What do cats think about? What do cats think about people? What is your pet thinking about?

It's no secret that a common person, not always realizing this, tends to anthropologize the world, trying to cognize it exclusively in subjective human categories. The cat family is no exception.

We think, for example, that our cats are “noble”, “proud”, “independent”, “graceful”... That is, we endow them with purely human qualities. But who are they really? And, most interestingly, what do cats think about people?...

Scientific tests?.. That's nonsense

In general, the thinking of a cat is dark forest. Or a magician's black box. The editor of the online magazine “Science”, David Grimm, in one of his articles describes the research of the Italian scientist Christian Agrillo. According to Agrillo, studying the cognitive abilities of fish is even easier than that of cats!

This was manifested in a test of the so-called “digital competence”, during which three dots are drawn on a desired object (for example, a bowl or feeder with food), and two on an undesirable object (an empty bowl). During the experiment, the animal (Agrillo worked, among other things, with monkeys and birds) must learn to make an informed choice.

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), the cats failed the test completely. In laboratory conditions, most of the selected cats were very worried and could not participate in the experiment, and the four that behaved more or less loyally reacted very weakly to the proposed playing conditions.

True, in the end it was possible to establish that cats pay more attention to the size of the dots, and not to their number - when hunting, the size of the prey is fundamentally important, and you cannot catch two birds at once. What's the point of counting them?

Are cats really dumber than fish?!

Of course not. Then, the principle of having a mind should not be built solely on the ability to communicate with a person (let us remember here, for example, about hypothetical non-humanoid civilizations for which contact with a person would be impossible in principle). Cat people are not aliens. It’s just that cats still remain wild, closed within their authentic, non-human-oriented behavior.

This is exactly what is written about in the work “Cat Sence” by British biologist John Bradshaw, who spent more than 30 years studying the issue. Cats, compared to dogs, do not live as long with humans (10,000 and 30,000 years, respectively) and most of them (approximately 85%) reproduce freely, without human intervention.

An important fact in this process is that almost all domestic cats are castrated, therefore, reproductive large quantity the offspring again become unsocialized, street cats.

Cats think people are big cats

So what do cats think about people? Bradshaw believes that it is unlikely that the “theory of competent consciousness”, the essence of which is that one species can have an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe mind and worldview of another species, is applicable to cats. That is, cats think that people are big cats. And most importantly, they are non-aggressive, non-hostile.

There can be a lot of speculation and speculation on this matter. For example, cats may think that we are stupid cats because... We don’t try to spread our scent and thereby poorly dominate our territory. Or that we are unfortunate because we don’t have claws or fur. Or that we hunt poorly and eat all sorts of nonsense, like vegetables from the store or fast food boxes.

By the way, an interesting conclusion is that cats that bring a killed rat or bird to the doorstep (into the room, on a blanket or pillow) do not at all want to give a gift to the owner or show their gratitude. Cats think humans are a big cat. And where there is a “big, non-hostile” cat, it is quite possible to hide the prey to eat it later.

Big cat mom

What cats think about people is also suggested by some behavioral features of adults. For example, cats “trample” the owner with their paws, rub against his legs or purr, which is similar to the behavior of a kitten towards its mother. In general, this model of behavior contains such a sweet, innocent cunning that suits both the owner and the four-legged pet.

On the one side, adult cat recognizes itself as an adult, on the other hand, it’s so convenient to be a little capricious kitten that is taken care of... These, by the way, are obvious parallels with human behavior.

To summarize, we add that the behavior of cats towards humans varies greatly. A kitten that has had contact with humans from the first days will obviously be more adapted for communication than a street cat that was taken into the house as an adult. There are, indeed, real cats and dogs who try to understand their owner to the best of their ability. So, the behavior of a cat and what they think about us largely depends on us.

Hello!

Do you already have a wonderful cat or a favorite charming cat?

And you are interested in the question of whether they are thinking about something fluffy gold And about what in general cats think?

