Cat vs. dog evolution

steve smyth — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:04:18 GMT

even the nastiest dogs are afraid of cat scratches to the eyes...kittys win...day-glo, or not...

Cat vs. dog evolution

Darius Zardoz Vortex — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:04:46 GMT

Doggy-woggies are better.

Cat vs. dog evolution

RBH, Ohio — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:44:03 GMT

I can't tell if Schmitt is hyping or merely ignorant when he says that

"It is usually assumed that efficiency is what matters in evolution," Daniel Schmitt, an evolutionary anthropologist at Duke University, said in a news release about the latest dog vs. cat research. "We've found that's too simple a way of looking at evolution, because there are some animals that need to operate at high energy cost and low efficiency."

Who makes that assumption? Would Schmitt care to document it? Who hasn't been aware for decades that evolution involves trade-offs? This is another example, a nice example to be sure, but not the kind of breakthrough finding that Schmitt's quotation seems to imply.

And Schmitt's use of "need" in that remark is strange. Cats don't "need" to operate at high energy cost and low efficiency; rather, they have evolved hunting adaptations that involved operating (briefly) at a gait of low efficiency, but that are apparently productive (and efficient?) with respect to obtaining food. That's the real measure of efficiency -- does the payback in food obtained via a stealth tactic that employs the "low efficiency" gait outweigh the cost of the gait? It apparently does: cats are still with us.

Cat vs. dog evolution

ccws, Phila. PA — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:14:08 GMT

d*gz. meh. us kittehs iz PWNZ0RZ teh hol univers. kthxbai. =^..^=

Cat vs. dog evolution

Paul, Triton, Neptune — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:23:56 GMT

Cats aren't built for endurance at all, even in their bio-chemistry. Dogs don't have much ATP in their "reserves" when at rest compared to a cat, at least by bodyweight. But dogs make it much better than cats by bodyweight. What that leaves the cat with is low-endurance. Anyone who's played with a cat notes they might be crazy about the string for five minutes, and then they lose interest. Its because they're tired as much as anything else. But you can also note that pound-for-pound, a cat is much stronger than a dog when going full-bore. Compare a Greyhound and a Cheetah for instance. The Cheetah has an edge in acceleration and top-speed over the Greyhound, but it "runs out of gas" and has to stop running quite a bit sooner than the Greyhound.

Cat vs. dog evolution

John Messenger, Glenwood, MN — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:29:16 GMT

Cats are solitary stalkers, whereas dogs are pursuing pack animals. Speed and endurance are key to a pack animal's success at bringing down prey...often the speediest dog in the pack does the actual bringing down with the remainder of the pack catching up and finishing the job. Cats employ patience and outstanding stealth...along with a rapid pounce. Plus...many cats evolved camouflage to assist in their stalking. Tabbys are probably the closest relations to ancient wild cats...with those shading toward brown probably the closest relatives. The tabby markings blend well with tall grasses. Regarding intelligence: show me a dog that can use a litter box and I'll show you a dog that's as smart as a cat.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Alan Boyle — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:32:09 GMT

RBH, I kinda had the same reaction when I saw the item, and I did go with that news-release quote nevertheless... When Schmitt called me back, I did ask him about the "duh!" factor. And he agreed that a fair number of people had that reaction ... that of course there are different ways to, um, skin a cat when it comes to evolutionary fitness.

Here's what I have in my notes about his response, and some of it may not make sense ... but I did paraphrase a bit and use it in the item, toward the end:

"What people have thought is that evolution should select for low-oxygen consumption, low energy use to high yield."

(This was found to be the case for a wide variety of species, including dogs, ostriches and penguins. He didn't provide the penguin reference but these are examples:)

http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/reprint/195/1/199.pdf
http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/abstract/207/22/3917
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071207-penguins-dive.html

(Anyway, back to the idea of low-energy, high-efficiency locomotion in hunting mode:)

"We thought cats would be the same, but we saw that they were sacrificing this to be stealthy."

Schmitt told me that cat species were the only kinds of animals to follow this pattern ... but that does sound like it's begging to be contradicted by some zoologist. Yes, maybe there's a bit of hype to this. I guess you can take it more as a case study... as I told David Grinspoon already on Facebook, the more interesting part for me was the material about human fitness for long-distance running. And if you haven't listened to the "This American Life" piece about chasing antelope, you should load that onto your MP3 player and give it a listen, preferably while you're on the treadmill at the gym.

Cat vs. dog evolution

nocatz — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:50:09 GMT

catz R teh suxor

Cat vs. dog evolution

Witchking — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:14:28 GMT

The style doesn’t matter as much as the animals’ harmony within its niche / habitat. A shark hasn’t changed much in millions of years. Why because it is in tune with its environment and doesn’t need to adapt. As the cat or dog is in tune within its niche, dogs don’t hunt mice the perfect food for a cat. Cat’s use stealth to get the mouse / bird it is in tune within its niche, dogs hunt different prey. That is why both have succeeded as a species. So in a way this is a pointless article as you are comparing apples and oranges.

Cat vs. dog evolution

boji, philippines — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:27:34 GMT

Maybe I am missing something, but I think this article compares just the energy used by cats, dogs and apparently humans in running down prey. But surely each has a different hunting millieu and therefore technique. Dogs and men usually get their prey running them down, while cats creep up (say up trees, which dogs and men cannot do as efficiently) and pounce using surprise. Dogs by the way are not strictly hunting animals: their longish snouts are designed to dip into left-over carcasses they are scavenging.

Cat vs. dog evolution

kat newkirk, cleveland, OH — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 02:52:53 GMT

Why is everyone assuming that "different" = "good" or "bad"? Results count- cats can hunt to feed themselves quite nicely, thank you.

Cat vs. dog evolution

LindaL, Dayton, Ohio — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:15:01 GMT

And Schmitt's use of "need" in that remark is strange. Cats don't "need" to operate at high energy cost and low efficiency; rather, they have evolved hunting adaptations that involved operating (briefly) at a gait of low efficiency, but that are apparently productive (and efficient?) with respect to obtaining food. That's the real measure of efficiency -- does the payback in food obtained via a stealth tactic that employs the "low efficiency" gait outweigh the cost of the gait? It apparently does: cats are still with us.

Perfectly said....it's not the method you use, it's the results that count. Cats are expert at hunting for food. Regardless of their oxygen consumption, energy efficiency or having a gait that doesn't compare to other species, they still eat. And they are better equipped to catch their own dinner than most dogs and humans. There's something to be said for being stealthy as a strategy for survival....

Cat vs. dog evolution

Mike Foley, Pensacola, FL — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:24:31 GMT

I am a cat lover for certain. Had to grin at a previous comment about the cat being litter box trained. So right! However, when will they learn to barf in the box? I sure do appreciate not stepping in cat crap, like one so frequently does in dog doo. But those barefoot trods into fresh cat puke....yuck.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Des Emery, St. Thomas, ON, Canada — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:02:57 GMT

Cats creep. Dogs chase. Cats clamp their teeth on the neck of their prey, suffocating it, one cat to one victim, after surprising it. Dogs hamstring their prey, with most of the pack participating in bringing down the prey after exhausting it in an open pursuit, and often don't wait before beginning to feed.

Evolution pairs off suitable types of prey with adapted predators. But there are many types of prey and many types of predator. Wolves will kill coyotes. Owls will kill cats.

Man will kill anything, including other men, women and children. Are we finished "evolving?" Or just beginning?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Themondo13 — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:15:56 GMT

I prefer to challenge all who comment. Just who do you think you are? Are cats the best or are cancines? If each can be taught they are the best of both evils. I've got one of each they both fetch and sit up. Go into the histories of a lot of these individuals and they will tell you,they have, either one, that they do what this survey entails and more, but train them and they will do your bidding. By the way it only takes 10 minutes each day and you have them eating out of the palm of your hand. Dogs do it first but cats usually come in a day or two later and do exactly the same thing as dogs with just a bit of a delay.

To those that try and to those that have patience Themondo 13

Cat vs. dog evolution

giniajim, KG, VA — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:20:34 GMT

This is actually pretty interesting. Basically it says that the hunting styles evolved differently. One creeping-stealthy-burst of speed, the other more long pursuits. The question is: why is that? what caused cats and dogs to evolve differently?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Sandy's 2 cats, Tucson, AZ — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:25:17 GMT

It doesn't really matter who is faster or uses the most energy. Cats can catch birds on their own, dogs have to wait until their person kills it before it is brought in. I agree with the person who said that a dog will be useful when it can use a litter box, but I would like to expand of that by saying when a dog can use a litter box and (almost) never need a bath, and be left alone for up to 3 days and not leave little packages and puddles everywhere, I will concede that the cute little doggie buggers rule. Until then......it is a cat's domaine.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Kathy Graham, Chicago, IL — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:30:02 GMT

Re: When a cat slinks close to the ground, it moves its front and back ends in a relatively inefficient, self-canceling pattern that results in a smooth, flowing forward motion, Schmitt said. "If they're creeping, they're going to put this foot down, and then that foot down, and then that one, in an even fashion. We think it has to do with stability and caution," he said.", cats aren't walking that way for stability and caution. They are moving in such a way that a bird or other animal are less likely to see that they're moving forward because they're oozing forward slowly. Birds, for instance, are unlikely to see this type of movement, which is how cats capture an animal that can fly away.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Kiff, Albuquerque, NM — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:34:27 GMT

Cats may not stalk in an energy-efficient manner, but they are incredibly effective hunters nonetheless. Research has shown that cats capture prey successfully on about 1 in 3 hunts.

Considering that a cat's "hunt" may involve nothing more than a patient wait outside a vole burrow, followed by a lightning-fast pounce, I don't think the inefficiency of their stride is of much consequence.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Susan, Springfield, IL — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:50:10 GMT

Cats are, by far, the superior animal. The very traits that people claim to dislike in cats are completely overlooked or "explained away" when dogs display the exact same behaviors. That is a human oddity among many who worship dogs.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Keith Schaffrath, Santa Ana, CA — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:56:14 GMT

"Schmitt emphasized that he and his colleagues weren't trying to set off a cat vs. dog controversy ..." What's funny about that is... that's exactly what everyone started talking about!

That was never his purpose. I'm sure he knows about the difference between cats and dogs, animals that hunt as individuals and animals that hunt in packs.

This is science. One can't just say, "I KNOW this to be true." Evidence must be compiled and peer reviewed. It's silly to say, "well of course I know cats are less efficient!" Wouldn't an animal that is able to expend large amounts of energy AND has a more efficient gait be better?

As for his being ignorant, here is a piece on efficiency:
"This is in line with a view that is almost axiomatic in modern zoology, namely, that evolution constantly works to increase the efficiency of organisms."

http://books.google.com/books?
id=OUwXzD3iihAC&pg=PA397&lpg=PA397
&dq=evolution+efficiency+oxygen+mammals&
source=web&ots=H0tkY3ReuX&sig=meu4BIDD-Hxh_phk
S9LYcuz84Vc&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result
&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA397,M1

Obviously, everyone still has a bit more to learn about evolution.

Thank you Daniel Schmitt for providing more interesting and hard knowledge of the world around us.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Katie, NYC — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:26:23 GMT

To respond to John Messenger's comment "Regarding intelligence: show me a dog that can use a litter box and I'll show you a dog that's as smart as a cat."

Just try telling your cat to "sit and stay" and then tell me they're smarter.

