Comparison of cats and dogs.

My secret

All pet owners are divided into cat people or dog people. And since this division there has been an eternal debate about who is smarter than a cat or a dog. When answering this question, you should not rely only on your own preferences; you need to listen to the opinions of competent specialists.

Who's smarter

English scientists conducted an experiment that was supposed to reveal a more intelligent animal. They analyzed more than 500 species of different organisms. Thus, a connection was found between intelligence and brain size in relation to the body.

Dogs have a fairly large brain, which allows them to be more trainable and develop diversified.

Having examined the cat's brain, scientists concluded that dogs are superior to cats; a smart, barking pet can be envied. The explanation for this fact is the more solitary lifestyle of cats. While cats develop independently, dogs are able to learn from their owner or pack.

American scientists tried to refute the results of this study, but did not go further than studying the human brain, in which there is no pattern between size and intelligence.

Why dogs are smarter

Who is smarter, a cat or a dog? Dogs have qualities such as loyalty, trainability and obedience. They are more loyal, guard their owner and can be so friendly that it is time to use them as nannies.

"Man's Friend" is smarter because:
easily adapts among people;
is very active in communicating with people;
easily learns new skills;

he is obedient and devoted to his master.

Why are cats smarter?.

But don't underestimate purring pets. There are situations in which cats are smarter than dogs
Due to their solitary lifestyle, cats are very careful and prudent.
They know how to masterfully manipulate people.
In unusual situations, these animals are able to benefit from “empty space”.
They are more attentive, curious and observant than dogs.
These pets are inherently true predators and know how to survive in any danger.

Cats are capable of selectively perceiving information. They can be smart in those things that seem interesting to them and show indifference to everything that, in their opinion, does not carry any benefit.

It is impossible to say with complete certainty who is the smarter pet, a cat or a dog. But if you compare individual skills, each owner can draw his own personal conclusions about the pet’s intelligence.

Ability to remember nickname. In this matter, it is unlikely that it will be possible to identify mental abilities. This is due to the pet’s temperament. So, for example, a smart and proud cat decides for itself when to respond to its name and when to simply ignore its owner. The dog, due to its devotion, very quickly remembers its name and responds to it.
Curiosity and caution. Having encountered a new and unfamiliar thing, a cat is unlikely to immediately rush towards it headlong. She will first sneak up, strike with her paw with claws and make sure of her safety. Dogs in such cases show excessive curiosity, forgetting about caution.
Performing tricks. The dog is afraid of disappointing its owner and tries to understand as quickly as possible what he requires of it. And if she also receives encouragement for this, then the animal is ready to repeat any trick many times. Cats are also trainable, they just require a lot more time and patience due to their independent nature.
Regime and rules for staying in the house. Both dogs and cats eventually get used to the same times of feeding, walking or going to the litter box.
Attachment. Everyone knows how dogs become attached to their owner and love him all their lives. But cats in this case are no different from them. It’s just that purring pets prefer not to show their feelings openly.
Understanding and support. In this capacity, both dogs and cats perfectly feel the feelings of the owner. In difficult times, both animals will support a person with their affection.
Motor skills. Cats have better sensitivity and precision of movements than dogs. These are true predators that are capable of hunting even individuals much larger than themselves.
Memory. Both cats and dogs have very well developed memories. Both pets remember the bad deeds of people towards them all their lives, and feel boundless gratitude for the good ones. Pets are able to remember a large number of different commands.

Human friendship with dogs and cats is measured not in years, but in millennia. The first were domesticated more than 30 thousand years ago, the second - 10 thousand years ago.

Over the many years of their devotion to people, dogs have mastered many professions well: hunter, shepherd and watchman. Over the years, these horizons have expanded. Dogs began to be used as driving force. And these days they may well be police officers, rescuers, guides, sappers and even postmen.

Cats, according to most dog lovers, are practically useless, but this is not true. In ancient Egypt, they were tamed to fight mice that stole grain reserves. Today, some “purrs” have forgotten a little about their purpose, and prefer reclining on a comfortable sofa to hunting.