Amazing! Today we will fully understand this issue. I will say right away that cats love to think about food and other things that give them pleasure... But cats and cats have many more different thoughts...

It is not for nothing that domestic cats have been considered a symbol of comfort and well-being for a century now: these creatures are so sensitive to their owners and their surroundings that one can simply be amazed at how appropriate and even obligatory they sometimes seem to be in our apartment! A month or two passes, and we understand that the cat has already become a member of the family, something very necessary in our lives, we quickly become attached to it and begin to love it like our own child. There are vibes of some kind of strong magic floating around this small animal, bewitching and tying us to it with the most incredible power.

Coming home from work or school tired, we fall exhausted into a chair and pet our cat, who immediately jumps onto our laps, and we ourselves understand with pleasure: how good it is to return home like this, to our warm, cozy apartment, where you will always be greeted by this beautiful purring creature - and fatigue goes away by itself...
To better understand a cat, what it wants and what it feels, you need to have the skills of a very subtle cat psychologist or seer, because the signals and impulses that this mysterious animal gives are usually so faintly perceptible and veiled that reading them requires considerable observation and almost perfect instinct.

Sometimes, for example, you might think that a cat feels comfortable and completely calm, while she is very anxious and cannot find a place for herself. And vice versa: you can assume that the cat is rebellious and scared to death, although in fact she was attacked by cheerful enthusiasm, and she is simply inviting you to play with her!

How can you learn to read the feelings and desires of your beloved pet? In this article we will look at several interesting behavioral situations, the understanding of which will undoubtedly help you get along with your cat. best contact and even more sensitively understand the thoughts and feelings of these beautiful animals.
First of all, you will have to immediately come to terms with the idea that you can learn to absolutely accurately understand the feelings of cats: this is such a lengthy and ambiguous science that there is very little chance left. However, cats are living beings and live with us, and therefore we see them and can try to read their thoughts and desires, for example, from the movements of the body and tail, from the position of the ears, from the size of the pupils, from the sounds that the cat makes . The task is complex, but still very interesting and worth closer consideration. So let's get started...

Stage No. 1. Learning to understand BY THE TAIL, what do cats think about.

So, for example, if a cat wants your warmth and attention or just wants to eat, its tail curls like a question mark,

and if the cat feels relaxed, then the tail is already accepting horizontal position and its very tip looks down.

When the tail rises sharply and its bend becomes especially noticeable, this usually means that the cat is aggressive and wants to show you to stay away.

If the tip of the tail looks vertically upward, it means the cat is alarmed by something and feels internal discomfort.

You can also read the emotions that the animal is experiencing at one time or another by the movements of its tail. For example, if a cat is very irritated, it sharply jerks the tip of its tail from side to side. She behaves in a similar way when she is noticeably excited or preparing to jump after the mouse.

When a cat attacks, its tail becomes as hard as a branch, and if it also swings it around, then this movement reveals stress in it, showing that it is scared or simply feels danger.

If a cat wants to be alone, then it simply raises its tail up, hides its gaze and hastily leaves the room.

Stage No. 2. Learning to understand by the muzzle, what do cats think about.

Of course, a cat's face does not have very clear facial expressions, such as, for example, a dog's face, however, even here you can try to read something.

If a cat is very aggressive, then she looks straight ahead, her pupils narrow and become vertical, her whiskers stick out rigidly, her ears are pressed tightly to her head.

If she is even ready to rush at the enemy, then a wide-open mouth with exposed teeth and gums is added to the above-described signs.

When a cat is scared and wants to obey, its pupils dilate. At the moment when she is serene and feels completely calm, her eyes close, and from the edges of her eyes it becomes noticeable inner eyelid. Pay attention to the movement of the ears: when they are tense and the cat presses them to the sides - this is a warning, if back - inner fear If she carelessly moves them left and right, it means she is simply exploring something or has seen something very interesting.

