of their mysteries. The story with dogs is they made a trade with humans. You see, scientists believe a long time ago, 10 to 30,000 years ago, humans and wolves started hanging around each other. The wolves basically said, we'll calm down and we'll domesticate if you feed us. Humans did. And over time, wolves became tamer, lamer dogs. They've been subservient ever since.

[C]

Cats.

[B]

Well, as Abigail Tucker pointed out in her book a few years ago, the lion in the Living Room, we're not so sure such a grand bargain exists with cats or that humans had any choice in the matter. Cats kind of decided to live where they wanted, eventually indoors, and we went along with it. You could argue that cats tamed and trained us. It's no wonder the ancient Egyptians thought cats were gods. In ancient art from that culture, they're depicted in paintings. And some cats were mummified, much like the powerful people of the era. Oh, and in terms of hunting, cats win paws down. When you see a cat pounce on a stuffed mouse, it's digging into the DNA of what it means to be a cat. And for all the talk about how dogs can hear things that humans can't, it turns out cats can actually hear to a higher range than dogs. You just don't hear about cat whistles because cats won't come to you. They've got other stuff to do. Cats ears also always point towards the noise. Try it snap or tap a table and watch at least one of your cat's ears move. Given all these super traits cats have, it makes sense to try to harness the power. The people of one small town in Belgium tried to train cats to deliver mail in the 1800s. It didn't last long. Cats weren't into it. They were like, you can't tell me what to do.

[C]

Come here, kitty. Come on.

[B]

The CIA once tried to enlist cats to help eavesdrop. They actually implanted a recorder into a cat, hoping it would walk past a bench where two people were talking. The experiment ended when the cat was hit by a car. It's a sad outcome, but an important one if you ask me. The cat sacrificed itself to declare, you're not the boss of me. And we humans love it. Remember the saying, dogs have owners. Cats have staff, and Let me conclude with one final point about their intrigue. One of the big mysteries that remains in this world is the cat's purr. For all the research that's been done about the purr, there's still a lot of debate on both how and why they do it. Is it because they're content or sleepy or about to attack or just mugging for the camera? There's no super conclusive answer. Some cats are found to purr when they're stressed out. The frequency of a purr has been shown to increase bone density and promote healing. And because of this, some researchers think the vibrations created by a purr might actually help a cat recovery. How cool is that? Cats rule. Dogs drool.

[C]

Meow. Those are some purty good points.

[B]

See?

[C]

So, Oscar, what is your favorite fact from Tom's argument?

[D]

Well, the whole thing about purrs at the end, I had no idea about that. I thought they just sort of, like, you know, purred. There was no real reason. And then at the beginning, I had no idea that cats were actually the more popular pet than dogs in America. I just assumed it was dogs.

[C]

I didn't know that either.

[B]

See, you learn things here.

[C]

Now, Nancy, you get 30 seconds to bark back.

[A]

This whole thing about cats being a more popular pet, that's really suspicious to me, because you know what? I would need to check those numbers again, because that's a number that's a little suspicious to me. But going into this cat video about, you know, cats dominating. People are so entertained by cat videos. That's because they have nothing else to do but star in cat videos. They're not out saving the world. They're not out being bomb sniffers. You know, they have nothing to do but sit and entertain people by being in a video. So, you know, you might as well put them to work that way, because they're not gonna work for you any other way. Cats are just there for themselves.

[C]

Thank you, Nancy. Well, that is it for round one. Well done, both sides. Now, Oscar, this is the hard part. You've got to award one point to the side who swayed you the most. You don't have to say it out loud. Just mark it on your paper and keep track. I know it's tough. Listeners, this is your time to do the same. We'll give you a second to think it over.

[B]

Google some classic cat videos to get the full effect of my argument, or.

[A]

Just meet any dog ever, because chances are they already love you.

[C]

And if you have an idea for an epic showdown, we want to hear about it. Go to smashboom.org to submit your idea. That's what Natasha did.

[D]

My debate idea is dragons versus unicorns.

[C]

At the end of the show, we'll find out which of these fantastical creatures Natasha is rooting for.

[D]

And since this is such a new show, we really need your help.

[C]

Please talk about, text about, shout about the show to anyone who will listen.

[D]

If you're running for Congress, why not subtly mention us in your stump speech?

[C]

The only thing to fear is fear itself. And missing out on smashboom. Best.

[D]

Thanks.

[B]

Smash.

[C]

Boom.

[D]

Best.

[C]

This is smashboom Best. We are settling the cat and dog debate once and for all. Which one is cooler, cats or dogs? I hope you've marked your point, Oscar.

[D]

Yep.

[C]

And now we're moving on to the second round. Micro round. It's the micro round. Nancy and Tom have had time to come up with answers for this one and the challenge they were given is if your animal ruled the world. This is a quick back and forth round where you each tell us why the world would be better if your pet was in charge. Team Dog, you're up first.

[A]

Dogs live in the now. They don't worry about the past or the future. They're focused on living their best life right now. And so would we. We would stress a lot less about what's happening last week or what's coming up next month.

[B]

If cats ruled the world. By the way, I'm confused about if. I'm pretty sure they already do rule the world. But if cats ruled the world, we'd have less divisive politics online and more cats online. How can that be a bad thing?

[A]

I'm going back to my first argument. Since dogs live in the now, they forgive and forget. They'll never say, oh, I don't want to play with Spot over there because he stole my bone that one time. No, they don't care. They've already forgiven Spot. We're all friends again.

