Who’s Smarter, Cats or Dogs? Science Finally Has the Answer

Your lovable pup may know how to play fetch and roll over, but he also chews your shoes and loves to chase his own tail. And while cats aren’t exactly known for performing tricks, they do seem to have that “I’m so much smarter than you” air about them. So who’s brainier, cats or dogs?

Well, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, dogs win this one, hands paws down. (Sorry, cat people.)

Researchers looked at a number of different species and examined the amount of neurons in their brains (a major indicator of cognitive abilities). What they found was that canines have approximately 530 million cortical neurons whereas felines have less than half that amount, about 250 million. (For the record, humans have about 16 billion.)

These findings mean that dogs have the biological capability of doing much more complex and flexible things with their lives than cats can. Translation? Your pooch is basically a genius. (No word on why your little brainiac won’t stop peeing on your Moroccan area rug, though.)  

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