Can cats see their own reflection in the mirror?

There is no doubt that cats are smart. However, there is a difference between a brain capable of learning and a brain capable of self-awareness. The ability to recognize yourself in a mirror presupposes a deep understanding of the world around you. This indicates high intelligence, which cats may or may not possess.

Cats can see their own reflection in the mirror, but cannot recognize themselves in it. This was determined using a mirror test, which all cats studied failed. Cats perceive their own reflection as another cat, not themselves. Most cats react aggressively, but others ignore the mirror or are curious about it.

However, the mirror test has been criticized by some researchers as inaccurate or unfair. It is possible that cats actually recognize themselves in the mirror, but do not communicate this in a way that we understand. For example, a cat may not care enough about a reflection to react to it. She may also be confused by the lack of smell. In any case, depending on the particular cat, mirrors cause her anxiety, mild interest, or outright boredom.

Can cats recognize themselves in the mirror?

Most studies show that cats do not recognize themselves in the mirror. They can see that the mirror exists and react to objects reflected in it. However, the cat will not be able to determine that the second cat in the mirror is, in fact, itself.

The Mirror Test was developed in 1970 by psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. It is used to determine which animals can recognize themselves in a mirror. During the test, a strange object (usually a colored dot) is placed on the animal's body in a location that can only be seen in a mirror. The animal is then placed in front of a mirror.

If the animal touches the dot or tries to remove it, this proves that it recognizes itself in the mirror. After all, the animal will only reach for the point if it understands that the reflection is itself.

Do cats pass the mirror test?

According to Nokia Research Center, cats fail the mirror test. When cats are shown their own reflection, they have 1 of 3 different reactions:

Hostility
Indifference
Neutrality or curiosity

The most common reaction in a cat is aggression. She will act as if her reflection is another cat and will try to attack the mirror. Other cats behave completely indifferently and do not pay attention to the reflection.

These subjects either walked away or remained in place without interacting with the mirror. The cats did not pass the test by looking at or interacting with their reflection:

sniffing
touching
Rubbing

Simply interacting with the mirror is not enough. Researchers following the rules set by Gordon Gallup Jr. require the cat to try to remove the dot to reveal some self-awareness in the animal. This is because a cat may perceive its reflection as another cat, even if it does not react aggressively.

What to do if a cat is watching something invisible?

Parallel worlds are inhabited by creatures unknown to people in the form of clots of energy, both positive and negative. Sometimes they visit a person’s home or come into contact with its inhabitants. It is not necessary for the person to have any communication with them. Many animals, for example cats, are able to notice the presence of an otherworldly creature. Is it possible that if a cat is watching something, an otherworldly force has entered the house?

Domestic evil spirits live in every room. Some of its representatives are somewhat similar to people, others have nothing in common even with animals. Cats are complex, mysterious creatures; by their behavior in the house one can judge the level of relationships between living people and predict bad events and illnesses.

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Cats can see shades of blue and green, but red tones confuse them. Therefore, if the cat is far away and there is any red or pink collar or clothing near it, it will be difficult for it to clearly understand what it is seeing.

Cats usually do not have reddish tints in their fur. Therefore, a cat may not even perceive its reflection as another cat if it is looking at something with a strange color scheme.

The same can be said if the cat is surrounded by red and pink colors. Furniture, people, other animals or objects can confuse the cat and confuse its perception of what is in the mirror. The cat may not see itself if surrounding objects are also visible.

Turtle house mascot

The most common, so-called “tortoiseshell” color is inherited only by females, in which the colored spots of the coat are mixed together, and is a talisman for the family hearth. The positive energy of such an animal is very great, and it is enough not only for an individual person, but also for his entire family, as well as the house and territory that he considers his own. Therefore, the owner of such a pet will always be safe, being under the magical protection of his furry friend.

An equally interesting article: What is your idea of the ideal weight as a teenager?

Do cats understand mirrors?

