The answer to this question probably won't change the fact that dogs and cats are the most popular pets. But it's a good argument starter.
In an experiment, scientists gave cats string with a treat on the end. The cats would pull the string and get the treat. Faced with two strings — one bearing a treat, the other not — the cats were befuddled.
Dogs figured the two-string experiment out, however. "Cats do not understand cause-and-effect connections between objects," the researcher says. Perhaps that explains how they can sneak up and scratch you, again and again, even though you make it clear you do not like it. Dogs, well, they learn to please, don't they?
A study in 2007 found dogs could use touch-screen computers to accurately classify color photographs by recognizing the concept of a dog vs. a photo with no dog.
The thought processes of 15 cats were tested by attaching food to the end of lengths of string and observing whether they could figure out that pulling the line brought the treats closer.
The cats had no problem with tackling single pieces of string. However, when faced with two options, experts discovered that unlike their canine counterparts, cats were unable to consistently pick a baited string over a dummy.
This finding is somehow surprising as cats regularly use their paws and claws to pull things towards them during play and hunting.
They performed even worse than dogs, which can at least solve the parallel string task.
She added that the results show that cats do not understand cause-and-effect connections between objects.
The experiments involved attaching fish and biscuit treats to one end of a piece of string, placing them under a plastic screen to make them unreachable.
They were tested in three ways, using a single baited string, two parallel strings where only one was baited, and two crossed strings where only one was baited.
With two crossed strings, one cat always made the wrong choice and others succeeded no more than might be expected by chance.
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