Pet intelligence wank
The Guardian: Cats outsmarted in psychologist's test.

You can imagine how well this goes with the readers. Besides the predictable flood of pet owner butthurt and anecdotes of clever / stupid cats / dogs / mice / owls, there are plenty of genuinely funny comments as well as a side wank on the validity of test methods and statistics, obligatory calls to talk about world hunger instead or discuss the intelligence of various nationalities, and, naturally, Hitler and his pets make a bonus appearance. I think one could play classical wank bingo in here, but some of the stories make it all worthwhile.

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tachikoma01 2009-06-18 04:30 pm UTC (link)

I'm not sure the test tests 'cause and effect' as much as the study seems to think it does, because the cats obviously got that pulling the string would lead to getting a treat. I'd say it's more along the lines of the cat not being able to figure out to which string the treat was attached. If anything, I'd say it's not a lack of ability to understand cause and effect, but the lack of ability of this particular test to measure how cats process information. Which is why cats leave doing mazes to the mice. Have you ever seen a cat try to do the fun mazes that come on kids' menus? They get so frustrated that they usually just give up and eat the paper menu. And the toilet paper. And the paper towels. Oh wait, that's not every cat. That's just Oliver-the-mega-glutton. ... *waits for all the journalfenners to show up so we can share cat stories* (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tachikoma01, 2009-06-18 05:02 pm UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 05:27 pm UTC

(no subject) - ecchaniz0r, 2009-06-18 06:33 pm UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 06:47 pm UTC

(no subject) - beccastareyes, 2009-06-18 07:44 pm UTC

(no subject) - also_not_a_pipe, 2009-06-18 08:06 pm UTC

(no subject) - brennalarose, 2009-06-18 09:45 pm UTC

(no subject) - amaresu, 2009-06-19 04:36 am UTC

(no subject) - vzg, 2009-06-28 08:57 pm UTC

(no subject) - sepiamagpie, 2009-06-18 10:10 pm UTC

(no subject) - ecchaniz0r, 2009-06-19 03:12 am UTC

(no subject) - quackaquacka, 2009-06-19 12:37 pm UTC

(no subject) - tofuknight, 2009-06-19 03:55 pm UTC

(no subject) - jyuu, 2009-06-20 05:20 am UTC

(no subject) - mary_mac, 2009-06-20 03:16 pm UTC

(no subject) - beccastareyes, 2009-06-18 05:43 pm UTC

(no subject) - amaresu, 2009-06-19 04:40 am UTC

(no subject) - sepiamagpie, 2009-06-18 10:08 pm UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 10:19 pm UTC

(no subject) - sepiamagpie, 2009-06-18 10:21 pm UTC

(no subject) - ecchaniz0r, 2009-06-19 01:34 pm UTC

(no subject) - vzg, 2009-06-28 09:02 pm UTC

(no subject) - snarkhunter, 2009-06-20 05:09 pm UTC

(no subject) - sepiamagpie, 2009-06-20 10:28 pm UTC

(no subject) - tetradecimal, 2009-06-20 07:01 pm UTC

(no subject) - sepiamagpie, 2009-06-20 10:31 pm UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 05:29 pm UTC

YAY DOGS :D - bigbigtruck, 2009-06-18 08:03 pm UTC

Re: YAY DOGS :D - wankismyfandom, 2009-06-18 10:36 pm UTC

Re: YAY DOGS :D - tree, 2009-06-18 10:41 pm UTC

(no subject) - tofuknight, 2009-06-18 06:26 pm UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-19 12:31 pm UTC

A rambling cat tale with something of a point and also a bald eagle. - notarose, 2009-06-18 08:13 pm UTC

