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The scientists seem to have based their opinion on the number of neurons in the brain - but that is questionable as a "be all and end all" final decider of intelligence. But I agree that dogs are more easily integrated into human lives (service dogs, etc.)
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I have heard that cats are technically supposed to be smarter than dogs....owing to something in their brains....I have forgotten what! Yes it might be neurons or something.
And yet from my own experience, dogs have a better time understanding what we say to them. They do seem to "speak English" (or whatever language they grow up with.) Mostly cats don't seem to have the same interest in communicating via words.
Both dogs and cats generally have a very devotional aspect to them, but I've noticed it more strongly in dogs. I think it's just that cats are more intrinsically "wild" at heart, whereas dogs are so integrated into family life and fit in with family routines very well. But it's hard to generalise, as all cats and dogs are not the same.
I never saw either species do anything I would call real work! lol! Even with cats who spend time outside, they mostly laze about in warm places until it's time for food again! Dogs really want to play frisbee or have sticks thrown for them. They think they are on holiday. But of course search and rescue dogs and service dogs really do work hard.
Yet what fantastic work our ordinary cats and dogs actually do. They are our faithful companions, standing by us through thick and thin, hardly ever losing patience with us, always being happy to see us, keeping our hearts in the right place and our legs warm in bed. Many humans couldn't do that even if you paid them a yearly retainer of 100,000!
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Measuring intelligence is one of the hardest things to do. How do you judge what is a sign of smart and what is a sign of stupid.
If you rehearsed someone on the test even if they were not too bright they would seem to do well compared to someone who is totally unfamiliar with the test methods.
Misty was too smart to waste her time on silly tests. She was too busy getting on with the business of life.
I don't think being social is a sign of intelligence or not in any species. Dogs do well because they want to please us. Cats don't care so they can't be bothered with tests. I would think it would be better to judge how an animal handles the situations it has in life.
Ruth the cat was a bit brain damaged(I mean that literally). If he wanted to leave the room and the door was partly closed he would push it more and close it and then sit their confused just staring at the closed door. Junia my other cat was very clever. She would get up and go and open the door for him. Ruth would looked surprized at the now open door and not understand how it happened. Junia would come and get me if Ruth had managed to shut himself in a closet and she couldn't get the door open for him. I don't know how they would have done on tests, but clearly Junia had the brains and Ruth was cute.
Catherine