Are Cats Smarter Than Dogs?

Are Cats Smarter Than Dogs? An age-old question that everyone has been asking since the dawn of time.  It’s not something that can be easily answered, but we are sure going to give it a try (without being too biased of course).

A simple google search of this matter and the top result is the conclusion that no, they are not. Why is this? Is that really the case?

Starting with National Geographic, a group of researchers sought out this exact question and decided to count how many neurons were in both cats’ and dogs’ brains. It was thought that neurons, being information processing units, would show how ‘cognitively capable’ each of the animals was. The results? Dogs had 500 million neurons in comparison to their cat counterpart having 250 million.

These results would seem to give a firm answer, though held up next to a human brain that has 86 billion, the amount is a bit lacklustre.

However, dogs and cats and their behaviour surely should be considered in this matter, as Margaret H. Bonham discusses in her book. Cats lay in the sun, chase around mice and scratch at whatever they can. Dogs chew, run in circles and have belly rubs. Both seem equal in that sense, but it is when she brings into account the fact that dogs are more social animals than cats will ever be due to their evolution. Of course, this varies from animal to animal, but still, the fact remains.

Using a maze as an example, she concludes that dogs were able to complete the maze with no problems, and some cats ended up falling asleep!

It all comes down to the fact that dogs will do exactly what you ask them to, which is brilliant of course. Cats however will not just follow the rules and do whatever they wish, potentially showing intelligence in itself! Still, this does not change the fact that dogs have descended from wolves and needed taming. They have a better smell, a better understanding of human emotion and better sight.

All in all, with facts and comparisons aside, dogs and cats alike are geniuses in their own way. Dogs at being dogs and cats at being cats! As long as you have your best friend by your side, does it really matter? We will let you draw your own conclusions from this.

To find out more about your furry friend and how far they travel day-to-day, see our other blog here!