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Self-Aware Cat?

gattino

Justified & Ancient
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Messages
2,517
One could speculate/suggest that this kitty's paw movements are coincidental to looking at itself...but on the face of it it at least appears to not only be passing the "mirror test" (not something generally observed in felines) but doing so through reasoning and experimentation.

Shades of James Herbert's Fluke, perhaps.....

 
I didn't know this was a thing. Many cats I have known recognize other cats on tv and appear to know about mirrors. My cats have never freaked about seeing a strange no-smell cat in the house as they pass a mirror, although relatively few have stopped to check their lipstick.
 
Our funny little cat also poses in front of the mirror and clearly knows it is her, but knows another feline on the telly and does the bobbing up and down thing.
 
Our cat's dad is a Russian Blue, there's a mirror in the garden where he lives and he spends all day admiring himself in it.
 
I can remember being told that pets did not understand reflections in mirrors or images on screens. I don't recall my doggie being very curious about the face looking back at her from the mirror or reacting much to the television.

Now there are dozens of clips on Youtube of cats and dogs doing the whole Groucho Marx routine, as they seek to surprise themselves or get behind the surface of their reflections. With screens, I can believe that higher definition has made it easier for the four-legged ones to take an interest. Mirrors have not evolved so much, so I am wondering if our pets have! :actw:
 
I can remember being told that pets did not understand reflections in mirrors or images on screens. I don't recall my doggie being very curious about the face looking back at her from the mirror or reacting much to the television.

Now there are dozens of clips on Youtube of cats and dogs doing the whole Groucho Marx routine, as they seek to surprise themselves or get behind the surface of their reflections. With screens, I can believe that higher definition has made it easier for the four-legged ones to take an interest. Mirrors have not evolved so much, so I am wondering if our pets have! :actw:
You could be right. No reason why animals should stop evolving, and if they are recognising their own identity via a reflection that is a huge advance. The way that our dog asks for food always impresses me -- she stands next to her empty bowl, staring up at me, then taps briskly on the bowl with her claws. How on earth she knows the times when we give her treats to the nearest minute or so is also impressive..
 
Cats and dogs are relatively intelligent animals, so I don't see why they can't understand mirrors, at least in some limited sort of way. It also wouldn't surprise me if these species, who spend a lot of time in human habitats, might evolve to understand mirrors - although the connection to survival or propagation of the species, while there, is not very strong.

I also wonder what effect the cat's vertical irises, which make them much more sensitive to horizontal movements, have on their interaction with mirrors.
 
I can remember being told that pets did not understand reflections in mirrors or images on screens. I don't recall my doggie being very curious about the face looking back at her from the mirror or reacting much to the television.

Now there are dozens of clips on Youtube of cats and dogs doing the whole Groucho Marx routine, as they seek to surprise themselves or get behind the surface of their reflections. With screens, I can believe that higher definition has made it easier for the four-legged ones to take an interest. Mirrors have not evolved so much, so I am wondering if our pets have! :actw:

Some of our dogs have been interested in mirrors and television, while others haven't.

Out of our current crop of two ZebraPups, the older one occasionally watches things on telly but doesn't really care about mirrors.

The younger one on the other hand (for whom so much of life is a constant source of confusion and mystery) regularly watches things moving on telly, be it cars on motorsport programmes or animals. She also finds mirrors very confusing - the first time she saw one was a full length mirror on a wall in a hotel room and when she saw us in it, and we looked at her through it (if you see what I mean) from the other side of the room, she went berserk!

The best thing though, is sometimes when there is the sign language chap at the side of the screen on some programmes (e.g. ITV4 or what have you) and she will go up to the telly and jump up at the cabinet, wagging her tail at him. I think she thinks he's a "friend" who has come to see her.

Oh, and they both love watching Hey Duggee. As soon as the titles start they know. Don't ask us how we've discovered that, though, it's not like we would be watching it or anything.
 
We had one cat that regularly attempted to get past that other cat in a mirror; he'd paw at it, meow at it, duck and dance his head to try get around it, trying to get to that other room. Interestingly the furry fellow was relatively bright enough that he even tried to jump through the mirror from a height and at an angle where the other cat wouldn't see him! Unfortunately the other cat had the exact same idea at the exact same moment.
Most of our other moggies have shown little to no interest. One did seem to know that if you stood behind him while he was peering at himself, if he leaned back he'd get scratched, and other times he'd turn around as if he realized you would be there, but we never properly tested this in a scientific manner to prove it was the mirror image and not other information.
 
The feral thing that lodges with my old dear has moved into the spare room with me during isolation. The wardrobes are wall length with mirrors from the carpet to the ceiling and not only does he recognise and admire himself in them, but also uses the reflection to see out the door behind him for anyone likely to creep up on him and attack him while he's laying on the bed *cough*

Saying that, he doesn't understand the concept of beds and the look of astonishment on his face when you lift the duvet to create a dark tunnel underneath is priceless.
 
My dog knows that, if you see something chase-worthy, (like a pheasant, not stock) in a field but you can't get through the hedge, you run round to the nearest gate and go in that way.

Although the other day she and I were walking on opposite sides of a drainage ditch and she couldn't jump it and didn't seem to be able to work out that she could just go back to where we'd parted company and cross over.

She's a Pattedale, mind you. They aren't gifted thinkers unless there's something to chase.
 
I weirdly just remembered my horse. Whenever I got the camera out to take a picture of him, he'd 'freeze' and sort of stand and pose. He can't have known I wanted him to do it, but, thinking about it, he'd would often stand very still when people came out to admire him (he was a very beautiful boy). I wonder if he knew...
 
The original studies in animal self-awareness centred on giving mirrors to chimps and other apes. Chimps are very inquisitive and will study their reflection for a relatively long time before getting bored. The trick is to conceal a marker pen in one hand whilst distracting the chimp from the mirror long enough to surreptitiously plant a spot on its face. When the chimp goes back to the mirror it sees something new, but touches the spot on its face, not the one in the mirror - hence self-awareness.
Problem with trying to repeat the paradigm with dogs, cats, horses, dolphins etc comes down to the lack of hands - but I must admit the way the cat was stroking its ears seemed to suggest it knew the image in the mirror was not another cat.
 
I've seen things on TV that have argued only apes have self awareness and other animals, even monkeys, don't. I'm guessing there must be exceptions and perhaps the cat above is one of them. I've seen footage f dogs and cats going crazy at mirrors or animals on screens but never witnessed it IRL, I presume most either get used to it or are just not interested to begin with.
 
The feral thing that lodges with my old dear has moved into the spare room with me during isolation. The wardrobes are wall length with mirrors from the carpet to the ceiling and not only does he recognise and admire himself in them, but also uses the reflection to see out the door behind him for anyone likely to creep up on him and attack him while he's laying on the bed *cough*

Saying that, he doesn't understand the concept of beds and the look of astonishment on his face when you lift the duvet to create a dark tunnel underneath is priceless.
Our little cat is not a full shilling but a gentle little soul. She also uses the wardrobe mirrors to check on what's going on behind her.
 
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