Many scientists criticize the mirror test. They argue that it is not a reliable method of determining an animal's self-awareness. Some researchers argue that the test's flaw lies in the assumption that animals even care about the point. If a cat recognizes its reflection but does not care enough to interact with it or the dot, there is no way for humans to know that the cat is self-aware.

The researchers also noted that the test is unfair to the way animals communicate. The test is based on a response to a visual cue, but animals rely heavily on other senses such as smell and hearing. For example, dogs do not pass the mirror test, but they do pass the scent test.

Dogs can distinguish and recognize their own urine from the urine of other dogs and determine when their urine has been tampered with. A similar study has yet to be conducted in cats. However, given how much their body language is influenced by sound and smell, it's safe to assume they'll pass the test too.

Animals that are prone to aggression when fearful, such as monkeys and gorillas, also fail the mirror test, despite their high intelligence. This may be due to the fact that they do not have enough time and space to understand what is being presented to them. Therefore, their aggression is mistakenly perceived as a lack of self-knowledge. Cats may react aggressively during the test for the same reason.

Because of all these factors, it's unfair to say that cats don't understand mirrors. There is a good chance that they understand, even if only in passing. However, because the studies do not match their cognitive characteristics, they fail self-knowledge tests.

why when a cat wants to shit he yells

That's why when a cat wants to shit he yells. as if he was being raped... and when he runs into the toilet, it feels like he wants to tear the tray) all the filler flies in different directions, but he runs out so happy, as if he had lost his innocence.

that bastard... we have a mirror in the door on the corner closet, so he rubs against it every night, then he starts scratching, by the morning the whole mirror is slobbering and with paw prints... that's the bastard and he's not even afraid. sees that I’m not sleeping, knows that a slipper will fly at him and will still hit the mirror... a bastard and not a cat

User comments

Sophie's mom Romana doesn't hurt for sure, he has increased activity and starts running around and yelling and rushes to play, play with him, and then he runs to shit

and yesterday I accidentally closed mine on the loggia. God, what happened... Eyes like the cat from Shrek. She rushes at the glass, scratches at it with her claws... She jumped up and hung in the air... and it’s a sin to laugh... I haven’t figured out where she is yet.

Laughing... my cat is an asshole, running around like an elephant looking at the flowers on the windowsill... he climbs up to the very top of my palm tree and sits there. He’s already flattened the whole palm tree

pfff we have a cat, when he wants to shit, he starts running around the whole apartment, having vertical races =)) meows something, then spends another fifteen minutes actively fidgeting in the toilet, and only then comes out with the gait of a dowager duchess with a sense of accomplishment, to lie down somewhere to rest =)

Yes Yes Yes! Only our cat runs around like crazy and screams under the front door, then tears the pot apart, but we have the filler under the grate, so it doesn’t fly away. But this is the first time I have observed this, I have lived with a cat all my life, now my grandmother has another cat, with a cat ba

The cat constantly screams: we are looking for the reason

Sometimes, the owner of a furry pet is at a loss. It is impossible to understand why the cat, which until now has been practically a model of a pet, screams. Maybe he doesn’t feel well and is thus trying to publicize his illness?

Indeed, sometimes domestic cats can irritate even the most patient person. Mournful screams, which are most often heard at night, cause significant harm to the nervous system. In addition, any cat lover, not knowing why the cat constantly screams, worries about his little friend. First of all, the cause of unworthy behavior should be sought in everyday discomfort. Perhaps the animal is simply outraged by the lack of food or dirty litter in the tray. If the food is not touched, the tray is clean, and the pet continues to fray its nerves, we can assume that the animal is in the heat stage.

In this case, cat owners often prefer to use drops and tablets that bring the representatives of the feline tribe to their senses. However, there are several nuances that allow us to judge the questionable safety of funds. All advertised drugs that reduce libido destroy the liver. It is recommended to use them extremely rarely. In addition, medications do not have an immediate effect, and the animal will continue to excrete for 2 to 3 days. It is much easier to solve the problem once and for all by resorting to sterilization of the animal.

