Cleanliness in Cats and Dogs

Question
Hello. I hope you are the right person to ask this type of question.

I had a question about the cleanliness of cats and dogs. I am hearing two different things about this. Some people say cats are cleaner than dogs, and others say dogs are cleaner than cats. Which is true? I happen to think they are both equal, but I could be wrong. The people that say dogs are cleaner always mention cats licking their private areas, eluding to the fact that this is one of the main reasons cats are dirtier. A science teacher mentioned this as well, saying that "Cats are filthy." He also mentioned how indoor cats go in and out of their litter boxes, and when they go to cover their, well, how do I say this, "bodily wastes", they get it on their paws then walk through the house... Then again, dogs do some pretty gross things as well.

Also...Do you know why it is dogs have that odor about them, and what it is that causes this odor? Only once have I met a dog that did not have that "dog smell", and actually acted more like a cat in his bathing habits, etc. I have never been too fond of dogs because of their smell, and their slobbering as well.

I am really puzzled about these things. If you could answer my questions, it would be greatly appreciated.

Answer
Both dogs and cats are clean.  Personally I think cats are cleaner because they are always grooming and cleaning themselves.  Since most cats are indoors, there is little for them to "get in to" to make themselves dirty.  Dogs often go outside and roll in the grass, leaves, mud, etc.  Both dogs and cats lick their privates after they go to the bathroom to clean themselves because they can not "wipe" with paper like we do.

Dog smell can be due to many things and usually an underlying illness like ear or skin infection or dental disease will cause an odor.  And since dogs do not clean themselves like cats it is necessary to bathe them much more often.