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we cannot judge animals inteligence based on our own measures or how they do things compared to other animals of different species...all are adaped to their niche...comparing a dog inteligence to a cat inteeligence is like comparing an apple to a frog...
A few months ago I drove into the parking lot at work and noticed a crowd of people outside, a few police cars and a fire truck. At first I didn't know what to think; I didn't see any smoke or anything out of the ordinary, and the fire department wouldn't show up for a fire drill or anything like that. I parked my car and joined the crowd, peering at the building and the double entry doors.
I looked around and caught the attention of a co-worker and asked him what was going on. He said there was a "suspicious package" someone had left in the HR department's front office and that they had evacuated the building until they could get the bomb squad out to check it out. So we waited. About fifteen minutes later a dark blue police van arrived and parked behind the fire truck. A couple of nervous-looking technicians in vests got out and made their way to the back of the van and opened the door as well all watched curiously. One of the techs lifted a crate out from the back of the van, placed it on the ground and slid open the hatch.
It was a cat. A bomb-sniffing cat.
The cat was wearing a tiny, dark blue vest with some insignia and reflective tape on the sides, kind of like the vest Keanu Reeves wore in 'Speed'; he took a few steps out from the crate, yawned, sat down and began grooming himself.
The technician knelt down and said something to the cat, then pointed toward the building. The cat stopped, looked at the building, then went back to licking its paw. The technicians exchanged glances and muttered something to each other, although they were too far away to hear you could see the exasperation in their eyes.
Just then, someone shouted "There! That's him!" We all turned to see a shady-looking figure emerge from the side door of the building, cast a quick glance over his shoulder and begin running. One of the police officers closest to us turned quickly and pulled open the back hatch of his SUV to reveal a crate there too, pulled it forward and slid open the door. Reaching in, he gently cupped his arm underneath the police cat who appeared to be fast asleep, and gently lay it on the ground, to which the bomb cat took notice and began hissing perturbedly.
That's not what cats do so why try and compare them? You're trying to compare apples with oranges. They are totally different fruit. Intelligence is not involved. Dogs naturally live in packs and take down larger animals. Therefore it's easy to train many of them to take down a criminal, or even without training, some will attack and kill people, especially children. Don't you read the papers? Watch the News on TV? You call that "intelligence?"
When was the last time you saw a pack of cats take down and kill a human being for the sheer hell of it? Because of prey-drive and instinct?
Cats can't be trained to do that because it's not what cats do. They hunt small animals ALONE. They don't take down deer or wild pigs in cat-packs. Also, kittens are on their own at much younger ages than dogs who remain in the pack and have months to learn to hunt from the others. Kittens have to learn to feed themselves in mere weeks, they don't reply on older pack members to feed them. One day the kitten, around 9 to 12 weeks old, wakes up to find it's mother gone - it's feed itself or die. Not so with the dog. Does that make the kitten more intelligent than the puppy? Of course not.
You're trying to compare the wrong animals. Don't compare cats with dogs.
Did I say dogs were more intelligent? No I did not so you can calm down now. I just explained why I prefer dogs over cats. Their intelligence can be utilized by humans.
Did I say dogs were more intelligent? No I did not so you can calm down now. I just explained why I prefer dogs over cats. Their intelligence can be utilized by humans.
Which has nothing to do with cats. You just prefer one over the other - that's all. I bet you never owned a cat, or if you did, it was an outdoor cat you never related to.
Dogs clearly have better problem solving skills, and are more trainable. They also possess better grasp of language (my BC understands over 150 words) than cats.
If you define intelligence as having your needs met without doing anything in exchange for it, cats win hands down.
I think that it's completely pointless to talk about which animal is superior in any way, intelligence included. Apples and oranges as everyone says.
Of more interest to me is: what makes a person a "cat person" or a "dog person." The folks who have a very clear preference.
You know how you go to the zoo or something, and you see a gorgeous wild creature like a tiger, and there is a longing...even those of us who are way too smart to ever even THINK you could have a pet tiger...but there is something in us that adores that wild beauty and elegance and wants to keep a piece of it close to us. This is part of why people love cats so much, I think. This is a tiny and less dangerous cousin who will quite willingly share our habitat and maybe even love us. And we love and accept them for who and what they are.
A dog person, on the other hand, I feel is someone who wants to be clearly dominant over their animal, have a creature that adores them and obeys them and can be molded to suit their needs and preferences. A friend, a partner, a teammate...dogs can be any or all of these things. A dog is not a slice of Wild Kingdom, a dog is the ultimate symbol of man's mastery over nature.
