Are cats as smart as dogs?

Answer 1

I think the answer to this question is a bit of a gray area; it all depends on what exactly you consider intelligence. You see the average human brain ways about 1350g, and because brain cells are fairly universal in size we can use this as a measure of intelligence between animals. One popular argument is sensory; you see a cat does indeed on average have more scent receptors and a better hearing range than a dog, but that in my mind is not intelligence.

Compare it to a goldfish; something we can all agree is fairly unintelligent. A goldfish has a brain mas of about 0.097g; if that goldfish had 40000 scent receptors it would only be capable of managing a small fraction of them.

A dog has a bran mass of about 72g and a cats is about 30g. Those of you whom believe cats are more intelligent because there brain-structure resembles a human's are poorly mistaken seeing that similar structures can be found in a marine rag-worm. therefore even though a cat has mare sensory cells that a dog; it is less intelligent.

Another Answer:

Are dogs smarter than cats, or are cats more intelligent than dogs? Kate Douglas of New Scientist details the results of recent studies designed to measure cat and dog intelligence. Some of the highlights are as follows.

Brains: Cats have More Processing Capacity than DogsAlthough brain size is not a good indicator of intelligence, the number of neurons in the cortex is. On this measure, cats have the advantage over dogs, with 300 million neurons in a cat's cortex compared to 160 million in a dog's. This suggests that cats have more information processing capacity (Roth & Dicke, 2005). Understanding: Cats and Dogs Respond to Human Social Communication GesturesSmart dogs can show an impressive level of understanding, with a capacity to follow pointing gestures made by humans and use their own gazes to bring objects or situations to the attention of their owners (Douglas, 2009). Although evidence suggests that cats are cognitively similar to dogs (for example, they are equally capable of using human pointing gestures as a cue to locate food), because they are usually neither motivated nor compliant when it comes to participating in research, it's difficult to gauge their level of understanding (Miklósi et al., 2005). Problem Solving: Canine Performance Affected by the Dominance HierarchyDogs have been subjected to far more research than cats, and cats don't make good research subjects given their lack of motivation to please, so not much is known about their problem-solving abilities. However, the problem-solving abilities of dogs may also be difficult to determine because they tend to rely on their owners to take a leadership role. Canines often look to their owners to solve logistical problems rather than taking the initiative, which may cause them to perform poorly on problem-solving tasks unless their owners encourage them (Douglas, 2009).

Research has shown that a subordinate dog will usually perform better after witnessing another dog engaging in the desired problem-solving behaviour, and that both subordinate and dominant dogs do better after watching a human solve the problem. This illustrates the importance of the dominance hierarchy in canine learning and performance (Pongrácz et al., 2007).

Vocalization - Dogs Have the Range, Cats the FinesseGiven that cats don't usually meow to other cats and adult wolves rarely bark, it's likely that companion animal vocalizations arose due to a desire to communicate with humans, and thus may be a reflection of social intelligence. Canines have more vocal flexibility when it comes to pitch, frequency, range, length, tonality, and other factors, so they are better able to communicate their feelings and intentions (Douglas, 2005). But studies have shown that cat vocalizations have some interesting and unusual features. New evidence suggests that cats are capable of purring with a frequency that has a subliminal effect similar to that of a human baby's cry. This purr, known as the "solicitation purr," is slightly different from the regular purr and is used to ask for food (McComb et al., 2009). There is also evidence that purring provides pain relief and speeds the healing process. Perception - Cat Senses are More Powerful than Those of DogsBoth cats and dogs have far better senses of hearing and smell than humans, but a cat can hear sounds ranging from 45-64,000 hertz, whereas a dog can only hear within a range of 67-45,000. Also, the average cat has more smell receptors than the average dog (some Dog Breeds, such as the bloodhound, are the exceptions to this rule). In addition, cats have an edge over dogs when it comes to night vision, though dogs can see better in low light than humans (Douglas, 2005). The well-developed senses of cats may explain why they often appear to see, hear, or smell things that people (and even dogs) can't perceive. Intelligence Varies Among Individual AnimalsIt's difficult to determine how intelligent cats and dogs are because in natural settings, they apply their intelligence to problems that are important to cats and dogs, rather than those of interest to humans. In addition, people who have spent time with many cats or dogs will have noticed that some are more intelligent than others. Each species has its geniuses, as well as its duller members. The smartest cat is probably far more intelligent than the dullest dog, and vice versa, because individual animals vary widely based on genetics, experience, and other factors.

For more on the feline mind, see Cat Intelligence and Do Cats Have Emotions?

References:

• Douglas, K. (9 December 2009). "Dogs vs. Cats: The Great Pet Showdown." New Scientist.
• McComb, K., Taylor, A., Wilson, C., & Charlton, B. (2009). "The Cry Embedded Within the Purr." Current Biology, 19(13). Retrieved 17 December 2009 from the Academic Search Premier database.
• Miklósi, Á., Pongrácz, P., Lakatos, G., Topál, J., & Csányi, V. (2005). "A Comparative Study of the Use of Visual Communicative Signals in Interactions Between Dogs (Canis Familiaris) and Humans and Cats (Felis Catus) and Humans." Journal of Comparative Psychology, 119(2), 179-186.
• Pongrácz, P., Viktória, V., Bánhegyi, P., & Miklósi, A. (2008). "How Does Dominance Rank Status Affect Individual and Social Learning Performance in the Dog (Canis Familiaris)?" Animal Cognition, 11: 75-82.
• Roth, G., & Dicke, U. (2005). "Evolution of the Brain and Intelligence." Trends in Cognitive Science, 9(5): 250-257

Answer 2

Cats are generally as smart as to smarter than dogs. An average cat can easily learn to sit, stay, and come. The smarter cat can learn to also lat down, meow on command, fetch, and much more.

Answer 3

Depends which breed of cat and dog.