14 DAY TRIAL // The question of which makes a better pet, a cat or a dog, has been on the table for years, with defenders of each camp going to great lengths to show how one pet is better than the other. Speaking strictly from a scientific point of view, it seems dogs are much better friends to man than cats are, therefore the battle appears to be won by the canines, The Telegraph says citing recent research done by the New Scientist.
The publication took the cat and the dog and figuratively pitted the one against the other in eleven major categories, ranging from brain size to usefulness and ability to bond and interact with humans. While cats are clearly better endowed than their ancient rivals, the dogs, as regards human interactions, the latter win by a whisker. When drawing the line after analyzing the pets by the eleven criteria, New Scientist has proclaimed dog the winner with 6 to 5.
“Researchers concluded that when it comes to a number of criteria including intelligence, bonding and obedience, dogs narrowly beat their feline adversaries. Out of 11 categories selected by the magazine New Scientist, dogs won six compared with five for cats. Despite cats deemed overall to have a more powerful brains, dogs showed greater ability to understand commands, problem solve and were generally more helpful, it was said. Cats on the other hand had better acute senses, a smaller carbon footprint and their meowing and purring was considered less intrusive than dogs barking and whining,” The Telegraph writes.
However, when it comes to usefulness, this is where dogs win by a long shot, because they can serve more than simple pets, aiding people with disabilities and offering their services in police investigations and calamities. “Dogs can hunt, herd and guard. They can sniff out drugs and bombs; they guide blind and deaf people, race for sport, pull sledges, find someone buried by an avalanche, help children learn and possibly even predict earthquakes. Cats are good if you have an infestation of rodents,” New Scientist says of the findings of the side by side comparison.
To give the cat what belongs to the cat, felines win in the brain size category (as opposed to body size), in terms of popularity, of ability to manipulate by purring, of acuteness of senses (sight, smell and hearing) and eco-friendliness, having a much smaller carbon footprint than all dogs.