Dogs versus Cats - Who's the Better Pet?

David:
Who's a better pet, a dog or a cat? What does your choice say about you? This week, I thought we'd look at some data on the subject.

Doug:
We have dogs and cats. But I'm always willing to talk data!

David:
If the question is who loves you more, a dog or a cat, here's a fun study that studied just that. Two neuroscientists measured the release of oxytocin, a marker for affection, from both dogs and cats after play time with their owners. The level of oxytocin increased 57% in dogs, but only 12% in cats. Dogs clearly exhibited more affection towards their owners than cats. At least cats showed some affection towards their owners, which does go against conventional wisdom.

Doug:
Perhaps cats don't need as much oxytocin to feel the love.

David:
Which is certainly possible, and a limitation of this small study. They are a different species, after all. But oxytocin is found across multiple species in similar fashions, which would argue they should respond in similar fashion.

If the question is which species is smarter, the data is more difficult to analyze (partly because researchers had difficulty working with cats). While dogs had larger brains by mass, cats have far greater neurons. Does that equate to intelligence?

"The research also showed cats and dogs can solve simple puzzles to get food, but when the puzzle is unsolvable, dogs will look to humans for help, whereas cats will keep trying.

This doesn't ultimately prove dogs are cleverer, just that their significantly longer interaction with humans (they were domesticated at least 20,000 years earlier than cats) grants them better social skills with humans."

What does your choice of pet reveal about you? Here's a discussion of research that found that dog owners are happier and more satisfied with their lives than cat owners.

"Another aspect of the study showed that dog owners are happier and more agreeable. But it was also found that life satisfaction level is higher in individuals who own any type of pet, whether a dog, cat, rabbit or even a guinea pig."

Doug:
Speaking of animal intelligence and neurons, I saw in the last month that scientists have trained an artificial neural network to look for patterns in bat behavior.  It appears that the machine learning system found that bats have a richer language than we ever thought. Turns out that bats argue a lot. Perhaps these learning system (which I study) might be able to discern languages in other species, like cats and dogs. Maybe they are telling us that they love us in words (well, cat-words and dog-words).

I have also seen research that suggests that people can form a close bond with a robot, just like the kind of bond that they would share with a cat or dog.

David:
Perhaps we should have bats as pets? Just make sure your rabies vaccinations are up to date. Some studies indicate you can get rabies just from being in the close vicinity of bats.

Doug:
Bats need better lobbyists.

David:
Which brings us into another tangential discussion. Why do we have pets? The obvious answer would be for companionship, but sometimes the obvious answer is not the correct one. This article, the-psychology-of-human-bonding-why-do-we-love-our-pets-so-much , theorizes our need for both companionship and a need for acceptance as a motivator for having pets.

Doug:
And they probably feel the same way about us, oxytocin levels not withstanding.

David:
Practicality may be more important in deciding which pet is right for you as well. You may want a dog, but live in a high-rise, and need a friend who is less maintenance. A pet who is self-contained may work best for you, like a bird or fish. I have both. In some aspects, birds are great. They can even talk back to you and mimic a great many words, and can learn to use certain words to get you to respond in certain ways.

Fish also can be trained to act in certain ways. If you've ever had a goldfish, you know that just turning on the lights or coming near the tank can trigger a pavlovian response. I had a black-moor goldfish in college that would come to the top of the tank and turn upside down so I could rub it's stomach. I've never encountered another fish that either showed the ability to do that, or a desire for human contact like that fish had.

Doug:
That reminds me of some of my human college roommates.

David:
Robots might be the ultimate in self-contained companionship. It doesn't need food or a litter box. It doesn't need someone to care for it when you're away. What does it say about you, if you prefer a robot over other pets?

Doug:
Sometimes real animals aren't an option. I have heard of hospitals using robots to get the same effects as dogs and cats without the hair and mess. You don't have to take them on a walk, but you do have to charge their batteries. Companionship is necessary, and can help quite a bit for the sick.

David:
Back to cats and dogs, here's a good discussion analyzing the studies that have been done:

psychologytoday.com  things-being-cat-person-or-dog-person-reveals-about-you

There has even been some research looking at whether owning a dog or cat may predict whether you're a conservative or progressive. (Since you own both dogs and a cat, it clearly shows your inner torment and struggle. There may be help for you, brother. Embrace your conservatism...) Maybe that's why Clifford was a big, red dog.

Doug:
Interesting research. Of course most people are a mix of conservative and progressive ideas. I love both my cat, and our dogs! Perhaps you need a cat around so that you don't feel so confined. And you might then want to join the Pussy Hat revolution! You'll need one for inauguration day!

http://ellenbloom.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-pussy-hat-project.html