The Great "Who Is the Better Pet" Debate - Again?
"Dogs are the best companions.
" "No, Cats are the best human companions.
" The debate continues ad infinitum...
ad nauseam.
What is the debate really about? Dog people are crazy about dogs.
Cat people are crazy about cats.
And both tend to think, "Mine is better than yours.
" For good or ill, the New Scientist recently took up the debate anew.
This is even though cats currently are more popular than dogs and, furthermore, outnumber dogs in U.
S.
households.
The periodical created 11 categories on which to judge both cats and dogs.
The categories represent internal physiology, traits, tendencies, and external behaviors.
In the first five categories, cats came out on top.
Cats were deemed to be "smarter" because they have 300 million neurons in their brains.
Dogs have 160 million neurons.
While the number of neurons is very important, how those neurons are employed is likewise important to know.
These data do suggest, however, that cats are particularly effective and efficient at processing information.
In the senses department, cats again showed their overall superiority.
Cats were also thought to be "greener" because their lighter fare is considered to be more eco-friendly.
And, finally, cats have a larger range of vocalizations to talk to their humans and effectively get them to respond.
However, on the last five of the 11 categories, dogs were thought to be "better.
" They were seen as better at bonding, solving problems, trainability, understanding humans, and having a long history with humans.
That made it a 5-5 draw.
But there was one more category.
That is utility.
Utility is where dogs broke the tie.
They can provide work and service for their humans.
They can lug Brandy to snow-bound skiers and sniff out drugs.
They can fetch a shot-filled duck from a pond or roundup sheep.
They can act as service animals for the sight-impaired.
But is "utility" a behavior, trait, or characteristic that most people rank as number one when deciding on their personal animal companion? I don't think so.
Consequently, one might say the conclusions of this "poll" are debatable because individual results depend heavily upon interpretation.
They depend upon whether one values independence versus dependence, dominance versus submission, friendliness versus status, or relationship versus utility.
In fact, the so-called ongoing "debate" is really a non-debate.
People decide on what they value and need emotionally.
Dogs and their personalities can offer one thing and cats and their personalities can offer another.
Both can offer love, loyalty, fun, and a close, caring, rewarding relationship.
However, their human companions may still want to think that what they have chosen is "better" than the alternative.
Overall, for most people, the "better pet" is really in the eye, heart, and arms of the beholder.
" "No, Cats are the best human companions.
" The debate continues ad infinitum...
ad nauseam.
What is the debate really about? Dog people are crazy about dogs.
Cat people are crazy about cats.
And both tend to think, "Mine is better than yours.
" For good or ill, the New Scientist recently took up the debate anew.
This is even though cats currently are more popular than dogs and, furthermore, outnumber dogs in U.
S.
households.
The periodical created 11 categories on which to judge both cats and dogs.
The categories represent internal physiology, traits, tendencies, and external behaviors.
In the first five categories, cats came out on top.
Cats were deemed to be "smarter" because they have 300 million neurons in their brains.
Dogs have 160 million neurons.
While the number of neurons is very important, how those neurons are employed is likewise important to know.
These data do suggest, however, that cats are particularly effective and efficient at processing information.
In the senses department, cats again showed their overall superiority.
Cats were also thought to be "greener" because their lighter fare is considered to be more eco-friendly.
And, finally, cats have a larger range of vocalizations to talk to their humans and effectively get them to respond.
However, on the last five of the 11 categories, dogs were thought to be "better.
" They were seen as better at bonding, solving problems, trainability, understanding humans, and having a long history with humans.
That made it a 5-5 draw.
But there was one more category.
That is utility.
Utility is where dogs broke the tie.
They can provide work and service for their humans.
They can lug Brandy to snow-bound skiers and sniff out drugs.
They can fetch a shot-filled duck from a pond or roundup sheep.
They can act as service animals for the sight-impaired.
But is "utility" a behavior, trait, or characteristic that most people rank as number one when deciding on their personal animal companion? I don't think so.
Consequently, one might say the conclusions of this "poll" are debatable because individual results depend heavily upon interpretation.
They depend upon whether one values independence versus dependence, dominance versus submission, friendliness versus status, or relationship versus utility.
In fact, the so-called ongoing "debate" is really a non-debate.
People decide on what they value and need emotionally.
Dogs and their personalities can offer one thing and cats and their personalities can offer another.
Both can offer love, loyalty, fun, and a close, caring, rewarding relationship.
However, their human companions may still want to think that what they have chosen is "better" than the alternative.
Overall, for most people, the "better pet" is really in the eye, heart, and arms of the beholder.
Source...