How much does a cat understand? (Full Version)

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gungadin09 -> How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 5:13:49 PM)

i think my cat understands certain human concepts. For example:

CONSCIOUSNESS- i had a cat that never let me come near her when i was awake, but while i was sleeping, she would curl up next to me.

COMMUNICATION- The cat knows his name. He knows "in", "out", "get down"; he also knows that when i click my tongue i'm calling him, and he knows when i say "KITTY!" it means i'm about to feed him the wet food he loves. He also knows the apology "sorry, Kitty!" The cat also communicates with me. Sharpening his claws on the armchair means he wants to go out. Scratching at the door means he wants to come in. A single meow means he wants something. He meows loudly when he's being emphatic. Jumping up on the counter means he wants wet cat food.

DIRTY TRICK- i sometimes fake the cat out when i'm trying to give him his flea treatment. He has learned to watch out for the trick.

CLOTHES- i'm pretty sure my cat understands that my clothes are not a part of me.

KEY, LOCK, TOOL- the cat doesn't know how i open the door, but he knows it has something to do with the doornob

GIFT- we get stuff left on our porch all the time; sometimes the cat "kisses" me

OTHER CONCEPTS I THINK MY CAT UNDERSTANDS:
love
entitlement/right
goodwill
possession
time
machine
play
danger
edible/inedible
attention
stranger

P.S.- When we moved, the cat ran away. i thought he was gone for good. On a whim, i went back to my old house. He was right there, in the front yard. Cats are freakin' smart!

pam




gungadin09 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 5:16:51 PM)

My resolution to stay off the forums lasted about a week!

pam



BentUnit -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 6:10:03 PM)

My relationship with my Fuzzbutt has developed over time.
We have learnt to recognize each  others cues.
He knows it's best to retract his claws when kneading his paws on my skin.
He knows that 2 O'clock in the morning is a bad time to start grooming Mum's head.

I know he's going to destroy all my out of print reference books if he is locked in the house all day without water and plastic toys in the bath tub.
I know when he scratches at the door and meows it means "Let me out NOW or I'm going to poop in your closet and chew up your best heels."



TheHeretic -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 7:58:54 PM)

I think the best line I've seen on the subject is that dogs love you unconditionally, but cats have to think about it.




laurell3 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 8:40:12 PM)

I'm not sure they are THAT complicated. I had many a discussion with my vet when trying to decide whether to put my older cat down or not about this. I do know that my cat knows certain words to be sure. I spell some words to avoid his resulting tantrum at not getting the thing that I say if I say it in the wrong context. For example "outside"...saying that word ever results in him running to the door and screaming....not something I want to listen to for an hour because I said the word in a conversation with a friend. [;)]



gungadin09 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 8:44:28 PM)

This is true:

i used to have a cat that would play fetch with me. i would throw the pencil, and he would bring it back and drop it in front of me.



laurell3 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 8:46:45 PM)

Yeah my older cat did too, he was very much like a dog. This one, is smarter, he actually can open the doors by hanging on the knob and moving but he sure as hell ain't playing fetch.



PeanutTigerinBox -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 9:05:25 PM)

One of my cats seems to understand when it is time to turn up if he doesn't want to spend the night outside...because when I start to turn the lights off...(first an additional light next to the sofa and patio door as my ceiling light isn't very bright) and then do a final check behind the curtain before switching of the main light in the lounge then he usually stands there...as if he wants to say "don't forget me out here..."

I also do agree to knowing their names, a colleague recentl disagreed despite having four cats herself, but I know they know to react to their names and not to another one instead.



Sanity -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 10:07:59 PM)

This guy follows me around outside like hes a dog sometimes. He's very smart, for a cat. He can climb through the thinnest branches on the tops of trees and leap mid air from a pole or a branch to get on to any roof, then leap back onto the pole or branch to get himself down. He got hit by a car when he was young and since then won't venture near the road or a running car. He scratches at the door or mews at the window screen to be let in or out - and hes a great hunter.

Hes very aloof, at times. Very playful and loving other times. He'll ambush you and let you know he wants you to try and ambush him. The way he typically comes up to me just to say hello and then walk away and the way he does a lot of other things gives him a unique personality. He's more intelligent than most other cats I've known, you'd find that hes a quick-witted and intelligent animal if you take the time to study him.


[image]local://upfiles/292349/88EF697F06F64E3BB3FE7688B4BDDE96.jpg[/image]



LafayetteLady -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/24/2010 10:40:57 PM)

I'm not sure where people get the idea that cats are not smart. They are very smart, just as smart as dogs really. They just aren't quite as anxious to show you unless it suits them. My cat, Socks, is an emotional support animal. She started out as a feral stray. With lots of patience and love, she is a totally different cat now although she still doesn't care for most people. Of course, her attachment to me is almost too strong. When I would spend the night with my ex boyfriend, she would give me the "stink eye" when I came home, because she didn't like me being gone. She sleeps in my bed everynight, and when I went on an overnight trip, my son would sleep in my bed, but Socks wouldn't go to bed if he were in there.

After a year she still will not respond to anyone but me. But I have a friend who is going through some tough times right now, and is very depressed and stressed. Socks regularly goes to her and will curl up next to her. Good "therapy" kitty. She knows my friend needs the love from her and while she won't go to anyone else, she has no problem responding to my friend.

So cats are every smart. They just choose who knows it.



