I gotta go with the animal that doesn't need potty training making cats smarter than humans.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
So Apparently Dogs Are Dumber Than Cats.
- Thread starter ChristineES
- Start date
All animals in the wild would be, then. But I'm speaking about adaptability along with the self-reliance and observational skills.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
Then rats are the smartest species on the planet.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
My cat is the best hider ever.
Draka
Wonder Woman
My cat Spaz will play hide and seek with me kind of like that. I will run off and hide and he will search for me and meow at me when he finds me. I'll give him a playful scratch/pet for finding me then take off and hide somewhere else and wait for him to find me again. We can do this probably 5 or 6 times before he tires of it.
Then he just wants pet. 
SkepticThinker
Veteran Member
I tend to agree with this. I've got my dog trained to ring a bell when she has to go out and do her business.
Plus, dogs' brains are bigger than cats', so we should probably take that into consideration as well.
Draka
Wonder Woman
Okay, now I know this will just go as an example of extreme luck and coincidence, but I thought I may as well throw it out there because it was just too good not to...
You know how you will talk to your pets as you would to people? In passing make comments to them? Well, many years ago I had this one cat and as I was getting ready for bed I was sort of mumbling half to myself and half to the cat about having to get up earlier than usual because of some appointment or something I had to go to. I set my alarm and went to bed. I woke up the next morning to my cat standing on my chest. When I looked at my clock I realized that the power must have gone out sometime during the night because it was doing the flashing thing. Oh crap. I got up, went into the livingroom where there was a wall clock to see what time it was and...it was exactly the time I had originally set my alarm for to get up at. My cat had served as my alarm exactly when I needed to get up.
I know...freak coincidence right...but I swear, not the only one involving that cat.
You know how you will talk to your pets as you would to people? In passing make comments to them? Well, many years ago I had this one cat and as I was getting ready for bed I was sort of mumbling half to myself and half to the cat about having to get up earlier than usual because of some appointment or something I had to go to. I set my alarm and went to bed. I woke up the next morning to my cat standing on my chest. When I looked at my clock I realized that the power must have gone out sometime during the night because it was doing the flashing thing. Oh crap. I got up, went into the livingroom where there was a wall clock to see what time it was and...it was exactly the time I had originally set my alarm for to get up at. My cat had served as my alarm exactly when I needed to get up.
I know...freak coincidence right...but I swear, not the only one involving that cat.
LOL rats are great pets. I once raised a few. But don't be too fond of rodents. I have found rabbits to be profoundly stupid. As much as they mate, they still get it wrong a LOT.
Now that we're posting videos, I thought this might be appropriate for the thread. Pretty funny stuff.
[youtube]TLa1jmD0S18[/youtube]
Cats vs Dogs FUNNY - YouTube
And parrots and pigs are more trainable and/or more sociable than either species, but we're not including them in the debate either. But at least we're back on topic.
Dogs may seem to be more social and trainable, but such does not translate to intelligence. Far be it...dogs are too dependent on the owners who have domesticated them into people-pleasing animals. Cats, on the other hand, are cunning, crafty, and have the ability to adapt independently in many situations. They are capable of observing and taking action into how to carve out an existance with no help. Dogs have become too reliant on humans.
To be self-reliant requires a keen awareness coupled with the ability to reason. Observe a cat staring at you....it's watching you and learning what it can do to find food, find freedom, and when you won't be watching.
As with most discussion regarding intelligence, this one suffers from no real, clear understanding of what should be considered intelligence and how best to quantify it.
It is generally recognized that there are different forms of intelligence, such as "street smarts" or "artistic genius" or "empathetics" or the usual "academic" sense.
So while cats may very well win the day in street smarts, dogs are notable for their social and bonding ability with humans. Cats may be the better observer, but dogs may be the better learner.
What does science have to say about this debate?
Here is a fluff piece, that also mentions interesting tidbits that dogs have been determined to generally have the mental capacity of a two year old, how cats purposefully use different meows to communicate with humans, and how dogs and cats are able to learn each other's "language".
Here is another piece that comes out more strongly on the side of dogs. The reason? Social interaction requires a larger, more complex brain. Apparently, cat brains have remained similar to their counterparts 8000 years ago, while dog brains have continued to grow.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
It's no suprise that this thoughtful, articulate, and balanced post was made by a dog owner.
Just sayin'.
Secret Chief
Degrow!
Like sharks, cats stopped evolving when they reached perfection.
Sha'irullah
رسول الآلهة
Ican sort of testify to dogs being dumber than cats on the basis of my own dogs behavior.
If she is in a place of harm where she has received injury she will go right back to it.
She stands byt he door of my room for over 6 years and the wind blows and knocks heron her head and she goes right back and becomes frustrated. Even though she does not wish to be there she goes back and sits in front of the door only to receive a repeated beating.
Other behavior she does also displays a lack of instinctive behavior considering she is the families 15th or so dog in the long history.
Personally I find it laughable as to how a dog hurts itself, constantly.
If this is what dogs do then I hope cats are better
If she is in a place of harm where she has received injury she will go right back to it.
She stands byt he door of my room for over 6 years and the wind blows and knocks heron her head and she goes right back and becomes frustrated. Even though she does not wish to be there she goes back and sits in front of the door only to receive a repeated beating.
Other behavior she does also displays a lack of instinctive behavior considering she is the families 15th or so dog in the long history.
Personally I find it laughable as to how a dog hurts itself, constantly.
If this is what dogs do then I hope cats are better
Ican sort of testify to dogs being dumber than cats on the basis of my own dogs behavior.
If she is in a place of harm where she has received injury she will go right back to it.
She stands byt he door of my room for over 6 years and the wind blows and knocks heron her head and she goes right back and becomes frustrated. Even though she does not wish to be there she goes back and sits in front of the door only to receive a repeated beating.
Other behavior she does also displays a lack of instinctive behavior considering she is the families 15th or so dog in the long history.
Personally I find it laughable as to how a dog hurts itself, constantly.
If this is what dogs do then I hope cats are better
You were saying, Kilgore?
My kitten doesn't let me sleep past the time I get up for work but will leave my gf alone untill the time she gets up.
I can see that. To say that cats are anti-social is missing the larger picture of how they socialize and bond with humans. They are fiercely independent and don't give love or come when called just because a human says so. My dog is a cuddle-buddy who loves laying down next to me whenever I'm home. My cats in the past would never cuddle with me unless they really wanted to. And when they did, it was highly rewarding and loving because I knew it wasn't anything they needed.
My dog, on the other hand, if there's a space next to me, he'll wedge himself in there to be right next to me. Great cuddle-buddy. I'll give him that. And very cute. But his good looks and cuddly nature are the only things keeping him alive.
Cats are very social and affectionet. Just different
Draka
Wonder Woman
One of mine is so loving that she hugs me. Outright crawls up me, front legs on both sides of neck, and snuggles the side of my face while purring up a storm. She also sleeps at my feet every night. She knows when I'm going to bed, weaves around my feet, follows me to the bathroom, stays as I complete my nighttime routine washing my face and such, cuddles a bit when I get in bed (sometimes she tries to get under the covers with me), then curls up at my feet. She's right there in the morning when I wake too. I've had her since the moment she was born. I guess, to her, I've always been "mommy".