Are cats smart?

[WriterDom]

I know my rescue cat is smarter. But she thinks any can I open is tuna. Tuna is the only thing she eats from a can. I always let her smell the beans or peas or whatever but it doesn't seem to help. A tuna can is pretty unique. Maybe they are just optimists and not dumb. I do think a dog would know the difference after a while.

 

[MrMentor7]

Are there instances where you open a can and your cat gets nothing from the can, not even a smell?

 

[Aquila1]

No. Mine is stupider than a grapefruit. In winter she jumped on top of the wood-stove in spite of the fact she has lived in this house for several winters now. She also got her head stuck in a can trying to lick it clean, and managed to cut half her tongue off. I sincerely doubt she would awaken us if the house caught on fire either.

I think it would be the sound the can opener makes when you use it rather than the smell. The dogs here go nuts when they hear a knife being sharpened on a steel because they know it means meat is being cut up. One of them is even called Pavlov because I thought it was so funny.

 

[chy_girl]

I know my rescue cat is smarter. But she thinks any can I open is tuna. Tuna is the only thing she eats from a can. I always let her smell the beans or peas or whatever but it doesn't seem to help. A tuna can is pretty unique. Maybe they are just optimists and not dumb. I do think a dog would know the difference after a while.

Yes, cats are smart. And conniving. With a bit of god complex tossed in to flavor the mix.

With my princess cat its any crinkly bag that sounds like the treat bag instead of a can though. With her it's less optimistic and more along the lines of 'I'm here and you have a crinkly bag - stop being dense and give me a treat now.'

She's a little bit of a lot weird, though.

 

[WriterDom]

Are there instances where you open a can and your cat gets nothing from the can, not even a smell?

Any can to her is tuna. She comes running.

 

[MrMentor7]

I think cats are smart. They appreciate independence and that is a smart trait.

 

[MrMentor7]

Any can to her is tuna. She comes running.

Maybe she just likes you.

 

[ownedsubgal]

our cat Scooter is remarkably intelligent. she knows her mealtimes exactly, 10.30A and 7.30P, and will start to aggressively harass you at those hours. she knows the doorbell ringing means someone who does not live here is at the door (she usually waits to sniff out exactly who it is and what they're about). she knows the difference between Daddy's, T.'s, and my footsteps. she ignores me completely when i attempt to correct her misbehavior, but hearing Daddy's footsteps nearby she will immediately assume the face of the perfect obedient kitty. after only living in this place a couple of months and NEVER going outside on her own, she was able to find her way from the sliding glass back door where i always let her out, to the front door several hours later. this may not sound like a big deal, but you have to consider we live in a townhouse community and the fronts look absolutely nothing like the backs. she also had only ever been carried through the front door in a kitty crate. yet there she was, sitting patiently on the front welcome mat. it was spooky.

the only thing she can't seem to get right is proper use of the litter box...always, some part of her furry butt is hanging out (often missing the box altogether), and when she has handled her business she will then proceed to scratching the surrounding walls frantically, to "bury" it. why she does not realize the actual litter is several inches below, i don't know, but i think it could be an overweight kitty issue as opposed to a dumb kitty issue.

 

[graceanne]

I think cats are like people. Some are smart and some are dumb.

We had a cat, Tiara, who would steal jewelry and other shiney things and hide them under the couch. My step dad didn't believe that she did that until, once, he had two broken phones taken apart trying to make one working one. Every time one of us (the humans) wandered by he'd say 'do not touch THAT piece'. Tiara watched this whole thing for about a half an hour, then reached out and grabbed THAT piece and ran with it. ROFL

That said, they are still animals. The same cat, Tiara, would wander from door to door (during the winter) trying to find the door that led to spring. Drove my mother CRAZY.

 

[SweetMystery]

I have a favorite quote I use on my non-cat loving friends.

"Of course cats are smarter than dogs...you can't get 8 cats to pull a snow sled!"

I, too, think some are stupid and some are smart. No matter....they are all too independent to appeal to everybody.

Another quote I like..."Call a dog and he'll come to you...call a cat and he'll take a message and get back to you at his convenience."

 

[chy_girl]

My favorite kitty quote is "In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this."

 

[Sir_Winston54]

<snippage> ... The same cat, Tiara, would wander from door to door (during the winter) trying to find the door that led to spring. Drove my mother CRAZY.

The Dean of Science Fiction Writers, Robert Anson Heinlein, wrote an entire book that used that - a cat looking in winter for a door leading into spring/summer - as one of its premises: The Door Into Summer. It's terribly outdated now, but it was a darn good light day's read for its time.

 

[Netzach]

One of mine has most of the behaviors of osg's cat and knows a single trick, and will go through about four or five different food begging strategies to beak us down always ending with sitting there and purring at us, as if to say "no really, see how good I am, after all the harrassment didn't work?" He's gone through phases of playing fetch with a toy for up to a half hour on end at various times.

He only gets treats about 1/3 of the time if I happen to be eating something that's OK for cats to eat, like unseasoned chicken. I'd say he's very smart for a cat.