Cat vs. dog evolution

James Hall, Canaan, NH — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:46:43 GMT

I don't dispute that dogs that hunt in a pack are usually more successful in bringing down game but there is a feline comparison in lion prides although the strategies are different. I would like to examine the cheetah comparison a bit more because their hunting strategy is more comparable to dogs, an ambush followed by a sprint chase. There is also the issue of sharing of the kill a solitary hunter may expend more energy in making the kill but enjoys all of the rewards. A low ranking member of a pack or pride may actually expend all of the energy in making a kill but the dominant animals will feed first. I think mostly this should have been a comparison of locamotion efficiency rather than hunting effectiveness.

Cat vs. dog evolution

jkatze crystal lake IL — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 06:59:55 GMT

Well, John Messenger, my Sheltie may not use a litter box but she's no dummy. We had a long, long, snowy, snowy winter '07-'08. The night of the last blizzard, she went out for her bedtime potty, stood on the porch regarding the snow, turned around to give me The Look, and promptly squatted then and there to whiz. I didn't blame her one bit for being done with slogging through snow.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Phek Toronto,Ontario — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:20:58 GMT

KIT-E POW-R rawrr

Cat vs. dog evolution

Andrew, Phila, Pa — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:27:28 GMT

The only thing that sways my mind is results. I don't care how much funding is being wasted on this completely useless study. I've owned cats and dogs; cats catch things; dogs don't. Dogs don't even kill to eat anymore. They just happen to kill the chipmunk/ground hog because they don't know how to play.

Cat vs. dog evolution

MattMan, Iowa City, IA — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:39:02 GMT

Cats utilize a different type of efficiency. Yes, dogs are more efficient while running, but cats' stealth minimizes how much running they have to do. 10 units of energy per yard for 100 yards or 20 units per yard for 50 yards (or whatever the units & ratios work out to be.)

Cat vs. dog evolution

Klaatu, Barada, Nikto — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:54:30 GMT

These findings are interesting, but domestic dogs and cats have been changed so much by human intervention that I wonder how much we can really learn about evolution from them.

Cat vs. dog evolution

faskittez, Seattle, Wash — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:59:08 GMT

U dnt need speed 2 catch ur cheezeburger!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Sam Cogar, Burnsville, WV — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 11:59:29 GMT

Anyone doing a comparative study on the present day crop of cats and dogs should keep in mind that they have undergone thousands of years of human engineering (selective breeding). Dogs are far more intelligent than cats and one should not confuse inherited traits with the ability to learn new and different things. A dog can be trained (housebroken) to do their business outside but a cat can’t be trained to use a litterbox because it is their natural instinct to “cover-up” their business no matter whether it is done in the litter in a box inside a house or in the litter of leaves or mulch outside in the flowerbed. Cats will search out for litter to cover up their uh business.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Johnnie, Winston-Salem NC — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:43:41 GMT

What I don't understand is how they can extrapolate data regarding housecats and then apply that to cats in the wild. First, cats have had human intervention in their development just like dogs have. I can understand creating theories regarding the large cats from studies of housecats but not making declarations on their evolutionary design. Same goes for dogs, we've manipulated their evolution to a point where several breeds would not likely survive in the wild.

Although I have a healthy respect for science, this sounds like a thesis paper that wasn't fully hatched before someone leaked it to the news.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Matthew Vezina, Toronto, Canada — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:45:33 GMT

I am a lover of both cats and dogs, however if I had to chose one over the other then I would have to say that cats taste better.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Eric, Salinas, CA — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:01:33 GMT

Only humans are dumb enough to run marathons, waste a ton of energy and catch no prey. While domesticated dogs may be better at long distance running becausae they tend to be much bigger than domesticated cats I think that nature shows us big cats are far superior to big dogs in running and catching prey. I mean where are the big wild dogs that rival lions and tigers? Lions and Tigers would whip any big dog in the wild like a hyena.

Cats are far smarter than dogs when to comes to hunting. They hunt smart by making sure they don't waste energy on long distance chasing around. They strike quick and stealthy and don't waste so much energy getting their prey. They're the Ferrari's of nature, fast and graceful.

Cats Rule!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Elaine George — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:15:12 GMT

There is an important factor when comparing hunting mechanics and bioenergetic/biomechanical hunting efficiency: terrain which is related to prey types and success of prey kills;

Wild cats in the United States and in areas such as the Himalyas (known as solitary hunters) hunt in terrain that provides the advantage with specific prey species and possess a bioenergetic and biomechanical manner that is suited to more rugged mountainous, rock or ledge environs. Their hunting style is adapted to quick bursts of anaerobic energy required for leaping and 30-40 yard sprint-kills. Wild cats in Africa, where the terrain may not be as mountainous hunt in prides, yet possess the same sprint-kill anaerobic hunting style. The existence of the pride offers an adaptation in the African terrain.

Wild canids, such as wolves, hunt differently and, as is commonly known, often in packs. The terrain is typically flatter and rolling and suited to canids bioenergetic and biomechanical hunting styles - long, loping aerobic chases which wear-out the prey. Again, in Africa the canids are typically pack animals. An exception may be the hyena, yet they often scavange kills by other animal hunters

Yet, what is also interesting is that the origin of certain canid species is evolutionarily related to the ancient Tomarctus, a cat species. The Siamese cat is an example of a modern cat breed which exhibits many of the characteristics of the ancient Tomarctus, including their tree climbing ability.

Human running history and abilities have been refined by high-tech training methods, nutritional supplements, footwear, and modern sports.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Simon B, New Berlin, WI — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:34:05 GMT

Cats only taste good in stir fry.

Cat vs. dog evolution

margaret lincoln, LaVAle, MD — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:47:11 GMT

All things considered cats rule

Cat vs. dog evolution

Jodi Suguitan — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:57:22 GMT

As an owner of 3 dogs and one cat I see everyday the differences and similarities in behavior. I think the dogs chase prey and each other more for the entertainment. The dogs know that the reliable food source is us the humans. They will stop any activity in order to get a handout. The cat on the other hand once in hunting mode will not stop. Our cat comes home with kills constantly. One day he had a live chipmunk in his mouth. I wanted to free the chipmunk without it biting me so I tried to get the cat to release by bribing him with his favorite treats. The cat had no interest and I grappled with him for quite a few minutes before he finally let go. I think if it was a dog with a kill in his/her mouth they would have released on command for one, and secondly would have let go in order to get a treat. For what its worth I think the cats are definitely "harderwired" than the dogs to hunt.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Rob, Baltimore, MD — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:47:16 GMT

Cats.

Cat vs. dog evolution

bill m, crestone, co — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:47:56 GMT

this difference in hunting style may also explain why most cats are not comfortable in vehicles. dogs, by thier nature, are used to the environment moving rapidly around them cats are not.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Freak 'n' Nerd, G'top, MO — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:05:06 GMT

@John Messenger - "show me a dog that can use a litter box and I'll show you a dog that's as smart as a cat."

I have a little "Poochi" (half toy poodle, half chihuahua) who has been trained to use a litter box. This makes it easier for him on those times when I'm gone for a few hours. I've seen amazing displays of intelligence from both species.

But this discussion was about "gait efficiency" wasn't it? I'm a long distance runner, slow but steady. On occasion I've taken my small (about 8 inches tall and 12 inches long, 4 lbs) dog with me on some shorter runs (3 to 5 miles). For those distances he outruns me hands down. But the heat factor does him in - on hot days I can sweat it out where he has to stop and cool off.

Evolution doesn't always move towards "efficiency" particularly when a species moves towards specialization. Interesting article.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Roger Frick (dog owner) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:48:53 GMT

Cats are to be ambush hunters (with the exception of the cheetah, which is more of a mongoose) and as such are evolved for only short bursts of speed, not endurance. Wolves (dogs) and humans are evolved for the chase.

Cat vs. dog evolution

dogzrulz — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:52:35 GMT

kittehz cant haz cheezbuggez

Cat vs. dog evolution

a p garcia — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:54:29 GMT

I like DOGS over CATS for being more friendly and that is why they tell Presidents that if you want a friend in Washington-Get a Dog!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Jerry M. Weikle — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:59:45 GMT

I know that many people are definitely "Dog" people, preferring them to the domestic house cat. I am amazed at the size range with dogs that has occured during the "domestication" process over the thousands of years of humans and dogs have co-existed.

However, even with the various breeds of domestic cats across the world; there still isn't the equalvant of a "Afghan Hound" in size for the domestic cat, nor something analogus to a "Grey Hound" for speed, nor something small and danty as a "Poodle or Bichone". There remains room for improvement to develop new breeds and varieties with the domestic cat. The most unique is, in my opinion, a Bengal--the miniversion of a Tiger. Yet, they all are a pleasure and a wonderful addition to anyones life.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tyee Wildcat, Ashland, Oregon — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:09:39 GMT

The author obviously doesn't know the difference between chasing and stalking. Chasing is a brute-force activity for large animals of low intellect. Stalking is an activity that pits stealth with a careful observation of the prey in order to take the prey by surprise. Dogs just don't have the brains for this.

Cat vs. dog evolution

south — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:13:51 GMT

This was a fun and interesting read,esp. the comments. Thanks for the science lesson today.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Denzel — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:20:08 GMT

Cats or Dogs we love them both.I think that cats are better hunters ,can go up a tree in seconds go through narrow places.Dogs too are good hunters they can smell a prey meters away.But humans and cat can't do that Like Schmitt said 'animals need to make compromises'We have our strong points. Animals too have their strong points to survive.dolphin123777@yahoo.com

dolphin123777@yahoo.com

Cat vs. dog evolution

white moth, black moth — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:26:03 GMT

Regarding John's comments about tabbies: the tabby is only a color and not indicative of any specific breed at all. When cats are allowed to breed freely, the subsequent generations tend more and more towards tabby, specifically brown tabby (gray and black), with brown mackerel tabby being the most common marking pattern in Domestic Shorthairs. Evolution indeed.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Jason C in KC — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:55:33 GMT

Cats are superior creatures to dogs, and my cat is a superior creature to all of your cats, as well as all other creatures. Nothing more to note, really; just a simple fact of which I thought I'd remind all of you. Thanks.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Denzel — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:01:28 GMT

dolphin123777@yahoo.com

Let a dog and a Cat share their opinions for once!We cannot always speak for them and think we know about them all.We might have made many misinterpretations and calculations about them.Scientist are not always 100% right with their claims.They still know very little of what is really out there and in them as well.In the field of animal study they still have a long way to go.ok i can't talk too much,let's give a dog and a cat a chance to speak for themselves "freedom of speech!" , ok the Dog is ready, Go ahead Doggy,.......Doggyyyy!

Woof... Woof. Woof Woof... Woooooof Woof Woooooof Woof Woof Woof WoofWoofWoof Woof Aaaarruuuuuuuuh woof woooof wooof woof woof woooooowooof woof woof

Finish Doggy?
-woof!

Ok now is the cat turn ,meooow meoow meeeoowww meowwwwwuuuuuuu meow meow meoowwwwruuuuu meow ow ow meooowwwww....Woooooof!!!! Woof Woof meoww Woof meow krrrr! Woof! meoww! krrrr! Bobby stop it!Bobby behave yourself in the public! Woof woof woof meow krrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! woAruuuuuhh kai kai kai kai kai kai

-ok Now Mimi stop it your scaring Bobby.Ahh poor Doggy kai kai kai.Bad cat you! meoooooow!

