Cat vs Dog

Brigantium

General of the Dark Army
Staff member
Is the dog truly man's best friend? Or is a feline friend the cat's whiskers?

Opinions have long been divided on this subject, but a study at Oxford University has concluded that the social skills of dogs mean they are more intelligent than the smaller-brained cat.

As a dog lover or a cat fan, do you agree? I tend to side with cats more often than not, but I'm willing to hear the doggy side too. ;)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/pets/8151924/Dogs-are-smarter-than-cats.html
 
I'm saying that Oxford University lost all its credibility right there. One only needs to separately observe a dog and a cat for an hour. How they deal with outside influences, and how they chase their own tails.

In all seriousness though, it is a common deadbeat argument that larger or smaller brains does significantly influence intelligence. Size doesn't matter in this case. Smaller brains can be more compact and thus, more efficient. The same goes for socialisation: I still think it is more a sign of intelligence to be self-reliant than be a part of group intelligence. Sure, a wolf pack is smarter than a lone tiger, but that's not that big of a deal, if you think about it.
 
The article doesn't really seem to tell us much. I don't agree that social ability correlates positively with intelligence. The nerdy kid always seems to be the least popular doesn't he? Obviously humans are much larger and more complex animals than cats and dogs but we're all mammals at the end of the day.

From my experience cats are sneaky and manipulative. They work out their human's routine very quickly and organize their lives around that. Cats, like women, know how to get what they want. Dogs, like the lovestruck man, can be tamed and trained. They do what they're told and lose a degree of independence from it and I think that stunts their intellectual capacity to a certain extent.
 
How could being social determine intelligence? I'd say it's quite the opposite but Per said it already. Just think of a person as part of a mob - being part of a group does not make you smarter. It only teaches you to obey and respect hierarchical structures.

Cats, on the other hand, are fully capable of solving problems and taking care of themselves. They don't need anybody to survive, isn't that the ultimate power?
 
I admit that I do things I'd not normally do when lovestruck, but I've never given up my free will like a dog.
 
A slightly sweeping statement. :eek:
Well implying that dogs are smarter than cats or vice versa is also a sweeping generalization! Men tend to change their personalities and even the way they dress to please a woman but the woman won't budge an inch. :p Cat owners usually have to deal with each cat's personality individually whereas dogs can be trained.
 
She will budge, but she will make you feel guilty for it.
 
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