This week I wanted to look into whether cats are self aware. First off, what does it mean to be self aware? According to biologyinsights.com, self awareness is the ability of an organism to perceive itself as an individual entity. They say that beyond just being conscious, or aware of external stimuli, this means that you are aware that your body is seperate and under your control, which is bodily self awareness. Going deeper, there is more complex self awareness which means you can think about your own thoughts. A common test used by scientists to investigate self awareness in animals is called the mirror self-recognition (or MSR) test. This is also sometimes called the mark test or red dot...
Does your cat defend your house, do they like to play fetch, or beg for treats? Maybe they like to go on walks? Maybe your cat is a dog! Of course, cats and dogs are clearly different species, so I'm not literally saying your cat is a dog, but there are cats that display some dog-like characteristics! So, lets look into some reasons for a cat acting like a dog! As Catster.com points out, when someone says their cat acts like a dog, they usually mean that they have a close bond with their cat, and that the cat is friendly toward people. As I've often mentioned here, all cats are individuals and will have different personalities and friendliness, playfulness...
It is often reported that having a pet can help with feelings of depression, so this week, I wanted to look more into how cats can help with mental health. HABRI (Human Animal Bond Research Institute) has done surveys of pet owners on various topics related to their relationship with their pets. While this is not specific to cats, the survey revealed that 76% reported that their own health had improved because of owning a pet! How do cats help with anxiety and depression? USServiceAnimals.org says that cats can pick up on your body language and voice cues and will change their behavior accordingly. It is unclear whether they get stressed out by your mood and want to help, or...
If your cat ever goes missing, it can be very stressful and worrisome, and you will naturally wonder if cats can find their way home. I'd love to put your mind at ease and say that your cat will reappear, but like many things when it comes to cats, it seems to depend on the individual cat. A study from 1922 called "Homing Powers of the Cat" looked into a mother cat who was able to reunite with her kittens from as far as 4 miles away. There is also a survey on lostpetresearch.com that includes a cat that found their way home from as far as 80 miles away! It's not well known how cats find their way home if lost,...
Many of us have seen a Mama cat carrying her babies around in her mouth by picking them up by the back of the neck, so it may seem natural for us to pick up our cats in a similar way by the back of their necks, especially when you are trying to get them to do something they might not want to, like get in a cat carrier. This is called scruffing, but it has fallen out of favor and in fact vets say you should never do it! Let's learn more the potentially harmful consquences of cat scruffing! First off, what is the scruff of a cat? According to MarthaStewart.com, cat's are born with loose skin at the...