Instead of a conclusion

Based on all the above facts, it is impossible to unambiguously determine who is smarter of the pets, a dog or a cat. These are two intelligent pets that perform differently in different situations. Cats are too independent and to some extent lazy to demonstrate their intelligence. Dogs are friendly and more socialized, so their mental abilities can be observed everywhere.

Dogs have been domesticated for 14,000 years, cats - 7,000 years later. Dogs originated from wolves that entered human territories; cats originated from themselves. They are thought to have stabilized as a species 12 million years ago.

Cats have better hearing than dogs; its upper limit reaches 65 kilohertz, which is 3 times more than the same parameter in humans and 2 times more than in dogs. However, dogs have a better sense of smell, thanks to the huge number of receptors in the nose - 200 million versus 5 million in humans, and also due to a constantly moist nose (the liquid conducts odors better).

Dogs are omnivores, cats are carnivores. Cats need taurine and arachidonic acid to grow and live, which they get from the meat of their prey. These substances are included in cat food. Dogs can produce these substances on their own.

The smartest dog breeds are Doberman Pinscher, Collie, Golden Retriever, Poodle, and German Guard. All cats have an average level of intelligence, but no less than that of the five most intelligent dogs.

In one of the experiments, it turned out that the visual memory of cats is as developed as that of monkeys. However, it later turned out that short-term memory in dogs is more developed than in cats, especially at time intervals of up to 60 seconds.

The skin fold impressions on a dog's nose are unique, just like human fingerprints, and can be used to identify animals. The smell of cat urine is more intense than that of dog urine due to the presence of tiny crystals in cat urine that tenaciously attach to surfaces and are practically not removed by household detergents.

The average lifespan of a dog is 12-14 years, and over its entire life it costs its owner, in addition to nerves and time, 5-10 thousand dollars (prices are European).
The average lifespan of a cat is 9-15 years, the cost of “owning” a cat for a person is 2-8 thousand dollars.

According to British scientists, or rather specialists from the University of Bristol, cat owners more often have university degrees and diplomas. According to a study by scientists from Queen's University Belfast, dog owners have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, are less likely to get sick and are generally healthier.

Dogs and cats quickly become full-fledged members of the human family, but they live much less than people, and they grow old and move from one age group to another a little differently. Knowing these differences helps you better understand your four-legged friend. In addition, it is simply interesting to compare the age of an animal with your own, so every owner wondered how old his pet was by human standards.

Age comparison table

It is generally accepted that The ratio of the age of a dog or cat to a person is one year to seven. But this is not entirely true, at 6 months your dog will be approximately a five-year-old child, and in a year it will reach a conditional 14 years. Here is an approximate table of correspondence between the ages of a dog and a person.

Dog age	Compliance factor	Human age
2 months	7	14 months
6 months	10	5 years
8 months	12,5	9 years
1 year	14	14 years
1.5 years	13,3	20 years
2 years	12	24 years
3 years	10	30 years
4 years	9	36 years
5 years	8	40 years
6 years	7	42 years
7 years	7	49 years old
8 years	7	56 years old
9 years	7	63 years old
10 years	6,5	65 years old
11 years	6,5	71 years old
12 years	6,3	75 years old
13 years	6,2	80 years old
14 years	6	84 years old
15 years	5,8	87 years old
16 years	5,6	89 years old
21 years old	4,8	100 years

The matching rate is the number of years a person has lived that corresponds to one year in a dog's life. Human age is rather a bar for the development of not logical, but social intelligence and the emotional sphere.

Cats develop at a slightly different pace; a cat's personality is formed earlier. How to find out the age of your favorite cat? Approximate data can be found in this table.

Age of the cat	Compliance factor	Human age
1 month	6	6 months
2 months	5	10 months
3 months	8	2 years
4 months	15	5 years
5 months	19,2	8 years
6 months	28	14 years
7 months	25,7	15 years
8 months	24	16 years
1 year	18	18 years
2 years	12,5	25 years
3 years	10	30 years
4 years	8,75	35 years
5 years	8	40 years
6 years	7,1	43 years
7 years	6,4	45 years
8 years	6,25	50 years
9 years	6,1	55 years
10 years	6	60 years
11 years	5,6	62 years old
12 years	5,4	65 years old
13 years	5,2	68 years old
14 years	5,1	72 years old
15 years	4,9	74 years old
16 years	4,75	76 years old
17 years	4,5	78 years old
18 years	4,4	80 years old
20 years	5	100 years

The question of how to determine the age of an animal if you do not have one can be resolved by an experienced doctor. But the age named by the specialist will be approximate; conclusions are mainly drawn based on the condition of the pet’s teeth and general condition.