Did you get what they said exactly i know i know it is a tough language to learn.haha.

my email dolphin123777@yahoo.com

Cat vs. dog evolution

JD — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:16:49 GMT

Schmitt's comments about cats being the only ones to do this should be rephrased as the only ones that have been measured to do this. Fact is that running mechanical efficiency has only been really measured on a very few animals. And at this he is incorrect as recent studies at Ohio Univ. on some birds and lizards contradict him. Anyway, the better measure would be overall efficiency, not specific efficiencies which are susceptible to the trade-off effect. Overall, I expect cats are just as "efficient" as dogs and humans.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Martin — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 21:58:26 GMT

Having owned both dogs and cats, as a hunter, the cat wins by a mile. My cats would frequently bring home birds or rabbits they caught but my dogs have never caught a single thing. It's not for lack of trying or speed - my dog is very fast - cats are simply better hunters than dogs.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Flakk — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:21:46 GMT

I have a Rottweiler and a standard run of the mill house cat. Both have there own merits and drawbacks. But the fact is I don’t trust my Cat to guard my property from Human vermin and I don't trust my Dog to keep little critters away. Both have excellent merits in the tasks for which they have evolved and I train them accordingly.

Cat vs. dog evolution

DaBoogadie, Colorado Springs, CO — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:48:31 GMT

Cats rule..dogs drool. I'm not a big fan of drool.
I think that dogs conserve energy when they hunt, so that they can continue on with their day when they're done. Cats, on the other hand, just nap. I am a big fan of napping.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Robin Frazier — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 22:55:50 GMT

OK, I can't ignore this any longer. This is bad science. Cats have many gaits and strides just as dogs. I have seen cats trot like dogs. I have gone on half mile walks with my cats and they didn't collapse. The observations of the cats was done in a totally artificial environment. No dog can match the acceleration and speed of a healthy fit cat. Now if Fluffy lay around all the time it's no wonder it's a klutz. I have had cats in a rural environment(Texas Hill Country)where I could literally see them 2 miles away across the hills. They could hear me and make it home in 20 minutes. That's not counting the extra distance going up and down. Of course these cats were fit and got plenty of exercise. Someone should radio collar a healthy Tom in open areas and see how far and fast they can travel. I bet you'd be surprised. Cats are desert creatures by origin. Desert creature don't survive being inefficient. European forest cats may have evolved differently and the swimming cats of S.E. Asia are a whole other thing.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Dave, New Prague, MN — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:21:57 GMT

Making what I would call value judgements about the merits of dog vs. cat "efficiency" in hunting is 1) arrogant, and 2) just plain silly.

I was trained as a biologist; probably the most important single thing I learned was an appreciation for the uncountable amount of things that we do not know. People who write "popular" science articles often make grand conclusions which say much more about their ignorance than about the subject of their writings. We have only the barest understandings of evolutionary processes, about conditions that existed when cats and dogs (and every other living thing) evolved. So, to draw conclusions about the efficiency of cat vs. dog hunting habits is silly. Believing that we could make any meaningful conclusion is arrogant.

On top of that, these assertions are even silly on an even lower level. To say that felines use more energy to move forward when stalking without taking into consideration the success levels of stalking activities is absurd on its face. If animalA uses 40% more energy to catch prey than animalB, but is successful twice as often, then animalA wins. Now, I don't know if cats are more or less successful than dogs, but if I were attempting to draw serious conclusions, I would think it would behoove me to find out. And, I wouldn't use house cats and dogs to do the studies. Today's pets are indeed products of millions of years of evolution, but the conditions that influenced that evolution don't exist today, so what are your conclusions worth? Not much in my book.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Michael Bell, Bakersfield, Ca. — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 23:34:59 GMT

This is all well and good, but it does nothing to explain why my cat suddenly feels the need to be at the opposite end of the house as fast as possible.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Barry G, Lubbock, Tx — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:04:09 GMT

Since dogs hunt in packs, the first strike is not intended to be fatal, but to slow the prey down long enough for the rest of the pack to catch up and mob it(-- very effective strategy against herd animals --isolate and overwhelm). A pack of dogs doesn't have to actually kill their prey. They can simply nip and worry and hound it, keeping it surrounded and at bay with little personal risk to themselves, until it was worn down by fatigue and blood loss, then simply move in and begin to feed on an animal that is too exhausted to fight back. Again, evolution would favor a dog that had the endurance to do this. With their many mouths to feed, dog packs must kill frequently, and so must cover a large hunting territory to get enough prey. Dogs also tend to prey on herd animals, who also must keep moving to get enough green stuff to eat, hence endurance would be an evolutionary advantage to dogs, and those dogs who couldn't keep up would quickly be weeded out. Also, a pack of dogs can defend a kill more effectively than a solitary hunter, allowing pack members to eat longer and consume more of the kill, thus increasing the efficiency of their hunting -- another good strategy for a pack that has many mouths to feed.

Cats, being solitary hunters, have to kill or badly wound/cripple their prey with the first strike, since they have no pack mates to help detain the prey to give them a second chance. Hence, stealth (which enables them to "get the drop" on their prey) and the muscular strength to overwhelm and quickly subdue and kill prey are advantageous to their solitary style of hunting, and evolution would favor those who were good at it. You will notice how many of the cat species, including the domestic house cat, have that "wattle" of skin over the belly -- muscle stretches, but skin does not. This wattle of skin allows a cat to gorge quickly on its kill. Then it can retreat to its den to sleep which puts its metabolism on "standby mode," allowing it to conserve energy for when it is needed. A cat can sleep 20 hours at a stretch, as any cat owner knows. It also allows cats to go for longer periods of time between kills so that they can survive on smaller territories, with fewer prey opportunities. Cats also tend to hide, bury or drag off prey to save it for later. Also, a solitary hunter is more vulnerable to injury -- even a minimal injury to a limb or jaw/teeth could be fatal if it impairs the cat's ability to hunt -- and the longer it takes to subdue and kill its prey, the more chances the cat has to get injured. So evolution would favor a cat who could surprise, overpower and dispatch its prey "before it knew what had hit it."

Dogs also tend to hunt in open territory (favored by herd animals)where prey can see them coming, while cats tend to favor wooded, brushy or mountainous terrain with many concealment opportunities, allowing them to occupy different niches. Cats who must utilize "dogfriendly" hunting territories either tend to take on "doglike" hunting strategies, like the chetah with its nonretractable claws and its ability to chase prey at high speeds, or the lions who hunt in packs, or are else highly selected for stealth and strength, like the leopard who can drag its prey up a tree, out of the reach of dogs.

Cats must be doing something right because they occupy a variety of niches world wide. Evolution favors those who are not only good at what they do, but who can get away with it long enough to do it again!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Gunnr, Lubbock, Tx. — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:20:32 GMT

Cats are ninja assassins. Dogs are gangsters. If dogs are so hot, how come there aren't more sports teams named after them? I'll tell you why. Finess. A pack of fifteen dogs mobbing and killing an animal by sheer weight of numbers takes no skill. It's just mob violence. A cat catching a bird? -- That's finess.

Cat vs. dog evolution

SJG, PB, USA — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 00:35:05 GMT

Read somewhere that Cats, Camels and Giraffes are the only quadrupeds that move both legs on one side of the body and then both legs on the other side when they walk (left hind+left fore, then right hind+right fore) as opposed to the "diagonal" gait of left hind+right fore, then right hind+left fore that the rest of the quadrupeds employ.-- odd that inefficiency and poor endurance would be attributed to this gait -- if camels don't have endurance, I don't know what does! This walking style gives all three animals a unique rhythm to their gait -- as Henry Mancini captured so brilliantly in his Pink Panther theme with its repeated daDUM daDUM rhythmic figure.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Libby Smith — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 01:16:13 GMT

<< Regarding intelligence: show me a dog that can use a litter box and I'll show you a dog that's as smart as a cat.>>

I trained my small dog to use a litter box; show me a cat that has won an obedience trial--or found a lost child, or helped the blind or deaf person function, or served in battle, or on a rescue mission, for that matter.

Cat vs. dog evolution

James Rhodes, Key West, FL — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:49:21 GMT

Hum, does it matter? Both cats and dogs have maueuvered us into being their best care givers! More power to both of these wonderful animals.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Frank, PS, CO — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 02:56:23 GMT

Yes I have trained a dog to use a litter box, a Siberian Husky name Nicko, he preferred to stay indoors during the summer, although he was smart enough to refuse to use it once the cat had.

As for which is better? Answer this, how many working cat breeds are there? If it wasn’t for the strong emotional attachment that some humans have for cats, and the fact that they do use a litter box, they would be thrown out of the house because they serve no other useful function, whereas with a dog, you can at least train it to do something useful (i.e. bark when there’s a knock at the door), in addition to the strong emotional attachment that some humans have for dogs.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Meg Eagle — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:17:46 GMT

Dogs drool, cats rule....

Cat vs. dog evolution

andrew perth wa — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 04:12:53 GMT

I find both extremely spiritually healing and balancing influences. "cats" feel like a channel of ying / feminine energy. dgs feel like yang. Frankly i think being around either does allow some of that "nature" to rub off on you, something that pet owners soon identify with.

Remember intellegence is subjective usefulness, "objective" comparisons is a conversation topic - not much more. (litter box thing ?? remember dogs dont need to hide their sent - also dogs can be taught to be guide dogs. Cats though are not pack animals - and have less need for social dynamics so this is not a fair comparison either)

Dogs seem to like "being sociable"
Cats seem to like "moods/scenes combinations"

I think the need to justify individual association by which are "better" somewhat wanes when you see photos of both of them getting along.

(Oh one more thing during dog-cat fights there are dogs that do not care for being scratched and are "quiet focused" in their intention)

Cat vs. dog evolution

Bloggerrich — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:12:38 GMT

RBH...100% correct.

The cat's efficiency is in the fact that it temporarily is inefficient. I believe that humans are more like cats and not dogs as we do employ the same tactics when we hunt, We will quickly "prowl" if we see prey and we will sacrifice efficiency to be stealthy because it will ultimately get us closer without expending the energy of a long chase and increase our chances of success. Not sure who did this study, but I'd bet they never went hunting.

Also, my motto with cats and dogs is that a 15 pound cat is worth a 30 pound dog. Actually, my 17 pound cat went after my wifes 75 pound Golden Retriever and quickly established his dominance when I first moved in with her. The best hunter in our house is our 13 pound female tiger stripe tabby. She is unbelievable. She will wait for an hour for a lizard or bug to come out of it's hiding place...now that is efficiency and determination. Over the past 6 years, my wife has agreed that cats are much smarter than dogs and more human-like. I've always had both as pets, but I must say that my male domestic is a genius among cats and dogs...the smartest pet I've ever had. Both cats taught our dog how to open doors, something the dog didn't learn to do until the cats came into her life. Both cats were doing it before they were 1 year old.

Another thing is that cats rest more than dogs in general. You have to consider the whole program before you can say what is efficient and not. Efficiency is relavent to the hunter in this case, and not a law of physics as many of us might think. When somebody tells me that a human is more efficient than a cat, than I know they are not considering all the factors. A cat can jump much higher and run faster relative to it's size than both a human and a dog. So in a situation where a dog can't climb a tree and a human will expend alot of energy to climb a tree, a cat will have no problem quickly taking that prey. How many humans do you know that can climb all the way up a telephone pole with no gear to help them do it...huge energy needed to hold our limbs tight enough to climb a pole. A cat does it with ease...a dog can't do it at all.

I know these people did a study, but I think they need to keep studying. By the way, I'm not sure how DNA testing shows that dogs have coexisted with humans longer...this seems rediculous. And what's this "That's why we're the only animals that voluntarily run marathons"? You gotta be kidding me! We do it because we have determined that this will prove dominance...that's it! If a cat or a dog needed to prove dominace this way, I'm sure they would leave us in their dust.

