If you think about it, your cat was smart enough to land in your home, where you hopefully see to his every need, buy toys, scoop out his litter pan and worry about him when he is ill. Doesn’t sound like stupid cats to me!
A cat’s brain weighs 1% of the cat’s total weight. Our brain weighs 2% of our overall weight.
Does this mean we are smarter than our cat? We are smart enough to understand that a cat’s needs are basic; food, water, shelter, love, a place for them to eliminate waste. They are smart enough to hook up with us and ask us to love them unconditionally.
We should be smart enough to understand that when a cat acts out it is not because the cat is a stupid cat. Generally, the cat acting out is ill or stressed. Acting out, your cat gets your attention pretty quickly.
Cats can see shapes, and some colors. They can recognize your face, they remember bad things that were done to them, and they recall the good scents and places where they were most contented.
When people say they have stupid cats, I feel badly for their cats. These cats placed in a home where people misunderstand normal cat behavior such as, turning over the water bowl. Turning over the water bowl does not mean the cat is a stupid cat, but that perhaps the cat does not like stale water. Freshen the water several times a day or look into purchasing a water fountain like a Petmate or a Drinkwell.
Knocking figurines off the dresser, does not mean people should cry out “stupid cats.” It means the cats are bored, prowling, looking for exercise. Jumping on high objects is perfectly natural for cats to do.
If cats are prone to knocking things over, invest in a cat condo, or cat tower. Install some cat ramps or a window perch. Have interactive playtime with your cat on a daily basis.
Think about it for a minute; when your cat is in the room and you call his name, does he come over to you? When you are running the can-opener or snapping open a cat of cat food, does he come running?
When you go to the bathroom, does he sit at the door and insist that he be allowed in as well? How about when you don’t feel good? Does he come up and cuddle next to you and lull you to sleep with his purr?
If there is a cat outside, does he alert you by standing at the window, with his tail upright? Is he growling?
None of these behaviors point to cats being labeled stupid cats. If your cat is acting out and making you think about stupid cats, you need to ask yourself, why is this cat is behaving this way?
There are reasons behind every cat behavior. You just have to be smart enough to figure it out.
Written by Mary Anne MillerMary Anne Miller is a free-lance writer, and member of the Cat Writers’ Association. She is a web copy writer, and passionate about feral cats/kittens and bottle babies. You can read more by Mary Anne at her Feral Cat Behavior Blog. Comments? Leave them using the form below. Questions? Please use the cat forums for those!