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I agree that evolution did play the crucial part in developing the drinking method for cats, which is now part of their instinct, but the precise frequency can
by tspiteri 16y ago
I agree that evolution did play the crucial part in developing the drinking method for cats, which is now part of their instinct, but the precise frequency can be learned during their lifetime, it does not have to be instinctive. Cats train their drinking technique daily for long stretches of time, so they have plenty of chance to optimize their drinking frequency. And the thing is, that is feedback as well: cats, being quite impatient, try to drink water as fast as they can, so they try to move their tongues faster, only to discover that they are spending more time getting their drink, so they slow down their tongues again, and get more water.
- ars 16y agoThe only way to find out is have a cat drink at reduced (not zero) gravity. New mission for NASA: "Cat on the moon." "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a cat on the Moon and watching him drink."
- DannoHung 16y agoHuh... if it is evolutionarily ingrained, then that means that Dogs would be far better space-pets.
- sliverstorm 16y agoI would hazard evolution had to play at least a role in the frequency thing- you need some special developments to do something like this 4 times a second. You're right though, it could be part behavioral.