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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

cats, intelligent or stupid?

31 replies

dingit · 25/11/2015 17:51

How does my cat know when I open a tin of tuna ( no drain, ring pull variety)?
She was fast asleep upstairs in dds room, but appeared before I had scraped it out of the tin.

And just recently we have had some doors installed between the conservatory and kitchen to keep the house warmer. She can get in and out via the dining room doors. So why does she sit by the kitchen door, walk round and come in and stand behind me? Sometimes she does this several times. Or is it just asserting her royal powers?

OP posts:
yeOldeTrout · 25/11/2015 17:59

cats are patient.

Palomb · 25/11/2015 18:01

I've got one extremely dim witted cat and one extremely intelligent cat.

It depends on the cat!

dingit · 25/11/2015 18:03

Meant to say asks to be let out the kitchen door, otherwise that makes no sense!

OP posts:
MidnightVelvetthe4th · 25/11/2015 20:26

My cat is dim, she once fell off the window sill and into the box we keep for winter hats and gloves, properly trapped she was. She also rolled off the sofa and landed on her back on the floor.....

She can hear a tuna can being opened as well and dashes in meowing :)

BuggersMuddle · 26/11/2015 11:59

My cat recognises our cars, catches rats and comes running when tuna is opened or other food he likes.

On the other hand, he has repeatedly dunked his paws in concrete, resulting in being taken in the shower (which he does not like) He's also demonstrated that he is not capable of operating a Whiskas treat ball (basically a toy that drops treats when pushed) and instead mewls until a human just gives him the treats.

He does the door thing if he sees a human. I mean yes, he could use the catflap, but it's just so undignified for a cat of his stature Grin

Spickle · 26/11/2015 12:41

My cat has learned how to come in through the cat flap.

But not how to go out through the cat flap.

shushpenfold · 26/11/2015 12:50

One clever one, other is the village idiot of the cat world (and grumpy, moody, fat....) They can be both.

ManorMouse · 26/11/2015 15:56

My previous cat was a devious minx who regularly outsmarted the rest of the household.

I thought that my current cat was dim by comparison but she does pick things up quite quickly once she sees an advantage to it. Teaching her to use the cat flap was an exercise in futility until she twigged that she could come and go as she pleased and then ether was no stopping her.

dingit · 26/11/2015 16:27

My dm has an old fashioned cat flap that the cat is supposed to lift with his nose. He uses it as a door knocker and waits for them to open the door.

OP posts:
mercifulTehlu · 26/11/2015 16:37

They have good hearing - it hears you opening the tin. Presumably their sharp hearing even when asleep developed to protect them from potential predators.

I don't think cats are very intelligent. I have a cat and a dog, and there is just no comparison.

MephistophelesApprentice · 26/11/2015 16:43

Cat's are intelligent enough to pretend to be stupid.

MrsUnderwood · 26/11/2015 16:44

I have two. The male one is intelligent but a flouncy fucker. The female is as dumb as a rock. She's like the feline equivalent of Brick from Anchorman.

FuckOffJeffrey · 26/11/2015 16:50

I think I depends on the cat. Ours comes running when you call his name. I have been known to stick my head out the window and shout and he will come running back inside. Compared to the dog we had previous to him (german shepherd) I would say he is probably just as smart as her if not smarter.

Growing up we had 3 cats and 2 of them worked as a team to open the fridge door to steal the cold meat, in the end we had to put a child lock on to stop them. The other one was a bit dim though.

CoodleMoodle · 26/11/2015 16:52

DM has two cats (they're mine as well really). Same litter, had them since they were kittens, now about 13yrs old. Both are gorgeous and lovely.

Boy cat is intelligent but very aloof in that special cat way (loves you when you've got food, or when you've left him for "too long"). He's a complete Mummy's boy and spends most of his time staring at DM hoping she'll feed him again.

Girl cat is thick as a brick. Has no idea how to use a catflap (DM even took the magnetic strip off to make it easier...), and is terrified of everything for no real reason.

PurpleHairAndPearls · 26/11/2015 16:58

My cat is so dim I took her to the vet thinking she had a problem with her eyes. Examples - she constantly runs under my crutches causing me to flail about in comedy manner; regularly falls off the windowsill from a sitting position; gets tangled in curtains; head butts her reflection in windows etc. Once I posted a picture on here of her sat staring at our very boring fence.

Vet confirmed her eyes were fine and used the expression "not the sharpest knife in the drawer". All my previous cats have been evil intelligent, it's quite endearing having a stupid cat Grin

PurpleHairAndPearls · 26/11/2015 17:02

Oh yes, the terror and/or confusion causing properties of normal, everyday household objects. Particularly blinking lights. She will sit transfixed and watch the router (little lights) for hours then all of a sudden jump up and run away (usually under my sticks causing another comedy fall)

iloveeverykindofcat · 26/11/2015 18:35

Bibi is a genius. She survived and kept her babies alive under the direst circumstances before she was rescued. She understands everything and is an excellent conversationalist.

Zara, on the other hand, I once found crying in a bush at the front of the house because she was lost and didn't understand that the house was behind her. She is clever about some things though. Just not cat things.

Moonax · 29/11/2015 16:28

Our previous cats ranged from the black girl who had all the brains, via a dim but extremely affectionate tortie to black girl's tabby brother who was twice the size of the other two and could just about manage walking on a good day. The number of times I had to rescue him when he'd fallen between the back of the sofa and the cushions. He just lay there, beeping occasionally, waiting to be salvaged.

So anything really!

Have a new cat (hopefully) arriving soon and am awaiting the fun of finding out what kind of cat she is (5 year old Maine Coon rescue).

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2015 17:09

Ours can tell my car engine and I swap cars every 12-24 months. Dh's car is ignored because I do the majority of the feeding and hot water bottle re-filling. Dh says his ears prick up as I pull up and he's off to the front door.

He can open drawers, cupboards and doors.

On the downside he's not entirely sure candles are dangerous so it's a good job fur is naturally fire retardant.

Girlfriend36 · 29/11/2015 18:44

I think most cats are quite thick but they vary on the scale of thickness Grin

My boy cat is very very thick (walks into windows, falls out of trees....) girl cat is just quite thick.

Some of these cat stories are hilarious!

Camarg0 · 29/11/2015 18:48

My last cat used to meow to go out of the back door. However, if it was raining, she'd refuse to go out but trot to the front door to be let out that way. Y'know, because it might not be raining out the front...

iwashappy · 29/11/2015 18:53

One of mine is intelligent and the other a bit dippy.

However, despite me always leaving it until they are both sound asleep in the lounge they still manage to wake up and come and wreck havoc help me when I change the bed covers.

Fluffycloudland77 · 29/11/2015 21:34

Someone on here has a cat who has trained her to give him cream when she wants him in.

That cats a genius.

iloveeverykindofcat · 30/11/2015 07:18

He just lay there, beeping occasionally, waiting to be salvaged.

This fills my heart

Glastokitty · 30/11/2015 07:31

My cat is a bit thick, but then when I come home from work and catch him still snoozing in the same spot as when I left, and he jumps up to demand his gourmet cat food, and pets, I wonder who is the fool! Grin