When they spot a mirrored kitty, some cats will duck behind the mirror to look for the other cat, some will ignore the reflection and others will "act wary or aggressive towards what appears to be another cat able to counteract [her] own gestures perfectly." Still, other cats may exhibit aggressive or fearful behavior when they see their reflection. In short, yes, they can learn to recognize their own and other’s reflections and even use mirrors to see a housemate creeping up on them from behind. Learn what it means and what you can do to help remedy it. Or being the cat she is, sometimes she'll stare back at us, and deliberately do one slow scratch to see our reaction (that one is usually when she wants us to wake up or be petted). in the same way as a human would, but it may know that its body is its own and does not belong to someone else." Maybe. New research shows that dogs tend to be preferred over cats because they're seen as more controllable. There's no doubt that cats and humans bond but it is less clear whether they recognize us or not. Way Of Cats says that the way cats react to seeing themselves in mirrors is an indicator of whether they think the reflection is a real cat. Your kitty's puffed-out tail and the way her ears are tilted are a response to the "threat" of her own reflection. This is my cat Carlos. More than likely, she's investigating the stranger that is too close for comfort. When evil is on the rise and the safety of the neighbourhood is at stake the Parliament of Cats is there to stand firm against the darkness. Scientific American references the issues with the "red spot test," also called the mirror self-reflection test, a well-known study conducted in 1970 by psychologist Gordon Gallup and published in The Cognitive Animal. While we know that humans regularly dream during their sleep, for many years it was unclear if animals did dream. Nevertheless owning a cat comes with plenty of responsibilities. They understand that the mirror-self can also be seen in a photo taken yesterday or movie made tomorrow. He Who Must Not Be Named February 24, 2020. Obviously – that’s the shortest answer. Anonymous February 25, 2020. You'll see these concepts in motion when, say, your cat jumps to the top of the kitchen cabinets. Eventually, the cats mirrored the lives of their owners in terms of eating, activity and sleep. And then there is the mirror. Don't worry, he does just fine without it. For instance, your kitten may be used to seeing its own reflection and associate that with a "happy" cat. Cats don't understand words and meaning in the same way we understand language. Learn about why you cat is in heat and how to prevent a cat from being, in heat from your friends at Hills Pet Nutrition. ... the dreamer’s eyes move rapidly and randomly and their brain activity mirrors that of the animal when awake. Mine hangs out for water. 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