Photo: Getty
Even when you are in another room, your cat is watching.
“I saw a cat with only one of its ears tilted back, listening to the sound behind it, and felt that cats must be thinking about many things from the sound,” Takagi told the outlet via email.
Speakers were placed in several rooms where the cat subjects couldn’t see them, and then each speaker played the recording of the owner’s voice one at a time. While the recordings played, a group of people watched the cats' reactions — their ear and head movements — to the audio, looking for signs of shock or surprise.
“It is generally believed that cats are not as interested in their owners as dogs are, but it turns out that they were mentally representing the invisible presence of their owners,” Takagi told CNN.
RELATED VIDEO: Kitty Can’t Get Enough Kisses
The study’s lead author also noted that the findings signal that cats havemore complex minds than we acknowledge.
“This is an ability that is the basis of creativity and imagination,” Takagi said of the apparent mental mapping ability she and her researchers observed in cats.
Cats spend most of their time sleeping, and people often think that it’s good that cats just sleep," she added. “But cats … may be thinking about many things.”
source: people.com
