How smart is a cat?

Of all the domestic animals, the cat is perhaps the fastest learner due to its ability to obtain and retain information to find a solution to problems. When an adult cat is placed in a room that he has never seen before, every nook and corner is inspected with the help of his instincts. According to behaviorists, this need for “basic research” gives the cat important information about its surviving environment. So the saying “curiosity killed the cat” is a misnomer, as it actually gives the cat its reputation for having 9 lives.

The highlight of a cat’s intellect is its ability to use withheld information to address problems. Cats have the ability to form “learning sets”, which only primates used to do. For example, when trained cats pulled boxes on wheels, it revealed that they could combine that skill and their knowledge to solve other problems.

For example, a cat carried a box to a certain location and then used it as a stool to obtain the reward it wants, such as food on a rope hanging from the ceiling. Although no one knows their range of cognitive abilities, cats continue to amaze their owners with their remarkable abilities.

Like humans, cats learn by observing, imitating, trying, and making mistakes. There are countless stories of cats opening doors by turning handles, ringing bells, turning off lights, opening cabinets, as well as using the bathroom based on their observation of owners doing the same. Many cat behaviorists and child psychologists agree that the intelligence of an adult cat is equivalent to that of a 2-3 year old. At this age, children are very intelligent and manipulative, so it is no wonder that cats are better trainers than their owners.

Although the cat is considered to be the most intelligent among all domestic animals, cat owners must understand the limitations of their pet’s thought processes, as attributing human motivations to the cat can affect the patient, and an approach is needed. systematic approach to treating behavior problems.

For example, cats cannot remember the past or make plans for the future. Therefore, it is useless for an owner to scold a cat for something he did a few moments ago or when he was caught on the spot, since the cat cannot make a connection between an action and a punishment. Your actions are not influenced by revenge for what an owner said or did in the past. These can be attributed to the stress caused by the actions of its owner.

Cat behavior problems are caused by humans, and when cats are not provided with the things necessary to behave naturally like a cat, this can have a negative impact on their human owners.