Comprehensive phylogenetic studies of the order Carnivora divide the group into two main suborders: Feliformia (cat-like carnivorans, including hyenas, cats, and mongooses) and Caniformia (dog-like carnivorans, including dogs, bears, and seals). Therefore, hyenas are phylogenetically closer to cats than to dogs.
The claim is a specific, well-established biological fact about mammalian phylogeny. Papers [0] and [1] both utilize extensive genomic and molecular data to resolve the Carnivora tree, consistently placing Hyaenidae within the suborder Feliformia (cat-like), making them closer relatives to felines than canines (Caniformia). No papers contradict this standard phylogenetic consensus.