(no subject) - portkey, 2009-06-19 04:53 am UTC

(no subject) - zara_zero, 2009-06-19 11:14 am UTC

(no subject) - evilsqueakers, 2009-06-19 06:47 am UTC

Cat story! - bobafeis, 2009-06-19 06:53 am UTC

Re: Cat story! - felinephoenix, 2009-06-23 10:14 pm UTC

Re: Cat story! - vzg, 2009-06-28 09:14 pm UTC

If we're sharing cat stories - fairestcat, 2009-06-19 09:07 pm UTC

Re: If we're sharing cat stories - artimusdin, 2009-06-20 07:48 am UTC

(no subject) - aaron_agonistes, 2009-06-20 05:05 am UTC

(no subject) - mer1973, 2009-06-21 02:20 am UTC

(no subject) - isntitironic, 2009-06-20 03:26 pm UTC

(no subject) - dragonfangirl, 2009-06-20 10:46 pm UTC

(no subject) - telegramsam, 2009-06-22 09:21 pm UTC

	ellensmithee 2009-06-18 04:32 pm UTC (link)
	Jesus, what kind of psychologist expects a cat to think straight in the presence of shiny STRINGS??? (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - ashenmote, 2009-06-18 04:36 pm UTC

(no subject) - xturtle, 2009-06-18 05:40 pm UTC

(no subject) - brennalarose, 2009-06-18 09:49 pm UTC

	cygnia 2009-06-18 04:36 pm UTC (link)
	Of course, the article neglects to mention the follow-up when the cats got revenge by peeing in the psychologist's coffee and shredding his paperwork afterwards. (Reply to this)

	alya1989262 2009-06-18 04:43 pm UTC (link)
	It will cause outrage among some cat owners, but research suggests the pets are not as clever as some humans assumed – or at least they think in a way we have yet to fathom. At least you got it right on the second try? (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - ellensmithee, 2009-06-19 08:49 am UTC

	risha 2009-06-18 04:47 pm UTC (link)
	The article author, however, wins the internet for the string theory joke. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - virgo, 2009-06-18 05:15 pm UTC

platedlizard 2009-06-18 04:47 pm UTC (link)

I'm not sure about the methodology here. Strings (and other small objects) are generally treated as prey items by cats, so playing with strings is inheritely rewarding. Also, many cats are picky about their treats, it generally takes several tastes for my cat to decide she likes a treat. For many cats playing with a string would be more rewarding then eating a treat, unlike dogs. This is why people who train their cats for feline agility generally use lures rather then food rewards. Dogs tend to be more food-driven. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 05:31 pm UTC

More stories! - tofuknight, 2009-06-18 06:44 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - etcetera_cat, 2009-06-18 07:31 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - tofuknight, 2009-06-18 08:07 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - etcetera_cat, 2009-06-18 08:19 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - evilsqueakers, 2009-06-19 06:53 am UTC

Re: More stories! - risha, 2009-06-18 11:05 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - mer1973, 2009-06-19 02:01 am UTC

Re: More stories! - risha, 2009-06-19 02:04 am UTC

TMI time! - tofuknight, 2009-06-19 03:58 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - caffeine_fairy, 2009-06-20 09:15 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - mer1973, 2009-06-20 11:43 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - platedlizard, 2009-06-18 11:48 pm UTC

Re: More stories! - caffeine_fairy, 2009-06-20 09:17 pm UTC

(no subject) - naienko, 2009-06-18 06:09 pm UTC

(no subject) - evilsqueakers, 2009-06-19 06:54 am UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-19 12:30 pm UTC

(no subject) - evilsqueakers, 2009-06-20 01:41 am UTC

(no subject) - tachikoma01, 2009-06-20 01:44 am UTC

	wrongly_amused 2009-06-18 04:54 pm UTC (link)
	I'm sorry, Dr. Osthaus, but I'm afraid to tell you that years of my own observational and anecdotal data have brought me to a very different conclusion - It's not that my cat doesn't understand cause and effect. It's the fact that my cat doesn't care. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - bangoskank, 2009-06-18 06:12 pm UTC

(no subject) - persephonea, 2009-06-18 06:40 pm UTC

(no subject) - eldritch, 2009-06-18 11:17 pm UTC

(no subject) - sisterelwood, 2009-06-19 05:25 am UTC

aaron_agonistes 2009-06-18 05:10 pm UTC (link)

