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douglas9

(4,358 posts)
Fri May 10, 2019, 12:42 PM May 2019

Cats rival dogs on many tests of social smarts. But is anyone brave enough to study them?

CORVALLIS, OREGON—Carl the cat was born to beat the odds. Abandoned on the side of the road in a Rubbermaid container, the scrawny black kitten—with white paws, white chest, and a white, skunklike stripe down his nose—was rescued by Kristyn Vitale, a postdoc at Oregon State University here who just happens to study the feline mind. Now, Vitale hopes Carl will pull off another coup, by performing a feat of social smarts researchers once thought was impossible.

In a stark white laboratory room, Vitale sits against the back wall, flanked by two overturned cardboard bowls. An undergraduate research assistant kneels a couple of meters away, holding Carl firmly.

"Carl!" Vitale calls, and then points to one of the bowls. The assistant lets go.


https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/05/cats-rival-dogs-many-tests-social-smarts-anyone-brave-enough-study-them?et_rid=486754869&et_cid=2809095

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Cats rival dogs on many tests of social smarts. But is anyone brave enough to study them? (Original Post) douglas9 May 2019 OP
I would think that a researcher would be fascinated by the cat's getting bored... TreasonousBastard May 2019 #1
I don't need my dog any smarter than now. LakeArenal May 2019 #2
I had an incredibly intelligent Siamese. Duppers May 2019 #3
Just tonight, my cat surprised me by marybourg May 2019 #4

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)
1. I would think that a researcher would be fascinated by the cat's getting bored...
Fri May 10, 2019, 01:03 PM
May 2019

with the finger pointing exercise and want to find out more.

But, as that article points out, research costs money and there just isn't enough around to look for anything more than weapons or profitable gadgets.

Duppers

(28,094 posts)
3. I had an incredibly intelligent Siamese.
Fri May 10, 2019, 03:22 PM
May 2019

I adopted when he was a tiny stray wandering our townhouse neighborhood. Neighbors had no idea where he came from but didn't want him. Baby Silver was mostly Siamese. My older pure bred Siamese and her neurotic daughter shunned him but Silver and our Lab became fast friends. Where Kellie went, he went, even for car rides!

They reminded me of these 2 traveling companions, Henry and Baloo:






marybourg

(12,540 posts)
4. Just tonight, my cat surprised me by
Sun May 12, 2019, 08:52 PM
May 2019

returning to his own cushion when I pointed to it silently, after spotting him sitting on my chair. He does know his name, as well as the verbal and hand signals for “come” and “stay”. These were taught to him by his first owner, not by me. But he showed me what he knew when I said the words to him.

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