Top 10 Cat Intelligence Facts You Need to Know

Cats are smart. Like, really smart. They’re not just a big ball of fur that sits around waiting for you to feed them. They’re actually incredibly intelligent creatures.

We know what you’re thinking: Why is this cat person writing a list of facts about cats? We’ve got two words for you: Fascinating!

I’m not the first to talk about how intelligent cats are and won’t be the last. Still, it’s fun to prove that my favorite animal isn’t as dumb as everyone thinks.

We’ve always loved cats, but We didn’t realize how smart they were until We got my first one. She was a sweetheart who taught me that cats are capable of so much more than people give them credit.

This list includes some of the most interesting facts about cat intelligence that prove your feline friend’s smartness.

Cats Have a Longer-Term Memory than Dogs.

A cat’s memory can be compared to a human’s. The average human has a short-term memory span of around 20 minutes. Still, cats can hold onto information for up to 16 hours! Cats have been shown to have a longer-term memory than dogs, which can be helpful when trying to train them.

They also use their memories to predict the actions of other animals and people. This is one of the reasons cats are considered so intelligent: they can put their experiences together with what they know about the world around them and act.

Cats Can See in Almost Total Darkness.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of petting a cat in the middle of the night after they’ve gotten up to sneak around, you may have noticed that they’re able to see better than you can.

That’s because cats have a reflective layer behind their retina called tapetum lucidum, which increases their ability to see in low-light conditions.

This layer reflects light through the retina, ensuring your kitty doesn’t miss anything when hunting for mice or sneaking into your bedroom closet on all fours like some terrifying ghost cat who will stare at you until dawn breaks and then disappear without a trace!

Cats Have Great Vision.

Cats have a wider field of vision than humans. They can see almost 300 degrees and up to 65 degrees!

Their eyes allow them to see in the dark. Also, to their excellent night vision, cats have a special membrane that helps them see in dim light—they can even detect movement in these low-light conditions without moving their head or body.

Cats can see colors. Although you might think of your cat as colorblind since he doesn’t react when you change his bedding from pink sheets to green ones, this is not true: cats can distinguish between reds, blues, and greens as people do!

Cats Can Make More than 100 Sounds, While Dogs Can only Make Around 10.

Cats use a variety of sounds to communicate with each other and humans. Cats can make over 100 distinct vocalizations, while dogs can only manage ten or so. Your cat’s meow will likely differ from another cat’s or yours!

Cats also purr in response to human voices and touch, but they don’t do it because they love you! Purring is a form of communication that cats use to greet one another or let someone know that they’re contented.

The frequency of the vibration helps them identify one another; kittens learn their mother’s purr by listening to this specific sound early.

Cats Are Smart Enough to Let You Know They’re Cold.

Cats are very good at reading our body language and know when we’re cold. They’ll climb into our laps to warm up! It’s not because they like being with us or want attention; cats feel cold themselves and need our warmth to feel comfortable.

When your cat wants to be left alone, he’ll meow at you. If he’s feeling particularly vocal, he may also use a growl or hiss to tell you that he’s upset.

Cats usually purr when they’re happy or comfortable, so if your cat is purring while curled up in your lap after being fed or brushed, chances are good that she’s contented with her life.

Your Cat May Be Smart Enough to Recognize When You’re Sad and Offer Some Support.

Your cat may be smart enough to recognize when you’re sad and offer some support.

Experiments have shown that cats recognize human emotions, including anxiety, fear, and happiness. Cats also appear to respond to these emotions by increasing their efforts at communication with us. For example, if we’re sad or depressed, our cats will vocalize more to get our attention.

Also, to detect human emotions through changes in breathing patterns or facial expressions (like dogs do), cats may be able to sense basic physiological changes like heart rate or blood pressure through the pads on their paws!

So next time, your kitty rubs her face against yours while purring or jumps onto your lap as soon as she sees that big bag of potato chips. It could be because she wants a snack too!

They Have 300 Million Neurons in Their Brains, While Dogs Have 160 Million and Humans Have 100 Billion.

One of the most exciting things about cat intelligence is that cats have more brain cells than dogs but fewer than humans. Cats can make more complex decisions than dogs recognizing their owners’ voices and faces, even when tired or stressed. Cats also have an incredible sense of smell and hearing, which makes them excellent hunters. They can also recognize their owner’s emotions—they can tell if you’re happy or sad from your body language alone!

Some Cats Are Better at Problem-Solving Tasks than Others.

Some cats are better at problem-solving tasks than others. Simple commands and tricks can be taught to cats. Most cats are brilliant and enjoy learning new things, but they’re also independent and may not want to do what you want them to do.

This intelligence can be measured with a series of tests, including:

• The ability to remember where and when food is hidden (called spatial memory)
• The ability to use visual cues to find food (called visual discrimination)

Cats Can Recognize and Respond to Their Names.

Cats are very good at recognizing their name and can respond to them. While this may be a common-sense conclusion, the fact that cats have intelligence like humans is surprising. Cats use vocalization in many different ways, including communication with other animals, self-expression through meows and purrs, and even as a form of hunting strategy when stalking prey.

Some Cat Names Ideas

• Fuzzy
• Nemo
• Bootsie (or any other cute nickname)
• Socks
• Cleopatra
• Toulouse
• Lautrec
• O’Malley
• Puffball
• Einstein

Cats Are Smarter than You Might Think!

We all know that cats are pretty intelligent animals—they can recognize their owners and they’re able to learn tricks. But did you know that some cats have even been trained to use the toilet? Or, even more, a scratching post?

While it’s true that dogs may be considered “man’s best friend,” cats hold their own in the intelligence department without explanation!

Conclusion

All in all, cats are pretty smart animals. They have a lot of instincts and can use them to their advantage. But that’s not all there is to it—cats also have a higher-than-average capacity for learning, which means they can be trained as pets or even service animals!

This list may have shed some light on how our feline friends tick. And if you want to find out even more about cat habits facts, cat ears facts and eye facts click here.

FAQ- Cat Intelligence Facts