Fascinating insights into how these clever creatures think, learn, and interact with their environment <\/p>
It\u2019s something many owners may wonder from time to time \u2013\u00a0just\u00a0how much does my cat really understand? <\/strong><\/p> The answer is \u2013 a lot! <\/strong><\/p> But while cats are undoubtedly\u00a0sharp\u00a0of mind, it\u2019s not a case\u00a0of measuring IQ in the same way we may with humans, explains\u00a0Cats Protection<\/a> behaviourist Daniel Warren-Cummings<\/em>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> Whether it\u2019s learning to open a cupboard, turning up\u00a0bang on\u00a0time\u00a0for dinner, or\u00a0working out\u00a0the most effective way to wake their sleeping owner, cats\u00a0can clearly learn all sorts of tricks and skills\u00a0throughout their life.\u00a0<\/p> But while all this may fill their owner\u2019s heart with pride, learned behaviour\u00a0is not necessarily an indication of how\u00a0clever a cat is.\u00a0<\/p> Even in humans, measuring intelligence\u00a0is a complex, subjective\u00a0and philosophical\u00a0concept, with many factors to consider. It\u2019s also a very human idea\u00a0\u2013 and\u00a0it\u2019s important not\u00a0to\u00a0assume we can analyse animals in the same\u00a0way as we do humans.<\/p> Learning is a universal\u00a0concept across all species, including cats and humans.\u00a0And just as in humans, cats\u00a0have the capacity to learn all sorts of things,\u00a0as long as\u00a0the conditions are right.\u00a0<\/p> All species\u00a0learn through\u00a0a process called operant conditioning where we repeat things that lead to rewards and avoid things which\u00a0lead to\u00a0unpleasant\u00a0consequences.\u00a0<\/p> When we think of cats doing something like tapping our faces\u00a0to wake us up, we may think of that as them being clever. That may be true, but they\u2019ve learned that behaviour because they know that the consequence is that you\u2019ll eventually\u00a0wake up and give them a fuss or even feed them \u2013 and that\u2019s the reward.\u00a0<\/p> Some cats may never need to learn that behaviour, perhaps because their owner is always awake early to feed them anyway, or they\u2019re locked out of the bedroom at night. It doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re less smart than other cats, it just means they haven\u2019t needed to or been given\u00a0the opportunity to learn how that behaviour leads to\u00a0being fed.<\/p> In evolutionary terms, cats are a huge success,\u00a0and this is largely down to how well they\u2019ve learned to incorporate their natural behaviours into modern life.\u00a0<\/p> You could call it intelligence,\u00a0or you could call it instinct, but the fact is that cats are such a successful species because they\u2019ve\u00a0learned how to take such good care of themselves.\u00a0<\/p> Domestic cats\u00a0have\u00a0descended\u00a0from the African Wildcat, and we only\u00a0have to observe our pet cats for a few minutes to see how many\u00a0behaviours they still share with wild cats<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p> Scratching, for example, is a natural behaviour which keeps cats\u2019 claws sharp and healthy \u2013 ready to be used in hunting or defending themselves against\u00a0aggressors.\u00a0Fluffing up their fur to make themselves seem bigger\u00a0is another rather clever trick that our own pet cats will still deploy if they feel threatened.<\/p> If you watch a domestic cat playing<\/a>, you\u2019ll be able to observe all their natural hunting instincts at work. These actions \u2013 like stalking, hiding, pouncing<\/a> \u2013 are\u00a0actually very impressive\u00a0and certainly could be described as very highly-skilled\u00a0and intelligent.<\/p> While domestic cats no longer need to rely on skills such as hunting techniques to survive, they\u00a0have learned to\u00a0put them to good use in other ways.\u00a0<\/p>How smart are cats?<\/h2>
How well do cats learn?<\/h2>
Cat instinct or intelligence?<\/h2>