what do cats think...
what do cats think of humans?
Wouldn’t it be great if we knew what went on in our cat’s head and what do cats think? Millions of cat owners would…myself included.
Millions of cat owners, including me, would love to know.
Cats, like people, have different characters. Some are weird, some are wonderful, some are nosey, and some don’t give a damn. Others are aloof, while a majority are cute and cuddly.
For some people, cats are heartless and cold creatures that don’t know the meaning of love, unlike dogs.
Yet, cat lovers claim that this is not the case.
Most cats go to their owners for security when they are unsettled, nervous, or threatened.
Their relationship with humans is given some insights in this interesting, although short, article published by the National Geographic.
do our cats think about us, their owners?
According to research, cats don’t understand us, or our intentions.
This stands to reason, as otherwise, why would Rodger (our ginger cat) tend to attack my ankles when I’m about to feed him?
Why does he also wander between my feet when I’m walking, with the result of a possible accident?
I don’t think he realizes I’m a source of food. It would be a disaster if he trips me and I end up in hospital.
Does Rodger think about who will feed him when nobody else is at home?
do cats care for their owners?
The logical answer to that would be: “Doubtful!”
And yet, studies have found that cats love their owners with the same intensity as dogs do, even though they are masters at hiding their true emotions. Believe it or not, cats can be sweet and love cuddling up.
Research shows that cats form an emotional bond with their owners, the same as dogs do. Most of these felines, even when they are still kittens, show a form of secure attachment with their human owners. This form of secure attachment is like that shown by dogs and babies with their caregivers.
It may be hard to fathom out, but for your cat, you are much more than a source of food.
Those ‘in the know’ insist that even though cats have been our pets for thousands of years, they still aren’t domesticated.
What goes on in a cat's head when they stare at you?
Most cats see their owners as a source of security and comfort.
When I say ‘see’, it’s not as clear as it sounds.
Cats are good at visual recognition, yet, when it comes to human faces, they fail miserably. To recognize a person, cats use other ways. They know our scent. They know how we feel, and most important is that they know our voices.
Proven to be true many times over, for when I call Rodger, he doesn’t budge. Yet, when my wife, Jill, calls him, he perks up and goes to her.
does a cat actually think?
Cats do have a brain, not a very big one, but big enough to make them look very clever and sharp.
It’s calculated that a cat’s brain is roughly about 0.91% of its total body mass. This is small when compared to that of an average human, which is 2.33% of the total body mass.
I have no idea what they think about, and in what language they think in, if they do in the first place.
I also have no idea if they think about their future, their present, or their past, or they just think about food when they feel hungry.
Yet, I’m pretty sure that having nine lives at their disposal helps them a great deal.
Do cats think we are cats, or their parents?
Research shows that cats think humans are also cats, like them. But, to them, we have a few drawbacks as we’re bigger and clumsier.
For example, you wouldn’t catch me being as acrobatic as our cat, and I don’t make it a habit of jumping on top of cupboards, or chasing flies…except when I’m trying to swat a mosquito that’s after my blood.
Yet, according to the plenty of evidence available, it points to the fact that cats see humans as no more than fellow cats.
I never thought of myself as being a cat…
If you study cats for a while, you’ll find that cats do to us what they do to each other.
They sit beside us and groom us. They lick us, poke us, nibble us, and also knead us. I don’t know about your cat, but Rodger has this thing of licking my skin, especially when I’ve just woken up.
He also enjoys rubbing around my legs, which is also what cats do to each other. When cats rub against each other, it shows some form of respect. They would never rub against a cat they deem it to be inferior to them.
what happens when a cat is stressed?
At times, Rodger gets angry at me.
Perhaps he’s upset about something in general, and vents off his frustration on me. Cats do get stressed out for a variety of reasons, and most times, we won’t know this until it’s too late, and we end up scratched.
Once a cat feels stressed, its bodily functions alter.
Inflammation of the bladder can be attributed to a cat’s excess stress hormones in the blood.
Being psychologically stressed out, these problems are only made worse.
I do not believe in giving cats medicine if the problem can go away on its own.
An extremely good place to visit if you are unsure of your cat’s health and wellbeing is a website, called International Cat Care.
They pride themselves on, “We are here for you and your cat. Search our cat care advice”. And you can never really be too certain about a cat’s health unless it’s blatantly obvious.
Another cat site that I found very informative is catster.com.
This site has really good articles about cat behavior, health & care, cat food, and other things related to cats which are good to know about.
The thing which stresses a cat could be something straightforward, which we fail to notice. A typical example is if he doesn’t get on with another cat in the house. One practical solution to this problem is to separate the cats as much as possible.
Some people think that having two cats is better than one. But, since cats are very territorial, this is often a recipe for a disaster.
Having another moggie around the house poses a threat to your cats. It’s an intrusion of their sacred space, and they might not take kindly to it.
Cats are very bright creatures
They’ll soon learn which member of the family is first up, and that usually means a fresh supply of food in their bowl. Once fed, the moggie might not even bat an eyelid when the second person wakes up.
There’s no point since he’s got what he was waiting for.
If it’s always the same person who wakes up first, the cat will relate to that. He will then instinctively react differently to that person, seeing that person as a food source.
Having said that, there is still no reason why the cat can’t grab the owner’s ankle once in a while, if only just for the fun of it.
More on how bright these creatures are concerns a story about a cat, Skittles, walking hundreds of miles to find its way back home. Just to put you in the picture, the cat walked over 350 miles in four months, before strolling back into the owner’s living room.
Do cats possess senses we didn’t know they had?
Well, if this interests you, I suggest you go take a look at this other National Geographic site.
the bond between cats and their owners
As soon as Rodger hears my wife’s car when she returns from work, he shoots out from where he is, darts by me, and goes downstairs to wait for her at the front door.
I made the connection that he’s managed to tune in to the noise of Jill’s car.
And every time, within moments, the front door opens…
When she’s home, she almost immediately opens a pack of treats for him. When somebody else comes, he doesn’t bother that much. Although, I must admit he does come and greet me at the top of the stairs when I arrive home, which is very sweet of him.
Cats treat members of the same household in different ways. This is because they know they stand to gain something from one member, rather than from others.
This works in their favor and they, without a doubt, use their small brains quite efficiently, especially if food is concerned.
With all the knowledge we possess, and despite the fact that cats rule the Internet, they still remain mysterious creatures.
You’ll be surprised at the things you never knew about your cat…but you can read more about this here.
One day, we’ll get to understand cats better. But, for the time being, more research needs to be carried out before we can find an answer to the timeless question, “What do cats think…?”
