Study Says Cat Owners Are Smarter Than Dog Owners

Feb 11th 2010

A new study out of Britain is bound to make the fur fly. Researchers claim to have proven that cat owners rule -- and dog owners? Well, they don't drool exactly, they're just not as bright as the cat owners.

In a large-scale study aimed at tracking the type of domesticated animals Brits preffered, The Daily Mail reports that that cat owners were found to be generally smarter than their canine-loving counterparts. The study results showed that those with college degrees (aka the "smarter" folks) were 36 percent more likely to have a cat living in the house than those without degrees. Some speculate this is because the university graduates were more likely to work long hours, and chose cats because they are lower-maintenance than dogs.

But before you dog owners get riled up, you should know that in other recent research you've come out ahead -- cat people were found to be more likely to be neurotic, while dog people were found to have a conscientious and agreeable nature.

The big question is: where does that leave people who own both cats and dogs? Are they in the "smarter" category or the "dumber" group? Kathy Steuber, the owner of a chocolate labradoodle named Finley and two rescued cats named Frady and Phoebe, has an alternate answer – she believes that at times, her pets may be smarter than she is. "I'm outnumbered by my furry friends, and sometimes they do gang up on me!" So on which side of the fence do you fall?