By Lucie van den Berg For The Herald Sun

The cat is finally out of the bag – dogs make better pets than our feline friends.

Experts claim to have put an end to the age-old debate between cat and dog lovers.

Are dogs really better than cats? Join the debate in the comments below

Cats and dogs were judged in 11 categories ranging from eco-friendliness and bonding to ease of training and popularity.

And our curiosity killed the cat as dogs came out on top in six categories to cats’ five.

Dogs Victoria chief executive Elizabeth White was not surprised.

“It’s wonderful they have scientific backing for something our members have known for some time,” she said. “What our members value is bonding. The dog is a part of their lives and a valued member of the community.”

Cat Corner manager Kerri Newman insisted cats were low-maintenance, loyal and more intelligent than dogs.

“Dogs are very eager to please, they are food-oriented and easy to train, but they are also high maintenance – you have to pick up after them when they go to the toilet, and walk them.

“Cats are pretty easygoing, provided they are desexed.

“A dog will love anyone who has food. It’s harder to get a cat to love you, but once you’ve got their love you have it forever.”

The Burmese Cat Society’s Geoff McMillian is a rare breed, speaking highly of both. “Cats and dogs are very different pets,” he said. “Dogs can be trained to do what you want when you want, and cats will do what you want if it suits them.”

The study by New Scientist magazine found that in many categories cats excelled.

They eat less than dogs, equating to a smaller ecological footprint – the area of land required to farm their food.

They have bigger and more complex brains. They are also the most popular pet, with 204 million living in the top 10 cat-owning countries, compared to 173 million in the top 10 canine countries.s

A purr-fect pet is though to be one that can capture your attention.

Dogs have better “vocal flexibility” using length, range, pitch and frequency of their barks to tell their owners if they are lonely or happy.

But a simple miaow can capture our attention without raising the err of neighbours.

Owning a dog has more health benefits keeping their owners fit with daily walks.

In terms of utility, dogs are considered more useful, hunting herding and guarding.

“Cats are good if you have an infestation of rodents,” the study’s author found.

Cats have superior hearing and the ability to see at low light, but dogs have a legendary sense of smell.

But when it comes to which animals interacts better with humans it’s a dog eat dog world.

Dogs have had a longer shared history with humans and a better ability to bond with their masters.

They can also understand us better than cats.

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but dogs are paws down the easiest pets to train.

So it seems that for cat owners, it really is a dog’s life.