I came across an interesting idea in David Grimm’s Citizen Canine.
I guess Grimm went for cute by titling his book like that [geddit? — Citizen Kane], even though the book’s about dogs and cats and the word is that Grimm is a cat-person. I think Bugs may feel a little put out about that. I know I do.
I’m pretty sure Bugs would rather appreciate Grimm’s point that the reason the ancient Greeks honored the feline over the canine was that the Greeks valued liberty and autonomy. The Romans went for dogs, preferring loyalty and obligation. We are great admirers of the Greeks on this blog. They had six words for love.
But back to the interesting idea. Grimm writes that it’s smart to keep stress levels down by getting along with one’s fellows. Animals that pay attention to social cues, and respond to them, develop advanced cognitive skills. Consider the difference between chimps and bonobos, both of whom are so close genetically that they’re practically indistinguishable. Chimps are competitive and can be nasty. Bonobos, on the other hand, cooperate with each other. They resolve conflicts by having sex, not making war. Bonobos score much higher than chimps on theory-of-mind testing, designed to assess whether subjects possess attributes resembling empathy and understanding of others.
The idea that caught me was that relaxed cooperation, leading to increased cognitive skills, is a favorable evolutionary adaptation. Here’s a quote from Grimm, referring to our own species:
“[A]s we began to settle down in large numbers, we ostracized the most aggressive and antisocial members of our groups . . . . Eventually, we began to understand each other’s gestures [and] we developed a complex theory of mind . . . .” Grimm posits, then, that human intelligence is a direct result of our own self-domestication.
What we need to understand, though, is that dogs are not necessarily smarter than cats. They are just more tuned-in to humans. “Every species has evolved the skills it needs to survive.” Dogs need close connection to humans.
Cats? Not so much.
It’s that love of liberty and autonomy. After all –
There’s no such thing as an “undercat.”
catself 
I totally agree – people pleasing (like dogs do) is not equivalent to intelligence! Plus we cats are way more resourceful.
Just as in people, intelligence has many facets! Cats, of course, possess them all.
No wonder I love and admire you. I majored in Rhetoric and minored in Philosophy. Greece has been on my bucket list for a long time!!! Now I know why I am drawn to cats over dogs, “Greeks valued liberty and autonomy.”
Meez dusn’t agwee. Meez finks da hooman dictates da welationship da cat wequires of dem. Meez and me sisfuw boff need lots of luv and attention fwum ow mommy and wees wanna be wiff hers. Hers wus a fostew mommy fuw cats most of hers life, and all da cats hers fostewed also wanted tu be close and purrlease da hoomans in der life. And all were twained tu at least kknow and wespond tu der name and tu avoid cewtain inappwopwiate behaviors dat hoomans offen find displeasin’ in kittys. Wees of course awe highly twained as wees be Service Cats. Ow mommy luvs tu be wiff us and likes da attention wees purrvide hers. So again wees fink da amount of independance a cat shows to da hoomans is in wespinse tu what da hooman desiwes.
Luv ya’
Dezi