Did you know that with a cat tracker you can also measure how he behaves when it comes to playing or sleeping habits? Often we have come to believe that our dog is, to a lesser extent, more "smart" and more attentive than the cat at home. A Japanese study published on Behavioral Processes, however, shows us that this would not be true and that cats will get the same results as dogs in tests that analyze their memory and, in a way, their degree of intelligence. Scientists at the University of Kyoto led by psychologist Saho Takagi have been involved in researching 49 domestic cats that have undergone specific tests to measure their memory and intelligence.
Cats have proven to be able to recall, like dogs, pleasant experiences (like and when they have devoured their favorite snack, for example) or particularly gratifying ones. The phenomenon, known as episodic memory, makes the domestic feline similar to both dog and man. The latter, in fact, is able to reconstruct particularly significant past episodes - such as the first day of school, marriage, graduation or otherwise - or rewarding ones (a particularly tasty dinner, a food that we really enjoy). And, with the results of Japanese research, the mental process is similarly highlighted in the three species.
Episodic memory is closely related to the introspective mind function and the Japanese study has shown that there is a specific degree of awareness even in the cat. But not only that. In an interview with BBC, the Japanese researcher said that cats may be delighted by recalling their enjoyable experiences, just as it happens to humans and how it had already been tested in dogs. You can also monitor how much your cat exercises using a cat tracker.
The team of Kyoto researchers also tried to figure out if the cats could remember which bowl they had eaten from after an interval of fifteen minutes. And they found that the domestic feline has memory of both what he has eaten and where exactly is the bowl that has contained the favorite food. The same study has shown that cats can remember this sort of thing for very long periods and, in particular, can give the dogs a twist in various tests: from the positive response to the gestures of humans, to the emotions demonstrated against the various expressions of the observer's face.
"Understanding cats better - explained Dr. Saho Takagi - not only allows for better relationships with these pets, but also reveals something more about our mental mechanisms and the possibilities of our brain." And indeed, the specificity of animal intelligence shows that the human being is much more like dogs and cats than he had thought to date. And that elective affinities in the world of nature are always strictly predetermined and bring together the various living species with a red thread that binds their destinies. If you want to keep your cat healthy and happy, get him a cat tracker to monitor all his activities.
