Fair point about redundancy in the brain; however that is the same for all species on earth. Quite simply if I were an alien, I would deduce that the ones using computers and machinery were the dominant species.
Seeing as I, an alien, used technology to traverse the vastness of space to get here, and had also used it to master evolution's slow grind. Then that would be my view.
As far as I can deduce, we have got to a point whereby we use technology to jump ahead of evolution. Just like you pointed out, it is inefficient; for instance, in the fact that it carries advantages from generation to generation, it also passes on defects, and propensities to disease.
Ergo, we must come to the conclusion, that through technology, anything is possible, and seeing as we are the master of said tech, then yes, we are more advanced than a cat.
Plus of course, if you ask an aborigine, in the middle of the outback, does she need a phone and a house made of concrete to survive, I'm sure she'll laugh at you. Which illustrates the wonderful adaptability of human beings, hence things like cats and dogs, tagging along for the ride :-)
Cg
why?
You could emerge out of a quantum foam and not be carbon based. Heck you might not ever needed to develop tools.
The assumption that alien intelligence would have to follow our path to be intelligent is a logical fallacy and an entirely unscientific way of thinking.
Isn't the ability of an animal to communicate through hormones a form of biotechnology. Now, who is more "intelligent". The one already equipped with it or the one trying to discover, build and integrate it in their own nature?