are-cats-smarter-than-dogs

Rivalries have existed in various cultures for as long as we can remember. Coke vs. Pepsi. DC vs. Marvel. Windows vs. Mac. And one of the most famous ones is the rivalry between cats and dogs. Pet owners can get fierce in debating that their own respective dog or cat is better than the other. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses. But when it comes to brain power, which species is the smarter one? It’s time to find out and settle the score once and for all — which is the smarter animal, a cat or a dog?

 

Does Size Matter?

If brain size is an indicator of intelligence, then the bigger the brain, the smarter the creature should be. In this scenario, dogs have the bigger brain than cats. But does it make them smarter? Brain size isn’t always a good indicator, though.

Among humans, males have somewhat a bigger brain size than females. But they’re not necessarily smarter. In animals, some smaller creatures are able to learn specific skills despite the small brain size. Parrots can learn to speak a few words (neither a dog or cat can do), and mice can learn to navigate a maze. Brain size can be an indicator of intelligence, but creatures with bigger brains aren’t necessarily smarter.

 

Learning Skills and Trainability

Aside from brain size, the learning capacity of animals can also be an indicator of intelligence.

There have been studies conducted in the past that have shown that cats are able to determine the number of objects. Basically, they are able to count things. For solving puzzles, cats and dogs are able to solve simple puzzles in exchange for treats. But when faced with a more difficult problem, their responses are different. Dogs tend to seek help from their owners while cats will continue trying on its own.

But despite this, dogs can learn things that have earned them the nickname of “Man’s Best Friend.” These tricks include rolling over, fetching balls, sitting on command, and a lot more. And because they’re highly trainable, they’ve also been taught specialized skills that help in recreational hunting. They even help in law enforcement by sniffing out bombs or illegal drugs. This is not the same case for cats.

However, both cats and dogs have a capacity for memory. This is because they’re able to learn tricks and retain the skills or patterns of behavior. When it comes to their basic needs, they can both remember the place where their food is placed, the time to be fed, or when it’s time for walks. This illustrates a specific intelligence of both animals.

 

Communicating with Humans

Communication can also be a measure of intelligence. Between cats and dogs, it’s more evidence that dogs are more social. Dogs greet you when you walk through the door, can sense when you’re afraid or happy or when there’s a threat. That’s why they make great guardians or guides for humans that are differently abled. This is also related to their trainability.

Dogs can tell you when they want to go outside, whether it’s to play or to do natural things. They do this by going to the door and barking and looking at you. They may also do this by bringing items that you use outdoors.

But regarding understanding language, research has led scientists to believe that dogs are the most capable among animals. According to this research, an average dog is as intelligent as a two-year-old human. This was conducted in the University of British-Columbia in Vancouver by a leading expert in canine intelligence.

Cats, on the other hand, are not as showy as dogs are when it comes to communicating. They don’t often greet you at the door or go to you when you call them. But one thing that cats are better at than dogs is showing unhappiness. You would know when a cat doesn’t like the situation when it starts hissing at you. Indeed, it would stop when you stop doing whatever it is that’s upsetting them.

 

Survival Skills

One of the things experts have looked at to determine intelligence is the survival skill of animals. It’s been said that cats have more survival skills and instincts than dogs do. If left to fend on their own, cats will usually find a safe place to stay until their owner finds them. Hence the famous situation of a cat getting stuck in a tree.

On the flip side, dogs are often more reliant on humans to find their way home. It’s usually the dogs who find themselves lost and unable to go back home. But it’s not that dogs aren’t smart enough to find their way home. It’s just that they’re more reliant on human intervention than cats are.
This doesn’t apply to each and every cat and dog, but it’s the usual scenario.

 

The Real Differentiation

But to really find the answer to this question, scientists have finally made a study to conclude which animal is smarter, and it all has to do with the neurons in the brain. A team of researchers made this study and counted the number of neurons from the brain of each animal. They found that dogs have two times as many neurons as cats have.

 

This suggests that dogs are smarter than cats.

The basis of using neurons to determine intelligence all boils down to the fact that the more neurons there are, the more capable of cognitive understanding the animal will be. This means a dog is smarter because it can understand external stimuli like touch, voice commands, etc. It can then translate these commands into actions for problem-solving and decision making.

This also explains why dogs are highly trainable and sociable. This is because of its ability to understand what humans want it to do.

To paint a better picture of the impact of neurons, the numbers of neurons found in domestic dogs make it as smart as lions and raccoons. On the other hand, the neurons in domestic cats make it as smart as a bear. The animals with the closest number as humans are orangutans and gorillas.

There are other bases of measurement of the level of a cat’s intelligence. However, it’s believed that the number of neurons is currently the most effective way to determine intelligence. Either way, cats, and dogs are equally adorable pets. But regarding brain power, science now says that a dog is smarter than a cat.

 

You May Also Interested In: