Dave and Fred from our Marriage Referendum pets series last year
With regard to Lara Marlowe and Karlin Lillington’s “The real debate: canines or felines?” (February 6th), it is a popular misconception that cats are more intelligent than dogs; in fact the reverse is true. The concept of intelligence is all but impossible to define, but most would consider the capacity for relationship to be an indicator of some kind of mental competency.
Dogs, which were first domesticated around 15,000 years, are pack animals and evolved to live as part of often complex social hierarchies. Cats, first domesticated around 12,000 years ago with the onset of the agricultural revolution, evolved as solitary creatures. The latter came to live in proximity to humans thanks to their interest in the rats that congregated around early-agricultural grain stores. As such, they never actually wanted to be close to humans per se.
The “panting, tail-wagging excitement” Lara Marlowe cites is actually indicative of dogs’ more complex psychology, while the “mystery” and “intelligence” of cats derives from the fact their mental capacities are relatively limited. It is not that cats are aloof; they are simply incapable of love, and what is often mistaken for sophistication is in in reality a zombie-like vacuity. Cats are rather like furry goldfish.
Luke Holland,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.
FIGHT!
Cats and dogs – the real debate (Irish Times)
The problem is dumb humans anthropomorphising their stupid loneliness mascots…….
hahahah! that fellow has obviously never had a cat. mine, anyway, follow me from room to room and are as trusting and patient as any dog i’ve had. and a little smarter, too.
I suspect a cat once outsmarted him.
Tell me, what colour is the sun in your world?
I will fight Luke for the honour of cats
Social animals are more intelligent, dogs are more social, therefore…..
Yes, because we can absolutely measure something as complex as intelligence by evaluating just one parameter! Luke is talking out of his bum part.
Luke hasn’t heard the last of this
yeah but a cat would eat its owner if he died, a dog would lie there and starve to death. There’s nothing intelligent about loyalty when you’re famished, those cats are too smart for that poo
Never read Gerard’s Game, did you? Or the recent news story of a dog eating its owner?
Animals are animals, they are sentimental when they are starving. If anything, a cat wouldn’t eat you because they are too fussy. Dogs will give anything a go.
Luke Holland is Kitty’s brother.
His late mother Mary hated Socialist Worker Party that Eamonn McCann is a part of.