Do you share your home with a cat? Surely the behavior of these domestic felines has amazed you on more than one occasion, since precisely one of the main characteristics of this animal is its independent character, which does not mean that they are not affectionate, although of course, they are completely different from dogs.
Research carried out to date with the aim of studying animal behavior, communication and thought have yielded surprising results, even more so those that have been dedicated to approaching feline thought.
Do you want to know how cats think? In this AnimalWised article we explain it 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 the animals most prone to stress as well as the dangerous consequences of this state when it is prolonged over time.
But how is it possible that an animal with such sensitivity is not aware of its own existence? Well, the truth is that this is not exactly the case, what happens is that scientific studies about 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 maintain (and it seems most reasonable) that this lack of reaction is due to the fact that cats do not perceive any odor in the mirrorand therefore nothing attracts them enough for them to get close to their reflection and interact with it.
Cats don't see us as humans
The biologist Dr. John Bradshaw, from the University of Bristol, has been studying felines for 30 years and the results obtained through his different investigations are surprising since he has determined that cats do not perceive us as humans, not as masters, but as giant versions of themselves
In this sense, the cat conceives of us as if we were simply one more cat with whom he can socialize or not, depending on the moment, his interests and desires, but under no circumstances does he believe that we are a species that can master them.
This characteristic is evident if we compare cats with dogs, since dogs do not interact with humans in the same way that they do it with other dogs, however, cats do not alter their behavior when they are in front of a human.
Cats are not domesticated animals
Obviously a cat can be trained to know what it cannot do in its human home and like a dog, it also responds well to positive reinforcement, but this should not be confused with a process of taming.
Experts believe that the domestication of the first dogs may have occurred approximately 32,000 years ago, instead, lcats 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 have learned to cohabit with humans to Take advantage of all the collateral benefits that these "giant cats" can provide, such as food, water and a comfortable environment to rest.
Cats train their owners
Cats are extremely intelligent, so much so that they are capable of training us without even realizing it.
Cats continually observe humans, who they see simply as giant cats, they know, for example, that by purring it is very possible to arouse our protective instincts, which most of the time ends in a reward in the form of food, therefore, they do not hesitate to use purring as a means of manipulation.
They also know that by emitting certain noises, one goes in search of them or on the contrary, leaves the room where they are, and it is through continuous observation of their human family that the cat tailor our responses to your needs.
But that's not all, cats can also feel protective instincts towards us… Has your cat ever left you a small prey in the entrance of the house? He does this because while he sees you as a giant cat, he also considers you to be a clumsy cat who may have a hard time getting food, and well, very endearingly, he decides help you in this important task.
The cat considers that he should train you, in a certain way because as we mentioned he thinks you are clumsy (not weak or inferior), also for this reason your cat rubs against you, thus marking you with your pheromones, as if you were his property. Other times he just wants to groom himself or use you as a scratching post, but this is a good sign, as it indicates that they don't see us as hostile rivals.
What triggers a cat's thinking?
Cats' thinking is due to different factors, although generally the most decisive are their instinct, the interactions they carry out and especially the record of past experiences.
It is important that you know that all the studies that try to decipher feline thinking conclude that you should only interact with the cat when he asks for it, since otherwise, they suffer great stress.