Why do cats look in the mirror?

If a cat looks in the mirror, there may be two reasons for this:

Sees movement

Cats may stare at the mirror because they saw the reflection of a moving object in it. They don't know that the object in question is actually behind them. So they look, trying to figure out what it is and where it is.

Moderate interest

Sometimes a cat looks in the mirror for a long time, but not because it analyzes its reflection. Cats regularly look at random things, and they perk up their ears and focus on interesting sounds.

Although your cat may briefly recognize himself in the mirror, that doesn't mean he's thinking about anything while he's looking. Cats do not have a default mode network, so they cannot ruminate about life, their past, emotions, or themselves.

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Why do cats scratch mirrors?

When a cat interacts with a mirror, it will usually try to scratch it. Cats scratch mirrors because they:

They think it's another cat
want to know more about the mirror
They know that this is a reliable way to attract the owner’s attention.

When looking at their own reflection, some cats treat the mirror as if they are communicating with another cat. Hitting and scratching with your paws does not necessarily mean aggression, since cats use their paws to play with each other.

They also use their paws to learn more about the objects they interact with. Even if your cat is too young to understand what a reflection is, she may want to learn how it works.

Cats are not as vocal as dogs, who bark to get our attention. Cats meow to communicate with us, but they also try to get a reaction in other ways. If you often react to your cat scratching the mirror, she may learn that this is a way to get your attention.

And sight again!

Cat vision is noticeably different from human vision. Thus, recent studies (2014) show that cats see perfectly in the ultraviolet range of the spectrum. A quality completely inaccessible to people. The retina of both humans and cats includes two types of sensory cells - rods and cones. Cones are “responsible” mainly for color perception, and rods are responsible for peripheral and so-called twilight vision. We humans have more cones, and cats have more rods, so this is why purrs are good at navigating in low light conditions. However, cats, it should be noted, see objects located in close proximity to them much better and more clearly. The picture of more distant objects looks blurry in the eyes of cats, but the animal still distinguishes any movement (close or distant).

It's time to finish our article. We emphasize that the main secret - the secret of the cat's brain - has not been fully revealed to this day. What we consider strange, for the purrs themselves is absolutely natural and ordinary. We look forward to news from the world of science. And at this moment we will watch our favorites - also an incredibly interesting activity.

A different perception

Cats perceive the world completely differently than people. If humans rely mostly on information obtained through the eyes, then representatives of the cat family rely on smells and the slightest vibrations in the air. Whiskers help obtain this information. They provide most of the information about the world around us.

Although the mirror image can move, it does not produce any sounds or smells. It cannot be sensed through touch; therefore, the cat cannot obtain virtually any information about an unfamiliar object. This can either cause fear in a pet or lead to complete indifference.

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There is another version of cats’ indifference to mirrors. Appearance does not in any way affect the social life of these animals; they do not attach any importance to their appearance. Therefore, the reflection is not perceived as one’s own.

They take care of themselves a lot

© www.goodfon.ru
Domestic cats spend from 30% to 50% of their waking time grooming themselves. Big cats are just as picky in these matters. "It's to get rid of your own odor," Bass says. “If a gazelle, approaching from the leeward side, smells a tiger waiting for it in ambush, then it will definitely run away. This happens in the wild. Therefore, big cats are forced to constantly lick themselves in order to completely eliminate their smell.” Grooming has a number of other benefits: it helps your cat get rid of parasites and look cool.

They are "stomping around"

© kimkiminy.wordpress.com
Big cats do it too! "They probably do it for the same reason that domestic cats do," Bass says. “This is a natural behavior that is left over from the times when they fed as kittens and “massaged” their mother’s nipples with their paws. Sometimes they continue to make these movements with their paws even as they get older. They also do it when they’re just happy.”