...and then there are those of us who love both, but simply feel that cats are easier to deal with. I've never been good at dog training, it seems like a lot of work. Much easier to tend to the cat's myriad needs whether he wants me to or not.
They also possess better grasp of language (my BC understands over 150 words) than cats.
my cats understand just as many words as my dogs do...
their reactions to said words my be different, but that doest mean they dont understand WHAT im saying...
just cause a dog gets excited over the word Walk, and a cat looks at you like you hve 6 heads, it doesnt mean the cat doesnt know what a walk is...just means the cats not interested in the walk.
My cats know colors (even my youngest knows the difference between his red mouse and his blue mouse and will fetch the color i ask for) my dogs dont seem to have that grasp of color differentials...
my cats are not "smarter" then my dogs or visa versa..they just have different priorities and reactions.
my cats understand just as many words as my dogs do...
their reactions to said words my be different, but that doest mean they dont understand WHAT im saying...
just cause a dog gets excited over the word Walk, and a cat looks at you like you hve 6 heads, it doesnt mean the cat doesnt know what a walk is...just means the cats not interested in the walk.
My cats know colors (even my youngest knows the difference between his red mouse and his blue mouse and will fetch the color i ask for) my dogs dont seem to have that grasp of color differentials...
my cats are not "smarter" then my dogs or visa versa..they just have different priorities and reactions.
And its basic evolution, dogs need to know language, they need to be able to understand complex communication one form or another to hunt in a pack. Human language is just another form of complex communication. Domestic cats are solitary hunters, their intelligence had not evolved to involve communication.
And if your cats can actually tell the difference between a blue and red mouse they are the only cats on the planet to have that skill set due to the FACT that cats lack the cones to differentiate between most colors (including lacking the ability to "see" red).
My cats understand many words, as do my dogs. The more you talk to animals, the more they understand. Lots of people's dogs don't understand much more than "sit", "no", and "good dog"/"bad dog". That's because they don't talk to them. Still, some members of both species are smarter than others. Border collies are known for being extra good with language.
But as several people have pointed out, there are many kinds of intelligence, and our judgements are pretty narrow - not so intelligent, are we?
What's worse is the need some "dog people" and "cat people" to believe, and convince everyone else that their favorite is better. Why does there have to be a better? Which is better, a zebra or an antelope? You might have a favorite between the two, but it's pretty hard to make a case for one being better than the other. No one tries because they don't care enough about zebras and antelopes. But for some reason, when it comes to pets, some people have to insist theirs is, not their favorite, but superior. It's pretty childish.
just because they cant see red the way WE do doesnt mean theres no differentiate between shades of whatever colors they do see he knows the difference between his red mouse and his blue mouse even if the colors do not look to him as they look to me...
i simpley dont belive INTELIGENCE can be detirmined by how an animal reacts to HUMAN based stimuli or judgment....
heck even a goldfish can be taught tricks if you spend enough time with it...does that make it any ore or less inteligent than a sparrow?! NO because your comparing apples to porcupines...
WE as a race are basing inteligence on OUR parameters...bsing them on what we see as inteligence in our own race...
i dont belive cats are smarter than dogs, but i dont belive dogs are sarter than cats, i belive they both have an equal inteligence as based o their own race and parameters, i just thing dogs are more trainable due to their esire to please and we as humans associate trainability with inteligence...
for example compring apples to apples...
the standard poodle, a "highly inteligent" breed...
why is it "inteligent", because its highly trainable, eager to please and perform on command
the afghan hound a "dumb" breed...
why is it "dumb" because they can be difficult to train they hve no desie to "perform" and realy dont care if your pleased...
the "INGELIGENCE" is based on what we as humans find "attraftive" and desireable...yet ive worked with many an afghan who while "playing dumb" outthinks even the best TRAINED poodle...
not because theyve learnt better tricks or understand commands but becaue they actually THINK thorough what our asking of them THEN decide if its worth their while...
i dont belive the afghan is any smarter or dumber than a poodle and visa versa, i just elive they have completly different motivations, and that OUR level of measuring inteligence as humans isnt even remotly complex enough to comprehend inteligence in animals of the same species let along trying to compre them to other species.
My parrot for example is likely "smarter" than your border collie, not only does he understand human word but can USE them, and use them correctly in a sentence...by human inteligence being able to communicate is huge. he can also use nd manipulate TOOLS another measure of inteligence
Jack doesnt Mimic, he actually communicates he tells me what he wants, and forms simple sentence structure....
Deos this realy mean hes MORE inteligent thn dog?! NO...
it ust means he has a different type of inteligence...
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