What Do Cats Think About?
What We Found May Surprise You!
Living with a cat can train you to understand their behavior and habits. However, figuring out their thoughts is close to impossible. Sometimes, you might wonder “What do cats think about all day?”. Other times you are so stunned by their reactions that you start thinking do cats actually have thoughts and feelings?
If you ask a person who has been living with a feline for a long time, they will typically tell you they are still trying to figure it out. Of course, we can’t blame them. After all, it can be tough to guess if a cat is looking at a fishbowl because it’s fascinated or thinking up ways to eat the fish without getting wet.
As a cat lover, all you can do for now is try your best to associate certain cat behaviors and communication with the most likely thoughts. If you need help with that, listed below are the best interpretations available.
They Think About Getting Food
Well, this one is obvious but still worth mentioning. When you’re wondering what cats think about, you might guess that food is it. They not only think about food, but they can also think about how to get it.
Cats have cognitive abilities to figure out how to get what they want and develop skills to determine how to get food. Moreover, humans can train them for it to develop habits. Some researchers have experimented with testing this theory.
Scientists attached a piece of food to the end of a string and trained the cats to pull the string in order to get the food. The cats ultimately figured it out with time and practice. If researchers continue conducting similar experiments, they may eventually begin to understand what is going on in a cat’s mind.
They Think About the Past
Cats do not have the ability to daydream or self-reflect on their behavior. It makes people question do cats have thoughts and feelings because there is a lack of a default mode network. This simply means they do not sit around and think idly about unrelated matters.
However, cats can remember things from their past. They have good memory recollection, which helps them adjust their current behavior. Just like the experiment with food, you can train them, with the help of their memory, to think about past feelings and experiences.
For example, if you want your cat to learn a specific pose for a picture, you can reenact the first time you photographed your cat with that original position and let them subconsciously realize what to do at that moment.
They Think About Their Owners
Cats treat their human parents as kids treat their mothers or fathers. Your kitty may tend to try and show off their skills or play the fool to gain your attention just as a child would with their own parents. They may also run to the door when you come home because they’re excited to see you. Consider this to be a genuine gesture of their love for you.
Next time you’re wondering what cats think about their owners, you can recall all the times your cat came running to you or was there for you when you were having a bad day, giving you their attention, loyalty, and love.
Even when they do something odd, like bring you a dead insect as an offering, remember that they have your best interest at heart and your thoughts in their heads. It’s the way your cat has bonded with you. It considers you to be their mother or father and behaves like a human child, even if your cat is an adult.
They Think About You (as a Friend)
Cats are incapable of differentiating species. They either think we are just like them, or they are just like us. That’s why they treat their humans precisely the same way they treat their fellow felines.
They are comfortable when they rub against our leg, put their tails up, or groom us. It’s their way of showing love and affection. As a cat lover, it’s nothing short of an honor to be considered equal by your cat.
The side effect to this type of thinking may be your cat thinks that it’s better than you. It will roam around your house as if it owns the place because it does not see any difference between itself and you. The positive side of this behavior is that the cat does not consider you to be an inferior being.
They Think About Nothing, Unless Disturbed
Cats are pretty simple when it comes to thoughts and feelings. If you wonder what cats think about when they doing nothing, the simple answer is not a thing for the most part. If you find your cat sitting in a corner not paying attention to anything, you would think that it might be reflecting or contemplating something. This is generally not the case.
Cats do not feel or think about anything when they are resting or not in motion. It’s more or less a meditative state for them. However, if anything distracts them from this state, they immediately activate their working memory.
Remember how cats recall memories? This is where the working memory comes into play. A cat’s thought process will help them react accordingly depending on their situation.
They Associate Objects With Places
This behavior is related to object permanence. As kids, we learn when we place something in a particular location, it will still be there even if we can’t see it. For example, if we put our shoes inside a closet and close the door, we know they will still be there when we open the closet again. That’s object permanence for us.
Cats also have this understanding of object placement. If you put their treats inside a drawer to hide it away from your pet, don’t ever assume they forget about it. Once you show your cat the treats, he or she will fixate on the place where they are kept and remind you when they feel hungry.
They Can Interpret Human Behavior
You already know that cats think about you, but how much is still up for debate. Your feline may not show it but, it thinks about you more than you do about it.
If you’ve ever caught your kitty staring at you, it’s merely trying to figure you out. Cats simply do this to decipher your current behavior. It will gauge your emotional state to determine how best to react. Surprisingly, your cat can figure out when it will get food or treats using its memory and recent deductions of your feelings.
Cats also realize what you are about to do based on the past and current actions it observes. This behavior is typical for felines who are bonding with their owners.
Cats Are Loyal to Their Human Partners
First time cat owners may think the new furry addition to their family is somewhat cold and distant at times. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Cats may be slow to warm up to their new humans and surroundings. It can take time to gain their full trust and for them to feel totally comfortable. Once they do, you’ll see the attitude change and their love for you will be obvious. Along with the feelings they have for you, the loyalty for their people is absolute.
Cats will also become extremely protective of their home as they are quite territorial. They often think of themselves as the guardian or defender of your residence as well. You may notice this behavior when a new animal visits or is being introduced to the home.
Cats Can Act Independent Too
Please don’t assume that your cat is indifferent if it does not feel like coming when called or it’s not in the mood to cuddle with you. In reality, your cat has times when it may become jealous of you paying attention to other things as well.
Cats can even feel annoyed when they do not get to decide what they want. They are independent felines who enjoy having a say in their matters. So, the next time your cat is not listening to you, you shouldn’t think it’s emotionless and uncaring. Remember that they love their humans because they’re always willing to support and protect them.
Final Thoughts
We hope you now have a better understanding of what cats think about. Even if they seem like simple, ordinary animals, you must know that all these thoughts are significant for your cat. They are absolutely fascinating and beautiful creatures that deserve our love and respect on a daily basis.
They have cognitive skills and active brains that are happy when their owners pet them and offer up treats. However, they may also show annoyance or displeasure if they don’t get their way. Still, it’s their quirky behavior and gentle affection that makes us love them even more!
Cats are intelligent animals with a lot going on in their heads. We still have a long way to go to try and understand their thought process. Let’s hope we can figure it out soon to interact and eventually communicate with them on a higher level!
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