The question of who is smarter, cat or dog, has long been a hot topic among pet lovers, and scientific research has provided a new perspective on the discussion.
Scientific studies have shown that cats and dogs do have certain biological differences in intelligence. For example, studies have found that the cerebral cortex, the brain region that controls problem-solving and decision-making functions, typically has more neurons in dogs than in cats. Specifically, the cerebral cortex of dogs has an average of about 5300 million neurons, while cats only have about 2500 million, almost half as many as dogs. While this data seems to imply that dogs are twice as intelligent as cats, there is no definitive evidence to support a direct link between brain size and intelligence levels. Still, a dog's higher neuronal count is often considered an important indicator of its intelligence.
Dogs excel in social intelligence and are on par with the intelligence level of human toddlers. Not only do they show self-awareness, but they are also capable of succeeding in tasks that require cooperation and communication.
However, these studies on the social intelligence of dogs should be approached with caution in the cat and dog debate. Although dogs are the primary object of social cognitive research, there are fewer behavioral studies in cats in comparison. It wasn't until the beginning of the 21st century that scientists began to focus on cat behavior patterns, so there is relatively little information about cat intelligence. Some studies state that both dogs and cats excel in social intelligence; For example, in a test to find hidden food, two animals showed similar abilities. However, our understanding of cats' social intelligence is limited due to insufficient information about cats' behavior patterns.
In fact, making a direct comparison between cats and dogs may be inherently unplausible. Because of the huge differences in the living Xi and social roles of the two animals, some scientists consider such comparisons unscientific. Cats and dogs have each evolved intelligence adapted to the characteristics of their species, which means that their intelligence types may not be comparable at all.
In conclusion, there is no definitive answer to the question of who is smarter, cat or dog. While some data suggest that dogs may have a slight advantage in terms of social intelligence, more research is needed to dig deeper** to resolve the long-standing debate between cat lovers and dog lovers.