Dogs Vs. Cats -- The Great Pet Showdown

At the risk of inciting or inflaming passions about a sensitive topic -- no emails, please! --  I decided to let New Scientist, one of my favorite publications, do a "guest post" for me today.  I saw this fascinating story about dogs vs. cats in my daily news digest from New Scientist yesterday and thought it would make a very interesting read for the last blog post of the week. 

Note that this is also the cover story in the current print edition of the magazine, but they use a different and far more provocative headline:  Why Dogs Are Smarter Than Cats.  [Ouch.]

I thought it safer and wiser to use the title New Scientist used for their Web version of the story:  Dogs vs. Cats -- The Great Pet Showdown.  [Neutral.  Safe.]  Apparently the people editing the Web site content for New Scientist were thinking the same way.  Or maybe they are, you know, cat people.

In any case, you can read the New Scientist story here.

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Still No. 1 -- But That Iowa Group Is Moving Up Fast!

Please keep voting for the ranch every day in The Animal Rescue Site/PetFinder's Shelter Challenge.  Thanks to your votes, we came in third nationwide and won $3,000 for the animals in the previous contest earlier this year.  Now we have a shot at No. 1 and the $20,000 grand prize in the current contest!  Enter "Rolling Dog Ranch" and our state postal code, MT for Montana, and it will bring up our listing so you can cast your vote.  Please ask your family and friends to vote, too. 

You can see how fast the rankings can change, so we really need an extra push in the last 10 days of the contest to hold that No. 1 spot.  It ends on December 20th, so we're in the home stretch -- and $20,000 for the animals is in sight!  Thank you!

Comments

[albert vet]

Well written blog. I have 3 dogs and 2 kittens. I just love hanging around them all the time! I love them all and there is no favoritism as well.They are like my family.

[kaye veterinary info]

Thanks for sharing your article. I'm just wondering who's really smarter, dogs or cats? Which ever it is, i love them both! I have two dogs and a kitty and they are so adorable!

[Tonya]

Very interesting article, thank you for sharing!

Hope you are staying warm. The last few days, when I've been trying to hurry the dog along in his outdoor activities so I can get inside, out of the windy 15-degree weather, I think of you and feel warmer. Slightly.

[Lynne Parker]

Thanks for sharing. That is an interesting article.

I'm not so sure it highlights the differences in intellect as much as it outlines the differences between the evolution of a species that operates in a pack versus one that operates in a solitary mode. Regardless, we choose our pets based on our love for them, not on their intelligence. If smarts were the deciding factor, we'd all have pet pigs!

Stay warm up there!

[Kenna]

Dogs have more vocalizations?? Despite my yellow Lab being a snorer, my orange tabby far outdoes her in the conversation category!

I am, however, thinking they miss a key point in that article. WE can train dogs... yet cats train us. So who is the "smarter" species now?? LOL

LOVED the article, thank you for sharing!! (and that is coming from a dog/cat/guinea pig/horse person!)