Substantial difference between a pet cat and a pet dog

nethack

In Nethack, several roles by default start with a kitten or a small dog, chosen at random. They seem to be very similar: both have similar growth cycles and behaviors. Is there any substantial difference between them that is relevant to the gameplay? Do they behave differently, for example?

Best Answer

Kittens and little dogs are statistically identical, except for a few differences:

  1. Kittens have the M2_WANDER property, which means they wander randomly.
  2. Dogs are harder to tame at night during a full moon.
  3. When they grow up, dogs become Medium size, but grown-up cats remain Small size. The only difference is possibly squeezing through narrow cracks, and that only Medium creatures can wear shirts and armour... which I don't think animals can anyway.
  4. When they grow up, dogs weigh more than cats: 400 for a dog and 800 for a large dog, whereas the housecat weighs 200 and the large cat 250.
  5. Dogs bark, cats mew.

(Source: Nethack Wiki, and Nethack 3.4.3 source code).