Are Cats Intelligent? Need You Even Ask???

  Posted on September 13, 2013  by Joy of Living  No comments

Party Marty here! TGIF!  Time to relax, kick back, enjoy the moment and turn up the volume on fun…kind of like most any other day for me!  Hey! I know you read this blog because you realize how wicked intelligent I am and that, paired with my infectious sense of humor, keeps you coming back for more. It’s no surprise that I can hold your attention. Cats are pretty intelligent…that is, if you define intelligence as “the ability to acquire information, retain it and utilize it to solve problems,” as suggested by catsinternational.org. Cats come out on top in this category in terms of companion animals. Have you ever noticed that when you put an adult cat in an unfamiliar room he or she will examine and explore every nook and cranny? We are merely doing our research, familiarizing ourselves with our surroundings and making a plan of attack or one of survival, should such a situation for such plans arise. We are very forward thinking in that regard. Curiosity will not kill us, but lack of it can!

Additionally, once we absorb information, we retain it to a far greater degree than another type of domesticated animal. Our recall is clearly greater than that of dogs, as well as that of monkeys and orangutans. Put it in our heads and there it will stay!

We also learn by careful observation, imitation, trial and error, much like humans do. We watch you turn a doorknob; we mimic that behavior. We watch you ring doorbells; we follow suit. It’s really not that complicated. I don’t know why dogs don’t get it! We continue to amaze and delight our owners over and over again. In fact, we are better at training our owners than they are of us! Clever, aren’t we?

Nevertheless, much like certain technological gadgets that are introduced in your world, we do have certain limitations. We cannot ponder on the past nor speculate on the future. If we do something bad, you cannot remind us of it later. We simply cannot make the connection between the action and the punishment. We also do not lash out in spite. Not possible. We simply reply in kind based on the stress of our owner at the time. We are not predisposed to plot and seek revenge. (Unless, of course, you are me and the antagonist at hand as that dog in the house, Jessie!)

Later, dudes!  The weekend awaits!