The other cat I have is dumb, dumb as a post. She's amazingly *fast* at playing with things and mock-hunting, though, a fairly good cat's cat, but sort of stupid about that stuff too. She'll flop around and fall off things at times.


Both these guys do the "wave my paw in mid air magically buries my poo" thing, too, which is just weird.

 

[FurryFury]

We have three cats. They are all smart in some ways (but usually different ways from each other). They are all dumb in some ways.

 

[BiBunny]

Both of ours are dumb as rocks, I'm afraid. One has an excuse. We rescued him as a kitten after he was hit by a car (or something). His jaw was fractured, and he was also left a little brain-damaged. The other one has no excuse.

 

[Homburg]

It varies.

Our oldest cat is the most remarkably sensitive thing to distress and illness. If someone is sick or injured, she will stay on the bed/sofa/etc with them until the worst has passed, at minimum. We can usually tell that the sick person is getting better because Buttercup has gone back to doing normal cat things. When someone is really sick, she foregoes food to stay with them, sneaking away only when her patient is asleep.

And, normally a fairly aloof cat, she gets affectionate above and beyond normal when someone in the family is down. She and I have a rocky relationship, but she will still crawl up on top of me and lay down purring on my chest if she decides that I need the help.

She also knows when bedtime is, and will find viv and stare at her intently until she comes to bed.

The youngest female has a few learned behaviours that are remarkably prescient as well. And she has figured out a variety of tricks that none of the rest of the cats have even conceived of.

The oldest male, I have no idea. He's a lump. He could be kitty Einstein and there would be no way to tell. He sleeps. He grooms. Obsessively. And once sleeping and grooming have been completed, he might worry about food, drink, etc.

The little guy is still a kitten really, so who knows? He's a cute (and currently seriously injured) furball, so whatever.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Ours are both rescue cats and very smart. They know mealtime to the second and appear from nowhere with a few minutes to spare and begin reminding us what time it is. They know which cupbard their food and treats are kept in. They also know before opening if their food is one of their favourites, or one they are likely to give a look of disgust about and walk away in protest. They also know if it is a cat food tin or something else.

One also loves yoghurt, but she only likes particular fruit flavours and knows on seeing the unopened container if it is the right one or not...if it is a favourite flavour, she will put on her best behaviour look and sit expectantly at your feet hoping for a tiny offering on a spoon or finger. They also know when I am sick or upset and go into mothering mode, or just sit by me and follow me all day so they are always close...even as far as waiting outside the bathroom door!! I have also noticed of late, they know when F has arrived home even though parking here is not outside the house or in a yard...doesn;t seem to matter whether he parks back or front of the housing block, near or further away, they sense when he has driven in and are waiting long before he gets out of the car and reaches the front door.

Catalina

 

[Etoile]

I love cats, reading this has given me warm fuzzies.

Somebody beat me to the "can't teach cats to pull a sled" joke, but it illustrates why dogs and cats can't be compared. The dog is a pack animal, and humans are (these days) its masters. It's not that they are dumb, it's that pulling a sled makes their master happy, which gives them satisfaction. Cats, on the other hand, are loners. They don't need us (in their opinion, anyway). They don't need to please us the way dogs do; when cats learn a trick it's usually because it's fun for them. (In the case of cat circuses, it's because they are hungry, but that's different.)

I have had over a dozen cats in my life (no more than six at once) and some are smart, some are dumb. Some are smart about some things and dumb about others! Our cat knows her mealtimes precisely, but will stand around the house yowling if she can't figure out what room wer're inm, because she thinks we've gone.

Remind me to tell about my Xmas Eve miracle kitten sometime.

 

[DVS]

I also agree there are smart and dumb cats. Just like people some have good genes and well...some are rather Ferrell.

I once had a Persian who's father was on Hallmark cards. He was a beautiful white cat. He knew he was from upper stock, just by the way he pranced more than he walked. And he'd never touch dry food in his life. Only canned food for him...and only certain kinds or he'd go hungry.

He was deaf, and I was given another white cat that was deaf, too. It was strange, because this one (white shorthair) had a twin brother who was also deaf. I don't know if the mother was deaf, but the woman who owned the mother was deaf.

Anyway, because I had two deaf cats, I could use hand motions to get my cats to do things. When I wiggled my finger in the "come here" gesture, they would come. Throwing my arm up and to the side in a fast motion, as if I was swatting a fly with the back of my hand meant "you'd better stop what you're doing and get off of there".

The deaf cats would also chase a flashlight beam as if it was a bug, but the other hearing cats would just look at them, and wonder what all of the fuss was. This last thing I've found isn't really just a deaf cat thing, because I now have hearing cats that do the same thing.

I once had a very pretty tiger cat that looked exactly like Morris the cat. But, he was very timid around anyone but me so he would go hide when he heard the doorbell, because that meant people were coming in. Then later, when the door opened and closed, he knew they were leaving and he'd slowly come out of hiding.

We tricked him once, because I was getting accused of talking about a cat nobody had seen. So, before they left, we were all standing by the door. I opened it, then closed it and we all waited. A minute or two later, he slowly walked out from his hiding spot.

