Quote:
Originally Posted by DixieGal
All of this makes me wonder something. Since certain breeds pf dogs (VR!!) are more intelligent, have any of the cat breeds got a reputation for being smart? I believe that I remember reading that the new teacup breeds are brighter than average, but I might be just imagining that I read it.
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Animal Planet’s Top-Ranked Cats for Intelligence
The Sphynx, a "hairless" breed (the cat actually has a fine peach fuzz coat like soft suede), was the only cat to receive a 10 out of 10 ranking. Owners do tend to rave about the intelligence of this breed, so it is probably fair that the Sphynx is among the top cats. A number of additional breeds received a high 9 out of 10, including:
Shamelessly stolen from
here
Balinese (essentially a long-haired Siamese)
Bengal (a wild Asian Leopard Cat/domestic cat cross)
Colourpoint Shorthair (a breed developed from the Siamese and American and British Shorthairs)
Havana Brown (a cross of the Siamese and black British or American Shorthairs)
Javanese (an Oriental Shorthair-Balinese cross)
Oriental (developed from numerous breeds, including the Siamese)
Siamese (a naturally occurring breed)
All of the breeds with very high intelligence ratings are derived from the Siamese except for the Bengal, a wild-domestic hybrid. Although there is no doubt that Siamese cats tend to be very bright, cat breeder Norman Auspitz notes that the breeds considered most intelligent also tend to be among the most active, which suggests that there is a bias toward rating more energetic cats higher on intelligence scales.
I have no idea if any of this has any scientific basis, but I do know that our Siamese manages to get in our bedroom and the door is closed. She's the only one that knows the trick, including my wife and I, we have no idea how she does it.