I'm sorry, but some of these studies are totally void of any common sense or intelligence...it seems.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Bloggerrich — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:59:58 GMT

How about this?

Would you rather face a Wolf or a Cougar, Lion, Tiger or a Panther? You need a pack of wolves before you would consider taking on one of those cats! THAT is efficiency! You know what would kill you quicker.

Personally, I'd take on a pack of wolves rather than one cat. I believe I would have a better chance getting the dogs to leave me alone than a cat. Not mentioned here, but a bear is the only animal on land that I would consider a greater foe than a cat and only because they have 10 times the scenting ability of a blood hound and can run as fast as any cat with the exception of the cheetah. Not to mention they are freakin' huge!

Also, mentioned above, somebody based intelligence on the fact that a dog can be "trained" to do work. A cat has the ability to do the work of a dog...it just won't do it! Whose smarter?

For clarification, a dog would smell a cat, but it would never know what hit it when that cat dropped on it and severed it's spinal chord.

I love dogs and cats, but the dog can be trained to bring the bird back, a cat will kill a bird and eat it. No doubts that cats are smarter. They both serve their purposes to humans.

Dogs will bark if someone is at the door...cats will erect their heads and focus their ears. Both are alarmed. You can't expect a cat to bark, but you can learn to watch a cat's body language. Some cats will attack if threatened and some dogs won't. The Egyptians kept cats for small prey such as bugs and rodents where dogs were kept for bigger threats and early warning. They both had importance. They still do!

Not to shoot dog lovers down, I am a dog lover too, but cats are without a doubt smarter and big cats are more dangerous, more intelligent and way more persistant than dogs.

Cat vs. dog evolution

doon, Boston, MA — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:20:52 GMT

the end of the argument...there is no such thing as a 'crazy dog lady' there are only 'crazy cat ladies'...supposition; cats drive people crazy, alternative; cats have mind control. supposition; dogs help mankind

Cat vs. dog evolution

Bjornson Aloha Oregon — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:44:24 GMT

Currently, humans only run down their prey in vehicles, mostly bicycles. Nonpedalized human roadkill is collateral damage. The preferred method of preying is with infrared optics and a .50 cal meat grinder hovering at about 500 feet. See how they run. Does a human identity group constitute an individual organism. Yes. An extremely primitive organism whose only external behavior is to try to eat the group next to it. There can be only one. War is our mother. Five million years of sparse skeletons. How long from bacteria to eukaryotic cell? How fast the explosion of communities of eukayotic cells, both dispersed (slime mold) and aggregate (multicellular organisms). What constitutes an aggregate community? Identity. In multicellular organisms and in multi-unital human identity groups an identity exists which directs the behavior of the unit in responding to internal and external signals. The identity group is somewhat less than holisticly represented in each head of each member of the group. Their collective behavior over time is their world. They carry the group through time, sliding across generations. The group, as stated, is a very primitive organism, indeed. We need to improve that. There is a feeling of quality control at work in the (real) world, what we call the physical/biological world. The world we are embedded in and have only the very most minimum of power to modify has its own rules and we know only a few of those. We know enough of them to define man right down to the calluses on his trigger finger. This kind of definition does not sit well with the defensive mechanisms of religions, states, or religious states. It will further reduce them to simply historical evolutionary forms, like the small tribe. The identity of human will become dominant. If this does not happen, we will likely return to historical evolutionary forms like small tribes by our own hand.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Bjornson Aloha Oregon — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:47:52 GMT

Sorry. Please see:

Olaf Stapledon, "Last and First Men". Free at

http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0601101h.html

Thanks.

Cat vs. dog evolution

dn twin falls id — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:18:52 GMT

cats are smarter than dogs because they refuse to be trained to perform tricks for our entertainment like dogs do. Dogs give up all dignity for food,water and attention while cats basically do what they want when they want.

Cat vs. dog evolution

lclanktr, phx az — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:16:00 GMT

cats are smarter than humans and dogs, they just let us think that we are better hunters. We are here to worship and adore them...silly homo sapiens!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Elaine Goerge — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:18:26 GMT

Call in the animal pyschic from television for this one, She speaks to all kinds of animals including dolphins,

Yours truly Flipper fan

Cat vs. dog evolution

Mark Schulte, Centennial, Colorado — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 12:40:05 GMT

I have a cat because they are easy maintenance. I like dogs, too, but I don't want to go outside in a howling blizzard for a dog to relieve himself. I would have a dog, too if I had some acreage for him to run on, but I don't. My cat is so meticulous he makes dogs look like slobs. He has never done his "business" on the carpet, coughed up a furball or beat up on the furniture/carpet. He uses the litter box (which is automated) and lets me know when there isn't enough litter in it. He would be mortified if he ever had an "accident"

Mark Schulte

Cat vs. dog evolution

Steve Miller — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:52:04 GMT

Jason,
Good point. I might also add that if you let your dog out to hunt, chances are there will not be any leftovers for you (assuming there is even a capture}. The cat will bring the varmint back to the house for you. Handy during hard times.

Cat vs. dog evolution

PetLover — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:09:25 GMT

Loving cats and dogs equally, I wish people would quit trying to compare the two as though one is superior to the other. Dogs may not use litter boxes, but they can sniff out bombs and drugs and locate the missing, living or dead. They help us locate our prey and will defend us to the deat. They perform complicated tasks for the disabled. My cat is nice enough but mainly views me as an opposable thumb to open her food, I suspect. Does the fact that she is more standoffish than my dog make her more intelligent?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Katherine Keetch, St. Louis, MO — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 14:44:30 GMT

I found the article a bit confusing and not adding anything to what I learned 30 years ago: cats are white meat, dogs and human are red meat. White meat muscles are for rapid spurts, red meat muscles are for sustained activity.

As for stalking behavior, I've seen my dogs slink stealthily up to prey and then lunge. The only reason they didn't catch the prey is because of the big awkward human on the other end of their leash. Even with the leashes, more than once they've lunged into some greenery and emerged with a rabbit in someone's jaws. And sometimes as they approach a known rabbit den (the bush in front of the house), they'll split up, one ready to dash as the other flushes the prey.

I think as far as hunting behaviors are concerned, individual dogs can vary as much as breeds. Both of my dogs are Rat Terriers, and they both have very high prey drives. And as far as killing vermin are concerned, the one did actually get a rat in like, oh, two seconds flat. If it's small, furry, and moves, they'll chase it and try to kill it.

Which is why I don't have cats any more.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:19:09 GMT

Eric, Salinas, CA (12/6, 1001) and Elaine George (12/6, 1015) Hyena are cats. They do behave rather like dogs.

Robin Frazier (12/6 1755) Unless you get the science I don’t think you should call it bad. How many mice did your cat run down on that 2 mile walk?

Dave, New Prague, MN (12/6, 1821) You’re slamming a study as absurd because it limits it’s scope to what it’s studying? I’d call that good science. I’d put you right up there with people who say scientists who conduct brittle fracture tests are useless because they don’t design frames for cars. After all, we can use cars. What are we going to do with broken metal?

SJG, PB, USA (12/6, 1935) said, “Cats … move both legs on one side of the body and then both legs on the other side when they walk … odd that inefficiency and poor endurance would be attributed to this gait.”
Where did anyone attribute inefficiency and poor endurance to that gait?

Frank, PS, CO (12/6, 2156) You’ve obviously replaced cats with poisons and glue traps.

Bloggerrich (12/7, 0012) Again, the study is what the study is, and it is not what it is not. It is a study of energy efficiency in HUNTING technique. Not digestive efficiency, sleeping efficiency, walking efficiency, artistic merit, typing speed, or tonal quality. Yes, something here is void of any common sense or intelligence.

By the way. I thought the article was good.

Dog: “He feeds me, he pets me, he takes care of me. He must be a god!”
Cat: “He feeds me, he pets me, he takes care of me. I must be a god!”

Cat vs. dog evolution

Brian M. Bannon — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:21:45 GMT

It's an easy distinction, cursory hunters (runners) vs. ambush hunters. I'm surprised the author didn't acknowledge the basic hunting styles in simple terms.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Alexander Bose — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:29:02 GMT

I will not attempt to add to the cat Vs. dog debate but would suggest that when considering the evolution of the offensive style used by felines, remember that it doubles up as defense also - take the recent encounter I witnessed between a fox and a cat:

i. The fox entered an urbanized area and apparently picked up the scent of a cat in the vicinity.

ii. The fox ran as fast as it possibly could towards the cat from a considerable distance away - approximately 30 metres.

iii. The cat utilised the 'crouch mechanics' to spring from the ground onto a nearby fence. The fence was 8 or 9 feet above the ground.

iv. The fox stood below the cat, growling and whining in a unusually high pitch, occassionally getting onto its hind legs and jumping upwards towards the cat but never within 4 feet of the feline - which sat and hissed, expending very little energy and simultaneously creating a loud audible warning to other cats in the area

v. The fox gave up.

Now - compare the relative functionality of the 'offensive evolution' of the feline in its defensive approach in the fox encounter, with that of a canine.

Both cats and dogs may be able to avoid a fight by fleeing and some breeds of domestic canines are significantly faster than cats BUT the cat has substantially more likelihood of avoiding confrontations as a result of its muscle mass/leg mass ratio providing a superior sprinboard.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Kara — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:33:35 GMT

At the risk of touching off a lot of hate mail, THIS DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO SUPPORT EVLOUTION. Doing research on what animals are doing currently and comparing them does is not research into evolution...it's merely observation of current state. God created dogs and cats, and their wild cousins and they are all awesome in their own way. I'm sick of baseless claims at species evoltion like this. Someone had better come up with a better argument to change my mind against faith in the bible - which has yet to be disproven by the way. Blah!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Terry, Kansas City, Mo — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:12:05 GMT

Chasing does not denote lower intelligence. It is a result of physical attributes and social behavior. Human and dogs aren't dealt the physical attributes to sucessfully kill larger prey in a one on one situation. Being social animals, dogs and our ancestors hunted in groups hence the need to be able to run down the prey they were more likely to injure, but not kill, in the initial attack.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Maureen — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:19:56 GMT

Teh kittehs rule, teh goggies drool. We luvz dem both.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Matt Begley, Seattle, Washington — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:33:48 GMT

Using a litter box is disgusting... I wouldn't have one in my home. Aside from that dogs and cats each have a niche that they fill quite well. If you want to get rid of rodents the cat is the animal of choice. If you want to protect your home and family... or get rid of cats... the dog is the animal of choice.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Frankenbike — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:22:36 GMT

Unfortunately, high energy efficiency is also humankind's curse when the food supply is plentiful. We're pretty good at storing energy in fat, and it takes a considerable amount of time end effort to burn it off.

And the more fat we have, the worse our endurance is, thwarting our efforts to burn off the excess energy. As if our bodies say, "Since we found it necessary to store all that energy, its essential that we protect that investment."

Cats are also really good at storing up energy in fat, but as soon as they stop eating they burn up the fat in a hurry, even when they're typically sedentary.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Eric — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:35:25 GMT

I'm merely an interested layman, but it seems to me that maybe there's some confusion within the piece between "efficiency" as it's sometimes used by evolutionary biologists (to describe behavior that maximizes reproductive chances) and "efficiency" as I believe it's used in biomechanics (to describe the optimal use of energy reserves in movement).

