Does This Mean Cats Are Smarter Than Dogs?

[Lee]

No offence to the dog lovers here intended. Just an observation.

Why is it that a dog looking out the window will see another dog, a squirrel, a cat, a bird or a person and go into a frenzy of barking.

Yet a cat will see the same an ignore most except for another cat.....that I know for a fact will send my kitty into a howling spitting ball of fur running from window to window.

Why the difference, how do they tell the difference. How does a cat know it is a cat they are looking at and not a small dog.

 

[Bellbird]

Intuition I would say.

 

[horseless carriage]

Why the difference, how do they tell the difference. How does a cat know it is a cat they are looking at and not a small dog.

If you ask my cat that question she will tell you.
"Cats rule, dogs drool."

 

[Nathan]

Dogs warn their pack (their humans) of possible danger. In a cat's mind: you're on your own. Seeing another cat is an affront to the cat's territorial rights.

 

[Alligatorob]

Good question @Lee . Did a little google research and there appears to be no clear answer, seems IQ test results for non-humans are hard to come by.

This article seems to favor dogs.

Are Dogs Really Smarter Than Cats?
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/are-dogs-smarter-than-cats/

 

[IrisSenior]

Well, dogs and cats can see so I would think they can recognize another dog or cat. How they both react is up to each individual. Most indoor pets would love to go out and mingle with another of their species whether is it a fight or friendlyness would depend on how your animal reacts.

 

[jujube]

Dogs warn their pack (their humans) of possible danger. In a cat's mind: you're on your own. Seeing another cat is an affront to the cat's territorial rights.

I think you hit the nail on the head, Nathan.

Dog haiku:

Mailman's here to kill us.
Arf-arf-arf-arf-arf-arf-arf.
Oh, good. Scared him off.

Cat haiku:

Somebody is here. Who cares?
I'll wash my face and my paws.
He's no threat to me.

 

[Old_Dame]

The feline gaze is a different gaze from that of any other animal that, if we know how to decipher its meaning, we will make it human-cat relationship …even stronger-.”
“The body language of cats it is very interesting, different from that of dogs, and we cannot always know with certainty what it is trying to tell us. That is why it is highly recommended to learn to "speak" like a cat. Don't worry, you don't need to learn how to meow, but you do need to understand some of the signals most used by them.”

Discovering the meaning of the cat's gaze | Noti Cats

As for “spitting cats” … lol … it is possible to tame cat rivalry as this video from “Animal Planet” clearly illustrates.

Jackson Galaxy Helps Cat Rivalry Come to an End | My Cat From Hell - YouTube

What I found most interesting is that once Jackson Galaxy dissolves the barrier of bias feeling and conflict between human owners, by having them embrace the other's pet, versus promoting segregation and partiality; cats-rivalry transforms as well, into acceptable kitty-behavior.

 

[Lee]

Well I think my cat Riley leans toward the dumb cat side.....he managed last night to get his head caught in the mini blinds.....the blind broke, his neck did not.

 

[officerripley]

I don't know whether cats are smarter than dogs or not, but I absolutely think cats are smarter than most people. (Heck, even if you think dogs are stupid, even they are still smarter than a lot of people! )

 

[Mizmo]

Having had both as pets I have to say that cats are smarter