myKotty Is your cat intelligent? We bet that most cat caretakers answer “YES” to this question, but in case there are any exceptions to this beautiful rule – there are ways to check it. Nay! There have even been some serious publications on the subject of the cat’s IQ! But before we get into the coursebooks, first something shorter that you will read over your morning coffee.😼
Observe your cat
Boring, huh? An observation, again? Well, it’s hard, but it’s necessary! Observing your fluffy companion, its daily behavior alone, or in human or animal company, is essential if you want to find out who you really keep under your roof. 😉 The behavior of furry can be unpredictable, and the number of their brilliant ideas that humans wouldn’t even think of is endless! But, from where do these ideas come from?
A cat’s IQ may be the result of various factors, such as its origin, the environment it comes from, the conditions in which it lives (or lived before, e.g., before it was brought under the care of a caretaker). To the factors influencing a cat’s IQ, you need to add life experiences (here, just like with people – the more different situations, the more lessons you can learn) and age (according to the old adage that wisdom comes with age!).
Cat’s IQ – what are we actually testing?
When we want to find out how intelligent our furry is, the subject should be approached in many dimensions. After all, we won’t give the cat a sheet of tasks and a pencil and we will not make him take tests! Therefore, when starting a study, it is necessary to focus on areas from which we can draw knowledge and which will allow us to assess whether the animal is intelligent. They are mainly:
- body coordination
- behavior among other individuals of different species (humans, cats, other animals)
- communication skills (making noises and body language)
- ability to concentrate, draw conclusions, associate facts
- efficiency in solving problems.
When you observe that the animal quickly finds itself in new situations (what was a mystery yesterday, today is a piece of cake), bravo! Under your roof you have a genius contender for the Cat Nobel Prize. But these aren’t the only signs of an intelligence.
Hollywood star
You will recognize a smart furry by its talent – not only for cleaning the bowl, but also for playing different roles (the reason is usually refilling the bowl with a human hand). Cats can play wonderfully on the emotions of a caretaker, though their motivation often seems to be driven by nothing but cat egoism! We bet you know the situations where your cat, in order to achieve its intended goal (possibly related to eating), was able to act pouting or resort to emotional blackmail (forget about stroking, hooman!). After all, it’s a symptom of intelligence and the pet deserves the respect like Keanu Reeves (or whoever you like the most tho) for this masterly playing. 😉
It’s time for practice!
Are you not sure if your cat is a smartass? There are some exercises to help you find out. Start with task number 1, which for the purposes of this text we’re going to name:
“Flying pen”.
Why is that? 😉 Because if you have a highly intelligent furry there, things – even the ones that usually lie – soon will fly away! For the test, use a pen or pencil, which you’ll put on the table, near the cat. Observe the furry and follow the course of events. No reaction? Ups! That’s not good. Or, maybe a cat throw an object from the table without hesitation? Bravo! Cat’s Einstein is at hand, ready to be petted. Just watch out for the cup of hot coffee – geniuses will make no compromises in this task!
Out of the box
For the second exercise, you need boxes of different sizes. The ones in which we pack myKotty furniture will be perfect, as will the MIA cat house. Add some smaller, less comfortable ones, place them in close proximity to each other and see what the cat will do. He ignored your effort and is still lying on the couch? Well, this cat probably won’t be the second Steven Hawking. If the opposite is true, and your cat, with the curiosity of an overseas explorer of new lands, explores each box, tests the quality, and then chooses the one in which it feels most comfortable – great! Your cat is able to make complex decisions on its own based on several factors, which proves it is highly intelligent, sharp-minded, and able to draw conclusions. Well done!
Meowing stars dancing on ice
The third test of the cat’s intelligence will be called here “Cat on the ice”. Probably more than once you have witnessed your fur, out of curiosity, involuntarily turning into the hero of “Dancing on ice”, while the ice rink was actually a slippery table top or other surface that had little to do with friction so far. An intelligent cat is a curious pet that isn’t discouraged by one failure (neither two!). If the furry ran over the table, did not apply the brake and fell off the table, and consequently does not try to repeat this adventure for fear of a tumor – its intelligence probably is far from a high score. However, if you have an acrobat under your roof, who, undaunted by defeats, will sooner dial a double toe loop than give up without a fight – watch out! The next time you come back from work, you may find the furry exploring your home library!
Fluffy Indiana Jones
Do you know hide and seek playing? There are cats who won’t despise this type of entertainment, especially when it comes to treasure hunting. Prepare a few balls of rustling or shiny paper and hide them in different corners of the house. What is the cat’s reaction? He looks at you with the same indifferent expression of its snout and even seeing the flash of trick in your eye shows no interest (and it’s not because of overeating)? Well, in this case, IQ may be so-so, but at least you can be sure that you’ll not lose your well-paid job.😸 But, if the furry took up the challenge and found them all in a short time – good job! How does it live with such a smart guy?
Alright, fabCat, you already know a few tricks to see if your cat is intelligent or not. Do exercises with your pet and be sure to let us know how it went. We’re pretty sure that after reading this article, at least a few furry geniuses may reveal themselves!