How accurately can you compare the age of an animal and a person?

In fact, the comparison will always be incorrect, the animal’s psyche is structured a little differently than ours, so a cat’s one-year age is not a reason to treat a pet as a human teenager. The general intelligence of the smartest dogs in most aspects corresponds to the intelligence of a 2-2.5 year old child, but with a rather mature emotional component of the personality and life experience of an adult animal. The intelligence of cats is more difficult to measure, and they have much lower social intelligence, so there is little objective data.

The main features of growing up are common to all mammals; with age, childhood infantilism disappears and traits characteristic of an adult are developed. But humans have slowed down, and in some breeds almost completely turned off this process, so adult dogs retain childlike features until the end of their lives. When owners jokingly call their pets children, this is to a certain extent fair. This process affected cats to a lesser extent, since the main selection criterion has always been the ability of a mustachioed pet to cope with its cat’s work - killing rodents.

Factors influencing the rate of aging and life expectancy

On average, dogs live 12.8 years, cats - 14 years. These are the average age of the record-breaking dog, the Australian cattle dog Bluey, 29 years old. Among cats, the record was set by the cat Lucy, who is currently 42 years old. Cats often live much longer than dogs.

The lifespan of a dog is greatly influenced by its size; small animals are given more time than large animals. Among giant breeds, the normal life expectancy is 10 years, while small indoor dogs can easily live up to 16.

Otherwise, the factors influencing how long your pet will live are common to and.

Breed

Outbreds are famous for their good health. They are more resistant to infections, since they are a product of not only artificial, but also natural selection and most often have small or medium sizes.

But even among purebred cats and dogs, some breeds, on average, guarantee a longer life; for example, they often live longer than purebred dogs of the same size. Another simple rule is that breeds that are far from their wild ancestors and have undergone significant changes during the breeding process cannot boast of a large number of long-livers. Representatives of “natural” and old breeds live longer. This can be explained very simply - the smaller the number of individuals from which the breed is bred, the worse the health of the animals will be. And all breeds with an unusual appearance were bred from a very limited number of animals, without significant infusions of “fresh” blood. Until recently, old breeds (Siamese cats, various herding dogs) were formed in uncontrolled conditions, in which, along with human preferences, the breed was influenced by its ability to survive.

Therefore, if you are determined to buy a dog or cat with an elaborate, altered appearance, you should be prepared for the fact that your pet will leave you at a relatively young age.

Sex and participation in reproduction

Animals are characterized by the same dependence as people - bitches and cats live on average a year or two longer than males and cats. This is primarily due to the fact that males spend a lot of energy and health on conquering territory and are damaged in fights, which they engage in much more often than females.

Sex-dependent, life expectancy only exists if the animal is not spayed or neutered. Dogs and cats deprived of reproductive functions live an order of magnitude longer - they do not experience stress associated with sexual behavior. Therefore, if you want your pet to live a long time and do not plan to get offspring from it, the best option would be.

Lifestyle and living conditions

Just like people, animals that eat well, live in a warm home, get regular veterinary checks, and don't get injured while wandering the streets live longer than strays. The average life expectancy of stray cats is 6-8 years. For dogs, this rule is also true, so street dogs living in a kennel around the yard die at a younger age - they are constantly exposed to negative environmental factors.

It is difficult to compare the age of a pet with a human due to the numerous characteristics of the psyche and way of thinking of our pets. But comparison tables will help you imagine what emotional age level your pet is at, and factors influencing life expectancy can help prolong the happy life of your four-legged family member. It is always worth remembering that all dog and cat ages, including old age, have their advantages if the animal is healthy.

" useful article in all respects: a comparison of cats and dogs. Which is necessary for both future owners choosing a pet and current owners to make sure that their choice is correct.