Dogs may be more efficient in the way their muscles are used, but in evolutionary terms felines don't seem to be paying a reproductive price--as someone said earlier, they're still with us (and have spread into a wide range of niches around the globe since their likely origins in a dry or desert environment).

I sort of agree that this seems more interesting as a case study than some kind of "surprise"--evolution favors what provides for optimal reproductive success in an ecological niche, not biomechanical efficiency or complexity (I have no idea how barnacles and gastrointestinal parasites rate for the former, but they're notorious examples of evolution moving AWAY from complexity).

I also have no idea what this has to do with the merits of cats or dogs as pets, which seems to be what nearly everyone else wants to talk about; oh well....

Cat vs. dog evolution

Paul Beebe — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:42:16 GMT

RBH - Nice comment for the bigger picture, except you seem to be talking about the evolutionary selection process as being efficient and not simple bio mechanical efficiency as the article was.

Cat vs. dog evolution

JB, DFW, TX — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 17:52:49 GMT

Funny. I've seen my cat on several occasions just sitting the yard, a bird flys over, it jumps up and snatches it out of the air. Seems pretty efficient.
The dog comes over to check it out the cat rolls on it's back and whacks the dog and off the dog goes.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Hannah in SC — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:03:05 GMT

If cats are using as little muscle energy as possible and still catching prey, then it is "efficient."
If its inefficient, then why does Simon, my Siamese, always bring home a furry or feathery trophy every time he goes outside, and still has the energy to gallop (freaky-deek) around the house when he comes back in?

I don't think Schmitt really likes cats very much.

Personally I'm just sick of everyone obsessing over dogs and giving cats an undeserved reputation for being the "bad guy".

Cat vs. dog evolution

Nightshade — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:23:19 GMT

This is scientific research where you comment on the results, not where you fight over the best out of cats and dogs. I would appreciate if no one else comments on the superiority of either species.

Cat vs. dog evolution

John, N.C. — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 18:42:28 GMT

Actually humans are the most efficient hunters on the planet. We develop tools to help us such as traps, guns, etc. We do not run after our prey like animals. So you could say we are both stealthy and have endurance. Yet we do not hunt in the fashion of either of these animals so evolutionary development becomes a moot point with regards to endurance and stealth. We out think our prey. That separates humans from all animals.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:05:20 GMT

It seems to me that sense of smell in dogs far outweighs the cat. A well trained hunting dog or a wild coyote would locate prey sooner than an untrainable cat. I have owned cats and I see cats in the neighbourhood and I am not sure what they do. Are they actively hunting or such eaking out territory? Do they just come upon prey such as mice and birds?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Canis latrans, Wyoming — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:06:25 GMT

The Felidae group are specialized hypercarnivoes with a modified teeth for sheering including the Carnassial P4/M1 and reduced to lost molar, rotational limbs to manipulate prey, a shortened rostrum to focus bite forces, and a robust zygomatic arch for supporting muscles of which greatly increase the overall bite strength. Canidae on the other hand are generalists, of which have resulted in a very successful radiation around the world. Canids are notorious for running the prey to death, and their overall skeletal structure supports this. With a long rostrum, they can nip at the prey causing injury and a sooner mortality of the prey. The Dental plan supports a generalist diet including with the carnivorous Carnassial P4/M1 interaction and 2/3 molars pending on the species. Post cranial the canid skeleton is reduced and streamlined which helps to be more efficient runner. The limbs are tucked underneath the center of the body similar to that of other cursorial mammals such as a horse, to increase the overall endurance. It is not the a questions of your cat being smarter because it uses a litter box or if you dog can bark when you offer it a treat. Some of the answers you seek can be found by just looking at the variation of the teeth! If you want to accurately compare the similarities and variations of the Felid's and Canid's study the fossil record!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Idiot Exposer — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:25:35 GMT

Just like any other evolutionist, this guy is full of last night's supper.A million years here, a million years there, pretty soon we're talking about REAL time....maybe in a few quintillion more years, we'll develop goldfish that can jump out of their little bowls and tag along to the store with us....if they don't get too sweated up and have to rest.What amazes me, is that this horse's patoot believes he's right, and also gets well paid for it.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Frank Glover, Rochester, NY — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:49:50 GMT

"Only humans are dumb enough to run marathons, waste a ton of energy and catch no prey."

First, such things often have an element of social competition and even dominance-without-fighting. (Go back and review the last Olympics...China pumped them for all they were worth.) There's a *reason* the sports jocks in school (and professional) tend to get more of the women, you know...

Second, it's a game. 'Play' activity. The more intelligent a species is, the more of that you tend to see (and it, too, is often a kind of 'training' for predation). Are you suggesting that no other animals besides humans do this? We wrap it up in layers of sophistication, but in evolutionary terms, it's pretty much the same thing.

Cat vs. dog evolution

BarG, Lubbock, TX — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 23:56:15 GMT

If you want a fan club, get a dog. If you want a companion, get a cat. "The Cat Who Walked by Himself" (Just So Stories) by Rudyard Kipling is recommended reading.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Mike, Syracuse NY — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:29:22 GMT

I have a Jack Russell as well as 3 cats. The Russell goes nuts and chases things full bore for a while, and the cats are the sneaky ones.

Only time I've seen a cat run for a while is away from something they perceive as danger.

My dog barely ever catches anything (and he is very fast), but my calico brings home so many animals I sometimes wonder if she has help. That's why I call her The Killer Death Beast.

Cat vs. dog evolution

SGF, NE — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 07:34:52 GMT

I would like to thank all those who commented on here for reminding me WHY I prefer ALL animals to people!!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Joel, Mesa AZ — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:44:07 GMT

Show me a dog that can do a standing leap to the top of a refrigerator and I'll be impressed.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Stephanie — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:48:33 GMT

A dog is fed and says "these people must be gods to look after me like this"

A cat is fed and says "I must be a god to be looked after like this"

I have a cat and a dog; one of them is loyal and dim, the other is smart and selfish. I leave you to work out which is which.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Moon Bunny — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:07:19 GMT

I speak dog, cat, some ferret, a little weasel and woodchuck, so...WATCH IT!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Mike, Juneau, AK — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:06:09 GMT

I'm not specifically commenting on the substance of the article. I am neither a veterinary scientist nor an evolutionary biologist. I do have dogs and cats, and I'll rarely pass a chance to read a story about them. And this, with doses of science here and there was particularly, shall we say, "boosting," for me (and hopefully society, but that's a different issue).

However, I will comment on the article's title: Cat vs. Dog Evolution. Juxtapose that title with an immediate picture referencing a stock photo from 2006 (The Blessing of Animals at the National Cathedral was suspicious (or brilliant depending on the intent I suppose) to me.

Animals stories sell. Religion/Science/Animals, certainly sells. Like gangbusters.

This is MSNBC, I hope we've all had our fun.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Robert L. Mayo, Ashburn, Virginia — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:22:31 GMT

Cat locomotion is evolved to be graceful. This confers an evolutionary advantage because it is part of their system of informing us that they are better than human beings. They could not convince us that they were a superior species if they tripped over their own feet like a "dumb" dog.

If you doubt that cats are the dominant "superior" species on this planet, consider the following:

1) Why have we have spent the last 8,000 years working ourselves to death to create a human civilization, only to put it to use by building factories that produce cat food?

2) You went to work today. Did your cat?

3) When was the last time a cat cleaned up YOUR poop?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Kiusa Diakusen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:09:59 GMT

Catz rule...if you ask me they can find food more eficiently than dogs

Cat vs. dog evolution

Stephen, Toronto, Ontario — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:28:40 GMT

I just had to comment on this I have had both dogs and cats. In my house the cat tried to rule as the poppy grew but once they were eye to eye the struggle began. It was like to like kids fighting. All I will say is this the cat went flying across the room twice and it was over. The DOG RULED from that point forward.

More importantly I trust my dog ten times more than I trust the cat with my kids. The cat while happy one second the next will turn and bite with no provocation. I have never seen a dog with that type of personality and if you did it would most likely be put to sleep. Yet as cat people we tolerate it from them, Double standard or what!

As for intelligence my dog rules here as well hands down. This dog is magical it can open any door you put in the way. Including figuring out how to open a locked garage door, and I don’t mean the side door. Also when you look into the dogs eyes you see a connection that simple is not there in the cat’s eyes. Dogs have learned to read Human behaviour body and mind the cat either chooses to ignore us or just does not get it. Finally if you point to something a Dog has the intelligence to self actualize understand and look at what you are pointing at. Show me a cat that can do that.

In the end I love them both but with my children my Golden retriever takes the lead by a thousand miles. She will play with the kids for hours on end and beg for more.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Beoweolf — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:33:09 GMT

Seems this is a narrowly conscribed comparison. Anyone ever watch a Border Collie at work? It has a wide range of tools it can use to manipulate its "prey". Yes it can run down animals much larger than itself or it can intimidate/dominate the animal through its presence. Herding prey is an instinctive action that wild dogs use to cut out the weak, saving themselves from having to "run down" prey.

to make it simple (after all, there are cat lovers reading these articles). There is no one skill that canines are limited to, as a species they have proven to be plastic physically, mentally as well as in temperament. That may the real reason mankind has 'adopted' the species.

I am ambivalent when it comes to cats, I neither like nor dislike them. But canines, in all their many natural and domesticated forms, shapes, sizes, temperments - universally, trigger a desire to adopt.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Ryan — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:54:21 GMT

Wow, now this is truly remarkable. Given a perfectly good opportunity to bicker and argue about either:

A) Evolution vs. Religion
or
B) Cats vs. Dogs

It looks like cats vs. dogs wins out! I honestly figured this would be another of those creationist vs. scientist types of pointless arguments, but it turns out that the question of which of our domesticated pets are "more better" and making LoLCats jokes is far more enticing to the public...

I have to agree with RBH up there and I'm so glad someone said it. This is hardly a groundbreaking study. No biologist worth his/her salt would dare claim that efficiency is the only mechanism for evolution or even that it is the primary mechanism. The types of prey cats typically hunt are relatively small and very fast, making stealth a preferable method of predation (with the exception of lions which are pack animals that take down very large prey). Dogs tend to gang up on larger animals and wear them down, making running efficiency very important and stealth much less so.

I do agree with the fact that the "human marathon runner" is an interesting claim, however. It provides another possibility for why mankind developed bipedalism, and can join the ranks of the "less solar radiation" and "more intimidating posture" as potential causes.

Cat vs. dog evolution

scout29c — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:00:26 GMT

Both species are the results of successful strategies or they wouldn’t be here. Their line would be extinct.

Evolution has no bleeding hearts, no bailouts or rescues. There are way, way more extinct species than live ones. If your species can’t cut it, you die out.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Madisyn, Edmond, Oklahoma — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:34:15 GMT

My cat can sit and stay.

Cat vs. dog evolution

DMK, Phoenix, AZ — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:51:42 GMT

I like Freak 'n' Nerd, G'top, MO response. The study was one that is closer to an efficiency study in engineering than one of evolution. Size, terrain, prey and environment for any species is relavent to that point in time and for those conditions of the experiment. It is another example of evolutionary theory that flounders in folding the past with the present. (Put these people in contact with Mr. Peabody and his Wayback machine so they can gain a perspective with the root species and floow it through the years for scientific data.) I agree that it is a waste of reasearch dollars as to how this benefits preservation of any species or helps make our world any better.

