Do pets really remember?

(Matt) wrote in message . com...
(...)

While my cats are no rocket engineers they do understand quiet a few
words. I would estimate that the know the meaning of at least 25 to 50
words. The tomcat knows what it means when he is asked to go to sleep
with me or for example will jump in the tub if I ask him if he wants
some water, he will also wake me up every morning at sharp 8:30 (give
or take two minutes) so that I can get up to feed him and so on.

Most of these things are simple learned associations (human gets up =
food, and so forth).

I've found that my cats can very rarely take multiple steps to reach a
goal. For example, one the 'em commonly jumps from a bedside table to
the bed. However, if I have a toy he wants, if I dangle it in the
space 'tween bedside table and bed, he never works out that he just
needs to hop onto the table, and jump the gap. Instead, he will stand
directly below the toy, and attempt futile vertical leaps. He will
even do this if I place him on the bedside table - he'll jump down and
do the vertical spring-thing. Stoopid.

One of my cats has also developed a bizarre association; whenever I'm
spooning their food out, the aforementioned cat will always open the
cupboard below the sink and look inside. There is no food in that
cupboard; there never has been, and never will be. Yet the behaviour
persists. Idiot cat.


Indoor cats might exhibit more seemingly intelligent behaviour than
outdoor cats since they are more focused on humans and their
behaviour.

Although, ironically, indoor cats will generally have less
'intelligence' than cats that have access to the outdoors, by virtue
of the far less rich and varied environment experienced by the indoor
cat.

Steve.

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Some people say that pets are just stupid, some people say they are
smart,
that maybe they really can understand a few English phrases.

Are they (cats & dogs) able to remember? Let's hear your story
supporting
this.




They learn and remember as long as it is useful for them.
Once I was sitting outdoors on the front balcony, snacking on soda crackers,
when my tortie Shiva came to me and begged for one. I gave it to her, she
held it in her mouth but when she put it down to eat it, it got lost by
falling through the narrow crack between the planks. So I give her a second.
Same scenario :-) She loses it the same way. Third cracker, she goes to
put down again but stops halfway, remembering how she had lost the others..
she looks around and sees a few feet away the little doormat. She takes her
cracker on the mat, puts it down and eats it happily. (g) Doesn't seem
like much but it was brilliant to see.


Elaine

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Some people say that pets are just stupid, some people say they are
smart,
that maybe they really can understand a few English phrases.

Are they (cats & dogs) able to remember? Let's hear your story
supporting
this.




They learn and remember as long as it is useful for them.
Once I was sitting outdoors on the front balcony, snacking on soda crackers,
when my tortie Shiva came to me and begged for one. I gave it to her, she
held it in her mouth but when she put it down to eat it, it got lost by
falling through the narrow crack between the planks. So I give her a second.
Same scenario :-) She loses it the same way. Third cracker, she goes to
put down again but stops halfway, remembering how she had lost the others..
she looks around and sees a few feet away the little doormat. She takes her
cracker on the mat, puts it down and eats it happily. (g) Doesn't seem
like much but it was brilliant to see.


Elaine

"Ablang" wrote in message
...
Some people say that pets are just stupid, some people say they are
smart,
that maybe they really can understand a few English phrases.

Are they (cats & dogs) able to remember? Let's hear your story
supporting
this.




They learn and remember as long as it is useful for them.
Once I was sitting outdoors on the front balcony, snacking on soda crackers,
when my tortie Shiva came to me and begged for one. I gave it to her, she
held it in her mouth but when she put it down to eat it, it got lost by
falling through the narrow crack between the planks. So I give her a second.
Same scenario :-) She loses it the same way. Third cracker, she goes to
put down again but stops halfway, remembering how she had lost the others..
she looks around and sees a few feet away the little doormat. She takes her
cracker on the mat, puts it down and eats it happily. (g) Doesn't seem
like much but it was brilliant to see.


Elaine