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-Short Attention Span Theater-
Dogs really ARE smarter than cats: Canines have more than twice as many brain cells linked to intelligence
2017-12-01
[DailyMail] The researchers, from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, say the number of neurons in an animal's cerebral cortex is a hallmark of intelligence.

The cortex is the largest layer of the brain and is associated with a range of complex behavioural characteristics.
Researchers found that dogs possess around 530 million cortical neurons, while cats only have around 250 million.
By comparison, a human brain houses around 16 billion cortical neurons.

'I believe the absolute number of neurons an animal has, especially in the cerebral cortex, determines the richness of their internal mental state and their ability to predict what is about to happen in their environment based on past experience,' study lead author Dr Herculano-Houzel told Vanderbilt University's news site.

The researchers applied their intelligence theory to several carnivorous species, and found that bigger brains do not necessarily mean more cortical neurons.


Posted by:Skidmark

#19  Cats have it over dogs.

Image result for crazy cat and dog cartoons
Posted by: JohnQC   2017-12-01 22:11  

#18  That just mean Cats have a wicked sense of fun Spot.

Saw a documentary once about cats and their senses and how they literally perceive things quite differently than we do. From their sense of smell, eyesight, sense of balance, etc... Was interesting.

Dogs have more brain cells to track important things like licking themselves, the butt-smell of all their buddies, etc...
Posted by: CrazyFool   2017-12-01 20:12  

#17  That same cat liked to stay away from home for days at a time, or at least, refused to come inside when we called for him before we went to bed. He pulled this one subzero night, and we thought he would freeze to death. Next morning we heard him yowling from the fireplace flue, where the metal damper door was just above the fireplace. He had climbed up on the roof & come down the chimney like Santa Claus. Saved his own life, he did. Took him a few days to get all the soot out of his fur.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2017-12-01 20:12  

#16  I once watched our pet cat tear into a bowl of raw potato peelings. He was really hungry and swallowed several mouthsful before he realized what he had done. When we started laughing at his mistake, he folded his ears back, slunk away & hid his face for quite a while.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2017-12-01 20:05  

#15  My experience is that cats are not dumb, just insane. I had one that was really nutz - he would crouch on top of the refrigerator and whack people going past. Scared the sh*t out of folks.
Posted by: Spot   2017-12-01 19:42  

#14  BS
Not only are cats smarter, they know they are smarter
Posted by: John Frum   2017-12-01 16:46  

#13  Dawgs are only animal that could keep pace with the long sojourns early humans were prone too. House cats arrived having rode along or carried as kittens, possibly on a pillow.
Posted by: Shipman   2017-12-01 16:12  

#12  Depends on the breed...
Posted by: magpie   2017-12-01 15:43  

#11  #10 CF: Lions are smarter: all the wolves in a pack hunt, but the Lions make the lionesses do all the hunting....
Posted by: Ptah   2017-12-01 15:32  

#10  Right newc.

Besides Dogs are designed to operate and hunt in a pack. Cats are more solitary. Lions may have a 'pride' but they don't hunt as a 'pack'.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2017-12-01 13:37  

#9  "Having two of each, it’s my experience that both are smartish but in different ways. Dogs, being social, are more in tune with social cues from other dogs and humans. Cats don’t give a shit. If you point, a dog will look where you are pointing. A cat won’t give a shit. At most, it will sniff your finger.

If you leave the house for two days and leave your cat enough food for three days, when you get back, there will be food left. If you do the same for the dog, when you get back he’ll have not eaten for two days."
Posted by: newc   2017-12-01 13:32  

#8  Cats use their brain cells more for 'management' than 'production'.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2017-12-01 11:58  

#7  It'sbeen my unscientific observation that the only problem with dogs is they do not live long enough, while a nasty cat can apparently live forever.

**

Well, it's been known for a long time that dogs have family but cats have staff.

Couple of the truest statements I've come across. Have a cat who is sharper than cheddar, and will coordinate with myself and the dog (aussie shepherd) in checking out noises.

....then there are the other two cats...(shakes head)...dumber than a bag of bowling pins.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2017-12-01 11:24  

#6  Well, it's been known for a long time that dogs have family but cats have staff.
Posted by: DonM   2017-12-01 10:37  

#5  Cats may appear at times to interact with humans on an emotional level but I wouldn't bet on it. Of course 100% of canines do so instinctively.
Posted by: jpal   2017-12-01 10:20  

#4  It's been my unscientific observation that the only problem with dogs is they do not live long enough, while a nasty cat can apparently live forever.
Posted by: regular joe   2017-12-01 08:15  

#3  My Siamese is laughing his ass off.
Posted by: Woodrow   2017-12-01 07:26  

#2  Well at least, it's been proven that dogs are smarter than the typical liberal!
Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance   2017-12-01 03:07  

#1  Bullsh*t
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2017-12-01 02:51  

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