Why do people say things like, "I like cats because they are smarter than dogs"? Is it really true that average felines are "smarter" than canines, or is it too hard to prove? Is it because cats act more "independent" or dogs sometimes "need more attention and playtime"?

I dunno, is it important? I have a smart cat and a dumb cat. They're both very friendly, and I like dogs too.

Bloody true. Spot on. In reality, and I can base this on years of experience (just like so many other people here), cats are only a little smarter than rubber boots. I'm not saying dogs are a lot smarter, but I do claim they are somewhat more intelligent, at least some breeds of dogs.

However, I like cats a lot more than dogs (though I don't detest dogs).

Cats are loners, whereas dogs are social creatures. And animals with social tendencies usually need to be more intelligent because of the requirements of interaction between individuals in the packs.

Not to mention, you don't see cats searching cars for crack.

Man and dog exist symbiotically better than any other two life forms on the planet. We likely wouldn't be where we are today without dogs. Dogs (well, wolves at the time) were an essential part in our evolution - man and dog make an incredible hunting team. It's ensured survival for both species.

Cats...really don't have purpose. They're just there, like rocks, rocks that wash themselves endlessly.

Though, they're fun to watch when you toss in some string.

Dogs were the first domesticated animals.

I like both and have anyways had cats and dogs. Each has their pros and cons.

They catch small creatures that would otherwise infest your house.

Some cats are dumb, some are smart.

Same goes for a dog.


Smart dog: Plays fetch, and will get certain items for you.

Dumb dog: Eats it's own poo.


Smart cat: Does it's business where it needs to, and sleeps all day watching birds.

Dumb cat: Runs into walls.

My cat does both. What does that make him?

A smumb cat. Duh.

Yes. Dogs are fun when you're happy and want to play with them, but if you're tired, cats won't bug you incessantly.

I see cats coughing up pieces of hair-filled crap.

I see dogs drinking down cans of grease and puking all over the carpet.

Like I said, pros and cons.

And I see dogs pooping all over my carpet, which is why they aren't allowed outside of their crates anymore except when somebody is home and watching them.

I don't think that makes dogs intelligent at all. Dogs are completely subserviant. I'm sure cat's could sniff out drugs too, but the problem is that they can't be trained because they are independant creatures that really just wouldn't cooperate. Dogs on the other hand are somewhat brainless in the sense that they will do whatever their master asks them to. I really think cats are more intelligent. Something about them makes me think they are more intelligent then we think.

I'm not saying there are pro's or con's for cats and dogs at all. I'm saying because dogs do something like searching for drugs, that doesn't make them special or anything. Should cats be considered dumb because their habit of making furballs? No.

My old dog peed EVERYWHERE whenever she saw someone who wasn't in the family.

My cat just looks at them and / or runs away.

There is no absolute fact. It's all opinion.

I don't know about cats or dogs, but I do know that this guy is smarter than the average bear.

That's probably because of the symbiotic relationship humans have developed with dogs the past, oh, 200,000 years is it? They've learned to obey us because it helps both of us survive. That's why wolves are every bit as smart as domesticated dogs, but no where near as easy to train.

I'm not saying that cats aren't intelligent, but there's a reason for why dogs and cats act the way they do. As noted earlier, cats are more independant.

Actually though, it's not ALL opinion...I mean at least as far as intelligence goes. Brain size and ratio to body size can have a big effect on potential intelligence...and do keep in mind that skull size isn't the same as brain size, since a lot of animals with large heads to have small brains inside. Of course I'm not exactly an expert on brain biology, these are just assumptions and possibilities. There are many cats that are smarter than dogs.

As much as I hate to say it, studies have shown cats to have a higher thinking capacity than dogs. Their basic behavioral traits will reveal this. When a dog sees something it doesn't like, it will go after it, (regardless of it's size) giving a show of barking, growling, and teeth. A cat, on the other hand, only goes after something it both wants and knows it stands a good chance at killing, or it will run away. A dog won't run away until it's been "shown up" in a fight, or at least mildly hurt. A cat can actually evaluate it's fight beforehand. Not that they all do, it's a general thing.

Not to mention dogs eat their own barf. I've never seen a cat do that.

Even so, I prefer dogs. Unless it involves laser pointers and a wall. Then it's cats, no question.

And of course, a scared cat on a leash is fun to watch. Their instinct says "escape" but they can't, so they play dodgeball with their bodies. (Well, they can't easily be caught that way, right?)

The thing I like about cats is you can neglect them and they don't become psychotic violent child-maulers. They seem to be quite a bit more durable psychologically than dogs.

I like cats and dogs both. And my cats and dogs love each other too. They play together, sleep together, drink out of the same dish... It's great. I can't really compare intelligence though; only to say that none of my pets are as smart as I am (at least I hope this is the case).

I had a cat and a dog, but my cat died of a kidney problem...

Then why are geniuses usually introverted? :p

Do you have any mice . . .

I won't argue that cats have superior intelligence in some areas, but I will attempt to explain the reasons for dogs appearing to be stupid.

What do you mean by "go after it"? I assume you meant the subsequently stated actions such as barking, growling and teeth. Well, yeah, if a dog is threatened, what is it supposed to do? Stand idly by while it gets its *** kicked? At least it's trying. If you meant actually run after it...well, that's just a stupid dog. I rarely see dogs do that.

Not all dogs eat their own barf. Eating barf and crap is a way mothers usually clean up after their young inside a den. Often dogs will eat their barf or crap in an attempt to hide it from their masters, as they know they've done something wrong. I've found my dog eating her **** once or twice when she was young, you could tell from her ear movements and facial expressions that she knew she'd done something wrong. My dog is 7 years old now, and hasn't done any of this in a very long time. Some dogs never do, some dogs hold onto such tendencies for long periods of time.

Keep in mind dogs have evolved to help humans, as we've bread and trained them to do so over many thousands of years. They have a lot of tendencies which are reminiscient of this, such as retreiving (still used today of course).

As I've said, cats have their strong points, both physically and intellectually, but dogs are no where near as stupid as many people think they are. A lot of their actions have logical explinations.

I gotta prefer cats, at least they don't threaten my life all along :/

I honestly think cats are a lot smarter. A cat could live on its own for a month, while a dog has no shot in hell. A cat is very indepedent and mature while dogs seem less mature and more dependent.

One of my cats eats his own barf.

And I am SHOCKED that you prefer dogs, what with that name of your and all. :p

Read my above posts. Dogs have evolved to coexist among humans and depend on them.

...

You make kitty sad

My cat runs away from it's own barf.

No. Unless it's actually threatened, there's no reason it should go chasing after something many times it's own size. Many times I've seen a dog get randomly pissed at something down the street and go chasing after it, even though the dog's nowhere near the thing. (Usually another dog, but no necessarily). In such cases, when the dog gets hurt, then it runs away.
A dog runs to something it's scared of, a cat runs from it, and hides.


My dog doesn't eat it's own barf either, nor did she do that after her puppies, yet her puppies ate their barf, and on a few occasions, some of them would eat their poop. So evidently, it's not a learned trait.

Oh so much misinformation...

And your few experiences translate into fact for an entire, very diverse species...how?

cats crap in my garden and sometimes leave mutilated birds there.

yeah i'd kick a cat.