Have you been curious to know if your favorite pet animal will make the top 10 smartest pet animals in the world?
Well, before you get to know if a dog, pigeon, or cat will top the list, let’s find out how smart pet animals can be.
Animals, most especially pets, might not be as intelligent as humans, but some have been observed to have a high IQ.
Long scientific studies, physical observations, and a variety of tests have proven that certain pet animals are capable of problem-solving, learning commands and instructions, and mimicking humans.
They can perceive and feel human emotions and even body language and expressions.
These and other indices, such as the ability to communicate, memory retention, social cognition, curiosity, playfulness, and self-awareness, etc., have shown that some pet animals are smarter than others.
Here is a list of the top 10 smartest pet animals in the world.
1. The Avians-Birds:
Surprisingly, at the top of our list of the 10 smartest pet animals in the world are birds, most especially some species such as parrots, corvids, and African grey parrots.
These species of birds have exceptional problem-solving, memory, and social recognition skills.
They are capable of mimicking human speech and tones.
Their prowess goes beyond that to have the ability to distinguish humans, objects, and colors.
While some might argue other animals have not been studied as much as birds, that does not take away their intelligence and higher IQ.
According to a study by Havard University, Gryphon, an African grey parrot, was found to be smarter than a 4-year-old human.
Read here to find out how smart African grey parrots are according to Harvard University studies.
2. The Canine-Dogs:
It is not surprising dogs are at the top of the list.
They are arguably one of the most favorite and popular pet animals ever.
Dogs, specifically poodles, German shepherds, golden retrievers, Doberman pinschers, and most especially Border collies, are one of the smartest pet animals.
They form strong bonds with humans, most especially their owners.
Their relationship has made them perceive, understand, and feel human emotions, facial expressions, and social cues.
They are capable of learning, following, and obeying commands.
They are good at problem-solving and finding hidden foods and toys, and they can intuitively detect danger.
Certain breeds of dogs, such as German shepherds, have also been used as police dogs and have excelled because of their smartness.
3. Feline-Cats:
Cats are arguably one of the most popular pet animals, sharing the stage with our canine companions (dogs).
They are intelligent and capable of problem-solving such as opening doors and finding food, and they can be taught how to use a litter.
Read here to learn more about how cats use litter
Similar to primates, their brains contain 100 million neurones, which allows them to learn from experience. However, some people regard them as cautious animals.
It is also widely believed that they can detect cancer in humans.
How intelligent can they be to detect when a human has cancer?
Well, find out here about the popular myth that a cat can detect cancer.
4. Stallion and Mare-Horses:
According to Dr. Stanley Coren’s book on the intelligence of dogs, horses ranked 4th in intelligence among 138 animals, both domesticated and wild.
They are good at communication using vocalizations, body language, and physical cues.
Their social intelligence can be comparable to that of dolphins.
They also have good memories, which helps them remember other animals, people, and locations.
Their intelligence has contributed to their use in games and mobility because of their eagerness to learn through observation.
5. Rodents-Rats:
Have you ever wondered why they are always used in medical research?
They have close similarities with humans, and one of them is their brain structure and function.
Rats are social creatures that communicate through body language and cues.
They are capable of problem-solving and learning tricks
6. The Swines-Pigs:
Their pet popularity has been rising in recent years, but in certain parts of Africa, they are not considered pets but meat.
Pigs are intelligent creatures and one of the few pet animals that are capable of swimming
They swim to either cool off, escape prey, clean their bodies, or as a means of enrichment (water play).
7. Aqua Kingfish:
Certain breeds of fish, such as cichlids, wrasses, groupers, sharks, zebrafish, and most especially goldfish, are known for their high cognitive abilities and advanced sensory systems.
Quite unbelievably, they are capable of recognizing themselves using a mirror.
Fish, just like horses, are capable of remembering locations and past experiences.
8. Procyonid-Raccoons:
While raccoons are generally not considered good pets, they are intelligent animals, and in some jurisdictions, they are illegal to be kept.
They are very curious animals that will likely get into everything in a household.
They have been reported to be very mischievous, capable of using long sticks to obtain food without consent.
9. Buck and Doe-Rabbits:
Our buck companions share similar abilities with other pets, such as
- Dogs: Similar problem-solving skills
- Cats: Can be trained to use a litter box
- Birds: Flexibility
- Primates: Social learning
They can also recognize themselves in the mirror-like fish and are capable of using sticks to retrieve food like raccoons.
10 Chipmunk-Squirrels:
Not your regular pets for so many reasons, but that does not take away their intelligence.
Squirrels are tree-loving animals.
They have exceptional climbing abilities.
They are also good communicators, using a variety of sounds and signs to communicate with one another.
Squirrels can also learn from past experiences, like other intelligent pet animals.