As for intelligence, even within a species there are different levels of task learning and survival. I agree that we have enough hybrid breeds as to skew findings that could be said to not induce bias in a study such as this. Regardless of the outcomes and the nonsense controversy, someone had an idea that somehow got funded, implemented and published. There are many indicators this study induced a scientific analysis for what animal biologists and behaviorists and persons who hunt, or just appreciate a particular species, have known for years.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tracy, Essex, MD — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:16:30 GMT

Well...ACTUALLY, Eric...the big cats of Africa are very careful around Hyenas. Believe it or not...a lion/lioness...any big cat can be taken down by a "pack" of Hyenas. Their jaw strength exceeds a lions by a WHOLE lot...they can crush bone...where as a lion cannot. HOWEVER...more hyenas are killed each year by lions than vice versa :)

I think it's hilarious that ppl are comparing dogs & cats. That's like comparing apples and oranges. I love both dogs and cats (all animals, really). I prefer cats....dogs are awesome...but WAY too much work, money and time. Cats are very intelligent, they can be trained...but trained in a different way then how you would train a dog. Cats don't get "tired" from playing a game; they get BORED very easily. That's why it's such a challenge to keep them occupied.

As for "efficiently running" and whatnot...who really cares?! I mean, really....does it REALLY matter?! Isn't there something else in the animal world that needs to be studied?? Something that could really make a difference in animal's lives??

Cat vs. dog evolution

Si Patterson, Baltimore, MD — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:32:36 GMT

Cats mostly hunt alone; it would be most efficient for them to be stealthy and patient than it would for them to be fast and unwielding. Dogs mostly hunt together; it would be most efficient for them to be fast and quick than it would for them to be slow and steady. Humans also mostly hunted together so they would require similar methods as dogs.

I don't find any of this information to be surprising or new. I don't think either animal is better; I love them both and they are both highly intelligent creatures.

Cat vs. dog evolution

L, Philly — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:48:05 GMT

Rolegamers everywhere will be reconsidering movement rolls and ads/disads in terms of stealth during combat. :-P

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:50:33 GMT

Katie, NYC (12/6, 0126) said, “Just try telling your cat to "sit and stay" and then tell me they're smarter.”
The people equivalent may be trainability in the classroom. The masses can be trained to be obedient to the current understanding. Those with higher intelligence balked and forged a newer understanding. Einstein wouldn’t accept training well. And there were those that shared your point of view.

Idiot Exposer (12/7, 1425) I take it there was something you disagree with. I just couldn’t tell what as there was no real information in your post. Maybe you were just trying to expose yourself?

Many post on cats being untrainable, or their exhibited behavior simply being instinct. Cats have an instinct to cover “their business” and also to catch moving furry or feathery things. Those instincts are really basic. The behaviors we see as sophisticated are learned, patterned behavior. Kittens don’t seek out a litter box. They are trained to use it instead of crapping on the carpet and scraping at the tufts. Hunting technique is developed. Mother cats will bring back living, injured prey for it’s young to practice on. Individual cats learn what works on a hunt and what doesn’t, then repeat and refine what works. They don’t train as well as dogs because they are not motivated the same. Dogs crave attention, cats crave treats. I also think they think tricks are stupid. I’m pretty sure a cat’s response is, “Why don’t you sit and roll over. I’m taking a nap.”

Cat vs. dog evolution

DOG — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:54:34 GMT

I have to comment on the cat litter box comment because cats are not trained to do this. They do it naturally. Cats like sand instinctively to bury their sent so other animals do not know where there home is. There for you put sand in front of a cat they will use it for their litter box. Dogs on the other hand could really care less. they travel in packs and can protect them selfs.

Cat vs. dog evolution

diane thornton, los angeles, calif — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:11:42 GMT

One million years ago...three million years ago...garbage. Fantasy. Our ancestors walked along like apes...no evidence in the fossil record. No transitional forms. Humans are humans. Cats are cats. Dogs are dogs. Each created for different purposes.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Maggie — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:19:07 GMT

Please loosen the collar on that cat! If its not loose enough for the weight of the tags and the buckle to hang at the low point, its too tight. Ouch!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Peggy Paskert, Medina, Ohio — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:25:53 GMT

I have both cats and dogs. My observations of my cats have proved time after time that they come back quicker with prey. My cats will come back within five minutes everytime with either a mouse or chipmunks. Birds require a little more stealth and therefore take a little longer. My one cat looks forward to rabbit season and watches for rabbit nests which are easy pickings once baby rabbits are born. My dogs are opportunists and will chase rabbits all day before catching one. They either have to track from a sent or spot one come across their path. So yes they have evolved to be more efficient when using energy. The hunting patterns are so different. I don't see that one is any better than the other. It's just the way they evolved. Same with us. Not sure if it was some grand design or just the luck of the draw. We are all unique.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Dan — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:34:13 GMT

Cat's rule dog's drool it's just that simple! End of story!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Rowena Ravenscroft, Iowa — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:03:00 GMT

After 60 years of both dog and cat ownership, I feel I have some competence to umpire this discussion. Cats win hands down on the only measure of "efficiency" that counts: how well do they catch prey compared to a dog? The answer: no contest. Though I don't think they should be allowed to, cats will more than feed themselves with mice, chipmunks and birds if they have the opportunity and the population is large enough. We have one cat in our neighborhood who is allowed to run loose, and he catches an average of six chipmunks a day in warm weather, and those are just the ones I witness. Have you ever seen a dog catch the rabbit or squirrel it is so madly chasing? Almost never.

And on another, unrelated note: you can argue that dogs are more trainable, which is true, but all you are talking about is the fact that a dog is natural pack animal, like humans, so we tend to regard trainability as "intelligence." After all, it works with us, right? Both dogs and cats display a range of intelligence, just like people, when it comes to problem solving, which is the only true measure of intelligence. There are smart dogs, and dumb dogs, smart cats, and dumb cats. A smart cat is just as good at problem solving as a smart dog. And there are smart cats and smart dogs who will team up to solve a problem they both want solved.

And those who say that dogs are "friendlier" have obviously never owned a cat. Are you kidding? Cats kiss, hug, snuggle, purr, and will insist on sitting on your lap even when you're on the toilet. They greet you at the door just like the dog, talking like mad about their day. The standoffish cat is a rarity, but the myth persists.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Willis, Tampa, FL — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:17:15 GMT

The more interesting issue is why dogs were first domesticated then cats.

Wolves were pack hunters and social animals. They could be domesticated by hunter/gatherer humans and put to work helping run down prey and acting as guards.

Cats came along when man needed to store grain. Cats killed vermin making grain storage possible. They also killed dangerous snakes and scorpions, thus adding another level of home protection.

Dogs took us through the Stone Age and cats helped us build civilization.

Maybe they both contributed as much, if not more, to our evolution than we did to theirs?

Cat vs. dog evolution

gVOR08 — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:28:49 GMT

Let's see if I have this straight. A stalk followed by a spring or a short sprint expends more energy than a long distance chase? Seems unlikely.

Cat vs. dog evolution

jewelsno — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:40:44 GMT

my dog would give his life for me or my family-case closed

Cat vs. dog evolution

Smilodon fatalis, La Brea Tar Pits — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:03:17 GMT

Canis latrans, Wyoming (Sent Sunday, December 07, 2008 2:06 PM) stated: "If you want to accurately compare the similarities and variations of the Felid's and Canid's study the fossil record!"

Good idea. Being a generalist, Canidae is easily adaptable to localities, however it also reaches an evolutionary dead end... meanwhile, many more species of Felidae are specialized (Fishers, Jaguars, etc.) than compared against Canidae, allowing for cleaner integration with the locality, rather than an invasive habitation.

Interesting thing that the top three fossil types recovered at La Brea are:

1) Dire Wolf (Canis dirus)
2) Sabertoothed Cat (Smilodon fatalis)
3) Coyote (Canis latrans)

Cat vs. dog evolution

lk — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:29:35 GMT

The fact is is that there are some cats that are smarter than some dogs; and there are some dogs that are smarter than some people . . .

Cat vs. dog evolution

Carmela Motto, NY NY — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:32:19 GMT

I think there is definitely a "patience" tag with cats. My cat had a mouse cornered in a small space in the kitchen for hours (between cabinets and unreachable) and never took her eye off of it. And that's a housecat. I wonder if the avg "house dog" would have that kind of patience.

Cat vs. dog evolution

zombie kid — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:52:15 GMT

I like turtles!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Marshall B., Seattle WA — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:55:09 GMT

Wild dogs hunt in packs; wild cats in ones or twos. Which of these is stealthier and/or more efficient? Trying to compare domesticated animals, whose "native traits" have been bred or socialized away over millenia is not very scientific, and basically pointless. Another waste of reseach money.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Rover — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:55:33 GMT

When you can show me stories about "seeing-eye" or "helper" cats THEN I will believe that cats are as intielligent AND useful as dogs. Woof.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Scott Matarrese — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:59:03 GMT

This story did not even start to describe what I have observed with my sled dogs.

They not only react to single unequal rewards. They COUNT!

If I give them treats back and forth for obeying a command, giving the first one 2 and the last one 3, the first one gets mad and demands a third treat.

Had I given them both 3, they would have reacted the same as usual, trying to earn another one, but not getting thier fur in a muss.

Malamutes are not your average dogs though, thier intelligence is sometimes unnerving. I wont even go into the fact they like to play practical jokes on me.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Dan Schaefer, Oxnard CA — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:36:56 GMT

Why all the debate about who's more intelligent? Cats and dogs are both more intelligent than humans. They got it all figured out. They send us out to work every day while they are pretty much on permanent vacation. We give them food, provide them excellent health care, make sure they are protected from the elements, take them for walks, and we worship them with love and treats. They don't have to do a thing. So really, who's smarter: cats and dogs or humans?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Solon of Earth — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:47:45 GMT

When the little ones brought a pair of wolf pups into the cave and set them up their own hearth, the tribe's women thought that it was a beautiful attempt to show the compassion and kindness that comes with being a child. We hunters saw it as something different... here was our competition taking succor from our very hearths. We went immediately to eliminate the threat and kill the pups, but our shaman admonished us saying that the pups had crossed the hearth with the countenance of tribe members and were thus, by our own law, guests. We were loth to take him seriously, thinking that he was just patronizing the children, but he spoke a second time, more angrily, saying that the pups would be members of the tribe, and that they would come to serve us as well as any 10 hunters. We were angry, but the shaman is wise in the ways of the world, and in time his words were proven true.

Later that summer, the children returned to the cave with lion cubs. This time the shaman admonished the children, saying to them that while a wolf can be raised to be part of the clan or tribe, serving as another hunter, the lion would only serve himself and dare others to take what he thought was his. He told them how the lion could kill anything in the cave on a whim and that even the most skilled and powerful hunter was but a bit of meat in the lion's eyes. Even the pups, now half grown, sided with the shaman. It was easy to see that they had their fears. Even the women, who would give succor to all, understood that the shaman had to return the cubs to their mother. To kill them in innocence would be to anger the spirit of the lion and bring ruin to us all.

Cat vs. dog evolution

scott matarrese — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:48:36 GMT

Rowena,

I am sorry, but you are completely off base. I had a stray Malamute that lived off of rabits, squirels, and cats for years before I redomesticated him.

He got two other dogs make a triangle around the prey with him, he hid, and got the other two to chase the prey right to him, and he shared the meat.

That is a hard thing to reverse, because they like the taste of rabbit. No fun hearing those rabbits scream though, and as much as he wanted to, I had to refuse to play fetch with a cats head more than once.

How do you think stray dogs survive? Muchless wolves and the rest?

You dont have to deny dogs thier due praise to build up cats you know.