She tested the thought processes of 15 of them by attaching fish and biscuit treats to one end of a piece of string, placing them under a plastic screen to make them unreachable and then seeing if the cats could work out that pulling on the other end of the string would pull the treat closer. ...unlike dogs (which Osthaus has previously tested) no cat consistently chose correctly between two parallel strings. With two crossed strings, one cat always made the wrong choice and others succeeded no more than might be expected by chance. Okay, she missed two key points here. One, she put a string under a thing. That makes it mind-blowingly interesting, no matter what might be attached to the other end. And two, like other people have said, cats are picky about their treats, and I'll bet money that the cats in this test weren't hungry. "If we know their limits we won't expect too much of them, which in turn is important for their welfare. I am not trying to say cats are stupid, just they are different. We are so anthropomorphic we can't see the world through their eyes." No, you've anthropomorphized them so much that you expect a cat to behave like a person. Bad scientist. Bad. No biscuit. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - anarchicq, 2009-06-18 05:12 pm UTC

(no subject) - gairid, 2009-06-18 05:40 pm UTC

(no subject) - registeredreddd, 2009-06-18 08:03 pm UTC

(no subject) - dragonfangirl, 2009-06-21 08:33 am UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 05:45 pm UTC

(no subject) - ecchaniz0r, 2009-06-18 06:28 pm UTC

(no subject) - tachikoma01, 2009-06-18 06:59 pm UTC

(no subject) - telegramsam, 2009-06-22 09:31 pm UTC

	anarchicq 2009-06-18 05:11 pm UTC (link)
	GIP! (Reply to this)(Thread)

This Leopold guy is hilarious - aaron_agonistes, 2009-06-18 05:20 pm UTC

Re: This Leopold guy is hilarious - anarchicq, 2009-06-18 05:27 pm UTC

Re: This Leopold guy is hilarious - aaron_agonistes, 2009-06-18 05:30 pm UTC

Re: This Leopold guy is hilarious - anarchicq, 2009-06-18 05:32 pm UTC

Re: This Leopold guy is hilarious - evilsqueakers, 2009-06-19 07:18 am UTC

Re: This Leopold guy is hilarious - veleda_k, 2009-06-20 12:41 am UTC

	issendai 2009-06-18 06:21 pm UTC (link)
	For those who are more interested in the science than the wank, here's a far better article about feline intelligence. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-19 12:37 pm UTC

(no subject) - cygnia, 2009-06-19 05:37 pm UTC

(no subject) - tangentialone, 2009-06-20 06:54 am UTC

	tetradecimal 2009-06-18 06:25 pm UTC (link)
	Obligatory link is obligatory. (Reply to this)

thebratqueen 2009-06-18 07:08 pm UTC (link)

Put me down for "Scientific method fail." Kitties do not process information the same way that dogs do. But a smart cat can figure out cause and effect all on their own if they want. Case in point my cat Mac who taught himself how to fetch based on his observations of "If I bring the toy back to Mom, she'll make it come alive again." I say "smart" cats because I have known some stupid ones in my time. Like the kitty I had who meowed oh so sadly about how she was LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM WOE... and totally ignored the fact that there was an open door right behind her. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tofuknight, 2009-06-18 08:12 pm UTC

(no subject) - white_tean, 2009-06-19 06:30 am UTC

(no subject) - fairestcat, 2009-06-19 09:14 pm UTC

Kitty Story - redwarrior, 2009-06-29 10:19 pm UTC

the__ivorytower 2009-06-18 07:11 pm UTC (link)

Story tiem is nao? (plus, I need a break from book sorting, my back is killing me): soupspooks and I were chatting via MSN, and I hadn't gotten a reply for a while, so I told one of her cats, Skuz, to go and get her for me. This is what followed: Her: O.O Me: What? Her: Skuz came over and started meowing at the bathroom door... and then I came back and read what you said. Me: O.O Her: Yeah. So, we're pretty sure that Skuz can read. Either that, or it's a remarkable coincidence. Her cats, both of them, also remember quite clearly that since I fed them once when I was visiting (Spooks got sick, and needed me to feed them while she was ded from sick) and forever afterwards (keeping in mind I maybe visit once a year), they come to me whining to be fed. So much for short memories. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tofuknight, 2009-06-18 08:15 pm UTC

	luxshine 2009-06-18 09:18 pm UTC (link)
	I agree with everyone about cats and strings. That's pretty much guaranteed to keep the cat interested in the *string*. Meanwhile, I have a cat who wants to be able to walk on the ceiling. She climbs up the walls -thanks to the plaster- and then tries to keep on walking on the ceiling. Smart? No. Endlessly entertaining? You bet. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tofuknight, 2009-06-19 04:00 pm UTC