Moments for your attention! After all, at first glance, the difference between cats and dogs is usually only the temperature and humidity of the nose. In fact, the consumer qualities of these animals vary greatly.

A cat takes up less space than a dog. The body of a dog significantly reduces the usable living space of the room, while a cat can be placed to live on a closet. Or under the sofa. Or under the bed. Or in the closet. Or on the windowsill. In general, a cat can be placed literally anywhere - because if the cat’s head fits somewhere, then everything else will fit in there too.

Now let's talk about coverage. The covering of both cats and dogs is 100% all-weather wool. Moreover, there is so much of it that you can knit yourself a sweater, mittens, socks from dog hair - and very warm ones, not only for yourself, but for the whole family. By the way, dog hair is very good for health. Whereas, because of the cat’s fur, you can buy yourself a new suit, and one that matches the cat’s fur.

Both have studded paws. Moreover, cats have spikes with variable geometry. Therefore, the dog only scratches the floor, while the cat also scratches vertical surfaces.

But the dog is a carrier (and bringer) of sticks and other useful cargo, for example, people. While a cat can only act as a carrier of fleas and lichen. Although sometimes there are useful exceptions that bring home half-dead rodents and sausage stolen from neighbors.

Security dogs are equipped with the most advanced alarm systems. For cats, the alarm usually goes off in March, usually at night. And it doesn't turn off until the morning. Dogs, especially small models, also known as empty nesters, can suffer from the same thing, but for different reasons, all year round.

Neither cats nor dogs should be milked. This, of course, reduces their consumer value and alienates a large army of milk lovers from them. Although, perhaps... After all, once upon a time cows did not have such a large and comfortable udder...

Not a single cat will ever come to the hospital to visit its owner, carrying a bag with a package in its teeth. But a dog can! True, they still won’t let her into the ward because she doesn’t have shoe covers...

But you can always blame the cat for your scratched back!

Plus cats have an important bonus - purring accompaniment. Which dogs, unfortunately, are not yet able to repeat.

Close (intimate) relationships between cats and dogs have not yet been recorded by scientists. Presumably, it was the fault of prudent cats. However, for some reason dogs chase cats. Apparently, they still hope for something.

By the way, the ancient problem of finding a black cat in a dark room, formulated by Confucius, can be solved very simply: you should let a white cat into this room!

Or any dog larger in size than a cat.

So, a comparison of cats and dogs: so far it’s a draw.

We are waiting for new data!

Moscow City Pedagogical Gymnasium-Laboratory No. 000

Name

What is the difference between a cat and a dog?

(animal behavior)

Abstract of a student of class 9 "A" Mikhail Shcherbakov

Scientific adviser:

Moscow 2010

Introduction.

Cats and dogs are among the most ancient domestic animals and are the closest to humans. Any person who has encountered these animals at least once in his life knows that they differ not only in external signs, but, above all, in their behavior: attitude towards their habitat, relationships with animals of their own species, with other animals, and relationships with people , hunting methods. The question arises: “Where did these differences come from?” Perhaps they are explained by ethological and environmental differences between their ancestors. Since we cannot compare ancestors, to indirectly test our hypothesis we will compare the living closest wild relatives, representatives of the same families: wolves, dogs, which are considered one of their ancestors, and cheetahs, who have common ancestors with our domestic cats. The choice of animals is due to the fact that there are amazing books by wonderful naturalists: F. Mowat “Don’t Cry Wolves!”, in which the author talks about his expedition to the tundra, where he alone, side by side with wolves, studied the habits biology, relationships with other species of these formidable predators, Joy Adamson’s “The Spotted Sphinx,” in which the famous writer, naturalist biologist and artist talks about the cheetah Pippa, as well as books by the English veterinarian James Herriot. Using these sources, I will try to test the hypothesis put forward above.

Goal: test the hypothesis.

The tasks of the work are as follows:

1. Study and present the basic concepts of ethology.

2. Describe each animal in detail: the animal’s relationship to its habitat, relationship with animals of its own species, relationship with other animals, and relationship with people, methods of hunting.. Compare and identify differences in these characteristics.

