By Larry | Allie Katz | Comments are Closed | 31 December, 2023 | 0
I grew up with all kinds of critters except cats because my uncle was extremely allergic to them, but I did have quite a few dogs. As for the “haunting” question, I’ve always contended that cats must be smarter than dogs because you’d never find six cats in harness pulling a sled through snow and freezing their paws off. But then, I’m not going to pass myself off as a critter psychologist or psychiatrist and I can’t imagine setting a cat or dog down for an IQ test.
In one scientific test among domestic pets, a Golden Retriever’s brain was found to have 623 million neurons while a cat’s brain had just 250 million. This would suggest that dogs are smarter than cats, but brain size does not necessarily indicate intelligence. If you observe human beings on the evening news, you’ll realize that a big brain doesn’t do much good if you’re incapable of using it!
Another study compared the problem-solving skills of dogs and cats and found that both were able to manipulate a puzzle to release a food reward. However, dogs were more likely to require human assistance, while cats preferred to work it out for themselves. There’s also variance among different breeds, but cats are generally considered to be better hunters than dogs, so if the ability to survive were the primary indicator of intelligence, cats would win the battle paws down.
Both dogs and cats have come to enjoy the security of living with human companions, and their adaptability to life with humans is certainly an element of social intelligence. Dogs may have the edge here, having been human companions for a much longer time than cats. So, intelligence is difficult to measure. But no doubt about it; cats are crafty critters!
Here are some facts about your cat’s brain:
Your cat’s brain only makes up about 0.9% of their body mass (compared to 2% in humans), but it has a similar structure and folds to a human brain.
A cat’s brain has different areas of the cerebral cortex dedicated to specialized tasks (such as decision-making), just like a human’s.
Taurine, an essential amino acid, plays an important role in brain function for cats—this is why a high-quality diet is so important.
Your cat’s long-term memory is stronger than their short-term recall—this is where those problem-solving skills come in.
We may never know which is smarter, cats or dogs, but I know where my vote is leaning. My cats want for nothing. They will never have to work a day in their lives, pay utility bills, mortgage payments, taxes or insurance. Their food, shelter, medical bills and entertainment are all provided for. And it just occurred to me that they didn’t even have to murder a bunch of innocent people in a mass shooting to deserve this special treatment!!
