are cats smarter than dogs?

Answer 1

tough to decide, let's look at a couple examples:

- tricks: you can teach a dog tricks. Apparently you can teach a cat tricks, too, but it takes more effort. Now is that because the dog is smarter, or it is because it has similar intelligence but adores you and thus absolutely wants to please? I'd say neutral, to slight advantage to the dog.

- self-taught tricks: cats will jump up on furniture, on kitchen tops, find food, find food in closed packages. Dogs will do similar things although I find them less skilled (and certainly less discrete) at it. I'd say neutral, to slight advantage to the cat.

- tricking another living being. I have often witnessed cats tricking, or attempting to trick, say a human being watching over some food (to go w drinks), in order to get at that food. Say by going to another location, making some noise / making something fall. I've never seen a dog do that, it will just remain there and cry. Being able to project what another (smarter) living being might do, is a sign of a higher intelligence. Advantage to the cat.

- finding one's way home. Clearly cats do better here (and do better than most human beings). But this does not have to be a sign of "intelligence" (even if psy tests would typically measure such skills), it can just be a sign that that part of the brain is superiorly wired. After all pigeons can read the magnetic field of the Earth to find their way, and no one would call them smart. So unclear here although my gut feel is advantage to the cat.

- herding: in general in nature, animals that live in groups are less smart, by necessity and because of evolution. So advantage to the cat.


So overall, I'd say advantage to the cat, though I doubt that there's much difference.

Answer 2

Well it's like this it's like asking if one human is smarter than another. It basically has to do with the individual dog or cat. A certain dog can be smarter than a cat and a certain cat can be smarter than a dog

Answer 3

Well I think that they are both equally matched becuz, yeah a dog can do tricks and all that good stuff but some are still a little off on somethings. ie, one of my dogs which is a great dane but still a big a** puppy will not push a door open for nothing in the world, the door can be cracked oped will not push it open. just sit there and whine until some one comes to open it up a little bit. Now on the other hand my cat will just gladly push a door wide open. And plus i taught her how to give me a high five. If i call her she will come 85 percent of the time. and if i call her the dogs will come also, for what i dont know. But I guess it just comes with their personality.

Answer 4

Scientists and behaviouralists can't really judge... there's no basis for comparison, you see. It's like asking 'which looks better'? On the one hand, dogs have hunting, pack mentality, the ability learn tricks. On the other hand, cats are extreme wily, able to get in and out of stuff, open doors, and learn to the use the toilet. A cat has a larger range of sounds it can make, and it more dexterous with its paws than a dog. Due to their social behaviour, dogs can seem more civilised.

It's nearly impossible to decide which of two humans is smart (IQ tests are moot), let alone dogs versus cats.
You can't base it on instinctive behaviour. For example: a cat can easily find its way home from miles away. But dogs come when you call them.
Kittens open their eyes sooner, but puppies eat solid food sooner.
Mother cats will litter-train their kitten.
Mother dogs will train their puppies manners and respect.

Answer 5

Different kind of intelligence. Dogs have figured out the best way to stay part of a pack (household) is to learn the pack rules and abide by them. They'll push the limits, but they know safety is in the pack. Small dogs have also learned that cute is better.

Cats are survivalists. They latch on to a human who is their source of food and they will do a lot for that human. This is protecting their food supply. If that food supply disappears, they'll grieve a little bit and go out and find another human and work even harder to keep that food supply secure.

Answer 6

Zoe has probably said it best, cats and dogs are smart in different ways. My contribution was going to be that cats will open, or attempt to open doors by trying to get to the door handle, whereas dogs will either sit there or scratch at the door.

What is also clear is that cats and dogs on one hand, and people on the other are also smart in different ways. Dogs and cats moved in and began helping humans thousands of years ago to hunt, defend themselves and to protect grain stores from rodents. Now, as far as THEY are concerned it's pay-back time. We (the people) go out to work, buy them food, house them, provide medical care, and do things to amuse them while they lie around and sleep most of the day. Who is working for who now, and who has the better life?

Answer 7

animal intelligence is a very subjective topic--dog owners will say dogs are smarter, cat owners will say cats are smarter. the animals are both smart--cats show in different ways than dogs--are more independent and able to care for themselves when left home alone.
when the animals are wild or feral, you are able to observe the abilities of each to survive--they are both very smart. dogs hang in groups and cats hang in small families.
dogs learn tricks and show their humans they have learned the tricks.
cats learn tricks and decide which tricks to show their humans they know.
dogs kill their prey. only some play with it first.
cats play with their food first, then kill it to eat.they always stalk their prey so they know the best way to attack their prey by surprise.sneaky.

Answer 8

its not that they are smarter they just have a different personality than a dog. some dogs can be super smart and be trained to do wonderous things, and then some dogs are so stupid they will run in circles for hours chasing there own tail. now cats are affectionate and very emotional. now training cats is possible to my cat is trained like the cat in meet the parents he uses the toilet and comes on comand sits and rolls over on comand, and when i tell him to he jumps on my shoulders and lays around therm like a scarf (i call him my parrot kitty) so it depends any animal is capable of learning tricks but it depends on the owner, thats why they say every pet represents its owner, if your a lazy bum then most likely your gonna have a lazy animal, if your highly active then most likely your animal will be to.

Answer 9

In actuality, they are not even though they are horribly independent and they know when you call to them but they will come to you ONLY when they are good and ready.. They are such sweet things and I never cease to be an admirer of cats.. BUT.. No.. dogs are smarter.. but do not tell my cat that

Answer 10

I think so - my cat sits on the coffee table and waits for the dog to go by and then she pounces on the dog or swipes him across the head... This has been going on for 6 years and the dog still hasn't learned to look over his shoulder when going by the coffee table!