The debate over whether cats or dogs are smarter continues, with new research shedding light on the cognitive capabilities of these popular pets. Dogs are known for their ability to learn and respond to commands, while cats are recognized for their hunting skills and curiosity.
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PBS NewsHour consulted three experts—a neuroscientist, a dog cognition specialist, and a cat behavior researcher—to explore this issue. Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel conducted a study revealing that dogs possess approximately twice the number of neurons in their brains compared to cats.
Herculano-Houzel's methodology involved liquefying animal brains to count their neurons, focusing on the cerebral cortex of eight carnivorous mammals, including cats and dogs. This research, published in late 2017 in the journal Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, used brains from deceased animals donated by various institutions. The study found that dogs have around 530 million neurons in their cortex, while cats have about 250 million. For context, humans have roughly 16 billion neurons in their cortex.
The research also provided unexpected findings. For instance, larger animals like hyenas and brown bears had fewer neurons than expected, challenging the assumption that brain size correlates with intelligence. Interestingly, raccoons exhibited a high neuron count similar to that of dogs, despite having brains the size of cats, aligning with their reputation for cleverness.
Brian Hare from Duke University cautioned against comparing intelligence across species, suggesting that each has evolved to master different survival skills. He noted that such comparisons may miss the point of how different forms of intelligence arise based on species-specific challenges.
Kristyn Vitale Shreve, a researcher at Oregon State University, emphasized that intelligence exists on a spectrum. She mentioned that cats excel in hunting while humans outperform in tasks related to math.
Both Herculano-Houzel and Vitale Shreve acknowledged the difficulties in studying animal intelligence behaviors, noting a lack of comparative research between cats and dogs. Vitale Shreve remarked on the perception that cats are less trainable, attributing this to their diverse personalities.
Ultimately, Herculano-Houzel conveyed a message to pet owners: the number of neurons should not affect the love you give to cats and dogs. Regardless of their cognitive capabilities, both are deserving of affection.