Quote:
Hitash, are you sure your friend compared the same level pets? And that he compared them with the same gear on himself?
My thoughts exactly. If the raptor was higher level, or the gear had changed (or a buff wore off, like Blessing of Kings or something), the pet's TT-DPS would be different.
In truth, the difference between raptor, cat, and ravager is so subtle that it really doesn't matter unless you're an end-game raider and are into some serious min-maxing on DPS. The ravager has a
slight edge, not due to stats but to Gore. Gore has a 50% chance to do double damage. Claw does not. Thus Gore > Claw. If ravagers used claw, the choice would all come down to aesthetics.
According to
this article on Petopia (the chart in question is all the way at the bottom):
Cats have +10% dmg, base armor, and -2% health.
Raptors have +10% dmg, +3% armor, and -5% health.
Ravagers have +10% dmg, +5% armor, and -7% health.
They all have the same damage modifier (bear in mind, that's only as compared to the baseline pet, the Sporebat). The difference comes down to the pet's skills. Raptors were less desireable for a long time because they couldn't learn Dash, and cats could. That changed a patch or two ago, and there's now no difference in skills between a cat and a raptor (well, aside from Prowl).
It also can come down to your own playstyle and gear/talent specs. If you're a deep Marksmanship build with Go For The Throat and a high crit, a windserpent with Lightning Breath might be best for you.
If your friend is happy with a raptor, let him be. The difference is insignificant unless you're raiding Black Temple or Mount Hyjal.