Stage No. 3. Learning to understand by the movement of the torso, what do cats think about.

Also observe the cat’s body and the movements it makes with it, for these signs can be very eloquent. If, for example, a cat bends into an arc and stands on straight legs, then in this way she wants to give a signal to the enemy to get out of the way. If she thinks only about defense and in it more fear than aggression, the cat simply lies on its back or side, and, spreading its claws, presses its paws to its chest or extends them to their full length.

When a cat is especially peaceful and wants your attention, then, arching and stiffening its tail, it begins to persistently rub against your legs, meowing or purring. If your pet behaves in this way, then do not be lazy to respond with mutual affection: cats love such an owner very much and quickly become attached to him, loving him devotedly and distinguishing him from all other household members, you just need to have time to be the first in her hierarchy of values.

Stage No. 4. LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND BY MEOWING AND PURSING, what do cats think about.

To enhance signals, cats often resort to sounds. Meowing is by far the most common sound signal.

However, a cat almost always, with the help of meowing, produces such a range of emotions that it is difficult to talk about the differentiated semantic load of this sound signal. There may be a request, a demand, indignation, or a plea... Moreover, the intonation may practically not change.

Another thing is purring! With this pleasant sound for any ear, the cat most often expresses its sympathy for you; at such moments it feels especially calm and enjoys your company.

Cats also often purr during hygiene procedures, combing himself with his tongue or when he has just eaten and is full - here the purring can turn into a blissful rumbling.

But beware of the cat when it hisses: in such seconds it simply boils with anger and it is better to leave it alone.
In conclusion, I would like to add simple wisdom: if you pay attention to your pet more often and analyze its behavior, then over time you will be able to establish the closest contact with it, when you can understand your cat with just one swish of its tail or movement of its ears.

And most importantly, love your cat, and she will always pay you in the same coin, then mutual understanding with her can be established without extra effort.

P.S. Well, this was the opinion of my Aunt Sveta, a veterinarian, about What do cats think about?

I, like a black cat, believe that it is much easier to learn to understand us cats and cats than professionals think.

What do you think: what was your cat thinking about today? I would be glad to hear about it from the comments to this article!

Your black cat, Jose Carreras with love at la-murmur.ru.

Animals have been around humans for thousands of years. They help hunt and protect the home. They worked with them, they were deified, they were sacrificed - you never know! Just think: thousands of years! Does this mean that we are used to them? Maybe someone perceives “our little brothers” as a source of profit, but most of my friends treat them differently. Pets are a small miracle.

Such a miracle has recently been living in our house - a cat. Her name is Mukha, and this name completely characterizes her. She is fast, runs around the house, seemingly without stopping for a minute. It seems that she has a special trajectory or so-called points that need to be covered, no matter the cost. She is very light, small, fluffy. Our ball of happiness. She has a big belly and dark fur, which is why we jokingly call her “Fat Pig.” When we come home after school, we will definitely say hello to Musha. It’s nice to even just take her in your arms and stand, tell her something that happened during the day. She almost never looks me in the eye, always somewhere off into the distance. You get the feeling that she is not next to you, but somewhere far away, thinking about something of her own. And the boundaries of my world are also expanding. Together with her, it’s as if I’m carried away to other spaces, to other times. It's so cool! When we are busy with our own affairs: doing homework or just watching TV, the Fly always wants to be the center of attention, like a child. She comes and lies on your lap. This is very pleasing, because warmth, peace and a sonorous purring emanate from her. And when I’m in a hurry somewhere, running from one room to another, she constantly gets under my feet, then I also take her in my arms, start stroking her, and my hand becomes a toy. The fly is only 5 months old, and she plays all day long, and when everyone in the house falls asleep, she comes into our room and lies down either on my bed, or with her sister, but most often with me.