Cat vs. dog evolution

scott matarrese — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:58:49 GMT

One last thing, a Malamute can kill a horse, or a cow, by itself.

"Danger to livestock" is part of the breed description.

Since the malamute is probably the closest in physical structure to the wolf, its not a chahuahuas fault he does not have the body of a wolf, even though he thinks he does. Its the humans fault because we selectivly bred him.

Dogs, more than any other species on the planet, can vary thier size and appearance via selection, natural or artificial. That is why a chahuahua and a malamute have almost identical genomes.

Cat vs. dog evolution

GK Owings Mills — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:04:42 GMT

From my ownership experiences, cats are more agile and lb.-for-lb. stronger than dogs.

As for not puking in the litter box - well, I'd be happy if my cat would stick to doing in on any easy-to-wipe surface, not a carpet - which he does 100% of the time :-)

Cat vs. dog evolution

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:18:15 GMT

Stephanie: Yes... humans are in it for themselves.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Charles Smith, Elk Grove, Illinois — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 21:23:24 GMT

Regarding the on-going debate in here about which is more intelligent, cats or dogs; it is obvious that both are more intelligent that the people arguing about it.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Caitlin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:04:28 GMT

Show me a cat that can herd animals, follow up to hundreds to thousands of commands, lead the blind and deaf, save humans from fires, attack people who threaten their 'master', stand by a humans side through thick and thin. Dogs rule. Dogs have always ruled and have always been smarter than cats, who can learn very few commands and aren't very intimidating, loving, or heroic, or even caring. They don't provide any service, very few even show much affection. Dogs are the ultimate companion.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, WI — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:10:10 GMT

Not all types of the same species hunt the same way. A hound dog just follows a trail until it catches up to what they are pursuing or the hunter shoots what it is they are pursuing. A Springer Spaniel trying to catch mice or look for game birds will bounce or "spring" much like a Mule Deer, stiff legged, (try that the next time you are running a marathon).
A Coyote will come running full tilt up to a crying (hurt) animal or just pounce like the above Springer or cat when they see a movement in the grass.
MICE are probably the most sought after animal for both cat and dog species. They are the easiest to catch and the most available prey around. Even large grizzly bears will catch mice when they can although preferring ground squirrels, berries and carrion.
A cat can catch its prey "on the Fly" with those claws, something a dog or human can't do very well, if at all. When we had outside cats, the song bird and rabbit population around the yard went down to zilch. Our dogs are outside dogs and they don't give a second look at a song bird or the rabbits.

Cat vs. dog evolution

1991941, Oregon — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:18:26 GMT

Both cats and dogs are very interesting creatures. They have lived with us for a very long time and we have "adapted" to their nearness. Most people cannot live without their "critter." I have several cats and dogs. I must say that both cats and dogs are really, really smart if you give them time. It just all depends on what the creature wants. My dog will wait hours to make sure that I am not coming home, then gets into trouble and stops when she hears the sound of my truck. (Video has comfirmed this. She knows.) But my cat has been trained over time to the words, "get the bug" and "come." (Ok so the food bag gets shaken for the last one but still.) My cats have learned from each other. One of my cats gives "hugs and kisses" (putting his front paws on your chest and putting his nose to yours)My family was SHOCKED when our then ten week old kitten, after seeing the older cat do it, give hugs and kisses herself! She still does it to this day.
Both are smart in their own way, it just depends on what the creature wants and how much they want it.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Delmar Fairchild, Barron, WI — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:21:10 GMT

Oh by the way, my son reminded me of the one outside Tom cat that would hunt and bring mice and rabbits into the pen of my female Yellow lab. They would share the meal and my lab would lick the cat's fur in return, and both would sleep next to each other in the sun. An evolutionary step, I'm sure. No hybrid kittydogs from the partnership, though.

Cat vs. dog evolution

dghdhg — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 23:41:37 GMT

"The author obviously doesn't know the difference between chasing and stalking. Chasing is a brute-force activity for large animals of low intellect. Stalking is an activity that pits stealth with a careful observation of the prey in order to take the prey by surprise. Dogs just don't have the brains for this."

So, by this logic, every creature that chases its prey has low intelligence? So people hunting on horseback (Native Americans)using bows and spears were stupid? Or whalers, who usually have to chase the whale once it surfaces....you are saying all of those people are of below-average inteeligence? I think not.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:23:28 GMT

Stephen, Toronto, Ontario (12/8, 0828) wrote, “Finally if you point to something a Dog has the intelligence to self actualize understand and look at what you are pointing at.”
You must have one brilliant dog. A doggie genius, which is not outside possibility. Neither is a kitty genius. Dogs of a more common intelligence follow your eyes. If you, as you typically would, look at what you’re pointing at, then it’s easy to see how the reason the dog looks that way could be mistaken. In experiments where people looked left and pointed right, the dog looked to people left (dog right). However, after figuring out the garage door yours may follow your finger and think you took a bump on the head if you try the looking the other way experiment. Sharp animal. But hey, a Golden.

Diane Thornton, LA, CA (12/8, 1111) wrote, “One million years ago...three million years ago...garbage. Fantasy.”
Care to elaborate? I love this discussion.

gVORO8 (12/8, 1228) No, you don’t have it straight. And after reading so many posts, *that* seems likely.

lk (12/8, 1429) Cold, man, cold. I’m not saying it isn’t true.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Darth Invictus, Farkistan — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:58:04 GMT

Incidentally, the domestic house cat is the most successful hunter in the cat family. I love the fact that the green-eyed fuzzball purring in my lap and licking my hand is a ruthless killing machine in her tiny little heart.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:59:36 GMT

Wasn't Sylvester and Coyote equally stupid at catching their prey?

Delmar Fairchild: Interesting story. You have to wonder about symbiotic relationships in the animal world. Two families of mammals separated like that and displaying obvious social behaviour to each other is always a wonder. In the case of humans as with primates, we are built upon social systems. The cat is not but the dog is. We are one of the pack and the dog recognizes and is a part of the hierarchy. The "master" is Alpha and the dog will move heaven and earth to have it's place in the hierarchy.

Humans are like that. Just go to any office or corporate meeting or take a good look at your own family and you will see it.

Cat vs. dog evolution

P. A. DEPLAND, Lake Wales, Florida — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:01:48 GMT

"Kitty cats", feral and domestic are not indigenous to the American continent. They should be exterminated or kept indoors where they cannot continue decimating our wildlife which is here legitimately, period.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Elaine George — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:10:38 GMT

Hyenas, get the last laugh! Cats who look like dogs?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Pat, Harrisburg PA — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:26:39 GMT

The article neglected to mention what type of cat (one has to assume housecat from the litterbox comment) and what type of dog (one has to assume domesticated dog due to the litter box comment.) As several posters noted, cats of all types except lions tend to be solitary hunters while dogs of all types tend to be team hunters. With smaller species of cat, there is also the issue of being simultaneously predator and prey (one reason for the strong startle response in cats.)
Sharing my house with a sheepdog, a spaniel and two tabbies, I get to see the differences daily. My spaniel has a war going with the cats largely because eye contact in dogs is a "I double dutch dare ya!" proposition and in cats is a real means of communication. The cat won't break contact, the dog gets insulted and off they go. After ten years, neither has seemed to learn that they aren't experiencing the same reaction to extended eye contact.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Pat, Harrisburg PA — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:39:25 GMT

The difference between dogs and cats extends beyond just gait. Dogs see pretty much as we do but with less detail and depth of field. Cats see a more 'pixelated' world and are keyed to spot motion over shape or color. Some breeds of housecat, such as the Siamese, keep their eyes in constant motion in order to better process their environments because of this difference in visual perception. It is one of the reasons cats don't travel by car well: they are designed to catch movement in a still environment and not to pull targets out of a moving environment.
About the 'tabby' comment: tabby is, to purebred afficiandos, a color pattern but to the kitty equivalent of a physical catopologist (anthropologist), tabby references the domestic shorthair. Regardless of color, a cat qualifies as a 'tabby' if it has the "M" between the eyes and banding over the wrists and rings on the tail. Almost all breed of domestic cat are descended from the Savannah cat which looks pretty much like a modern brown and grey tabby.
Also, contrary to popular belief, while cats are solitary hunters, feral shorthairs live in loose 'communes' segregated by genders, especially during gestation and kitten raising. Colony behavior in cats in unique in that a cat will feed the first set of mewling kittens she passes rather than wait until she reaches her own brood. Thus, while nesting at the entrance to the colony might be the least safe position when concerned about predators attacking litters while the mother hunts, placing one's litter in the safest (rearmost) nest means the kittens get fed less often. I have always found this evolutionary choice odd.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Pat, Harrisburg PA — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:09:13 GMT

Oh, and hyena are not cats, nor are they dogs. They are their own genus. All three flow from a common evolutionary point (and hyena are an excellent 'proof' of the veracity of the evolutionary model, for those who tend toward 'intelligent design'.)

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:33:33 GMT

Scott Matarrese (12/8, 1459) talked about his dogs counting and feeling fairness. Check out this link as well.

http://news.aol.com/article/study-shows-dogs-have-sense-of-fairness/271645

Pat, Harrisburg PA (12/9, 0809) Then either housecats are cats or lions are cats but not both. Lions, housecats and hyena are all in the cat family, and are all in different genera. Dogs, on the other hand, are in a different family. Hyena are a thing of their own.

Cat vs. dog evolution

AR, Berlin, DE — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:02:22 GMT

Cats are better hunters simply because they still hunt. Both cats and dogs have been domesticated, and dogs no longer go out and hunt because they've been domesticated longer. It's still in a cat's nature to hunt. That's what you're always having to step over the little "gifts" left outside the door. Dogs would rather wait to be fed because they don't have to hunt anymore.

Cat vs. dog evolution

lk — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:24:24 GMT

Some cats are smarter than some dogs and some dogs are smarter than some people . . .

Cat vs. dog evolution

seldomfrom, barkentine, millwall — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:16:10 GMT

Everybody seems to miss the change in the rules that humans brought to efficient hunting, they throw things pretty accurately. This is what put humans on top. Look at your kitty or doggy and raise an arm above your head. All animals are born with the memory of the bad tempered rock chuckers.

Cat vs. dog evolution

John Kamakari — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:42:29 GMT

Domestic dogs rule over the domestic cats. The tables turn with their wild counterparts.

Cat vs. dog evolution

krin, phOenix,AZ — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:10:05 GMT

zer is nuttin swift bout ze biscuits. he eated too many cheezburgers...

Cat vs. dog evolution

julius willis — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:25:08 GMT

cats and dogs are both cool. i'm more allergic to cats, but i'm kind of grossed out by dog saliva getting everywhere so they're pretty even to me on the "cool" scale.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Thomas Ashby, Calgary — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:02:24 GMT

One last thing, I have never seen a dog come home with a cat. The cat will out run and out manouver a dog anytime. That picture also shows far better musculature in the forelimbs of the cat. That particular dog wouldn't have a chance in a battle other than getting lucky with more powerful bites possibly. I am glad they are friends.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Elaine George — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:56:33 GMT

Cats and dogs have a common ancient ancestor: Tomarctus; Hyenas - the third party independent species who knows where they came from. Maybe they were beamed down to be moderators on the African savannah,

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:37:49 GMT

Elaine George, Tomarctus was the first dog. You're probably thinking of Miasis, but I'm not sure. I think that was the precursor for all cats and dogs.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 23:18:02 GMT

Sorry, that's Miacis (sp). Here's a link that addresses the canine hunting style, the Tomarctus and the Miacis.

http://scienceblogs.com/voltagegate/2007/12/wow_taxonomy_iii_lycaon.php

Cat vs. dog evolution

John Elliott — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 04:11:44 GMT

Have you ever watched a cat that is not in a cage?
My wife saw our cat (with a bell on it's neck) lay on the side walk (on its side) for an extended period of time. Several birds were dive bombing him to chase him off. Finally one got too close. He caught and ate it. How much energy did this cat use? A dog will run for until it is exhausted, and never catch the bird.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:29:28 GMT

John Elliot (12/14, 2311), and to be fair, a lot of others:
My cat would sit by it's dish and wait for me to feed it. Even less energy expended there. Is there a point? You did read the article and understand what it's about, right?
And the dog is having fun. He knows his dish is at home, too. Actually catching the bird would be a bonus.

