I absolutely hate it when people do that Raven, when people try to say one would be able to defeat the other based solely upon what they like. Canines and felines arent a football team, you're being asked to be honest about which you think would win. I adore canines, slightly more so than feline but who do I think would win? In terms of wild animals, felines most definately. Why?
For starters, both have powerful jaws. But in terms of claws? With the exception of a small sliver of the cat family, all felines have retractable claws. What does that mean? Their claws remain sharp. Canines? ...Not so much. In addition to that, wolves are not built to smack with their forepaws, their claws are just meant for gripping.
In addition to that, this entire talk of lion prides versus wolf packs. Um... what? Take into consideration that canines are NORMALLY social while felines are solitary. Lions are the ONLY felines to live together in large groups of both genders. I believe that a feline's ability to survive WITHOUT the support of a group and prosper exceed's what the wolf pack can do. Consider a mother tiger who gives birth to three cubs versus a wolf mother who gives birth to three cubs. The wolf mother relies on her mate to deliver food to her, and if its availible, support from the rest of the pack (though in the wolf's defense, it isnt always availible) The mother tiger must rely on no one other than herself to get those three cubs to adulthood. And for NEITHER mother, is there ANY guarentee that any of their cubs will make it. In addtion to that, if a lower level wolf were to say, produce offspring, those offspring will impede on the needs of the first mother's offspring. For the tigress, given that she is solitary, that will never happen.
But, before we get too far along, consider this. Many of you are comparing wolves to lions and the sort, just as I compared wolves to tigers. But, had anyone considered something such as.... a fox versus a bobcat? Or a jackal versus a pallas cat? I think things would become rather shakey in those terms, but you have to look at individual species to really speak for those battles.
As for domestic pets, Im thinking of this less as the petty little fights we see between our house pets and animals acctually trying to kill each other. I have to say canines win here. Most domestic housecats arent that big, and when a dog has an intent to kill, I doubt a little hiss and smack to the nose will ward it off, at least, more often than not it wont. Because how often do you hear "Oh someones cat killed my dog" You dont, right? But you most certaintly hear "Oh my neighboors dog killed my cat or killed a cat." Most domestic canines are larger, but even disregarding that, I think even some of the smaller canines, again, if the opposing side had the intent to kill, would win.