(no subject) - luxshine, 2009-06-19 04:47 pm UTC

(no subject) - deadwood, 2009-06-19 05:58 pm UTC

(no subject) - luxshine, 2009-06-20 03:39 am UTC

	brennalarose 2009-06-18 09:57 pm UTC (link)
	I told my husband about this. He believes that it proves the cats are smarter than the researcher, because they understand the test, don't give a shit and are doing their own damn thing. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - redwarrior, 2009-06-29 10:20 pm UTC

	chikane 2009-06-18 10:21 pm UTC (link)
	From a cat perspective, the tester failed to be intelligent, and provided them with exactly what they wanted. Just as plaSTRINGSSTRINGSSTRINGSSTRINGS Our cat sometimes forgets food when he can attack strings. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - sudaki, 2009-06-19 05:25 am UTC

(no subject) - cmdr_zoom, 2009-06-20 05:39 am UTC

	meagenimage 2009-06-18 10:24 pm UTC (link)
	That researcher should go into standardized school tests instead. They'd feel right at home. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-18 10:46 pm UTC

(no subject) - brennalarose, 2009-06-18 11:28 pm UTC

(no subject) - pastri_archy, 2009-06-20 03:54 am UTC

(no subject) - meagenimage, 2009-06-20 10:02 am UTC

(no subject) - pastri_archy, 2009-06-20 11:30 am UTC

(no subject) - heddychaa, 2009-06-20 06:38 pm UTC

	zyna_kat 2009-06-19 01:04 am UTC (link)
	or at least they think in a way we have yet to fathom. I could have told them that! (Reply to this)

	spawn_of_kong 2009-06-19 02:10 am UTC (link)
	Obligatory Cat Story: One of my cats, Kasper, rarely mews, with very few exceptions. One of these is when he is hunting a bug and it's flown up beyond his reach. He will then promptly sit down, stare quizzically up at the bug, and go, "...Meow?" I swear, it's priceless every time he does it. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - wolfshark, 2009-06-19 02:25 am UTC

(no subject) - mer1973, 2009-06-19 02:34 am UTC

(no subject) - wolfshark, 2009-06-19 04:05 am UTC

(no subject) - ahiru, 2009-06-19 04:15 am UTC

(no subject) - tree, 2009-06-19 12:03 pm UTC

(no subject) - spawn_of_kong, 2009-06-19 05:03 am UTC

(no subject) - zara_zero, 2009-06-19 11:36 am UTC

(no subject) - skarrow, 2009-06-29 06:48 am UTC

	ajatshatru 2009-06-19 02:39 am UTC (link)
	Just 2 words - Garfield, Odie :D (Reply to this)

amaresu 2009-06-19 04:59 am UTC (link)

Joining in on the cat stories. My cat figured out really quickly that I will not get out of bed and feed him just because he's being annoying. He then figured out not only the purpose of my alarm, but when it goes off. I have on more than one occasion woken up to him standing on me waiting for the alarm to go off. He'll be perfectly quiet up until it goes off and then it's a free for all on harassing me for food. Unfortunately he doesn't understand weekends. He knows the alarm doesn't go off, but about an half hour past when it would've gone off he's standing on me and meowing in my ear. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - sandglass, 2009-06-19 05:29 am UTC

(no subject) - zara_zero, 2009-06-19 11:41 am UTC

(no subject) - sizer, 2009-06-20 01:52 am UTC

(no subject) - rosalita, 2009-06-21 04:04 pm UTC

(no subject) - ruslan, 2009-07-03 04:50 am UTC

sisterelwood 2009-06-19 05:39 am UTC (link)