3. describe their closest wild relatives, behavioral characteristics, social structure

4. test the hypothesis.

The essay is suitable for those who have begun to study zoology, for those who are interested in this wonderful science and for those who simply love dogs and cats and want to learn a little more about them.

Animal behavior

Behavior- activity of a living organism aimed at interacting with the environment. The study of the behavior of an animal in its natural environment is called ethology. Behavior can manifest itself in a variety of forms, namely in forms of adaptive activity.

The individual behavior of an animal includes characteristics aimed at the survival of the individual in the natural environment for a given species. These traits develop under the influence of the animal's genetic program with greater or lesser influence from external factors.

An animal's individual behavior includes several components:

locomotion- movement of an animal in the environment aimed at adapting a given species,

manipulative activity– actions of an individual with an object, which are aimed at using this object in adaptive activity,

feeding behavior- behavior aimed at finding, obtaining, grasping prey, as well as further manipulations with it.

defensive behavior– behavior formed on avoiding dangers, protecting young, seeking shelter,

a game- manifestation of all forms of behavior.

reproductive behavior– formation of married couples, breeding of offspring, their upbringing.

social behavior of animals– behavior of animals in the community, interaction with other individuals. Animals can lead a solitary lifestyle or live in a large community.

Other behavior classifications are as follows: by function– grouping of forms of behavior depending on the particular role they play in the life of an animal (threat, courtship, obtaining food, etc.). According to the method of formation in ontogenesis(Ontogenesis is the individual development of an organism from fertilization to death) - here behavior is divided into congenital and acquired. Innate behavior is behavior aimed at adapting an individual to environmental conditions. Acquired behavior is a way of adapting an individual to changes in the environment.

The individual adaptation of an animal to environmental conditions can be carried out in two ways: on the one hand, training gives it the opportunity to adapt to constantly changing environmental factors, and thanks to various types of thinking or rational activity, the animal can respond with an urgent and adequate reaction to changes in habitual conditions, which is almost impossible to achieve based on skills and habits acquired through learning. However, the manifestation of all forms of behavior is influenced by daily seasonal and biological rhythms.

Cats

Territorial behavior

The cat is a territorial animal. She controls a certain area, for example, an apartment, which she considers her own. She marks her territory with glands located in the anus area, which often causes inconvenience to the owner. Here her behavior is characterized by independence, confidence, independence.

Anyone who enters a cat's private property is met with hostility. If the stranger does not want to leave the cat’s territory, a fight usually breaks out. Here the tactics of attack and defense are fully manifested in behavior. The winning cat sniffs the ground, and the defeated cat leaves the battlefield with an independent look.

A domestic cat feels the need to communicate with other cats only during the mating season or when it needs it. This emphasizes her individuality.

However, if several cats live in an apartment, then even very friendly relationships can develop between them.

Different animals speak different languages. Therefore, for example, a dog does not understand the meaning of a cat's actions, and therefore has no desire to obey the cat's demands. As Vladimir Andreev says: “The dissimilarity of the language is clearly expressed in the use of the tail: a wagging tail in a dog means joy and readiness for friendship, and a moving and trembling tail in a cat means nervous tension and displeasure.” It turns out that animals simply perceive signals differently. In this case, defensive and attack reflexes reach extreme tension, and the animals attack each other. “The severity of the attack is designed to cause the enemy to become confused or confused, which allows the cat to run away.”

However, when a cat and a dog live together for a long time, they develop a mutual understanding and together they can perform quite complex actions. According to my observations, a cat can direct a dog so that it opens the door to the kitchen, and then the cat climbs onto the table with food, throws it from there onto the floor, and then the meal begins.

Relationships with a person

The cat is an individualist. She will not submit to the whims of a person, she perceives a person as her equal, she does not become his slave, she remains an individual. For example, James Herriot's story "Ollie and Zhulka, the two kittens that came and stayed," tells about kittens born from a wild cat. James Herriot helped these two kittens survive. While he fed the cats, they lived near his house, not letting anyone near them, until they got sick. When sick, they allowed themselves to be pulled together and went into the house. James Herriot cured these two cats, however, they again left his home and lived near him, emphasizing their independence from humans. The author often uses the following expression: “A cat often accepts a person into its family, but remains independent.”