My cats can sometimes tell when it's time to eat. But, I've gone over to the same area where the cat food is at other times, and at least one will still think it's dinner time. In this case, I think they just know I'm going to the same area as where their food is.

And I don't get the kind that needs a can opener, but when I did use a can opener, all cats would come running, even if I was opening a can of spinach. I think many of these things are learned traits, but I also know cats can be very smart.

My cats know they aren't suppose to be in certain areas, or doing certain things. But they also know that if I'm on the couch when I see them doing something, it's not necessary for them to stop or run until I actually get up off the couch. I can't just yell at them to "stop that". I have to physically get up. Then, as soon as I'm up, they'll stop. I guess they know the hard part for me is getting up, so why worry until I'm up?

My sisters always give me cat toys for Christmas. I always give them dog chew toys. They each have three expensive yappers. All of my cats were given to me or unwanted by someone else.

Anyway, it seems my dog toys always survive for a long time, but the cat toys that my sisters get never seem to last for very long. There's always something that is torn off, broken off etc. before very long. the most recent toy was something that spins around in a circle and the cat is suppose to chase it. Well, my cats have outsmarted the toy. By evening on Christmas eve, the poor thing had nearly worn out, because my cats would sit on the spinning thing and chew on it. Once year they got them a wind up mouse. The cats knew it wasn't a real mouse and didn't even waste their time chasing it.

As most cat owners know, the best toy is a plain paper bag. Sometimes a plastic bag is also fun, but you have to watch them that they don't suffocate, or eat it and choke. I used to get milk in a carton that had a red tab on it. I would just toss those on the floor and there's be hours of cat fun, chasing it around. No need to spend hard earned money on cat toys. The best ones are free!

I think dogs have their funny things too, and just like cats and humans, some dogs are smart and some are dumb. Sometimes, the human is the dumb one and the animal is the smart one.

 

[Homburg]

I disagree with the idea that all cats are loners. I've had loner cats, and I've had cats that were desperately needy of company, be it human or other cats. They are certainly nowhere near a dog's absolutely social dependency, but some do have strong social needs.

Our two boys are having issues along that front now. They're buddies, and the little one is injured (hip surgery) so he's isolated in the bedroom. The little one, Tigger, is going crazy with loneliness, and Dudley sits outside the door looking pitiful and scratching at it, as he wants to be with his little buddy.

And this is not the typical "cats hate closed doors" thing, as Dudley doesn't care about the bedroom. The door is closed a lot and he is unbothered. But with Tigger inside, he's at the door and wants in.

It's simultaneously pathetic and cute.

 

[macanudo]

You do not have cats, they have you. I've had cats that would kill for me, literally bring me dead things as presents. Others would do anything that would piss me off, play in the plants, not use the litter box, chew on things they shouldn't. Right now one of mine like to eat anything with wires and I had to recently replace a ethernet cable and Ipod earbud wires are a munchie favorite. Never had one do that before. Of course he has to sleep between my legs at night.

Anybody else have one that likes to eat plastic bags from the store?

I'm not even going to get into the comparisons of cats and women's personality traits.


Mine hate the closed door when I'm in the shower, I get out to them banging on the door.

 

[graceanne]

Anybody else have one that likes to eat plastic bags from the store?

I had a cat who would eat rubber bands. I mentioned it to my grandma and she said she (the cat) was doing that because she was low on something nutritionally (I forget what) and to put brewers yeast on her food. My cat LOVED the yeast, and would lick it off the food and beg for more. LOL And she didn't eat any more rubber bands.

Either way, maybe you should try some brewers yeast on your kitty. At the very least, it'll get rid of her fleas. (Brewers yeast is also a homeopathic remedy to fleas on pets.)

 

[00Syd]

About as smart as any other dumb animal.

 

[WriterDom]

Maybe she just likes you.

No, she screams "I WANT SOME FUCKING TUNA!"

 

[WriterDom]

It varies.

Our oldest cat is the most remarkably sensitive thing to distress and illness. If someone is sick or injured, she will stay on the bed/sofa/etc with them until the worst has passed, at minimum. We can usually tell that the sick person is getting better because Buttercup has gone back to doing normal cat things. When someone is really sick, she foregoes food to stay with them, sneaking away only when her patient is asleep.

And, normally a fairly aloof cat, she gets affectionate above and beyond normal when someone in the family is down. She and I have a rocky relationship, but she will still crawl up on top of me and lay down purring on my chest if she decides that I need the help.

She also knows when bedtime is, and will find viv and stare at her intently until she comes to bed.

The youngest female has a few learned behaviours that are remarkably prescient as well. And she has figured out a variety of tricks that none of the rest of the cats have even conceived of.

The oldest male, I have no idea. He's a lump. He could be kitty Einstein and there would be no way to tell. He sleeps. He grooms. Obsessively. And once sleeping and grooming have been completed, he might worry about food, drink, etc.

The little guy is still a kitten really, so who knows? He's a cute (and currently seriously injured) furball, so whatever.

There was a cat in a nursing home who made the news. It knew when a person was going to die and would sit on their bed until they passed. How I don't know.