Odds of intelligent life occuring?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Then we need to fix it. Otherwise we're just committing suicide, and taking the cats along with us.

Cats are going to do just fine!  Throw one outside, and provided it has front claws, it will start hunting for itself almost immediately.  A dog, on the other hand, will probably starve to death.

There are, as I understand it, legions of feral dogs running around Moscow. My friend was cornered by a pack recently, she managed to pepper spray them and get away. Now she moves meat from her car to the building entrance with a great deal of alacrity. Dogs can survive too. I'd still put my money on my 37 pound tom cat in a fight with a dog, however.