Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Sorry, Claire. But in the stand-off between cat-lovers and dog-lovers around the world, dog-lovers have reason to cheer: researchers at Oxford have determined that dogs have bigger brains than cats because they're friendlier than their feline peers. It pays to be nice.
The Telegraph reports:
The intelligence of “a man’s best friend” has evolved at a greater rate than the less social cat over millions of years, scientists at Oxford University have claimed.
It was often thought that the feline pet was smarter than its canine counterpart because it needed less attention but researchers have discovered that cat’s brains are smaller because they are less social.
Here's a picture of my family's little pup, Persia. She's really friendly. Does that mean she's really smart?
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May '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
They never met my dog. Love him but dumber than a box of rocks.
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Ha! Aw--what kind of dog?
Sep '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Not tonight: I have a headache.
Sep '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Researchers also say Global Warming is a fact. Other researchers disagree. Emily, your post now makes me an official minority group here on Ricochet. I feel a class action suit coming on.
Jun '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Yes, but are Cambridge researchers smarter than Oxford researchers?
May '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
My dumb dog. Wire Fox Terrier. Same type as was in the Thin Man movies. I didn't want to name him Asta, though. Too cliche. And the wife vetoed HalfAsta.
Jul '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
This can't be in keeping with the “good news only“ edict (at least for Claire).
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
My roommate's cat and my dog (pictured above) are best of friends. They're both pretty smart animals, but the cat's smarts don't enhance our lives in any way, while the dog's intelligence is pretty amazing to behold. For instance, Bee (my dog) loves to herd large groups of children. The parents may not like this, but it certainly demonstrates an intelligent mind at work.
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
I think you, Claire, and her cats would make quite a formidable group.
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Diane Ellis, Ed.
My roommate's cat and my dog (pictured above) are best of friends. They're both pretty smart animals, but the cat's smarts don't enhance our lives in any way, while the dog's intelligence is pretty amazing to behold. For instance, Bee (my dog) loves to herd large groups of children. The parents may not like this, but it certainly demonstrates an intelligent mind at work. · Nov 23 at 8:26am
Great picture! I have to say, the funnest part of posting this conversation was going through all the adorable pictures of cats and dogs online, trying to find the perfect one for the post. I found the perfect one here, but unfortunately I couldn't save and post it.
Oct '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
I cannot believe people have this debate. Would you think an aloof person was necessarily smarter than a friendly one? That someone completely unable to follow simple commands was smarter than someone who could at least sit on command? We had cats when I was growing up, and one of them was almost smart. Now we have become dog people, and while our last dog was about as smart as wood, he was very protective and able to detect threats (like my father-in-law) with uncanny ability. Our current pooch, Mouse, is half Australian Shepherd and half Bernese Mountain Dog. She is very smart, and can even shake (not a paw, her whole body) on command. She not only understands basic commands, but has been able to interpret words, like "gentle" and apply them in different situations. Gentle can mean to take food slowly, or to walk gently off the porch. Quite remarkable - try asking that of a cat.
May '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Things that make you go "Mmmmmmm"...
Why is it that men can only have dogfights in the air but women can have a catfight anywhere?
Sep '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
EJHill: Things that make you go "Mmmmmmm"...
Why is it that men can only have dogfights in the air but women can have a catfight anywhere? · Nov 23 at 9:00am
Ground control to major Thom, EJHill was descended upon by the furies, never to be seen again, except in reruns.
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
If "social" is the measure, my cats are the most intelligent creatures in the world. They're more social than Katherine Graham. Everyone notes how exceptionally friendly and affectionate they are. If "intelligent" is the measure, however, they're unbelievably stupid.
Sep '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
If "intelligent" is the measure, however, they're unbelievably stupid.
I think Feline stupidity is a linear function of the number of hairballs coughed up over a lifetime.
May '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
"My cats are more more social than a woman dead these past nine years" is not a ringing endorsement. Katherine doesn't get out much these days...
May '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
The brain size is critical regardless of the social stuff.
But, we are social animals. Intelligence to a human has a social aspect. That is part of how we look at it. Cats are very good at the physics of lapping up water with no spills. Better than dogs. We don't call that "smart".
To us, "smart" includes getting by in our world. Dogs do better with people as a species and are therefore considered smarter.
Aug '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
I think cats are too smart to participate in these demeaning intelligence tests. They're thinking, "Yeah, right. I've got better things to do..." when the scientist is setting them up in a maze, or whatever.
Jul '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
I think cats played the researchers like people play pollsters.
May '10
Re: Well That Settles That: Researchers Say Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats
Didn't this come up before?