4 ms·

I don't even know where to start with this. Do you really believe cats are somehow uniquely incapable of adaptation or learning? House cats are, for whatever r

I don't even know where to start with this. Do you really believe cats are somehow uniquely incapable of adaptation or learning? House cats are, for whatever reason: - very routine driven, - very sensitive to food availability, - get bored really easily. This combination means that if you regularly disrupt those things you force the cat to constantly adapt. Most animals (including humans!) don't deal well with that. Honestly I think most bad behavior for cats is that third point. People think because they're smaller than dogs they're ok with tiny uninteresting spaces but that's not really how they work. Especially if you have more than one, but if you do only have one then they're gonna get incredibly bored. Anyways, in my house we have 4 cats and we managed to "train" them into more or less free feeding from all being pretty food insecure by just using rfid-controlled feeder bowls that only open for the right cat, so there's some anecdata for being able to change cat behaviour.

RicoElectrico 5y ago
> This combination means that if you regularly disrupt those things you force the cat to constantly adapt. I did not imply regular disruption. But take this example - I have read/heard about semi-feral cats which were regularly fed for over a year by somebody before allowing to be touched. At this rate you could make it so for wild animals typically found at human settlements like squirrels and corvids. So, no change after the beginning, yet it took a year for the cat before realizing humans are friendly. > Honestly I think most bad behavior for cats is that third point. People think because they're smaller than dogs they're ok with tiny uninteresting spaces but that's not really how they work. On that one I have to agree - some people are surprised their cats ignore them, but they don't play, especially to spend energy during the so called zoomies.
- nonameiguess 5y ago
  > But take this example - I have read/heard about semi-feral cats which were regularly fed for over a year by somebody before allowing to be touched. This is true of individual cats, but not at all for cats as an entire species. I regularly feed semi-feral cats and even took one in. There is tremendous variety in how long it takes before they'll let you touch them. In some cases, it's never. In some cases, it's right away. I'd reckon an average case is maybe about a month. It presumably depends heavily on individual personality plus whatever history of trauma from other large animals and people they have already experienced before they ever met you.
  - RicoElectrico 5y ago
    I guess cat doing cat things i.e. hunting does not require much intelligence, just sharp senses and nimble body. This is indeed very weird species. On one hand you have your regular cats which are going to shit themselves if you ever wash their cat bed and the scent is gone, on the other one you have quite brave, sociable and intelligent breeds that have no problem being walked, or even being a travel companion. As we have pretty much have figured out dogs, it's an embarrassment we haven't figured out cats.

RicoElectrico 5y ago

> This combination means that if you regularly disrupt those things you force the cat to constantly adapt. I did not imply regular disruption. But take this example - I have read/heard about semi-feral cats which were regularly fed for over a year by somebody before allowing to be touched. At this rate you could make it so for wild animals typically found at human settlements like squirrels and corvids. So, no change after the beginning, yet it took a year for the cat before realizing humans are friendly. > Honestly I think most bad behavior for cats is that third point. People think because they're smaller than dogs they're ok with tiny uninteresting spaces but that's not really how they work. On that one I have to agree - some people are surprised their cats ignore them, but they don't play, especially to spend energy during the so called zoomies.

nonameiguess 5y ago
> But take this example - I have read/heard about semi-feral cats which were regularly fed for over a year by somebody before allowing to be touched. This is true of individual cats, but not at all for cats as an entire species. I regularly feed semi-feral cats and even took one in. There is tremendous variety in how long it takes before they'll let you touch them. In some cases, it's never. In some cases, it's right away. I'd reckon an average case is maybe about a month. It presumably depends heavily on individual personality plus whatever history of trauma from other large animals and people they have already experienced before they ever met you.
- RicoElectrico 5y ago
  I guess cat doing cat things i.e. hunting does not require much intelligence, just sharp senses and nimble body. This is indeed very weird species. On one hand you have your regular cats which are going to shit themselves if you ever wash their cat bed and the scent is gone, on the other one you have quite brave, sociable and intelligent breeds that have no problem being walked, or even being a travel companion. As we have pretty much have figured out dogs, it's an embarrassment we haven't figured out cats.