*reads article*looks at her oldest cat, Jack* Since we're sharing cat stories... Jack has single-pawedly managed to figure out how to feed himself when I am away. How? Well, when I was gone one weekend the woman I had checking in on my two cats told me that he had opened up a cabinet door, climbed behind my other cat's food bin, knocked that food bin out of the way, pulled out his own food bin, and pulled off the lid. He did this not once, not twice, but THREE times. The third time had the added 'challenge' of her trying to tape the cabinet door shut- he just torn it off and pulled out his food bin again. I ended up having to buy a new bin for Jack that has a locking lid. However, I noticed that he has been working on the lock- he's managed to figure out how to open my other cat's bin lock and there are teeth marks on his. Second story- When I was in Ireland last year Jack and my other cat, Creegan, stayed with a friend. She would come home at night and ask her boyfriend why he left the closet door open. He would reply that he hadn't. She would shrug it off and close the door. Not long after that she returned to the living room to find the closet door open AGAIN. She again asked her boyfriend- he knew nothing about it. She shut the door again and then sat and waited. Jack got up and went to the door. He flopped down on his side, put one paw under the door (it was an accordion-type closet door on a track), his head against another panel of the door, and pulled with his paw while pushing in with his head. After a moment he got up and went to stick his head into the closet and into the food bag (which was in the closet). He did this again several times and finally they had to tied the doorknob up so that the door wouldn't open. When I got back from Ireland and brought my boys home I noticed Jack doing the same thing with MY closet doors. Only thing is that my doors open on a different side so whenever Jack got up to go in the closet he was met with paneling. It didn't take him long to work out that he had to look at the other side. To this day I close all my closets at night and by morning they're all open again. If Jack had opposable thumbs and could hold a knife I would be in BIG trouble. As it is, I'm pretty sure he's using Creegan as the brute strength while he is the brains of the operation. TL;DR- Dr. Osthaus needs to test Jack. That is, if he doesn't use the string to hang her first. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - sisterelwood, 2009-06-19 05:50 am UTC

(no subject) - munchkinott, 2009-06-19 06:30 am UTC

(no subject) - sisterelwood, 2009-06-19 04:26 pm UTC

(no subject) - grand_sealink, 2009-06-19 05:42 pm UTC

	adverb 2009-06-19 10:03 am UTC (link)
	You know, I often call my cat an idiot, but I've always thought of him as a very human idiot - he acts a lot like some of my, ahem, slower friends at times. The rest of the time, he's basically a very furry two year old human, which, since I work at a preschool, leads me to talking to the kids and my cat in the exact same way. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - cmdr_zoom, 2009-06-19 03:58 pm UTC

lexingmouse3 2009-06-19 04:47 pm UTC (link)

I agree cat intelligence is vastly overrated. Birds (crows, ravens, magpies) are smarter than cats, let alone dogs, who can manage language understanding equal to bonobos. http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2004/06/63792 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14552-mirror-test-shows-magpies-arent-so-birdbrained.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1209_041209_crows_apes.html (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - sisterelwood, 2009-06-19 09:22 pm UTC

(no subject) - isaiddietpepsi, 2009-06-29 12:02 am UTC

(no subject) - tiki, 2009-06-29 05:45 pm UTC

(no subject) - kelmendi, 2009-07-11 10:47 pm UTC

keiji_miashin 2009-06-19 06:59 pm UTC (link)

The one thing I truly dislike about studies like these (and most animal studies) is the assumption that all cats are created equal. Because 15 individuals obviously will account for a species covering nearly the whole globe. Good studies on humans take into account economic status, upbringing, environment, etc. All the same elements can be applied to animals. All the things that can degenerate intelligence (neglect, abuse, etc.) or increase intelligence (games, interaction, social environment) in humans do the same for animals. (Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - tetradecimal, 2009-06-20 12:57 am UTC

(no subject) - sisterelwood, 2009-06-20 01:21 am UTC

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