Research suggests that dogs really are smarter than cats

The debate over whether dogs or cats are the smartest pet has raged for decades, if not centuries. But in a twist that is sure to ruffle the fur of cat-lovers, new research shows that dogs are more intelligent than their feline foes after all. Experts showed that dogs have more than twice as many brain cells in a region linked with thinking, planning and other complex behaviours. The researchers say the number of neurons in an animal's cerebral cortex is a hallmark of intelligence. The cortex is the largest layer of the brain and is associated with thinking, planning and other complex behaviours.