WHY do Cats Fall for "Cat Traps"?
If I fits, I sits...
And ended in an internet rabbit hole of prehistoric-evolutionary biology.
Since cats can be both predator and prey, tight spaces were crucial
for stalking and hiding.
And have made cats feel cozy and safe for centuries!
Then in 2017, there was a viral trend where cat-owners would tape
a square on the floor.
I bet you can guess what happened…
These memes actually caught the attention of researchers at Hunter College,
who raised an interesting question:
And due to some sudden free time, with no access to laboratories, they recruited over 500 cat-owners as “citizen-scientists” to run an experiment from home!
The cats equally sat in set-ups 1 & 2, and consistently avoided set-up 3!
Which means, cat brains can connect visual “dots” and cues that aren’t actually there! (like set-up 2)
NEAT!!!
Turns out, they’re not falling for anything at all!
These lil geniuses are absolute CHAMPS at stress relief, listening to their instincts, and even constructing metaphysical shapes! They know what they want and THEY GO GET IT!
Come to think of it, I’m not great at any of those things. I guess I have a lot to learn from cats!
P.S: The Researchers at Hunter College officially named the study “If I fits, I sits”!
Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/applied-animal-behaviour-science
https://www.smithsonianmag.com
https://www.popsci.com
https://www.npr.org
https://www.sciencefocus.com https://www.howstuffworks.com
https://www.amcny.org https://www.petlibro.com https://www.rover.com
https://www.basepaws.com https://www.uu.nl https://www.hunter.cuny.edu