Cats or Dogs—Which Rules?

  Posted on July 31, 2011  by Joy of Living  No comments

The debate has been going for quite some time regarding which is “better”… cat’s or dogs.

The most recent issue of Parade Magazine weighs in with data in several areas, following are their findings:

• When it comes to stamina, data shows dogs have the capacity to produce more energy for a longer period of time. They can produce higher amounts of oxygen that give them longer endurance. Cats are better for fast, shorter bursts of energy
• Agility is much better for cats because they have much greater body control and can survive falls much better. Cats can compose their bodies in midair and are much more apt to land safely than dogs.
• In the area of hunting, cats rule this category because they’re adept at independent hunting. They have excellent nighttime and close-range vision and are very focused on their prey.
• It won’t come as much of a surprise to learn data shows dogs are more hard working than cats.  A recent study showed cats spend approximately 80%  of the day asleep.
• Cats win the category of longevity.    They have an average lifespan of 13-14 years, while the average lifespan for dogs is 11 years.

Other areas of evaluation where dogs had the upper paw were speed and sense of smell.  Cats won the independence category (no surprise on that one!).

One area that would be most controversial is intelligence.  The Parade study gave the nod to dogs in this category based on the average number of words dogs can learn (165) vs. cats (35).  Other factors that were reviewed were ease of training and ability for complex thought.  Researchers also noted dog’s ability to observe and learn from human behavior.

Dogs and cats each have their own charms, and I love ’em both equally.  What do you think of the Parade study findings?