Content
- Do cats have a conscience?
- Cats don't see us as humans
- Cats are not domesticated animals
- Cats train their owners
- What encourages a cat's thinking?
Do you share your house with a cat? Certainly the behavior of these domestic cats has surprised you more than once, as one of the main characteristics of this animal is precisely its independent character, which does not mean that they are not affectionate, but that they are very different from puppies.
The studies carried out so far with the aim of studying animal behavior, communication and thinking have had surprising results, even more so those dedicated to approaching feline thinking.
Wants to know how cats think? In this article by PeritoAnimal we will explain everything to you.
Do cats have a conscience?
Few animals need to have as much control over their environment as cats, which is why felines are animals more likely to suffer from stress as well as the dangerous consequences of this state when it is prolonged in time.
But how is it possible that an animal with such sensitivity does not have awareness of its own existence? Well, the truth is that this is not exactly the case, what happens is that scientific studies on consciousness in animals mainly use a mirror to observe reactions and determine the degree of consciousness, and the cat does not react.
However, cat lovers say that (and it seems to be the most reasonable) this lack of reaction happens because cats do not notice any odor in the mirror and therefore nothing attracts them enough to approach their reflection and interact with it.
Cats don't see us as humans
Biologist Dr John Bradshaw, from the University of Bristol, has been studying cats for 30 years and the results obtained through his different investigations are surprising as he determined that cats do not perceive us as humans, nor as owners, but rather as owners. giant versions of themselves.
In this sense, the cat sees us as if we were just another cat and with him he can socialize or not, depending on the moment, his interests and his abilities, but under any circumstances he believes that we are a species that can come to dominate.
This feature is evident if we compare cats with dogs, since dogs do not interact with humans in the same way they do with other dogs, in contrast, cats do not change their behavior when facing a human.
Cats are not domesticated animals
Of course, a cat can be trained to know what it can do in your home and, like a dog, it also responds well to positive reinforcement, but this should not be confused with a process of domestication.
Experts consider that the domestication of the first dogs took place approximately 32,000 years ago, in contrast, cats began their relationship with humans about 9,000 years ago.
The important thing is to understand that in these 9,000 years cats have not allowed themselves to be domesticated, but that learned to cohabit with humans to enjoy all the benefits that these "giant cats" can provide them, such as water, food and a comfortable environment to rest.
Cats train their owners
cats are extremely smart, so much so that they are able to train us without realizing it.
Cats continually observe humans, that they come simply as giant cats, they know for example that by purring it is possible to awaken our protective senses, which most often ends up in a reward in the form of food, so , do not hesitate to use purring as a means of manipulation.
They also know that when making certain noises, one goes looking for them or, on the contrary, leaves the room where they are and it is through the continuous observation of its human family that the cat adapts to the our answers to your needs.
Therefore, cats can also feel protective instincts towards us. Has your cat ever left you a small prey on your driveway? He does this because even though he sees you as a giant cat, too considers him a clumsy cat who may have difficulty getting food, and so he decides to help him with this important task.
The cat feels that he should train you, in a way because as we mentioned he believes he is clumsy (not weak or inferior), this is also why your cat rub yourself, marking you like that with your pheromones, as if you were your property. At other times, you simply want to clean yourself or use it as a scratcher, but this is a good sign, as it indicates that you don't see us as hostile rivals.
What encourages a cat's thinking?
The thinking of cats is due to different factors, although generally the most determining ones are their instinct, the interactions they carry out and, above all, the record of past experiences.
It is important that you know that all studies that attempt to decipher feline thinking conclude that only interact with the cat when he asks, otherwise, suffer great stress.
It may also interest you: do cats know when we are afraid?