However, the cat to some extent depends on the person, for example, he provides habitat and food. However, as all cat lovers emphasize, contact with a cat is possible only if it wishes.

Hunting methods

When hunting, the cat prefers ambush; the main emphasis is on waiting for prey rather than chasing it. The cat ambushes its prey and then breaks the vertebrae in the neck, strangling the prey.

Dogs

The dog is our most faithful friend and the very first friend, acquired by man back in the Stone Age.

Territorial behavior

The dog feels like the rightful owner of the occupied territory, limited by an apartment, a dacha, surrounded by a fence, or marked. Any foreign animal on the territory is an enemy, unless it is an old friend whom the dog perceives as a pack mate.

Interacting with others like you

A dog is a pack animal and constantly needs communication. “Suppose a second dog appears in the family. It is possible that the dog will become friends with the new dog from day one. They can immediately become inseparable friends, or it may take quite a long time before everything works out. It is possible that dogs will have to sort out hierarchical relationships.” Then, a dog with a higher rank will have more privileges. Of course, this can lead to fights between dogs.

Dog territory is home. If another dog is brought to her, and the dog is brought into an occupied territory, the dog will definitely not want to see a competitor, and a clash most likely cannot be avoided.

Interaction with other animals

Dogs get along best with other animals if they were exposed to them as children. But even adult dogs can learn to socialize and treat cats and other pets normally. Of course, dogs with strong hunting instincts most often cannot get along or have difficulty getting along with other animals.

Relationships with a person

The dog and family members from the dog's point of view represent a social community, in dog words - a pack. The task of the flock is to protect the territory, obtain food, raise and protect offspring. The pack has a strict hierarchy. The dog perceives a person as a leader, it is completely dependent on him, it is devoted to him, and this devotion, as a rule, does not depend on his actions. This can be seen in the example of every person who has a dog - we are the leaders, because only we know where to get food. A dog must have a strictly defined rank in the family and it must know what place it occupies. All family relationships are built on trust and hierarchy.

Hunting methods.

The dog sees any object as an object of pursuit, so the dog focuses on running fast. Having caught up with the prey, it tries to tear the animal into small pieces.

Comparison of cats and dogs

Dogs and cats are territorial animals. In this they are completely similar, with the exception of the method of limiting the territory.

As for relationships with their own kind, cats do not like strangers at all, showing aggression on their part, except for the time when they need a marriage partner. When dogs meet, they first need to understand each other through sniffing. If the dogs are happy with everything, then contact has been established and the dog perceives the stranger as a new packmate. In turn, street dogs unite in a pack, while controlling the territory, attacking even large domestic dogs. And a cat, even if it is an outdoor one, chooses a solitary path.

As for their relationships with other animals, all animals communicate in different languages, so conflict situations arise between them. This applies to both cats and dogs, however, if cats or dogs live with other animals from early childhood, then they can develop fairly friendly relationships.

The relationship with humans of a cat and a dog is completely different. I repeat that dogs perceive a person as a fellow member of the pack, or rather as the leader of the pack, and cats consider a person as their equal, demanding from him only optimal living conditions. A cat is a personality, an individualist.

As for hunting methods, the dog sees any moving object as an object of pursuit, focusing on fast running. The cat, in turn, waits for prey and, in any successful case, tries to catch it.

Wolves

The wolf is a ferocious and dangerous predator that is a pack animal. Its behavior largely depends on environmental factors and its innate factors.

Territorial behavior

F. Mowat writes that: “once a week, the flock goes around the “family lands” and refreshes the signs made earlier. The marking of the boundaries of the pack's territory is explained by the presence of two more wolf families, whose “estates” are adjacent to each other. This fact determines a highly developed sense of ownership.”

Relationships with others like you (relationships in a pack)

The wolf pack is a society with complex relationships.

