Cat intelligence

Cat uses problem-solving skills to open a door

Cat intelligence refers to a cat’s ability to solve problems, adapt to its environment, learn new behaviors, and communicate its needs. Structurally, a cat’s brain shares similarities with the human brain,^[1] containing around 250 million neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for complex processing.^[2] Cats display neuroplasticity, allowing their brains to reorganize based on experiences. They have well-developed memory retaining information for a decade or longer. These memories are often intertwined with emotions, allowing cats to recall both positive and negative experiences associated with specific places.^[3] While they excel in observational learning and problem-solving, studies conclude that they struggle with understanding cause-and-effect relationships in the same way that humans do.^[4]^[5]^[6]

The study of cat intelligence is mostly focused on domesticated cats. Living in urban environments has exposed them to challenges that require adaptive behaviors, contributing to cognitive development.^[7] Selective breeding and genetic changes have further influenced their intelligence.^[8]^[9] Kittens learn essential survival skills by observing their mothers, while adult cats refine their abilities through trial and error.

^ Gross, Richard (2010). Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. Hodder Education. ISBN 978-1-4441-0831-6.^{[page needed]}
^ Ananthanarayanan, Rajagopal; Esser, Steven K.; Simon, Horst D.; Modha, Dharmendra S. (2009). "The cat is out of the bag: cortical simulations with 10⁹ neurons, 10¹³ synapses". Proceedings of the Conference on High Performance Computing Networking, Storage and Analysis – SC '09. pp. 1–12. doi:10.1145/1654059.1654124. ISBN 978-1-60558-744-8. S2CID 6110450.
^ Cite error: The named reference BondVet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Whitt, Emma; Douglas, Marie; Osthaus, Britta; Hocking, Ian (September 2009). "Domestic cats (Felis catus) do not show causal understanding in a string-pulling task". Animal Cognition. 12 (5): 739–743. doi:10.1007/s10071-009-0228-x. ISSN 1435-9448. PMID 19449193.
^ Meikle, James (16 June 2009). "Cats outsmarted in psychologist's test". The Guardian.
^ Pallaud, B. (1984). "Hypotheses on mechanisms underlying observational learning in animals". Behavioural Processes. 9 (4): 381–394. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(84)90024-X. PMID 24924084. S2CID 31226100.
^ Carlstead, Kathy; Brown, Janine L.; Seidensticker, John (1993). "Behavioral and adrenocortical responses to environmental changes in leopard cats (Felis bengalensis)". Zoo Biology. 12 (4): 321–31. doi:10.1002/zoo.1430120403. S2CID 32582485.
^ Cite error: The named reference pmid17600185 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference fabcats.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Gross_20102-1] Gross, Richard (2010). Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. Hodder Education. ISBN 978-1-4441-0831-6.^{[page needed]}

[978-1-60558-744-8-2] Ananthanarayanan, Rajagopal; Esser, Steven K.; Simon, Horst D.; Modha, Dharmendra S. (2009). "The cat is out of the bag: cortical simulations with 10⁹ neurons, 10¹³ synapses". Proceedings of the Conference on High Performance Computing Networking, Storage and Analysis – SC '09. pp. 1–12. doi:10.1145/1654059.1654124. ISBN 978-1-60558-744-8. S2CID 6110450.

[BondVet-3] Cite error: The named reference BondVet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Canterbury-4] Whitt, Emma; Douglas, Marie; Osthaus, Britta; Hocking, Ian (September 2009). "Domestic cats (Felis catus) do not show causal understanding in a string-pulling task". Animal Cognition. 12 (5): 739–743. doi:10.1007/s10071-009-0228-x. ISSN 1435-9448. PMID 19449193.

[Guardian2009-5] Meikle, James (16 June 2009). "Cats outsmarted in psychologist's test". The Guardian.

[BehaviouralProcesses-6] Pallaud, B. (1984). "Hypotheses on mechanisms underlying observational learning in animals". Behavioural Processes. 9 (4): 381–394. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(84)90024-X. PMID 24924084. S2CID 31226100.

[zoo.1430120403-7] Carlstead, Kathy; Brown, Janine L.; Seidensticker, John (1993). "Behavioral and adrenocortical responses to environmental changes in leopard cats (Felis bengalensis)". Zoo Biology. 12 (4): 321–31. doi:10.1002/zoo.1430120403. S2CID 32582485.

[pmid17600185-8] Cite error: The named reference pmid17600185 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[fabcats.org-9] Cite error: The named reference fabcats.org was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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