[B]

If cats ruled the world, we would be required to work less and nap more. Sign me up. We'd also probably have to build things higher in each room so we could jump up and climb onto them. Gonna go climb on top of a shelf. That's how you go to sleep at night. That's just great exercise.

[C]

People.

[A]

Remember what I said about dogs wanting to make us happy? They are givers. Think about if dogs said we had to spend our trying to make other people happy, everyone would smile more and we'd all be a lot nicer. When you make someone happy, he makes you happy.

[B]

It's a win win if cats ruled the world. Keep this in mind. Cats don't respect personal space. They climb all over you with abandon. So I'm pretty sure we would all have to sit all over each other on buses and trains. This is the best way to get to know a stranger. We're gonna be all friends, people.

[C]

I would be down to live in either world, really. Except for maybe the sitting on strangers part. So how about you, Oscar? It's time for you to give a point to the better world, in your opinion.

[D]

Okay, I know this one.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

That was fast. Oh, my gosh, one of us was really convincing.

[C]

So, listeners, it's time for you to give a point as well. And you better be quick about it, because we're moving on to Ha ha hoo ha.

[B]

Sneak attack.

[C]

The sneak attack round is always a surprise, so neither side knows what's coming. Tom, Nancy, are you ready to hear your challenge?

[D]

Yes.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

It is called by any other name. Let's pretend the side you're arguing for didn't have a name. We'd like you to come up with a few alternative names for that thing. For example, if you were arguing in favor of mountains, you might rename them, I don't know, dirt mussels or raised forests. Or how about megamounds? We'll give you a second to work. We'd like you to do two names for your side and one name for the other side.

[D]

Cats and dogs. Cats and dogs and cats and dogs. Cats and dogs and cats and dogs. Cats and dogs and cats.

[C]

Dogs and cats. Dogs and cats.

[D]

Cats and dogs and cats. Dogs and cats and dogs and cats.

[B]

Bow wow wow.

[C]

Meow, meow. All right, since Nancy went first last time, let's have Tom go first with team cat.

[B]

Dignified house lion.

[C]

Ooh.

[B]

Awesome purr machine.

[C]

Excellent.

[B]

And then my.

[C]

Your dog name.

[B]

Slobbery mouth breather.

[C]

Ouch. Okay, Nancy and team Dog.

[A]

I'm gonna start with BFFs. Cause that's what they are.

[C]

Your best friend forever.

[A]

And then I'm just gonna, you know if it's a boy or girl. Good boys, good girls. That's what they are. Cause that's what they are. Cats are rascally. Never let you sleep. Pay attention to me. Oh. Now go away, demons.

[B]

Below the belt here. Oh, it's.

[A]

I mean, that's what they are sometimes.

[C]

Okay, it's time for Oscar to give another point to whichever side won that battle.

[D]

All right?

[C]

And listeners, here is your chance to do the same. Think mark a point and then we'll move on. Now it is down to the wire. We've got one last itty bitty chance to take it all. The final six. That's right, Tom, Nancy, you each get six final words to persuade us. Tom, tell us what you got.

[B]

Oscar, you ready?

[D]

I'm ready.

[B]

Humans want to act like cats.

[C]

Nancy, take it home.

[A]

Dogs are happy. Cats are grumpy.

[C]

That's it. There's nothing more to hear. Oscar, give your final point. Add it all up.

[A]

Team dog. Team dog.

[C]

Cat. Cat. Meow. Meow. All right, Oscar, who is the perfect pet companion?

[D]

All right, this was really close. Every round was really close. And my final result is. Dogs win.

[A]

Dogs. Dogs. Dogs rule. Cats drool.

[B]

I feel like I fail an entire species.

[C]

So, Oscar, what won you over?

[D]

Well, the whole thing about dogs being really nice and fun, that was really good. And then also them about, like, loving. Just all the positive emotions, really.

[C]

The world needs more love.

[D]

Exactly.

[B]

Can I just say that Oscar's last name is Wolf, which is a kind of dog. I'm not saying anything.

[C]

I'm just saying there might be some inherent bias here. You've heard which team Oscar thinks is the best, but that doesn't mean he's right. Head to smashboom.org and cast your own voice for cats or dogs. If we missed a crucial argument, let us know. And while you're interneting, don't forget to rate and review our show anywhere you can. It helps us find more opinionated people like you. And that's it for this battle of the best pets. And before we go, let's see who Natasha thinks would win in a unicorn versus dragon fantasy showdown. Dragons.

[D]

They're really cool. And there are tons and tons and tons of species of dragons, and they're really spiky.

[A]

Some of them have spikes on them.

[C]

Poor unicorns. They didn't stand a chance with this judge. Okay, debaters, you want to help me with the credits? Sure, sure. Yeah.

[B]

Smash Boom. Best is produced for American Public Media by Molly Bloom, Mark Sanchez and Sandon Tottenham.

[A]

We had engineering help today from Michael.

[C]

Osborne, and I would like to thank Ally Kaplan and Lauren D. Nancy and Tom. Do you have any special thanks you'd.

[D]

Like to to give?

[A]

I would like to thank all the dogs in the world for making the world a much better place, and especially my dog Mickey. He turns 10 this April, so say happy birthday.

[B]

I would like to thank the cats of the world for being cats and my own two cats, Yogi and Judo. Yogi is 18. He's a senior. He's very wise.

[C]

And we want to give a special thanks to the students who shared their pet preference at the beginning of the show. That's Amber Green, Selena Yang, Nadia Viega, Stacy, Daisy Garcia, Beau Kamal, Jaeger Ergot, and Ezra Axel. Thanks for listening. International West.