I am curious as to how one would prove this without changing both sides of the equation. In other words going straight from $$\cot^2\theta + \sec^2\theta$$ to $$\tan^2\theta + \csc^2\theta$$ (or vice-versa) rather than editing both sides to meet up at a certain point as I have done in my proof.
This is my proof:
$$\cot^2\theta + \sec^2\theta = \tan^2\theta + \csc^2\theta$$
LHS: $$=\frac{\cos^2\theta}{\sin^2 \theta} +\frac{1}{\cos^2\theta}$$
$$=\frac{\cos^4\theta + \sin^2\theta}{ \sin^2\theta \cos^2\theta}$$
RHS: $$=\frac{\sin^2\theta}{\cos^2\theta} + \frac{1}{\sin^2\theta}$$
$$= \frac{{(\sin^2\theta)}^2 + \cos^2\theta}{\sin^2\theta\cos^2\theta}$$
$$=\frac{(1-\cos^2\theta)^2 + \cos^2\theta}{\sin^2\theta\cos^2\theta}$$
$$=\frac{\cos^4\theta + \sin^2\theta}{\sin^2\theta\cos^2\theta}$$
$$\begin{align} \cot^2\theta + \sec^2\theta &=(\csc^2{\theta}-1)+(1+\tan^2{\theta})\\ &=\csc^2{\theta}+\tan^2{\theta} \end{align}$$