Are Cats Smarter Than Dogs?

[FAM Times reporter Jennylyn Gianan] The question of whether cats are smarter than dogs remains a matter of debate among most pet owners.

Experts say that is not necessarily the case.

Rosalind Arden, a researcher who studies canine and human intelligence, says comparing the intellectual abilities of cats and dogs is like comparing apples and oranges.

When studying the intelligence or behavior of different animals, these must be defined differently according to each animal's personality and characteristics, and this also applies to dogs and cats.

Because dogs like treats, researchers prepare treats when conducting experiments with them.

Cats, however, are harder to study because their behavior can be unpredictable.

Cats are highly adept at locating objects even when their surroundings are very dark.

They can find them even if the objects have been moved.

Both dogs and cats can distinguish human facial expressions, gestures, voices and other cues.

They can also distinguish between simple food puzzles.

Cats, however, tend to be more independent than dogs.

Even when cats cannot find food, they do not look up at their owners and ask for help.

Dogs, however, do.

Arden concluded that some cats may be smarter than other animals.

However, methods for comparing the intelligence of animals from different species are not yet sufficiently developed.

For now, it is necessary to compare intelligence among cats first before comparing them with other animals.

Jennylyn Gianan fam1@pcss.co.kr