Cat vs. dog evolution

m kleriga las vegas nevada — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:34:37 GMT

cats and dogs are hunters. in my opinion the only thing is that cats dont need humans as much to survive they are independent and will hunt for food if necessary where dogs have been so domesticated that they depend on humans for their survival and the fact that most dogs are neuter or spay they dont have to worry about feeding their young like their cousin the wolf. dogs do have more speed than cats but most dogs are clumsy compare to cats. i love animals its just how people perceive how cats and dogs are. just like the myth that they cant be friends or that cats are not trainable. dogs n cats can be best friends, cats are trainable is just that the cats attitude is more aloft than dogs and choose not to listen to humans as much. Im a owner of two male cats and three dogs. and seen it with my own pets how they choose to respond to commands. my cats tolerate the dogs and my dogs just love licking them to annoyance but when told to leave cats alone they do where cats will just give me a look like whatever and keep doing what they want.

Cat vs. dog evolution

TerryMc, Cambridge, MA — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:26:15 GMT

what a silly statement about the litter box. Who would want to have their pet poop (smell up) in the house. In the same vein, perhaps you could show me a cat that can fetch and retrieve, assist handicaped individuals in a multitude of ways, obey commands etc......cats and dogs are both wonderful but simply different. They have adapted in a way that suits their physical makeup and their environment.
And lastly, although I like and respect cats unique way of moving through their environment....there could NEVER be a cat that could be a better companion (constant,loyal, loving) than a dog. I like cats but think nothing is better (almost nothing) then the companionship of a dog.
Also, there are many dogs (terriers, rat terriers in particular) who would have no problem hunting the exact prey as a cat (nice/rats/birds but maybe not fish).
So that's my two cents....but I do love all animals

Cat vs. dog evolution

John, Saint Louis, MO — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 06:17:39 GMT

Yes, I do understand the point being made about dog hunting "locomotion" being more efficient than cat hunting locomotion.

But cats sleep for as much as 18 hours a day. Which animal seems more efficient now?

Cat vs. dog evolution

Tim Rommes, Washington, UT — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 02:55:37 GMT

John (Elliott, I presume), Saint Louis, MO (1/3, 0117)

And which flavor is better, chocolate or vanilla?

If that question seems a little off base then get a clue, because it's not even in the same ballpark. In the same ballpark is a question involving cats sleeping 3/4 of the day. But the question at hand is very, very narrow. The next broader question would have to do with the amount of energy expended in the hunt against the food brought down per animal fed. I'm guessing that's the point where cat's become more efficient. Way, way before sleep time comes in. Without addressing how well their fur insulates from heat and cold, digestive efficiency, predation, number in litter and litters per year, etc. all of which are well outside of scope. There's a whole lot we'd have to look at to get a good answer to "Which animal seems more efficient now?"

Politics and religion are also outside the scope of the article. At least you didn't go there. I understand the point you're making, it's just that relative to this article it's a chocolate or vanilla question.

Cat vs. dog evolution

ontario,toronto — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 02:52:49 GMT

It a normal fact that cats and dog dont get along god made it this way.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Antwan Fisher — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:30:54 GMT

The Cat may be more stealthy but the dog are more efficient so they can chance prey for a long time and wear out it out where a cat has a selected window to take out its prey.
But in my humble opinion I think cats are more humerus. And dogs any dog smaller than a corgi has no purpose except to annoy the crap out of me.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Teresa Russell, Key West, Fl. — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 20:13:15 GMT

I have owned dogs and cats and have raised them together. But Hands down, the most efficient hunter I saw was my Manx cat Sadie. She killed snakes, rats, birds and lizards. Even though she was well fed and I belled her to prevent the deaths. What I hated was coming home and finding a beak and claws with nothing else around, meaning she consumed everything. The worse thing was getting up in the middle of the night and stepping on half a cold dead lizard. (She had created a way in and out of the home). My dogs only ate dead stinky things.So much for taste!

Cat vs. dog evolution

Carrie, Seattle, WA — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:08:47 GMT

<< Read somewhere that Cats, Camels and Giraffes are the only quadrupeds that move both legs on one side of the body and then both legs on the other side when they walk >>

Some horses exhibit this gait pattern as well.

And for anyone who thinks cats are standoffish compared to dogs, well, you haven't met my cats. :^)

Cat vs. dog evolution

Chi, Coon Rapids, Mn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 22:25:40 GMT

For Jerry Weikle, who says: There remains room for improvement to develop new breeds and varieties with the domestic cat.
Well Jerry,
Have you ever met a purebred collie of show quality? Notice how sharply pointed his face is, how little room there is left in that once intelligent head for a brain? Ever seen a pug or Shar-pei with breathing difficulties because they've been bred to have flatter and flatter faces?
Human interferance with breeding dogs has ruined many innocent lives for the sake of fashion... cat's don't need to be ruined too. If you want a big cat, get a Siberean, they can get up to around twenty lbs.
But really, they've done well enough on their own for years, leave them alone.

Cat vs. dog evolution

DONNA LONGVIEW,TX — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:31:07 GMT

I HAVE DOGS & CATS AND LOVE THEM BOTH - MY DECLAWED EXTREMELY FAT HOUSE CAT CAN RUN DOWN AND KILL A FULL GROWN SQUIRREL WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. IT TAKES ALL THREE OF MY DOGS TO CATCH THE SQUIRREL AND WE CAN USUALLY GET IT AWAY FROM THEM BEFORE IT IS DAMAGED. SO I WOULD PUT ANY OF ONE MY FOUR CATS UP AGAINST ALL THREE OF MY DOGS WHO ARE OUTSIDE DOGS AND VERY HEALTH.

AS FAR AS THE TEST - THE CAT SIMPLY DID NOT WANT TO DO WHAT THEY WANTED.

CATS CAN BE TRAINED BUT THEY ARE BETTER AT TRAINING US. AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE SMARTER THAN HUMANS - WHILE I CAN UNDERSTAND ONLY SOME OF WHAT MY CATS ARE TRYING TO TELL ME THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I AMY SAYING TO THEM.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Fenria, Marion IA — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:47:17 GMT

Ok... I think the main difference is based on the one item from the article... cats are "in process" for domestication, while dogs "drank the koolaid" long ago. Even a beaten dog will stay loyal to its master for much longer than it should - much like abused humans still love their abusers.

I am a fervent dog lover, but I fully admit that the reason I find dogs so much more appealing as pet family members is because they are so loyal, eager to please and be close to you, they know when they've done something wrong and are sorry, and while they do grow smarter, unlike a human teenager, they will remain loyal and loving forever.

This is true for the true majority of dogs.

Cats on the other hand (speaking in generalities) are more independent. They CAN catch and kill their own food indoors (if you have mice) and out (mice, birds, baby rabbits). They can go to the bathroom by themselves (no opening the door). They don't "rely" on us humans except to give them that safe warm dry place to sleep. While some cats are very affectionate and accomodating, others will only seek or ACCEPT affection when THEY want it, not when you need the solace of your pet.

I have two dogs and one cat. I love them all. I would try to save them all during a fire. But which do you think would try to save me?

Face it... while I do love my cat and think she funny and entertaining and one heck of a hunter on her own (wasted energy or not), she's a roommate. A roommate that needs her bathroom cleaned by me once every 2-3 days and doesn't want me to hold her.

My pups? They're the wrestlin' kind and are content to let me pet them whenever I want to (and let me know when THEY want it as well).

Roommates vs. perpetual children.

Now, when we're ready to domesticate the third branch of the cat/dog/bear tree, you let me know.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Jennifer Hor, Sydney, Australia — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 04:31:53 GMT

This research into efficiency in animals' hunting styles is ridiculous. It's Nature that produced cats and dogs, not an accountant. The fact that felines and canines have co-existed for millions of years shows that evolution has never been about hunting efficiency or any kind of efficiency. Horses are less efficient at digesting grass than cows yet they still survive. Mammals are less efficent than birds at breathing oxygen for that matter too.

Cat vs. dog evolution

john doe, seattle, washington — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:47:08 GMT

@Elaine George
"in Africa the canids are typically pack animals. An exception may be the hyena, yet they often scavange kills by other animal hunters"

Hyena's are related to the Mongoose family, not Canines. They actually kill more often then scavange. They never turn down a meal though and will often outflank other predators when they see an easy meal.
Like porcupine spines, rose thorns and ray stingers it's another example of different species evolving to find the most efficient means of survival.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Phil E. Drifter, Philly, PA — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:37:52 GMT

"show me a dog that can use a litter box and I'll show you a dog that's as smart as a cat." When I got a puppy I trained him to s**t on newspaper. You fail. Dogs are plenty capable of depositing their s**t in a specified location.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Phil E. Drifter, Philly, PA — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:40:41 GMT

*Rob, Baltimore, MD (Sent Saturday, December 06, 2008 11:47 AM):

Cats.*

We get signal.

Main screen turn on.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Mich, Akron, OH — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

It seems that people think cats are smarter/better/etc. because they crap into a box?? Dogs would do the same thing if they were trained that way but they aren't because litter boxes are pretty gross. I had an iguana that went in the litter box, could find her own food, and be left for days at a time. Looks like cats and lizard are on the same level.

Also, I've never heard of a cat rescuing anyone or protecting them from harm. Dogs are by far better companions.

Cat vs. dog evolution

You Will, Never, Findme — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:54:28 GMT

Cat, dog, who cares? I just want one that's calm, doesn't bite or scratch, and doesn't shed.

Cat vs. dog evolution

B.A. Gilmore, Wilmington, DE — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:37:33 GMT

I have had cats and dogs all my life. My cats have been fascinating. We trained one to sit and come when called. My cat was trained to come home to a whistle (to protect her in my neighborhood). If she didn't show up immediately, I knew she was further away and would check for her at the door later.
When my father was dying of cancer, his cat would lay on the side of the bed with him. And my sister's cat has a reputation with the EMTs because she stands on her and hisses with her back up when my sister is incapacitated (and she doesn't even have front claws).
Our only dog wasn't smart, but he was sweet. He would make us open the gate for him to go out. We knew he already knew how to open the gate, but it didn't matter. It was something we did because he wanted it. When he was deathly ill, he protected my sister from another dog.
They're both beautiful and should be appreciated for what they give us.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Joe Skenandore, Albuquerque, NM, — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:48:43 GMT

I see that someone has cleverly found a way to surrepticiously (sp) create a an entry (to be submitted to the Guiness book of records) as the longest blog in the history of the internet, you dirty dog, or sneaky cat, whichever the case may be.

Cat vs. dog evolution

Mo — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:36:09 GMT

Once again these stupid "Scientist" think they are going to decide what is most efficient.
Well obviously neither the cats nor nature agree with their determination of what is efficient.