In a pack of wolves, a strict hierarchy has been established. Each of the wolves has a certain rank in the pack, which determines the tasks it performs. Wolves are terribly attached to each other. The mating season takes two to three weeks in the life of wolves, usually in March. Females begin to mate after crossing the threshold of two years of age. Wolves are strictly monogamous (unlike dogs), hence wolves have a strong social structure. Wolves have highly expressed territorial behavior. It manifests itself mainly in marking territory, so families of wolves rarely collide, because they clearly know the boundaries of their possessions. The number of wolves in a pack can range from four to forty.

Relationships with other animals

The wolf is a predator. Any living object is prey for a wolf; he sees the object as an object of pursuit and tries to do everything possible to catch up and eat it. Naturally, wolves can get along quite well with other animals, such as the Arctic fox. F. Mowat writes: “Almost all wolf dens in the tundra are arctic fox burrows, which the wolves subsequently expanded.” As a result, wolves do not touch arctic foxes if they, in turn, do not interfere with their hunting in their territory, because the arctic fox is a competitor for the wolf. A wolf can hunt not only animals, but also fish.

Hunting methods

Basically, the behavior of a wolf is clearly manifested during a hunt, and hunting behavior is built on the basis of innate traits such as: catching up with kill prey, hiding when an animal approaches, etc. Even in the games of wolf cubs, some rudiments of the method of obtaining prey appear, and the wolf cubs play together Therefore, the principle of group hunting works. The wolf is a master at finding a habitat and ways to feed himself.

Cheetahs

The cheetah is a predatory mammal of the cat family, the fastest land creature. Unlike wolves, cheetahs prefer a solitary lifestyle. Like the wolf, the cheetah is a predator. Its hunting is characterized by sneaking up unnoticed, and then quickly jumping after prey at great speed.

Territorial behavior

Cheetahs do not have territorial behavior as such. They do not limit their territory, being animals that move from one place to another due to changing environmental conditions. Because of their hunting method, cheetahs prefer open spaces.

Relationships with others like you

The cheetah is a solitary animal and needs a partner only during the mating season, which begins after two years of age. When the kittens appear, the adult cheetah remains with the kittens for no more than 18 months, because by this time they can already provide themselves with food.

Relationships with other animals

The cheetah is a predator. Every herbivore is prey for him. It also attacks birds, such as pigeons, guinea fowl, and ostriches. However, other predatory animals such as lions and hyenas are nothing more than objects of competition. Such animals often take advantage of the fact that the cheetah is exhausted after a short sprint for prey, thereby taking away its prey, however, it is also possible that cheetahs are simply afraid of them. Joy Adamson writes: “The last difficulty remained: persuading her to pass by the enclosure in which the two lionesses lived. During our first walk, when the lionesses began to rush at the bars with growls, Pippa (the cheetah) took off running. She rushed with such incredible force that she almost tore my arm out of my shoulder, and I had to follow her, without letting go of the leash, through the hedge into the dense bushes on the neighboring farm.”

Hunting methods

The cheetah is the fastest land creature. When hunting, the cheetah focuses on its speed, and, having caught up with the prey, pounces on it, thereby knocking it down. But first, the cheetah must sneak up on the prey unnoticed, and only then jump out of the ambush and run after it.

Comparison of wolves and cheetahs

Both the wolf and the cheetah are predators, but the wolf, unlike the cheetah, is a pack animal.

Territorial behavior is also different. Wolves live in a limited territory, but the cheetah does not limit its territory, because it moves from one place to another due to changing environmental conditions. The wolf marks its territory, unlike the cheetah, which results in a highly developed sense of ownership.

Wolf and cheetah are predators. For a wolf, any living object is an object of pursuit, including fish, and for a cheetah, only herbivores and birds are the object of pursuit. The wolf and the cheetah cannot avoid competition in their environment. So the wolf competes with the arctic fox for prey (As Mowat writes, they mainly compete for mice - voles). The cheetah also competes with hyenas and lions for prey. A wolf can also establish friendly contact with an arctic fox, and a cheetah with some bird. Joy Adamson writes: “Pippa soon met a pair of plovers and a secretary bird who teased her shamelessly. The stately, long-legged secretary stood completely still and maliciously watched Pippa, who was rushing towards him; at the last moment he quickly took off, dived at her from the air, and all her attempts to get him were in vain.”

