Unbelievable facts
Although the intelligence of cats has not been studied as well as that of dogs, there are still some details that can be used to say something about its intelligence.
Cat brain
Does your cat react when you call her by name?
Can a cat tell your voice from that of a stranger?
Can a cat find a toy hidden behind a large object like a closet?
If the answer to all these questions is YES, it means your cat is pretty smart. At least that's what Kristin Whiteil, a feline behaviorist and researcher at the Human-Animal Interaction Laboratory at the University of Oregon, reports. Vitale).
Today, Felis silvestris catus
(the official name of a cat) is one of the smartest animals on Earth. According to the specialist, this may be due to the flexibility of cats in terms of behavior.
Surprisingly, relatively few studies to date have focused on understanding cats or their internal mental processes, especially compared to a significant number research on the psyche of dogs.
Also read: 9 signs your cat loves you
Smart cats: Thinking process and intelligence
Christine Whitail is one of the few researchers studying feline thought process, which she says is different from intelligence.
She says that the thought process means how an individual cat thinks about something, and intelligence has more to do with how the cat uses its thoughts to influence something reasonable in a way. There is a very fine line between these processes.
So far, researchers have studied more about things like cats' hearing, sight, and sense of smell. All these senses play an important role for cats from birth, especially smell, as kittens are born blind but with working olfactory systems.
Object persistence: if something is missing, it still exists
Another interesting aspect that was studied in the early stages is “object persistence”, that is, the understanding that when an object disappears from view, it continues to exist.
Several studies have shown that cats can easily pass tests in which they see an object disappear and then try to find it where they last saw it. Researchers say that cats are not only easy to solve such tests, but the older they are, the better they are at their tasks.
Cat internal clock
Another study tried to understand whether cats have an internal clock. According to scientists, cats have them because they are active at dusk and dawn. It's important for them to know when they need to hunt and when to rest.
It is noteworthy that when cats live near us, they are smart enough to change their natural behavior. The man got out of bed, so it's a signal. It's brightened outside, so it's time to eat. Cats find different connections, and this is called associative learning.
Read also: 11 signs your cat doesn't like you
Understanding a person's response
Scientists in Christine Whitail's lab are investigating how cats understand and respond to social cues, in particular a person's emotional response to an unfamiliar situation.
In one test, scientists told a cat owner to either be afraid or enjoy a fan that the cat might find scary.
The researchers then monitored whether the cat picks up on a person's emotional signals. If the owner is afraid, does the cat look wary at the object? And if the owner is happy, does the cat try to interact with the object?
Smart cats understand the emotional state of their owners.
The ability to become attached
In one study, owners and their cats went into the lab together. The scientists then “took” the owner out of the room, leaving the cat alone.
After 2 minutes, the owner also returned to reunite with the cat. Here's what the scientists noticed:
Some cats would meet their owner and then go back to explore the room. These cats were very attached to their owner.
Another group of cats, after the owner returned, was unhappy with his departure, and therefore began to scratch him.
But there was a third group that did not react in any way to the return of a familiar person — these cats just sat there and ignored everything that was happening. This is due to the fact that they have long established contact with the owner.
Read also: Why do cats sleep so much?
The result
These attachment styles may correspond to the earliest weeks and months of a cat's life.
Research on how early perceptual experiences affect brain development has shown that cats between 3 and 9 weeks of age need to spend more time interacting with humans to develop a healthy one behavior.
In other words, early contact with humans usually contributes to the development of friendlier cats.
Keeps track of a finger
Early training can help cats tune in to human cues, such as pointing fingers.
One study found that cats can find food when a person points to it. More recent research suggests that cats can even differentiate people's voices.
People consider cats to be independent, aloof, and selfish. But when they see how social these animals can be, the debate ends. It is very important to understand their behavior and how they see and understand the world around them.
Executing commands
Most people are skeptical about cat training, but these animals are smart enough to be trained.
Signs of intelligence:
Your cat learns new tricks quickly.
Can easily differentiate between different events and/or items.
Quickly solves food puzzles.
Or very responsive to your emotions, gestures or hints.
Intelligence test for cats
Task 1: Hide the treat and see how long it takes for the cat to find it
Place one treat under the cup to your left and the other under the other cup on your right. Point to the cup you want your cat to go to. Treat her favorite treat only if she goes in the right direction for you to the right cup. Do this 10 times.
How often did she choose the right place because you pointed her out, rather than because she smelled it? (a) seven out of ten approaches; (b) fewer than seven approaches.
Assignment 2: Hide your favorite toy
Show your cat her favorite toy and then place it behind a piece of furniture where the cat can reach it. Watch her behavior. Does the cat (a) pick up the toy immediately; (b) does it stay in its place?
Assignment 3: Ability to solve problems
Put a treat or toy in the egg box and see if your cat can open the box. How fast can she do it? (a) fast (b) slow
Assignment 4: Can a cat understand your behavior
Sit on the floor. Ignore your cat for one minute, then notice her behavior for one minute. Does behavior change depending on your attention to the animal? In other words, she: (a) interacts with you in some way; (b) ignores you.
Assignment 5: Can your cat distinguish between figures
Cut a large circle and a square out of cardboard. Place the figures in front of your cat. Reward her first for stepping on any figure.
Choose one shape you want your cat to recognize. If it's a circle, only give your cat a treat when it touches the circle. What's going on: Your cat (a) quickly realizes that you need to touch the figure you want (b) rarely does it.
Test results:
If she did most of the tasks well, then your cat is a fast learner. If she did not complete most of the tasks well (b), try to stimulate her more to develop her intelligence.
This could include interactive toys, cat furniture, and food puzzles.