julia and liltle bastard can both open the bag the traets come in, if someone leaves it wherer they can get ahold of it.
little bastard does not ansewr to her name, but she is much sweeter than julia.
julia will answer to jules, squeaker, and her name, but she is not as affectionate as little bastard. julia will lie on my mouse hand, although little bastard stays away from the computer
we are trying to teach little bastard to answer to shorty.
julia will come see what’s up, if i turn my head and’ whistle.
if julia gets out she will only stay out for3-5 hours, she knows to sit and cry at the door and someone will let her come inside.
when little bastard gets out she will stay gone for two days, and nothing can bring her in, neither food nor rain, someone has to bring her back in. she will run away or climb a tree at the most tentative approach. she will climb and be unable to get back down again, at 10 feet or 10 meters.
I have no idea which is smarter or if the question even makes sense. But I do know that some dogs can be dumb…D-U-M-B. I’m not saying all dogs are dumb, but some of the dumbest animals I have ever seen are dogs.
We at my house have been able to gain some good insight into this debate. We’ve been trying to socialize our cat and dog, both of whom are older than youths.
We find that the dog was leery of the cat at first, but got over it. Now, she seems to understand how interactions with her affect the cat, and responds differently to them.
The cat just gets scared. That’s all it does. Every time it sees the dog, it gets scared. There is no difference in reaction at, just a pure fight or flight reflex.
Just watching them relate seems to indicate to me that dogs are much better able to adapt to changing situations, and tailor their responsese accordingly. Whether that indicates intelligence, I dunno.
Actually, Necros, you’re still talking about behavioral differences between dogs and cats that really have nothing to do with intelligence.
As I said above, dogs evolved cooperation as a survival technique, while cats developed into solitary predators. Dogs have a different way, in other words, of interacting with co-habitors, for lack of a better term. A dog will decide immediately whether he likes or trusts you/another dog/a cat; a cat is instinctively more wary and takes a good deal longer.
Hmm, lissener. Good point. It’s difficult, then, to determine what is behavioral and what is not. I mean, couldn’t any activity that we saw as “hey, that’s really smart!” be seen as behavioral in the sense that “dogs learned to be more adaptable, so they learn more quickly in new situations, so anything they do is behavior and not intelligence”?
On the bright side, the terror the dog gives her makes her very calm otherwise. She was positively serene at the vet’s last night, probably figuring that next to a dog, the vet was easy.
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I’m bummed to hear about your experiences with your cat and dog. I currently own two cats but I have been counting the days till I can get a dog (actually it will still be awhile yet but I’m counting the days anyway).
When we got our second cat the first cat understandably wasn’t thrilled. We kept them separated with the original cat getting the run of most of the house. The kitten stayed in one room. That way they could get used to smelling each other and what not through the door. We then left the kitten in a cage where the older cat could get close and see her without actually allowing them to come into contact.
When we finally let the kitten roam the older cat would hiss and what not but mostly the peace was kept. However, over a year later and the cats will have nothing to do with each other. Occasionally the older cat will hiss or swat at the younger cat but it’s somewhat perfunctory. The younger cat usually brings this on herself by tackling the older cat and trying to play. Beyond that they studiously ignore each other.
With two adult cats I’m worried what will result if a dog comes in to their lives. Both cats have a good 15 years of life left and I’m unwilling to wait so long for a dog but I don’t want a warzone on my hands either (or unhappy pets).
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I think this was why someone above already mentioned the apple and the orange. FWIW, this is also what I was trying to address in my first post to this thread.
lissener,
little bastard has the name that she does because apparently she would not answer to anything else.
she was my sister’s cat, she lives with us because she moved into a new place where cats were not allowed.
i know a retarded dog that eats fromt the litter box, it is a weimaraner, and it always jumps all over me, needless to say, i hate it. $600for s ahow quality retard—to replace a ferret!!!
aparrently, it is suicidal, it had tried to drag me into traffic once and then once across someones lawn.
Jeff_42, I’m not sure all is lost. We’ve definitely noticed some differences in the cat’s behavior. BTW, it’s only been a couple of months since we got the dog, so the saga is definitely not over.
At first, the cat would hiss and get “a fat tail” if it even smelled the dog. That’s passed. In fact, about a month ago, the cat went from being afraid of the dog (running away when she heard it) to actually going after the dog, and being agressive.
The dog, of course, doesn’t care that much; you can tell that she wants to be friends with the cat. And we’ve gotten the cat to be able to come out of the bedroom (where she stays most of the time), and can even be about ten feet away from the dog without hissing. Any closer than that and she freaks out.
But we think we’re making progress. I’ve heard tell it can take a year or more to scialize cats and dogs when they’re both adults, so I think we’re doing pretty well for how long we’ve been working at it.