The wolf, unlike the cheetah, is a pack animal. The pack has a strict hierarchy. It is a system with complex relationships, each member of which is tied to each other. The cheetah is a solitary animal and needs a partner only during the mating season.

Wolves primarily hunt in packs, focusing on numbers. The main task when hunting is to catch up and kill prey, or simply surround and tear it to pieces. When hunting, the cheetah focuses on speed, overtaking the prey in a short sprint, and then killing it. Before starting to sprint, the cheetah must quietly sneak up to the prey at a distance of at least 10 - 20 m.

Hypothesis testing

Let's compare cheetahs and cats

The cat, unlike the cheetah, is a territorial animal. An apartment or a summer cottage is considered a cat’s personal territory. The cheetah, in turn, does not limit its territory because it is a nomadic animal, or because of its hunting methods, since large spaces are needed.

In terms of relationships with their own kind, a cat and a cheetah are no different; both animals are individualists and need a partner only during the mating season.

As for relationships with other species, the cheetah, like the cat, are predators. The object of pursuit of the cheetah is herbivores and birds, and the object of pursuit of the cat is animals smaller than it and birds. Both animals can also establish friendly relationships with other species. This can be seen in the example of a cheetah and a secretary bird, a cat and a dog, but only if the cat and dog have lived together since early childhood.

The way they hunt is slightly different between a cheetah and a cat. The hunt for both a cat and a cheetah begins with sneaking up on the prey, however, after that, the cheetah catches up with the prey in a fast sprint, and the cat remains in ambush, waiting for its prey.

Now let's compare a wolf and a dog

The dog and the wolf are territorial animals. In this they are really similar, and the method of limiting the territory is the same. However, the dog marks the territory only on the street; the apartment is considered a limited and personal territory for it, in which it feels like a full owner.

Relationships with your own kind are no different. Dogs and wolves are pack animals. A wolf is born in a pack, and a dog accepts a person as a leader, while the dog can include any dog into the pack at its own discretion, of course, if everything suits the other dog. In turn, street dogs form a pack, controlling territory while attacking other dogs.

Both the dog and the wolf are predators. Any living object is prey for them; they see the object as an object of pursuit and try to do everything possible to catch up and eat it. Wolves can get along quite well with other animals, such as the Arctic fox, however, in this case, interspecific competition appears. Dogs also get along with other animals if they encountered them in childhood. And adult dogs can learn to interact with cats and other pets and treat them normally. However, dogs with strong hunting instincts most often cannot get along or have difficulty getting along with other animals.

The hunting method of wolves and dogs is similar. They see any object as an object of pursuit, so they focus on running fast. Having caught up with the prey, they try to tear the animal into small pieces. The difference in hunting methods is that wolves hunt in a pack, and a dog hunts alone, unless it is a street dog. Street dogs also hunt in packs. There is a clear resemblance to wolves here.

conclusions

1. Comparisons of cat - dog and wolf - cheetah, carried out on the same characteristics, showed that the differences in these pairs are similar.

2. There are many similarities in the selected parameters in pairs cat - cheetah, dog - wolf.

3. This may be an indirect confirmation of the correctness of the hypothesis that differences in the behavior of domestic cats and dogs can be explained by the ethological and ecological characteristics of their wild ancestors.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can draw several practical conclusions that will relate to training and communication with pets.

Everyone knows that dogs are highly trainable. This is due to the fact that the dog perceives the person as its leader, doing everything, because only the leader of the pack knows where to get food. After training, you must definitely praise and reward the dog with its well-deserved “prey”. When training, it is imperative to get the dog to respond. The dog also needs to be given a lot of attention. A dog in the house is a dog in the pack.

Cats are a completely different story. A cat is an individualist, it will not obey the whims of a person, it perceives a person as its equal, it does not become its slave, it remains an individual. It is necessary to take into account that contact with the cat is possible only if it wishes. Do not forcefully pick up a cat or pet it if it does not want to. This leads to a complete breakdown of the relationship between the owner and the cat. The cat will come to you when she wants.

In continuation of the essay, I want to compare the features of rational activity in cats and dogs.