Cat or Dog

[fire_of_avalon]

I am a dog person through and through, though cats are nice to be around too. I have two dogs now and I may have a cat or two someday. Like others, though, I will probably always have a dog.

they're super smart.

"YEAH I'LL JUST JUMP OUT OF THIS TRAIN I'M REALLY SMART"

i love both dogs and cats, though i probably like cats slightly more because some dogs are mean and bark at me when i'm running. and they ignore their electric fence or their owners are assholes and never put one up. it really limits where i can run.

edit: ALSO SIMBA AND NALA ARE CATS

Balto.

I've said this before but look I've known some dumb cats - Rosie is not a powerhouse of mental agility for example - and you can teach dogs some impressive tricks (though that's more because a cat will say "smurf off" if you try to control it) but even the dumbest of cats does not need to be constantly watched in case it eats its own poop.

Dogs are wonderful and I adore them. I'd love to have a big dopey retriever or lab or something like that. But they are about as far from smart as something can be whilst still remembering to breathe.

Actually...

I was going to write about cats, but Bleys just did, so: Birds.
...
I wish I could have a pet crow, I always enjoy watching them interact, they're very social and intelligent. Once Joe passed by a dead crow in the middle of the street; probably a hit-and-run victim. The other crows in its flock kept hopping over to look at it and be near it, but of course they had to move whenever another car came; it was very sad.

Once I was walking down the street and saw two crows huddled together on the footpath, and as I approached, one of them dropped something - a perfectly intact dead sparrow one of them had been carrying in its beak. We had a tiny corvid stand-off as I inched closer to my house to go get my camera, and the crows hopped back towards their sparrow, seemingly unafraid and not at all in a hurry. Eventually I caved and went to go get my camera, and one of them just hopped up, carefully picked up its prize, and looked at me as if to say "sucker!" before flying away. It was very beautiful.

Crows are the best - and might the smartest non-human animal out there. They make tools and they remember people and they even talk about people who are especially memorable (people who have been nice or mean to them.) I would have a pet crow if it were legal.

[Denmark]

Balto.

[Leeza]

.
So does can be needy, yes. But most are super intelligent. Even the dopey ones are super in tune with your emotions and can tell when you're sad and will be there to comfort you. And of course there's dogs who can tell when someone is about to have a heart attack or a seizure and warn you about it. Service dogs in general are smurfing smart as hell. .

I work in a long-term care facility and we had a cat (it's in my album) that would go into the resident's room and sleep with them when he knew that they were about to die. Normally he would just be going into the rooms of residents that he felt comfortable with, but every so often he would be with someone else just before they passed. This happened too often to be a coincidence.

Both dogs and cats have similar qualities. One difference is that most dogs are bigger than cats and do require a lot more attention so people who want a pet have to decide on how much room they have and how much time they can devote to said pet. I cannot see a dog in my small house, even though I really would not mind having one. My cat is very self/cleaning/independent... if her food bowl is full and her litter box is clean. Dogs need bathing and walking on a regular basis as well as a lot of attention/play time. If I'm wrong, someone please tell me.

My cat definitely does also need attention, but picking her up and cuddling her for a few minutes is enough to make her happy for the rest of the day and then she keeps herself busy. Except for when she want to have conversations... then I have to talk to her and she always has to have the last meow.

[Citizen Bleys]

Point for cats:



Checkmate.

[Madame Adequate]

Actually...

Bah, you can take your facts, I've met dogs IRL and they're about as smart as a brick sandwiched between two planks of wood

(I genuinely didn't know that, awesome link!)

[Raistlin]

Both dogs and cats have similar qualities. One difference is that most dogs are bigger than cats and do require a lot more attention so people who want a pet have to decide on how much room they have and how much time they can devote to said pet. I cannot see a dog in my small house, even though I really would not mind having one. My cat is very self/cleaning/independent... if her food bowl is full and her litter box is clean. Dogs need bathing and walking on a regular basis as well as a lot of attention/play time. If I'm wrong, someone please tell me.

These are all valid concerns. Dogs certainly do require more attention, more effort, and more space (depending on the type of dog) than cats. That's the reason I will be getting a cat first. But if you have that attention, and are willing to put forth the effort, dogs can be amazing pets.

[Pumpkin]

Cats and dogs can both be very smart and I have heard and read stories of both cats and dogs doing their best to protect their owners, alert them when the house is on fire by waking them up, etc. Winning that award they give out to animals.

They're both better than YOU.

