Some people point to the dog's ability to learn obedience commands and tricks as proof that the dog is smarter than the cat. Others point to the same as proof that the cat is smarter than the dog. We're not going to get into that argument. The important thing to remember is that cats and dogs are different in how they relate to us. Dogs have an ingrained need to be part of a family structure - to have a job to do within that family.
Dogs are that way because wolves are that way - survival depends on the family, or pack.
The cat came from a different place - from solitary hunters who didn't need teamwork to survive. If you want to put a good spin on it as a cat-lover, you could say that dogs need to be with us, while cats choose to. Because of this distinction, you absolutely cannot get a cat to do something he doesn't want to. Something must be in it for him. With training tricks, that something is usually food.