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Ever since humans split into cat people and dog people, the world has never been the same. And we might go to war someday because we can’t agree on what animal is smarter.
Cat people point to feline independence and self-reliance as the most compelling sign that they are more intelligent than dogs. Unlike dogs, cats can hunt for themselves without being bred for it or being trained to.
What’s more, you do not need to potty-train a cat as you have to with a dog. Moreover, a cat can keep itself clean while a dog needs your help.
On the other hand, dog people point to canines’ trainability as being the most telling sign of intelligence. Dogs can learn complex tasks such as working as service dogs and cracking cases with the police, making them invaluable to us. Team dog also posits that cats are not aloof; they are simply unable to learn complex tasks.
According to a study published in the Frontiers Journal, one of the best ways of measuring cognitive ability in animals is by counting the number of neurons they possess.
Neurons are the units responsible for information processing in the brain.
They gather information from all over the body for the cerebral cortex to process. Different brain sections specialize in processing a specific type of information. The cerebral cortex acts as the coordinating unit to facilitate functions such as decision-making and problem-solving.
According to Suzana Herculano-Houzel, a neuroscientist involved in the aforementioned study, counting the number of neurons in an animal’s cerebral cortex is one of the most accurate tools to judge an animal’s capacity for complex thought, despite its difficulty.
So, which pet reigns supreme?
The study found that the dog has 530 million neurons in its cerebral cortex compared to the cat’s 250 million neurons. This means that dogs have twice as many neurons in their cerebral cortices as cats.
Conclusion as to whether cats are smarter than dogs.
While findings from the 2017 study suggest that dogs might be smarter than cats, the study has many flaws. It does not consider that cats and dogs are intelligent in different ways. For example, the average dog is not as adept at hunting as the average cat.
Similarly, cats might not be as good as dogs in learning tricks.
Moreover, the study did not consider that different breeds within a species differ considerably in cognitive ability. For example, a German Shepherd is a lot smarter than a Bulldog. On the other hand, a Siamese is more quick-witted than a Persian. As such, it would be unreasonable to pit a German Shepherd against a Persian cat.
The bottom line is neither pet is smarter; it all depends on the individuals in question.