4 ms·
It's not scientific, and based purely on my own observation, but I'm reasonably sure that one of my cats can count to a limited degree. He's a rescue on a spec
by b5 9y ago
It's not scientific, and based purely on my own observation, but I'm reasonably sure that one of my cats can count to a limited degree.
He's a rescue on a special diet for his weight, as we have a small scoop to measure out his portion. Both he and the other cat get two scoops each. I normally put one in his bowl -- which he starts eating immediately -- then two in the other cat's bowl, then his second in his bowl. He stops eating and watches each scoop being poured into the bowl.
He seems to be able to keep track/count of how many scoops each bowl gets, even if I vary the order they're delivered in. He'll switch to the other bowl if it gets an additional scoop, even if it gets one full scoop and two half scoops. He seems good at 'counting' the number of scoops, but poor at judging the quantity of kibble in the bowl -- he'll unfailingly pick the bowl with more scoops even if it has the same or slightly lower quantity of food in it. He only notices a quantity difference if it's reasonably large.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- 00117 9y agoHow do you know the cat isn't merely opting for the bowl that most-recently had food put in? Can you please test this and get back to us?
- zafka 9y agoI think this actually calls for a whole series of tests. Feel free to do a "show HN" with your test plan.
- a_c_s 9y agoBecause the cat doesn't switch bowls unless a bowl gets >2 scoops.
- ctchocula 9y agoOne way to test this would be to use a scoop that's 2x bigger than the other scoop, and putting in 3 scoops using the smaller scoop vs. 2 scoops of the bigger scoop.
- b5 9y agoTried that by using three half-ish full scoops against two full scoops. He always goes to the bowl which has had the highest number of scoops in it, even though it might actually have a lower quantity of food in it. He seems to be counting rather than comparing quantity, because his trigger is the other bowl getting +1 scoop versus his.
- Someone 9y agoYou need a tall but narrow scoop and a short but wide one (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_(psychology)#Liquid https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_(psychology)#Li...)
- b5 9y agoI've tried to catch him out like that with a couple of variation, and he always sticks with the bowl with most scoops. I'll put a single scoop in his bowl -- which he starts to eat straight away -- then three scoops in the other bowl, then a final scoop in his. He stays with the other bowl, which has had one extra scoop of food, even though his own bowl has had the most recent scoop added to it. If I put two scoops into his bowl, and two into the other, he stays with his bowl. He only switches when a third scoop goes into the other bowl. He's been consistent with this since I noticed him doing it, and I'm not sure how long before I noticed he was doing it that he started doing it.
- ericjang 9y agoThanks for the good science!
- lettergram 9y agoGiven my cat has figured out how to open three different kinds of doors (handle, slidding, and even knob) I'm sure they can figure that out. Hell, my cat seems close to figuring out how to turn on our fire place. She goes and sits by the switch (out of her reach) and meows until we turn it on, then runs across the room to lay by it. I'm confident given sometime they can count as well. Likely this would help them catch mice and what not, if they know how many there are.
- moccachino 9y agoSounds like she isn't close to figuring it out, she already has :)
- fineline 9y agoDefinitely - the easiest way to get something done is to have someone else to do it. Taming is a two-way process.
- Skunkleton 9y agoThe cat I had growing up had similar skills with doors, among other annoyingly intelligent behaviors. The only thing saving us from world wide cat domination is that cats aren't particularly social and don't really teach their young these skills.
- WalterBright 9y ago> world wide cat domination I'm careful to never let my cat have access to my computer. Otherwise she'd get on the Intercat and plot the Cat-astrophe.
- wellactually 9y agoIt might already be too late: http://infinitecat.com/infinite/cat1.html http://infinitecat.com/infinite/cat1.html
- blacksmith_tb 9y ago
- jnordwick 9y agoClever Hans Effect https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clever_Hans https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clever_Hans
- b5 9y agoIt's definitely possible that's what's happening. He's never looking at me when he does it -- he's always eating, facing away from me, and I'm placing scoops into the bowls from behind him. I don't rule out that I'm reading too much into it, or seeing something that isn't there; I've tried to be 'scientific' about it, but I'm under no illusion that what I'm doing is in any way hard-scientific.
- rvn1045 9y agoWould the cat be able to keep tracking of 3 or more bowls?
- pymai 9y agowhat if he is just switching because there is more in the other bowl?