Like others, in online videos I have seen cats look in a mirror at themselves. Almost always they see another cat. However, I have seen a video in which it seemed that the cat did recognise themselves and had decided to check if they were indeed looking at themselves by raising their forelegs to see if the mirror image reflected the action.
The point is that the jury is out if we are to be meticulously fair on the cat as to whether they are self-aware or not. The infographic reflects this assessment.
Here is an extended version of the text in the infographic for completeness:
The question of whether domestic cats are self-aware remains an area of scientific debate and exploration. While there is no definitive evidence that cats possess self-awareness as humans understand it, the conclusion largely depends on how self-awareness is defined and measured.
The Mirror Test
One common test for self-awareness in animals is the mirror test, where an animal is marked with a visual cue (e.g., a spot of paint) in a place visible only in a mirror. If the animal uses the mirror to inspect and attempt to remove the mark, it is interpreted as evidence of self-recognition and, by extension, self-awareness.
- Cats typically fail the mirror test. They often do not show behavior suggesting they recognize themselves in the reflection, instead reacting as if the reflection is another animal.
- However, the mirror test may not be a fair or comprehensive measure of self-awareness in cats. Cats rely more on scent and other senses than on vision for identification, so the test might not align with their natural ways of perceiving the world.
Broader Interpretations of Self-Awareness
Self-awareness might also include:
- Awareness of one’s body and actions: Cats exhibit this when they groom themselves, adjust their movements to navigate narrow spaces, or retract claws to avoid harm.
- Awareness of others’ perspectives: Studies suggest cats may have some level of understanding of human attention, such as knowing when they are being watched or responding differently to attentive versus inattentive humans.
Comparative Cognition
Other species, such as dolphins, elephants, magpies, and some primates, have passed the mirror test, leading many researchers to consider them self-aware. However, the absence of evidence of self-awareness in cats (or other species) does not necessarily mean they lack it—it could reflect the limitations of our methods to assess it.
Current Scientific Consensus
- Most scientists agree that cats are intelligent and capable of complex behaviors but remain cautious about attributing human-like self-awareness to them.
- Researchers are exploring alternative ways to measure self-awareness, potentially more suited to species-specific behaviors and sensory modalities.
While we do not have conclusive proof that cats are self-aware, the question remains open, with ongoing research shedding light on the complexity of animal cognition.
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