Pet With The Longest Memory: Cat? Dog?

While the US can certainly be described as a pet-loving nation, there is at least a slight bias toward dogs. Who do you think is the smartest pet and who has the longest memory? Dogs or cats?

There's been several studies conducted and this is their conclusion' - Who's Smarter (Who Did You Pick?)

How long is a cat 's memory span?

A cat's brain functioning has been compared to that of a two to three year old child and, when compared to a dog, a cat's memory is almost 200 times more retentive. Without repeated and reinforced training, a dog's memory span is about 5 minutes.

How many neurons does a dog have?

A cat's cerebral cortex contains about twice as many neurons as that of dogs. Cats have 300 million neurons, whereas dogs have about 160 million. In fact, cats have more nerve cells in the visual areas of their brain, a part of cerebral cortex, than humans and most other mammals.

Is a dog smarter than a cat?

While pet owners may have loads of anecdotal data to show that cats are smarter than dogs or vice versa, there's little scientific evidence to back up those claims. Simply looking at the structure of the animals' brains only reveals so much about their intelligence.

If you’d like to experience all of this (and more) for yourself, take a trip to your local animal shelter, which will likely have dozens of unique kitties waiting to claim your heart as their own. 

As VetStreet noted:
“…the next time you hear someone say they don’t like cats, ask them if they’ve ever lived with one of these fascinating, funny felines. Chances are, they have no idea what they’re missing!”