Experiment proves dogs are smarter than cats
In a blow to feline pride, cats have failed to outperform dogs in intelligence tests.
Psychologists attached fishy treats or dog biscuits to lengths of string which the perennial domestic rivals were required to pull to get the food.
When offered a choice of two strings – one with a treat attached and one without – cats chose the right one no more often than would be expected by chance.
Dogs were able to tell the difference between a baited string and a non-baited parallel string – though not when the strings were crossed.
That makes them smarter than human babies – but trailing behind chimpanzees, tamarind monkeys, ravens and parrots in the animal kingdom.
“This finding is somehow surprising as cats regularly use their paws and claws to pull things towards them during play and hunting. They performed even worse than dogs, which can at least solve the parallel string task,” Britta Osthaus, who conducted the study at Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, told the Daily Telegraph.
“I am not trying to say cats are stupid, just they are different. We are so anthropomorphic we can’t see the world through their eyes.”