As two of the most popular animals in the world, cats and dogs are often compared by people.

I’ve also heard people ask: Are cats or dogs smarter? While human intelligence can be measured through IQ tests, there is no black-and-white way to assess an animal’s overall intelligence. After all, asking who is smarter, a cat or a dog, is like asking who is better, a hammer or a screwdriver...

Because, cats and dogs evolved differently, depending on what they needed to do to adapt and survive. Due to different physical abilities and needs, each species has experienced specific trials and overcome these challenges through specific solutions, such as evolution. So, we cannot say that one species is inherently smarter than another.

That being said, there are studies that point to specific kinds of intelligence while giving an overall idea of ​​which animals lead in cognitive abilities:

Researchers believe that neurons can be counted as a measure of intelligence, and by estimating the total number of neurons, they can rank species according to their cognitive ability.

One way scientists try to subjectively measure animal intelligence is by comparing the number of neurons located in the cerebral cortex of the brain. This part of the brain is known to be responsible for many higher-order cognitive processes, including memory, thought, and decision-making. The researchers believe that by estimating the total number of neurons, they can rank species according to their cognitive abilities. Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel explains: "Neurons are the basic information-processing units, and the more units you find in the brain, the more cognitive an animal has."

To count neurons, Herculano-Houzel conducted an experiment to count the number of neuronal cells suspended in liquefied brain matter from different species.

PS: All animals used in the experiment died of natural causes

Herculano-Houzel studied the brain matter of several species. Experimental subjects included cats, golden retrievers and small mixed-breed dogs. It was found that among domestic pets, golden retrievers have the most neurons, reaching 623 million. Small dogs are close behind, and cats’ brains come in third with 250 million neurons.

These numbers suggest that dogs may have better cognitive abilities, but there are other factors to consider: First, it's unclear how brain size affects intelligence. Past research has shown that the larger the brain, the more neurons are present and therefore the smarter the animal.

However, Herculano-Houzel's experiments showed that large animals with larger brains, such as brown bears, have fewer neurons than smaller animals. Researchers say more studies are needed to determine exactly how brain size affectsor whether it affects intelligence. Another issue to consider is that the experiment only counts neurons and does not prove that all neurons are used. Just like the same human beings, some people are geniuses, while others are idiots.

The same goes for animals. A golden retriever has about 623 million neurons at its disposal, but that doesn’t tell us whether they are reaching their full potential. While a dog's neuron count may give dogs an advantage, other research suggests there are some areas where cats have the upper hand.

For example, a 2006 study in Hungary found that cats were more likely to succeed in food puzzles. In this Hungarian study, both dogs and cats needed to use their paws and noses to operate a mechanism to obtain food. The study found that dogs were more likely to give up exploration and look to humans for help. Cats prefer to solve problems by themselves. The experiment also involved cats and dogs in the wild. The results showed that cats were the clear winner when it came to hunting-related intelligence.

They are skilled predators, fully capable of finding their own food. Dogs, on the other hand, are slightly less capable at hunting because they don't have the same stealth, agility, and natural instincts as cats. This obviously depends on the breed of dog, though, but in general, cats are better at hunting than regular dogs. So if you judge animal intelligence based on which species hunt better, cats win.

But some scientists believe that social skills are also an indicator of intelligence. Dogs are generally considered to be more social. In terms of social ability and IQ, dogs may be better.

Generally speaking, when it comes to measuring the intelligence of cats and dogs, we cannot generalize. They are leaders in different fields, but both dogs and cats are unique in their own way. A clever display of wisdom.