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Do you think cats are capable of reasoning?
Today I let my cat out for 1/2 hr. before I went to work. She was whining to get out and at first I wasn't going to, but then I threw open the door and said, "OK, but you only have a half an hour and then you have to come in because I'm going to work."
(I don't like to leave the cat out unless I'm around to supervise.)
So then, 1/2 hour later I open the door and there the cat is, just coming up the stairs to get back into the apartment!
This kind of thing has happened before, a bunch of times. I really do think she understands when I will be gone for a while and anticipates the future and reasons that she doesn't want to be left outside all day. It's happened sometimes that she's been left outside inadvertently, and she doesn't like it because she wants to know that when she's outside I'll come to her rescue when there's trouble, like another cat attacking or something. And being cut off from the food dish all day-- she doesn't like that either! I know she doesn't like it because then when I do come home and let her inside, she'll be crying about it for awhile.
So I really do think she sees me ready for work, dressed in a certain way, maybe with keys in hand, and she understands what that means, and she has learned from prior experience that she does not want to be outside all day without me around and so reasons and makes choices based on that information.
Another thing I've been amazed at lately, since I got goldfish for my pond-- just how smart they are. They recognize my footsteps and come running (as well as a fish can) for food when I call them! Some people on a pond forum say they can pet their fish and that koi especially are very smart.
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