How smart are our pets?

[Kashka-Kat]

Do you think cats are capable of reasoning?

Today I let my cat out for 1/2 hr. before I went to work. She was whining to get out and at first I wasn't going to, but then I threw open the door and said, "OK, but you only have a half an hour and then you have to come in because I'm going to work."

(I don't like to leave the cat out unless I'm around to supervise.)

So then, 1/2 hour later I open the door and there the cat is, just coming up the stairs to get back into the apartment!

This kind of thing has happened before, a bunch of times. I really do think she understands when I will be gone for a while and anticipates the future and reasons that she doesn't want to be left outside all day. It's happened sometimes that she's been left outside inadvertently, and she doesn't like it because she wants to know that when she's outside I'll come to her rescue when there's trouble, like another cat attacking or something. And being cut off from the food dish all day-- she doesn't like that either! I know she doesn't like it because then when I do come home and let her inside, she'll be crying about it for awhile.

So I really do think she sees me ready for work, dressed in a certain way, maybe with keys in hand, and she understands what that means, and she has learned from prior experience that she does not want to be outside all day without me around and so reasons and makes choices based on that information.

Another thing I've been amazed at lately, since I got goldfish for my pond-- just how smart they are. They recognize my footsteps and come running (as well as a fish can) for food when I call them! Some people on a pond forum say they can pet their fish and that koi especially are very smart.

[ccjlld]

1. I know Tucker is smart

He knows that the door knobs open the doors and tries to get them to turn. When he wants something, I say "Show mama what you want". He will either go to the back door (outside), the bathroom (water), the kitchen (food), or the bedroom (loving or playing). The other day, we were in the garage and he had come around the front of the house. I told him that "Mama need to go finish something inside" and he proceeded me to the door in the garage.
He also figured out that if yowling won't wake us up at night to let him out, he can start knocking things off of the bedside tables and eventually, one of us will get up. He know exactly when I'm making my lunch everyday because he know that he'll get a little turkey or ham. I can be in the kitchen 4 different times and he won't come in until I'm making a sandwich.
My husband swears the cat understand exactly what I'm saying to him, and a lot of times I have to agree!

[superconnected]

2. I have explained things to my animals many times

It could be anything from why they can't go outside right now to why they can't get in plastic shopping bags. I'm positive they understand.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Yes. I agree. I have also explained things to my pets. They

really do understand. I am not sure it is the words or the thoughts that get thru to them..but in any case...they usually know exactly what I am talking about and respond accordingly. Even though I am doing the talking, I am still amazed sometimes.

[regnaD kciN]

4. How smart are they?

Smart enough to get us to do what they want.

[demnan]

5. Pad Thai figured out

that if he walks across the Bose alarm radio he can turn the alarm off. He tries to do this all the time. I put the phone on top of the buttons (to keep him from changing the settings) and most of the time he can't move the phone. If I didn't keep something on the radio he would be turning it on in the middle of the night, canceling the alarm and and turning on his favorite music (for some reason he likes Christian rock -- or likes to irritate me?).

Once I am awake and paying attention he will then bring me a sparkley ball to throw. I have to make sure he doesn't get back up there and try to turn the alarm off again!

[Lowell]

6. My old dog Watson

can spell. Sometimes when the wife and I are going out we try to keep it from the dogs. Watson knows W-A-L-K, O-U-T and E-A-T and of course he tells the younger dog exactly what we just said. Now she is learning to spell. I guess we'll have to start passing notes to each other soon.