• falseWhite@programming.devEnglish
    36·
    6 hours ago

    he believes cats are semi-feral and that they think we are cats too

    Ok, so it’s just something someone believes, it’s not very scientific… They don’t really provide much evidence other than belief

    • REDACTED@infosec.pubEnglish
      2·
      33 minutes ago

      When I had a dog, I used to think my dog thinks he will grow just as big as me and will join my daily routine, which was a bit depressing when you think about it

    • massive_bereavement@fedia.io
      29·
      6 hours ago

      Probably this is yet another case of a journalist spinning yarn out of some poor researcher’s paper summary, and then being quoted out of context.

  • Catoblepas@piefed.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    46·
    7 hours ago

    No, they have absolutely no idea about nuclear war and apparently no clear sense that we might be some other species, despite not quite having the strokably hairy torsos they enjoy.

    Speak for yourself, my torso hair is luxurious.

    • Uli@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      19·
      5 hours ago

      My cat knows about nuclear war. He simply hasn’t chosen to exercise the knowledge.

    • over_clox@lemmy.worldEnglish
      17·
      6 hours ago

      But they are!

      They can’t even turn doorknobs, no matter how many months they try. But you give them a lever knob, that’s a totally different story…

      • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth
        7·
        5 hours ago

        I had a cat as a kid that could turn doorknobs - my parents would send him to the basement at night because he had a bad habit of trying to mark furniture as his territory, and we had to start locking the door because he figured out how to open it

        • over_clox@lemmy.worldEnglish
          8·
          5 hours ago

          Round doorknobs? Your kitty actually gripped and turned it?

          Dang, ours tried tirelessly for like 2 months. He knew and understood exactly what we were doing, and we could literally see him trying to turn it, but he never could get a good enough grip.

          My dad kept a latch lock on the front door though, eventually our cat learned all on his own to bat at and use as his own door knocker.

          Not all cats are stupid, just limited in human abilities…

          • YoSoySnekBoi@kbin.earth
            8·
            4 hours ago

            Our cat would jump up and hang from the doorknob by both of his front paws and then wiggle back and forth until it opened. Our other cat at the time could never figure it out lol

            • over_clox@lemmy.worldEnglish
              5·
              4 hours ago

              Ours had it fully figured out, I just guess your doorknob was probably a bit easier to turn than ours was…

    • TeamAssimilation@infosec.pubEnglish
      18·
      7 hours ago

      And they KNOW humans provide sustenance on a regular basis, and protection, so I can’t believe they think we’re just giant hairless monstrous cats. They’d have to think everything else is a cat otherwise. Look at the flying cats, mom! I’m gonna catch and eat one!

    • mbfalzar@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      English
      12·
      5 hours ago

      The thing I’ve seen is that when they show dogs an image of their owner while the dog is in a PET scan, and show the dog pictures of other animals, the same part of the brain lights up, while showing the dog pictures of other dogs lights up a different but close area of the brain. Doing the same test on cats had one area lighting up for other animals, but the same part lighting up when shown their owner and when shown other cats

    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      6 hours ago

      3 college professors (1990) suggested we read Desmond Morris’ books. Don’t know how the science has stood up, but he believed this. Dogs and cats think humans are weird versions of their own species, that we’re basically their parents, and act accordingly. Nothing IRL has dissuaded me from that notion.

      One interesting idea I got from him; When we’re small we love huge animals, see them as parents. As we get older, we like small animals, see them as our children.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Morris

      Again, don’t know how it stands up, but The Naked Ape is damned thought provoking.

      • over_clox@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        6 hours ago

        Also, people should keep in mind, that kittens are born with their eyes still sealed shut for a while. So once they open their eyes and finally get to see the world, they naturally accept the creatures that have been and continue to care for them.

        • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          5 hours ago

          Think Morris touches on that! Been 35-years since I studied him though. Afraid to read it all again in case he turned out to be so very wrong.