ANIMAL KINGDOM — Several years ago, I got into a debate with my sister-in-law about whether cats were smarter than dogs. I was on Team Cat and shared a couple of examples of how cats exhibit above-average intelligence. First, they bury their own waste and don’t need humans to help them with that aspect of their lives. Second, they know how to hide under beds and avoid the types of stressful social situations in which dogs often seem to get mired.
My sister-in-law was unimpressed.
“If cats are so smart, why aren’t they used to help detect bombs in airports?” she asked. “And why aren’t they used to locate people trapped under rubble in earthquakes? Or to help blind people get around safely?”
I couldn’t think of a good response to these questions. In fact, my faith in cats was seriously rocked. Why isn’t there such thing as a seeing-eye cat? Either they’re unable to do these important tasks or, worst of all, they’re unwilling.
Then I saw this little video. And I realized that dogs not only save lives, but they also do incredible stunts:
This high-flying dog is a 2-year-old pit bull/Labrador mix that lives in California.
I still don’t know, for sure, if dogs are smarter than cats. But it’s clear they live more adventurous lives.
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