For what it is worth I will share my personal experience in the cat-dog dilemma. I live in a household of 2 cats and 2 dogs. The dogs are a Chow/Dachsund and a Cardigan Corgi. The cats are, well, generic cats. The cats learned early on which cabinet had the dog food in it and figured out how to open it, and then rip the bag to shreds, and then deposit contents all over the floor. This requires pulling the door towards you and is not intuitive like pushing it away(the direction you want to go in) so it requires some intelligence. The Chow/Dachsund has learned to open regular doors as long as they can be pushed open(not latched), and can open the sliding screen door - but not the sliding glass door(probably because it is too heavy and dog claws can get no purchase on smooth glass). The sliding door is also non-intuitive since it must be pushed sideways to achieve the desired result. So we come to a draw, they have both equalled each other in displays of intelligence.
Incidently one of the greatest moments of stupidity between the two species was when one of the cats got his head stuck in a jar(because the opening is narrower than the chamber inside). It was on the counter half full of water, I don’t know if he wanted a drink or what. I was on the phone with public service trying to get a change of name on the account when the cat came tearing through the house. Alternately climbing the walls and running in circles, with half the water still sloshing around his head. Absolutely hilarious. I couldn’t go near him to help him out for fear of being clawed to the bone. This continued for about a minute of wild scrambling to and fro before the jar just plopped off. The dogs have never done anything stupid enough to equal that.
It is much easier for a cat to train a human than for a dog to train a human. When a dog wants to go out, they whine and scratch at the door until someone lets them out. A cat, on the other hand will simply sit quietly and stare at you until you get up and do whatever it is that they wanted you to do.
Sorry, but maybe this answer was given already. I didn’t see it but intelligence varying and all…
The answer is “Who cares.”
These are different animals. You can ask the question “Which is smarter, a cockatiel or a hampster”. Or “Which is smarter, a koala or a moray eel”. The main question is “Which has enough smarts to survive in its environment”. The answer, of course, is both.
Now, if you want to compare intelligence between two cats or two dogs, that is a legitimate test. But even then, it is not really relavant. I have good math and spacial skills. My fiancee is more creative and is good at crafts. Who is more intelligent between the two of us? An I.Q test would give A result, but not necessarily a definitive one.
I never had a pet growing up (fish in an aquarium notwithstanding). I was (still am) allergic to both cats and dogs so it was an animal free house. I always thought of myself as a dog person though. You could play frisbee with them, wrestle with them, they would lie on your lap while watching the game on T.V… But when my fiancee moved in with her cat, allergy issues aside, I began to appreciate a cat for what it was. Independant, yet could cuddle up on your feet. Knows it’s name, or at least responds to it. A pretty smart animal for what it needed to know.
So, unless cats and dogs take over the earth in a “Planet of the Apes” type scenario, “measuring” the “intelligance” of a domestic animal is a futile exercise. Just enjoy their company and, in my experience, undying devotion.
I do have a cat now… I’ve “adopted” one when my fiancee moved in. A real charmer named Caleigh.
Maybe “devotion” was too strong a word. However, on occasion we have to leave the cat alone for a day or so. After we return, we have a very clingy animal. It will hop up on the couch with us for company.
And, I have noticed “symapthy” from the cat as well. During a period of illness a few months ago, Caleigh was very affectionate. It would hop into bed with me, lie with me, and cuddle up next to me These are the same characteristics that elderly people like about cats as well. They react well to the moods and feelings of their owners. That is a mark of “intelligence” to be confered on BOTH cats and dogs.
Thanks! I think I have adapted too well to the cat though. Now there is pressure from my fiancee for a “Millenium Pet” - i.e. another cat or a puppy. Yeesh… I am just getting used to one animal. :rolleyes:
If we do get another pet though, I will sure to let everyone know. It would be wise to start purchasing stock in tissue and antihistamine companies at that point…
…You may be ok (allergy wise) in all this. I too am allergic to cats. When I started dating my wife and mentioned my allergy her reaction was, “All guys say that cuz they don’t like cats.” A few months later we stayed at her friends house who had two cats. Within 30 minutes poofy eyes, running nose, the works. My wife’s response, “Wow…you really are allergic to cats!”
No shit Sherlock…what tipped you off?
Move forward a few years and I’m now married with TWO cats. Absolutely no allergy symptoms whatsoever when it comes to eyes and nose (I can even rub my face in their fur). However, if the cat scratches me it will welt up and itch something fierce…noticeably worse than the reaction my wife gets if she gets scratched.
So, it seems, it is possible to build a resistence to the little buggers. I’m not saying it’s a foregone conclusion with all cat allergy sufferers but it is a possibility. It can go away though. My brother is allergic to cats (we had to get rid of our cat when we were kids it was so bad). Later in his life he had two cats and he responded the same way I did (no real allergy problems after awhile). Years later, after his cats were long gone, he came over to my house and started sneezing up a storm inside of 30 minutes. FTR we had just moved in so there wasn’t even the chance of cats leaving dander everywhere yet.
Good luck…
(BTW – I read somewhere that cats far outstrip nearly all other animals in causing allergic reactions in humans.)
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