cats communicating

Curio said:
I've got Google. I can't really be bothered though...



Yes, that's right - I'm THAT naive :rolleyes:



Nobody is arguing that cats are as advanced as humans - but they're clearly more advanced than, say, a snail. They also often show evidence of an uncanny ability to gauge human emotion. Of course that is hard to quantify, so it's usually put down to silly people simply personifying or anthropomorphizing by other people who don't actually own cats, or view cats as something that just drifts in and out of the door a couple of times a day.
Click to expand...

In simple terms, it's hard to understand if you a, don't have a cat, or b, have a cat that's not very nice, and use that as an example of all cats ever.

My cat clearly expresses and feels emotions.
 
kylew said:
My cat clearly expresses and feels emotions.
Click to expand...
No, that's your interpretation of your cat's primitive behavioural adaptations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Fs_(evolution)). It is perfectly natural to do this - humans have vivid imaginations, an imagination which will create anything it wants (in this case, anthropomorphism) to fulfil a human's own psychological desires.

I see nothing wrong with this, by the way, but I do see something wrong when people try to portray it as an absolute fact - i.e. "My cat does have emotions, and you're the fool for not seeing that!". No, it doesn't.
 
Curio said:
I've got Google. I can't really be bothered though...
Click to expand...
I figured that might be the case.

Yes, that's right - I'm THAT naive :rolleyes:
Click to expand...
All people are, sorry to break it to you.

Nobody is arguing that cats are as advanced as humans - but they're clearly more advanced than, say, a snail.
Click to expand...
Well, that's the crux. They're not. People only think this because it is easier to anthropomorphise onto a cat, dog (etc) because their beings and faces are closer to home (they're 'cute', for example). Kind of the same reason why plenty of by-choice (because of 'cruelty') vegetarians happily eat fish, but don't eat mammals.

I'd welcome any credible studies to show otherwise, though.
 
Last edited:
Hatter The Mad said:
No, that's your interpretation of your cat's primitive behavioural adaptations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Fs_(evolution)). It is perfectly natural to do this - humans have vivid imaginations, an imagination which will create anything it wants (in this case, anthropomorphism) to fulfil a human's own psychological desires.

I see nothing wrong with this, by the way, but I do see something wrong when people try to portray it as an absolute fact - i.e. "My cat does have emotions, and you're the fool for not seeing that!". No, it doesn't.
Click to expand...

Do you actually have a cat? It's not my "interpretation", and your wiki entry doesn't exactly prove it. If we use your logic, surely us Humans don't have emotions either then do we?
 
kylew said:
Do you actually have a cat?
Click to expand...
I had a cat until last year - up until that point I had lived with a cat my entire life. Same with dogs.

It's not my "interpretation"
Click to expand...
It is

and your wiki entry doesn't exactly prove it.
Click to expand...
I didn't intend it to, it was for the definiton of the word.

If we use your logic, surely us Humans don't have emotions either then do we?
Click to expand...
We do, it is a part of our self-awareness.
 
Hatter The Mad said:
Prove it?

And don't use some dumb anecdote about how you're sure your cat has a human-like concious and emotions, because we're not 12 years old.

Cats and other animals do have feelings, but they are very different to ours. We (pet owners) personify our pets and project our own conciousness onto them, because it kind of fits (anything does in our head).
Click to expand...

Anthropomorphising. It's the same reason we can see faces in inanimate objects and why when we were four, we used to believe that our stuffed animals came alive when we were gone.
 
Nix said:
Anthropomorphising. It's the same reason we can see faces in inanimate objects and why when we were four, we used to believe that our stuffed animals came alive when we were gone.
Click to expand...
Spot on.
Hatter The Mad said:
No, that's your interpretation of your cat's primitive behavioural adaptations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Fs_(evolution)). It is perfectly natural to do this - humans have vivid imaginations, an imagination which will create anything it wants (in this case, anthropomorphism) to fulfil a human's own psychological desires.

I see nothing wrong with this, by the way, but I do see something wrong when people try to portray it as an absolute fact - i.e. "My cat does have emotions, and you're the fool for not seeing that!". No, it doesn't.
Click to expand...
 
This is the bully cat in question
OcUK, meet Polly, dont mess with her, she will scratch or trip you up going down the stairs
photo13r.jpg
 
GJ02 said:
Do you think that 2 cats that live in the same house, and have done since kittens are able to communicate or let the other know how its feeling ?
Reason i ask is, Tia is on her last legs and is going to the vets in the morning to see if there is anything else he can do, but polly ( hissy fit cat ) still tries to attack her.
Surely after living with eachother for 13+ years she is able to see / tell that Tia is not a well cat ?
what do you think ?
Click to expand...

My cat told me that you shouldnt be so stupid to think that cats can talk to each other. He said it was just instinctive.

My cat also told me to give you a big :rolleyes:
 
well just to let you know about the outcome
had Tia put down yesterday, she was 13 and was such a loving cat.
 
GJ02 said:
well just to let you know about the outcome
had Tia put down yesterday, she was 13 and was such a loving cat.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. Atleast she had 13 quality years though.

My Cat got ran over and killed a while back she was ony 4 years old and I was gutted I actualy cried. The cat was semi Feral and it took me a year to get her to come to me and be part of the family I got her spaded and everything.

I was quite close to that Cat because I was the only person she would come to.
 
Sorry to hear that.

Your black cat looks pretty bad ***. Reminds me of my Aunty's cat. He was called Blacks and was possibly the hardest creature I've ever met. Constantly in fights. He took out a cat's eye and would protect the honour of other cats. Legend :D
 
like i said before i do love polly ( black one ) she really is 1 of a kind
but NOBODY messes with polly, not even moses or barney the dogs !
she crazy mad !!
 
Polly looks like a witches cat. Proper evil looking and straggly.

Sad to hear about Tia, GJ02. It's horrible when a pet dies. Still, she had a good life and that is all you can ask for!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom