Paws Up for Wednesday – How Smart is Your Cat?

We all think our cat is pretty darn smart. Most of them know how to ask for food. They may join you in the kitchen and walk around in circles meowing hoping you’re smart enough to know they’re hungry. Some wait at the designated feeding station for you to bring their food. Most cats will give signs when they want to go out, play, be petted, or when one of their toys has slipped under the door of a closet, for example. That’s pretty smart. But some cats, at least some of the time, show signs of super-cat intelligence. Is your cat really smarter than the ordinary cat? Maybe sometimes and in some ways.

Here’s one expert’s suggested for testing your cat’s intelligence: Try to teach kitty a “trick,” such as “sit” or “give a paw,” using small food treats as motivators. If he accomplishes the tasks, you have a smart cat. If he can’t be bothered, you have a typical cat.

Some cats teach themselves or call on instincts to express what we might consider intelligence. Sometimes Olivia brings me toys. I toss them and she fetches and brings them back. Sometimes. Cats seem to have a sense of timing and agendas. They react to what they hear or see on the TV, for example and seem to know when it is time to eat or go to bed or play.

Cats are  pretty good with routines and they often don’t like it when a routine is changed by a phone call or you having to run an errand or sleeping in, for example. A cat might be used to you getting up every weekday morning at a certain time for work or a walk. Some cats are puzzled when you don’t get up at the usual time on a Saturday morning. And you wonder why they do their best to wake you up at the usual time. Is this a sign of intelligence?

Here’s an interesting article on cat intelligence. I think you’ll come away from reading this with a greater appreciation for some of your cat’s smarts. https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/how-smart-your-cat

What are some of the smartest cat breeds? Abyssinian, Bengal, Balinese, Burmese, Siamese, the Savannah and others.

 

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