Will the age-old rivalry between dogs and cats be settled? New Scientist has examined studies on both animals in a range of categories:

·         Brains (despite the recent studies on dogs' intelligence, the magazine gives the win to cats for having more neurons in the cortex)

·         Shared history (dogs were domesticated way, way earlier)

·         Bonding (come on: dogs)

·         Popularity (cats win by 31 million)

·         Understanding (as in understanding that humans can help get you what you want: dogs)

·         Problem-solving (dogs, though the research is pretty fuzzy on this one)

·         Vocalization (dogs have more range, but cats win for having a noise that doesn't get annoying: the purr)

·         Tractability (ability to be trained clearly goes to dogs. Though if you haven't seen this cat agility gallery, it's worth a peek)

·         Super-senses (cats take it for hearing, sight and even scent -- comparing average cats to average dogs, not to specialized breeds like bloodhounds)

·         Eco-friendliness (when it comes to consumption, cats are better)

·         Utility ("dogs can hunt, herd, guard")