I think most cats are just
"smart enough" for their situation. For instance, barn cats are smart
enough to learn how to prey upon, kill, and consume rodents, and other critters
if they're not given "traditional" cat food by their owners.
Social AbilityIs your cat social? Of course, dogs are known to be demonstrably sociable animals. Dogs want to interact with you. They greet you at the door, they want to sit next to you, and they crave the love and affection you offer. This should not be mistaken for intelligence. “I have a cat that greets me at the door and follows me around, like a dog,” says Dr. Jeff Werber, an Emmy-award winning celebrity veterinarian who cares for celebrity pets like Lassie, as well as for the pets of Hollywood stars such as Ben Affleck, Julia Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, and Britney Spears, among others. Werber says a cat’s social ability is oftentimes less interactive than a dog’s, but that doesn’t necessarily signal a sign of intelligence. “We own dogs,” says Werber. “Cats own us.”
1. Test your cat’s intelligence: How social is your kitty? Does he come when called? Does he greet you when you come home? Does he plop next to you on the sofa because he knows that’s how to get petted?
Survival Skills“I think it depends on how you want to define smarts. If it goes by survival, cats are hands down winners,” says Werber. When you see a cat walking around on the street, do you stop and say, “Oh My Gosh, let me catch it and take it to the shelter, it must be lost.” Probably not. But many would agree that a dog needs help finding a safe place to be until his owners find him.
If you took a cat and a dog and put them outside to fend for themselves for ten days, the cat will likely come back fat and happy, says Werber. “The dog, on the other hand, if it does well, it’s not because he did it on his own, it’s because he endeared himself to some strangers.”Does that mean dogs are dumb when it comes to surviving on their own? Not likely. It just signifies that cats have a more self-reliant nature, some street smarts, and a knack for looking after themselves.
2. Test your cat’s intelligence: Do you have reservations about leaving your cat for a night or a weekend with a fresh litter box and enough food and water for the time you’re gone? If not, you have a self-reliant survival-smart cat and he’s probably plenty intelligent.
MemoryBoth cats and dogs may have a good memory. Werber has six cats that all get fed at the same time, yet they eat in different areas. Each cat knows exactly where he lines up for chow every evening without fail. Just like Sayle’s cat Blue knows what time to get up in the morning, many cats are programmed by their schedule. In fact, cats are sensitive to schedule changes and breaks with patterns: feeding them at a different time, working a different shift, even something like wanting to sleep in on a weekend upsets them and usually won’t go over.
3. Test your cat’s intelligence: Does your kitty “remember” what time she gets dinner or a treat? Try putting a bite of delicious kibble under a small pillow or piece of paper on the floor while kitty watches you. See if she remembers you putting it there and seeks out the treat.
TrainabilityThe right cat given the right
reinforcement can be trained to do a variety of tricks, says Werber. Data shows
that dogs do their best when they receive reinforcement with food treats and
pats on the head. Cats seem to be motivated solely by treats. Apparently they
don’t find a pat on the head or other physical reward quite as satisfying, but
that doesn’t diminish their intelligence. Some say it may in fact be a sign of
higher intelligence.Many cats can perform a variety of tricks similar to
dogs—sitting on command, lifting a paw, lying down. Again, the right cat with
the right trainer can show extreme intelligence. A cat who can’t be bothered to
learn simple commands is likely not showing a lack of intelligence, but
indifference to learning a frustrating task where the treat isn’t motivation
enough.
4. Test your cat’s intelligence: Try to teach kitty a “trick,” such as “sit” or “give your 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.
Showing UnhappinessCats, even more than dogs, are
adept at letting you know that something is upsetting them. Whether it’s a new
brand of litter or the absence or presence of someone new in the home causing a
change in routine, cats voice their opinions in a number of ways—from hissing
to caterwauling their unhappiness. Dogs seem to generally overlook these
issues, whether because they are less upset by changes in routine or because
they are less able to express their displeasure.
5. Test your cat’s intelligence: How is your cat at showing you she’s upset? Does she take notice or does she not care about changes at home? Is she sensitive to everything from a new rug in front of the fireplace to a new location for the litter box? If she notices changes and shows displeasure, you may have an intelligent kitty.
“We don’t really know how to evaluate cat intelligence, even if we were to hook cats up to EEGs and measure their neurons firing, “says Werber. So far, he said, they are going mostly on anecdotal evidence rather than anything scientific.
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