Our cat is absolutely extraordinary! Everyone knows that the cat family is afraid of water. But she doesn’t! Runs around the bath and plays with the water. Then he gets out with a wet tail and starts chasing him, that is, he does five circles. All this makes me very happy. With what a cheerful mood I play together with Mukha!

In general, she has an interesting fate. When my family and I were relaxing at the dacha, my brother and his friends brought under his jacket a small, torn one, with beautiful green eyes a bundle of life. We all looked at each other, and dad said his final word: “We take it.” The fly was tiny, timid and offended by the whole world... But as they say, everything heals quickly on cats, and after a week the wounds were completely gone. She got used to us, and we got used to her. The fly is not afraid of heights, stands and jumps perfectly on two legs. Pulls its paws when you lift it up. She looks like a circus cat. We sometimes joke, saying that Kuklachev would definitely take her to his circus.

For all these qualities and simply because she exists, she is ours, we love the cat Mukha. Without a doubt, she changed our lives, and we changed hers. For us, Mukha is a member of the family. She even has a passport, which was given to her in veterinary clinic. It's impossible to get bored with her; she'll do something weird. And I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened to Mukha if my brother and his friends had not found her at the dacha, in a pipe near the lake?

Kuznetsova Alexandra, 16 years

My cat named Bucks has been living with me for about ten years, we have found mutual understanding and even learned to speak in our common “human-cat” language. But I never managed to understand what he was thinking about. Of course, as with all pets, sometimes various funny and curious stories happen to him. Here is one of them, which I called “The Cat’s Revenge.”

I came home from work one evening and, as usual, went to the store to buy groceries. Thoughts were spinning in my head all the way around the new project that I was assigned to lead. However, website promotion, optimization and everything else SEO is such an exciting activity that you can even forget about the impudent hungry face of your pet. That’s why I automatically put the groceries on the table and headed into the room to change clothes. The cat hung around all the time, however, he loves it when I come from the store. But he never climbs onto the table or into the bag, he always waits for his share to be given to him.

But this time everything went wrong, I start putting food in the refrigerator and realize that one sausage is missing, I only bought a few pieces. I looked in the bag, under the table, and it seemed to be nowhere. I didn’t pay attention to it, you never know, maybe I mixed something up, my thoughts were somewhere else. I continue to do my routine chores in the kitchen, and I step on a lump under the rug, lift it, and there it is - the missing sausage. Someone very thrifty decided to hide it, apparently for a rainy day or to diversify the menu. The sausage was safely placed in the refrigerator, and I continued my business.

After a little time, the cat Bucks appears in the kitchen. Pretending that he is just strolling here, he carefully lifts the edge of the rug with his paw. There is surprise on the face, it raises it even higher, but there is nothing there. The cat, no longer hiding, crawls completely under the carpet and begins an active search. I watch this picture for about five minutes, trying to hold back my laughter. Then I can’t stand it and start laughing loudly. The cat crawls out from under the rug and looks at me contemptuously and proudly walks away with its tail raised. I feel that this is not the end yet, and my cat is up to something, but I could never guess what. But I know for sure that cats are great at thinking, and calculate all their actions in advance.

Having laughed to my heart's content, I went into the room and practically forgot about this incident. But it had a sequel. I go out to the kitchen to smoke, I have this bad habit, but there is no lighter on the table. I start looking in the kitchen, in the hallway, in the living room - nowhere. As a result, I come to the conclusion that besides this very lighter that was lying on the table, there is nothing else at all. That is, I can’t even smoke, I can’t even light gas to heat the kettle. And the time is already quite late, I don’t want to go to a store or kiosk, and all the grandmothers and neighbors have been sleeping peacefully for a long time. In these sorrowful thoughts I walk around the kitchen, mechanically rummaging through all the cabinets, last hope miraculously find a match or lighter hidden somewhere. And then I step on something. Under the rug, in the very place where the sausage was hidden, lies my lighter. And I joyfully shout to the cat throughout the apartment - “That’s it, I’ve taken my revenge, we’re even!”