Cats vs. Dogs, Which is Smarter?

Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.
Matthew 26:35 ESV

"Which do you think is smarter," my friend asked. "Cats or dogs?" A few weeks ago, she adopted a dog as a companion for her cat, Dillon.

"Cats," I said without hesitation. "In my opinion, cats are smarter than dogs."

Now, before all you dog lovers get upset with me, hear me out. My opinion is based on experience.

You see, I've been owned by many cats. In fact, I once had five of them living with me at the same time. This wasn’t my choice. Without going into all the details, I’ll just say that before you make a deathbed promise to a friend or relative, think with your head along with your heart. Anyhow, I was owned back then by Freckles, Molly, Andrew, Sonny and Cher. The last two came already named. They were the adopted ones that I added to my fur family of three. You can imagine the giggles in the veterinarian’s office when the receptionist asked in front of God and everybody, “Jean, are Sonny and Cher neutered?”

Having five cats at once was kind of creepy, especially when they moved through the house in a herd. They’d walk through the living room together and give me dirty looks and then head straight to the kitchen where they’d sit in a row staring at the refrigerator. All heads would turn together toward the fridge and then toward me. I was intimidated, wondering if they were making a sinister plan to shove me into the freezer or something. It was scary.

So, why do I think that cats are smarter than dogs? Because they don’t give their loyalty freely, like dogs do; you have to earn it. I also think cats are smarter because they are loyal to each other. They work together to defeat the enemy – most often, me!

Take Freckles and Molly, for example. They both knew that I kept their cat treats in a cabinet above a counter in my laundry room. No amount of meowing could get me to open that cabinet door, unless I wanted to, so these two geniuses took the matter into their own paws. At night while I slept, one of them (Freckles, I later discovered) learned to get on the counter, stand on her hind legs and pry the door open. She couldn’t get the treats though, because she wasn’t tall enough. After a few nights of listening to Freckles working to open the cabinet, I heard a suspicious rustling sound. I got out of bed and quietly peeked into the laundry room. Freckles sat on the counter while Molly stood on tiptoes batting at the treat bag on the shelf. She was just enough taller than Freckles to knock the bag out of the cabinet. It fell to the floor, and by then the rest of the herd had arrived to enjoy the stolen treasure.

So, you see, working together is often the key to defeating the enemy, and cats are loyal to their fellow felines till the bitter end.

Believers are supposed to be loyal to one another, too. I have a favorite Bible story that illustrates this. It’s Genesis 17:8-13:

“When the Israelites were at Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites. So Moses told Joshua, ‘Have some men ready to attack the Amalekites tomorrow. I will stand on a hilltop, holding this walking stick that has the power of God.’ Joshua led the attack as Moses had commanded, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur stood on the hilltop. The Israelites out-fought the Amalekites as long as Moses held up his arms, but they started losing whenever he had to lower them. Finally, Moses was so tired that Aaron and Hur got a rock for him to sit on. Then they stood beside him and supported his arms in the same position until sunset. That's how Joshua defeated the Amalekites.”

Isn’t that great? Aaron and Hur literally held up Moses’ tired arms.

The Bible is filled with stories of believers working together to "hold up each other's arms." It is what God requires of us.


I especially like these instructional verses from the New Testament:

Hebrews 3:13 “You must encourage one another each day. And you must keep on while there is still a time that can be called ‘today.’ If you don't, then sin may fool some of you and make you stubborn.”

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

It is part of the Christian character to stick together. Like Freckles and Molly, we work as a team, supporting one another to defeat the Evil One.

Are cats REALLY smarter than dogs? I think so, but that’s just my opinion. What do you think? Do you have a dog story to share that will change my mind?

Dear God: I pray for every reader of this blog that your Holy Spirit will hold up their arms when they grow weary in prayer. I join together with my readers, Lord, praying for their needs and asking that the circumstances they bring before you might be healed through your endless mercy. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen




Unless otherwise noted, all verses in this post are from the Contemporary English Version ®
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