Who Is Smarter, Cats Or Dogs?

annabelle33

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sam.. I didn't mean anything by that exactly
All the dogs I've met run into walls and stuff, but the ones I see on tv seem pretty smart.. I just can't have one because I'm kinda terrified of them unless they are tiny.. I guess they're not mindless, just willing to serve which is great.. I wish my cat would listen to me once in a while..
 

tuxedokitties

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Tough question...I love both! I voted equal - I've seen a wide variety of intelligence in both animals.

Cats can seem less intelligent to some people because they're more difficult to train, but they can actually be trained too - they're just motivated differently. Cats have a much stronger sense of self-interest. They do things because they want to, not because you want them to. If they really want something they will find a way to get it...Mr Underfoot can open any door, including our cabinets and the refrigerator!
 

slave2_ragdolls

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I think cats are better at training their owners better than dogs. They learn over time how to get what they want from us humans and are smart enough to be finicky with the foods that we feed them. Plus they bury their own waste in the litter box. Dogs are mostly gluttens when it come to food. Most dogs are not smart enough to wait for someone to let it outside to expel waste.....they will just piss or poop on the floor even knowing that it's owner will not be happy with them when they come home. A cat is smart enough to wait to be let outside if the cat is an outdoor animal. I think that the cat is a smarter animal.
 

tuxedokitties

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hmmmm...One day when I was gone from home too long & my dog couldn't hold it anymore, she pooped & peed in the shower stall where it would be easy to clean up. Now that's a smart dog! Most aren't that smart, though.
 

slave2_ragdolls

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Originally posted by tuxedokitties
hmmmm...One day when I was gone from home too long & my dog couldn't hold it anymore, she pooped & peed in the shower stall where it would be easy to clean up. Now that's a smart dog! Most aren't that smart, though.
That is pretty smart.....my mother had a cat years ago that she claimed that the cat would run down stairs and puke in her cat litter box instead of the rug. I was over at her house one time and she took me down stairs and showed me the puke in the box.....that is pretty smart also.
 

tuxedokitties

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Wow! wish my cats would do that! (they prefer to barf on the bed or the bathroom rug)
 

hopehacker

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I have 3 cats, and 1 dog. My dog (a Pomeranian) is NOT smart, in fact he's kind of silly, and goofy, but not smart. However, I've had dogs that were very smart. Sometimes I think it depends on the breed. German Shepherds are of very high intelligence.

Of my cats. My 2 Siamese are the smartest. I was able to teach the oldest one to play fetch, and the younger one taught himself. Even the dog can't fetch. The younger Siamese is so smart, I"ve had to put blockers in front of my drawers, or he opens them and gets into stuff. My little Persian, though beautiful, hasn't shown any real sign of extreme intelligence. Once again, I think it depends on the breed.
 

annabelle33

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I think that if cats wanted to, they could definately find drugs/bombs/whatever, but they're too smart to be used by humans.. Or too self-absorbed. My cat can find a ziploc of catnip on the top shelf of my closet in a tupperware box--so I'm sure he could find some drugs if he saw any payoff in it for himself.. That's the reason I think cats are smarter--because they can't be used. I think they are about equal in abilities--altho the cat is smaller, but that also has it advantages and disadvantages.. I just think the cat has more thinking skills, or maybe a stronger ability to see beyond the present moment, then dogs do. Of course some dogs are smarter than some cats, but I think in general cats think more than dogs.. Atleast they appear to..
 

fluffy'smom

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Self Absorbed?

Fluffy-Yes!!! LOL
Socks-No,Socks is just a very grateful loving cat ,he's shown me that since day 1
 

princess purr

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I think they are both the same. they both can learn but cats just don't like to listen
 

momofmany

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That's like asking what is smarter, a human being or an animal?

There is nothing smarter at being a cat than a cat.

There is nothing smarter at being a dog than a dog.

There is nothing smarter at being a human than a human.

Like Einstein said....everything is relative!
 

valanhb

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I'm pretty sure that Ophelia could understand quantuum physics if it were translated into Meow. She is VERY smart! I've seen her using logic to figure out how to get at a toy that she lost (it was a mouse on a door string and she pulled too hard and it ended up on top of the bookcase headboard).

We had a dog that was very smart too. Like a cat, she didn't let herself be trained, either. She could have, she just didn't want to learn "come" and "heel". But she learned any trick if it involved treats. I think Felicia was a cat at heart.

I do think it depends on the animal. There are some very smart dogs and some very dumb cats. Being able to be trained doesn't determine intelligence, though, as many have pointed out. Labs are notoriously dumb dogs, but they can be trained well.

I voted for cats.
 
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