Part One:
The big pet duel

This world is filled with, mainly, two kinds of people: "Dog People" and "Cat People" and both are convinced that their favorite pet is superior. But what do the scientists say? Let's find out in the great pet duel…and may the best one win!

Brains: With 64 grams, the average dog brain is a lot bigger than the cat brain, which is about 25 grams. But the average dog is a lot heavier then a cat. If you put brain mass as a percentage of the bodyweight, the cats win by the length of a whisker. However, the size of the brain is not conclusive. We must also look at the brain's neurons, and with 300 million neurons against a 160 million, the cat wins round one!  

Shared Past: Researchers compared the DNA of dogs with wolves, their closest relation, to find out when the domestication started.  From the first study in 1987, they found that dogs and people found each other about 135,000 years ago. However, the most recent studies by Swedish researchers say it's more like16,000 years ago.

From Egyptian hieroglyphics and cemeteries, it appears that cats were popular from 3,000 BC.  Probably the bond between cats and humans is much older. In 2007 a comparison of the DNA of cats with their wild ancestors throughout the world proved that the domestication started somewhere in the Middle East. The fact that they found a cat next to a human in a 9,500 year old grave proved that cats took their places in our houses, and hearts, a long time ago. This round goes to the dogs.

Understanding people

Rico the Border Collie is known for his understanding of more then 200 words, but even less talented members of the same species succeed obeying a number of vocal commands. But, dogs also interpret gestures, like a nod or a stretched out finger. Dogs keep eye contact with humans, something wolves don’t do, and use the direction of the glance to bring something under our attention. Cats are also capable of finding food through our gestures, but are much less motivated.

Where dogs find a hidden treat through signs of their owner, cats prefer to try this on their own. Realizing their superior vocabulary and their eagerness to communicate with their owners, it seems clear that dogs win this round, too.

Solving problems

There is very little known about the ability of cats to solve problems. Dogs, however, have passed many more tests, but they have also failed some. According to some scientists the bond between dog and owner makes the animals look more stupid then they are in reality. The stronger the bond, the more the dog counts on the owner to do things, and this makes him lose his own capacity to think. You can see this in blind guide dogs, they accept the minor role but if something happens they do succeed by solving problems. Since there are no seeing-eye cats, this round goes to the dog.

Communication

Even if you love your pet to death, the barking or mewing can irritate a lot. It seems that cats found a way to solve that problem. Studies proved that purring makes us do whatever they want. It has a frequency like the crying of the baby which makes us react in this manner. The cat wins this round overwhelmingly!

So, at the end of Part One, dogs are winning three to two. Read next month's column for Part Two of this exciting competition and see whether a dog or cat emerges as the winner.