Do you ponder on how smart are cats? So let me tell you, studies confirm that cats are amazingly intelligent. Another research reveals that older cats had long-term memories.
It means they can recall their places and things for very long periods of time before being removed from those places.
They were also able to hunt for food in special dishes and even in the usual places where the usual dishes were placed. Isn’t it interesting?
SCIENTIFIC STUDY AND RESEARCH ON A CAT’S INTELLIGENCE
As stated, some of the proofs backing a cat’s intelligence are indeed amazing. However, scientists also reveal that this evidence was obtained after the cats went through rigorous and partial tests.
Tests were carried out using brain imaging technologies to gauge the amount of activity that a particular area of the brain occupied.
It was discovered that when an area of the brain was inactive, the area of the body that is controlled by that part of the brain would be inactive too. When the researchers activated the area, the cats became active.
This proves that the body mass and size of a cat’s brain play a huge role in its ability to use its brain in a different way and function better.
Just like people, domestic cats have what is referred to as expressive language. In a survey conducted by a team of scientists from Britain and France, the Felis catus was found to have about four hundred words, with each word being associated with a specific sound or shape.
Apart from the content of these words, the felines also demonstrate a capacity for facial expression recognition that is much greater than what you find in other animals.
HOW SMART ARE DOMESTIC CATS?
Another question that arises is how smart are domestic cats? According to a study published in 2021 in the British Journal of Psychology, domestic cats that were trained to a pet could learn a lot of things that their wild counterparts could not.
They were able to learn to walk on hind legs, recognize and discriminate between different breeds of cats and even build nests and communicate with fellow felines.
Their ability to learn was comparable to that of non-domestic cats, but their cognitive ability was five times better than the average house cat. And, they retained this ability even after the training was over.
Not all domesticated cats that lived earlier are the smarter ones. Only those cats are domesticated that have brainpower that helps them to survive and reproduce in a society. Thus, we are actually dealing with just a small percentage of the world’s total number of cats.
But do you know that even the domestic cats that we usually see around us possess brain strength that is more than dogs? The domestic cat’s brain is actually more intelligent than that of any other animal in the animal kingdom.
In addition to the cat’s ability to express itself using its facial expressions, the feline can also utilize its auditory brain. In fact, the auditory system of cats is the most developed compared to all other types of animals.
The auditory system takes in the external environment and converts it into a sound that the cats can understand. When these sounds are encountered in the outside environment, the felines, in turn, will try to figure out the source of these sounds and try to figure out how to solve the problem associated with it.
HOW SMART ARE DOMESTICATED DOGS AS COMPARED TO CATS?
Domestic dogs also show some signs of being highly intelligent. Many dog owners would say that their pet dogs are very smart and capable of learning new things. In fact, a number of tests were conducted to determine how intelligent domestic dogs are.
These tests have shown that the dog’s ability to distinguish between different colors and shapes and its use of vision has advanced far beyond what is seen in other animals. They are now able to recognize human faces and even recognize another dog’s scent.
Not only do trainable cats and domestic dogs show signs of being intelligent, but they are also trainable and able to be trained. Whether you’re a cat owner or not, it’s always good to know that you can easily train your pet with the use of simple tools.
And, the best part about it is that you won’t need any kind of special training methods to train your cat. Clicker training is one of the most popular and effective training techniques for cats and can easily be incorporated into your daily life with only a few simple steps.
