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Clever Kitties
We all know that cats are smart. Maybe too smart. They know how to take ownership of a house and all that is in it, manage the people who run it, and obtain all their needs for food and comfort with hardly any effort. Like many cat owners, you may never have pondered how smart your cat is, either because it’s obvious or seems irrelevant.
There are so many fascinating things that make up a cat that intelligence may not even top your list.But cats are intelligent. They have been known to alert their owners to pending disasters and have become self-appointed service animals with no training.
They figure things out. In the book, Cats are Smarter than Jack, a cat watched her owner dig small holes at equal distances apart to plant seeds in the garden. The cat began digging holes where the owner left off, leaving the same distance between each one.
A cat has made news in the UK because he rides a bus, on his own. He gets on the same bus, and gets off at the same stop each time. Thus far, he has avoided paying a fare.
You can try to see how smart your cat is with a few simple tests. That is, if your cat is interested and wishes to participate. This may all be beneath her!
Test 1: Hide-a-Treat
Place a treat on the floor and cover it with a can or small box, with your cat watching. What does your cat do?
- Immediately turns the can over to get the treat.
- Shows an interest in the can, but gives up trying to get the treat.
- Looks at you with disdain.
- Ignores the can.
Set up a barrier with two large heavy objects like boxes or buckets. Place the boxes corner to corner, or the buckets side-by-side, with a two-inch gap between. Place your cat on one side and a treat on the other, out of paw’s reach. What does your cat do?
- Immediately walks around the barrier and takes the treat.
- Tries to get the treat with a paw, then walks around to get it.
- Paws at the treat, then gives up.
- Begins grooming.
Tie a string or shoelace around a treat. Hide the treat under the couch, with your cat watching. Encourage your cat to pull the string. If she doesn’t understand, show her how to do it, then put the treat back. What does your cat do?
- Pulls at the string, snags the treat.
- Pulls at the string after you’ve shown her a time or two.
- Takes a while, but eventually figures it out.
- Meows until you pull it out for her.
If your cat’s results were A’s on each test, you have a very bright kitty, who is able to quickly assess a situation and figure how to get her reward.
If she got more B’s than A’s, she has to do a bit more thinking, but she’s clever.
If she got mostly C’s and D’s, don’t fret – your cat is no dummy, she just didn’t do well on the test. And maybe she didn’t want to!
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Comments: 66
One of my Cats, is very smart!
When they are in the Florida room, and the door is shut, he can open the sliding glass doors, to get in. And we put a latch on to keep our daughter from getting out there, and he figured out how to push the door open a bit, then climb on a tote by the door, and flip the latch with his paw, then get into the house!
At another place we lived at, for awhile he lived outside, because we were in the country, and when he wanted in, if the front door wasn't locked, he could get the screen open, get inbetween, jump up, and get the handle (a long handle, not a round one) open, and get inside!!
I loved the story about the cat on the bus!
I enjoyed that!
It's called "The Worldwide Horse/Goat Alliance"!!! :o)
Two of our cats would keep looking between us and the box. I guess they decided if we put it under there, we better get it...Sounds pretty smart to me. They did the second two with flying colors. The third one doesn't like treats...LOL