(SPOILER) You heard me

[Miriel]

Dogs only need to be washed every 6 weeks or so. It's a hassle to do it if your dog doesn't like water, but I have a local place where they have huge tubs built for dogs. And afterward they smell so good and you just want to snuggle them forever.

Dogs definitely need more attention than cats, but I think it's a good thing. I like spending time with my dogs and doing activities with them. It makes my heart so happy when I get to take them to new places and see their faces light up and their tails go nuts. I love picking out new toys for them to play with, or teaching them new tricks. I also really like the exercise it gives me. I enjoy running and enjoy it 10000 times more if I get to run with my dogs. Hiking with my dogs is also smurfing amazing.

There's a reason so many people treat their dogs like they're children. It's work, but you don't mind cause they're your babies and you love them. But like having kids, I wish more people would really consider the responsibility that comes with having a dog/kid before they jump into anything.

That being said, my Lizzie is suuuper low maintanence. One of her favorite things in the world to do is just sleep. For stretch of 6-10 hours at a time. And most dogs in general sleep anywhere from 12-18 hours a day. So they really don't need constant attention or activity.

Actually...

Bah, you can take your facts, I've met dogs IRL and they're about as smart as a brick sandwiched between two planks of wood

(I genuinely didn't know that, awesome link!)

If you have netflix, try watching Dogs Decoded. It goes more in depth into the stuff that article talks about. It's really interesting to see how dogs have evolved to really be tailor made into companions for humans.

[Tigmafuzz]

Some breeds of cat > some breeds of dog
Some breeds of dog > some breeds of cat
All breeds of dogs and cats > people

Actually...

That article fails to mention how cats have 300 million neurons compared to dogs' average of 160 million. Not taking sides, just sayin'

[Loony BoB]

Pretty sure the article mentions neurons right at the start (albeit without the numbers involved, it does give the same idea), Tig.

Cats and dogs are simply intelligent in different ways, and comparing the two is silly. Dogs are better at being trained by humans, while cats are better at learning on their own. Also, one could argue that dogs need to be trained, while cats train themselves. Cats can certainly be trained, though, to some extent (ie, do action to get reward). They just are less willing to do things on demand, which isn't really down to intelligence so much as it's down to whether or not they have a desire to please / receive a reward.

[edczxcvbnm]

While I agree with BoB, I must also point out that having more doesn't mean it is better. If those extra Neurons are all going towards the innate ability to always land on your feet they aren't really being put to good use. That hyperbolic example aside, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/science/the-tomato-ripe-juicy-and-bursting-with-genes.html?_r=0">Tomatoes have more genes than humans</a>. More != better, just different.

None the less I would argue that the ability to understand language (to an extent) and make some deductions based on knowledge of that language is very intelligent and more so than a cat. STUPID CATS ARGLE-BARGLE ;D

[Jinx]

Miriel, my dog has also done that thing where she makes sure everyone is looking at her, then pops a squat.

I love cats. I want one soooo badly, and once we move, we'll probably get one. However, I prefer dogs.

I'm really getting frustrated with the "all dogs are stupid" sentiment. I have two stupid dogs (but are both very sweet--neither needs attention all the time, either) and one highly intelligent dog (the dog I mentioned above.) She "talks" to people. And it's not just barking. She has a very diverse vocal range, and makes different noises depending on her mood and what she is trying to say. There's no doubt when she starts talking what she is trying to convey to you. If one of my parents wants me, they can say, "Go get Sam!" and she will come to my room/door and bark at me until I come out. She follows me everywhere I go. She is also like a little kid--if she's doing something she knows is wrong, but you laugh at her, she will stop, look at you, and keep doing it because she knows you think it's funny.

She also sighs and gets this bored look on her face when she is bored--and if you give a toy, she goes crazy. And contrary to popular belief her, she's not this ball of energy that is constantly going and wanting to jump and stuff. Most of the time, like Miriel said, she's a lazy little trout and wants to sleep. And if she's not bored and you give her a toy, she looks at you like you're an idiot.

She's got such a personality. I adore her.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Dogs are also more badass than cats.

inb4 lions or some big cat, none of you people smurfing have one.

[Night Fury]

Urgh, I know it's the mail, and I know it focuses on the 'illegal immigrant' but I read this story a while back and it's awesome.

Jake the hero: Judge praises ROTTWEILER who stopped illegal immigrant from raping woman in park | Mail Online

[Mirage]

Cats, because I am right.