Steponme73 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/25/2010 5:16:40 PM)

My cat is very smart, now he does not read the morning paper, but he does watch TV. If there is a cat on TV he will meow at it. He eats breakfast with me every morning, eating bacon, eggs and drinking coffee. He talks to you and when you talk to him he will answer you. I think cats are really smart. They can tell when you feel good and when you don't and I think they want to comfort you when you don't feel good.
Cats are just a little more independent. We have a dog too, and I can tell the cat to go find the dog and he will and bring him back. My dog is very attached to our cat and goes everywhere with him...kind of strange, but really cute.



pahunkboy -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/25/2010 6:00:20 PM)

I was not really a cat person.

Till i found my cat.  Yay.  She is so sweet.



MC4Misfit -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/25/2010 8:17:49 PM)

Well, I'm convinced that my Ragamuffin understands English, he simply chooses not to speak it.  When he was 8-10 weeks old, my partner was laying with him on the couch.  My partner was talking to him and somehow started talking about hunan chicken.  Ragamuffin sat there contentedly listening.  Then my partner pointed out that when the recipe was originated, the Chinese didn't have chickens to cook with...they did have cats, but couldn't afford to keep them as pets.  At that point you could see a look of horror come over Ragamuffins' face and he suddenly started desperately to get away.

When we first got a laser pointer and turned it on, he saw the red dot, looked up and saw the thing in my hand and gave me this annoyed "I'm not falling for that" look and never showed it any interest after that.  Every other cat I've ever met loves them.

Some mornings when the alarm goes off he'll come and lay down in the center of my chest and refuse to move.  When I get him off of me and get up he acts extremely lovey and tries to block the door so I can't leave.  Every time he does that I have a really bad day at work.  I don't know how he knows, but he's never wrong.  I don't know how he knows, but he gets it every time.

Sometimes when I'm playing a game on my computer he'll jump up into my lap and start hitting the keyboard.  I've seen him do things in games that I can't figure out how to do.

All in all, I think he understands more than most people I know. 



Aneirin -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 7:17:24 AM)

Perhaps cats are in reality highly intelligent, but they have to act daft around humans to come to our level to get what they need. Cats I know are great manipulators, and they are a tease, they know how to play humans to get what they want.

I have been told by my  neighbours, the cat that lives with me, Holly is perfectly suited to me, an almost uncanny observation as I have been told we are very alike in character.

And yes, if there is a hole created somewhere in my home by my constant movement of furniture and other crap I keep, the cat is in there as soon as it happens, a bit like me and beaches, caves and things I just have to check out as another forum member here knows very well.



DCWoody -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 8:59:09 AM)

Cats don't have theory of mind, just a trial and error way of learning cause and effect. They're not particularly smart animals at all, but the well developed reading of humans and the independence give an impression of  high intelligence. If you're looking for intelligence outside of apes, look at dogs and birds.....and mebe some ocean dwellers but that's hard to test.



Aneirin -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 9:19:00 AM)

Learning by trial and error, yes humans also do that, and dogs too. But intelligence, what is the measure of it, how is it measured. With Humans, the intelligence quotient is said by many to be outdated and useless as it does include emotional intelligence which plays a large part in what we are, so how can we define an animal when we don't yet know how to define ourselves.



gungadin09 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 12:33:08 PM)

Here's another funny cat story (nothing to do with the thread...)

My mom was trying to raise money for some cause, i can't remember. She sent out self addressed enveloped to all the neighbors. Or, maybe it was some other reason she sent out the envelopes. Anyway, she got one sent back that was particularly funny. The neighbor had recognized the address from on my cat's collar (the cat lives with my mom now), and just had to tell her this story.

Apparently, the neighbor has a cat that's friends with Sable (my cat). She also has a sliding screen door out back. In the summer, Sable always manages to push the screen door open, and goes wandering around in their house. I guess he's perfectly comfortable around her (he likes people and attention) and he kind of just helps himself. He also eats their cat's cat food.

pam



gungadin09 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 2:32:39 PM)

i think that a cat understands cause and effect. For example, i used to have two cats. The older one, Adrienne, was kind of the boss. She used to bully Sable a lot. My room had a queen sized bed, and that bed was hers. She considered it her territory. If Sable ever got up on it, she would fight him. Even if she wasn't in the room and i put him on the bed, he would get nervous, and end up jumping down. He wanted to cuddle with me, but he was to scared of "getting in trouble".

He also understands "intention". When i take him to the vet, he kind of meows when she gives him a shot or takes his temperature, but he doen't get mad or fuss because he trusts her, and me. He knows we're not trying to hurt him.



gungadin09 -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 2:35:35 PM)

My cats have always taken "walks" with me, without being on a leash.
i have always had really well behaved cats. How much of this do you think has to do with the cats' own personalities, and how much because of how they were "brought up"? i think that they understand when they're being respected and cared for, and they respond with good behavior.

Of course, there are also probably just "brats" out there, that won't behave no matter how you treat them. And it also might have to do with the fact that they were neutered/spayed. i'm just saying, as a rule, that cats are like kids. The better their upbringing, the better the chance that they will behave themselves as adults.

pam



playfulotter -> RE: How much does a cat understand? (6/26/2010 3:36:28 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

I think the best line I've seen on the subject is that dogs love you unconditionally, but cats have to think about it.




and..one of the best cat quotes I have ever seen (and I think it was on a profile and/or signature line here on collarme) was....

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea."
-- Robert A. Heinlein



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