Last Updated on August 21, 2022 by Pets Feed
It is well known that cats are smart, even cunning creatures, but how smart are they?
According to scientists, cats are much smarter than you might imagine, and much more stubborn.
What’s going on in cat’s brain?
Even after observing cats for a short time, you will understand that they are very intelligent creatures. Cats have smaller brains compared to dogs, but Dr. Laurie Houston explained in an interview with PetMD that “relative brain size is not always the best indicator of intelligence. The cat’s brain has some amazing similarities to our own brain. ” For example, Dr. Houston clarifies that every part of a cat’s brain is separate, specialized, and connected to others, allowing cats to understand, respond, and even manipulate their environment.
And, as Dr. Berith Brogaard points out in Psychology Today, “Cats have more nerve cells in the visual areas of the brain, a portion of the cerebral cortex (an area of the brain responsible for decision making, problem solving, planning, memory, and language processing) than in humans and most other mammals. ” This is why, for example, your cat rushes from one end of the house to the other, chasing a speck of dust you can’t even see. She’s on a mission.
In addition to first-class vision, cats also have an impeccable memory – both long-term and short-term, which you can see when your cat angrily watches you packing your suitcase. He remembers very well that the last time you left home with this suitcase, you were gone for ages, and he doesn’t like it.
What does science say?
Another sign of a feline mind is the refusal to participate in research.
David Grimm writes for the online publication Slate that the two leading animal researchers with whom he discussed feline intelligence had great difficulty working with their subjects, because the cats simply did not participate in the experiments and did not follow directions. Leading animal researcher Dr. Adam Miklosha even had to go to the cats’ homes, because in his laboratory they categorically did not make contact. However, the more scientists learn about cats, the more they want to try to subdue them. All you need to do is get them to follow the commands, but it is quite obvious that this is very difficult.
Who is smarter – cats or dogs?
So, the age-old question still remains open: which animal is smarter, a cat or a dog?
The answer depends on who you ask. Dogs were domesticated much earlier than cats, they are more trainable and are more social creatures, but this does not mean that cats are less intelligent than dogs. It is impossible to know for sure, because cats are difficult to study in principle.
Dr. Miklosi, who usually studies dogs, has found that, like dogs, cats have the ability to understand what other animals, including humans, are trying to convey to them. Dr. Miklosi also determined that cats do not ask their owners for help as dogs do, mainly because they are not as “attuned” to humans as dogs. “They’re on a different wavelength,” says Grimm, “and that ultimately makes them very difficult to learn. Cats, as any owner knows, are very intelligent creatures. But for science, their mind can forever remain a black box. ” Doesn’t the mysterious nature of cats make them so irresistible?
It may take some time before scientists can more specifically answer the question of how smart cats are. All that is known is that cats are impatient, they have highly developed cognitive decision-making skills and that they will leave you if they find you boring. Moreover, they are great at knocking you off arrogance.
But if the cat loves you, she will always love you. With the right understanding of how smart your cat is, you can form a strong bond between you for many years to come.
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