Do cats only like you because you feed them?




Studies show that cats prefer not to work for their dinner



Most cat owners will say that their feline friends prefer everything handed to them on a silver platter. A new study conducted at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine proves it. While other species may benefit from increased intelligence and the reward of solving food puzzles, the study, published this year in Animal Cognition, suggests that cats continue to enjoy the challenge. 


When given the opportunity, cats prefer to have free food. The study followed 17 domestic cats who were given an unobstructed food tray, and a food puzzle to encourage "reward," that is, to work for the food. Most cats, regardless of their level of activity or knowledge of the food puzzle, prefer to feed for free. 


It's not that cats don't use food puzzles, but cats eat different foods from the tray, spend more time on the tray, and make the first choices to approach and eat in the board than in the to confuse, explains the study's lead author, Mikel Delgado, a feline behaviorist and researcher associated with UC Davis.


Although there have been many studies on counter-loading in domestic animals such as pigs and chickens, few have looked at behavior in domestic animals. The UC Davis team took information from a previous food maze study involving six cats in the lab (none of whom participated in the game) and then experimented again with 17 cats in a natural environment and - neutral.



  • Regardless of gender, age and activity level, the results showed that cats preferred only free food. 




1..So why cats?

The unanswered question, the study, is the cause of cats, among the different species tested, including chimpanzees, macaques, chickens, wild birds, pigeons, bears, wolves, rats, giraffes and similar pigs or only those who do it. Trust against zero debt. This behavior seems to contradict the fact that cats work for food by hunting and stop eating to hunt other prey.


However, researchers encourage cat parents to encourage this activity for enrichment purposes. It can also help cats whose goal is to eat their food in a short amount of time by organizing their meals.


I highly recommend using food puzzles with cats, especially cats with food cravings and need mental stimulation. I use them with my three cats, said Delgado. Cat owner should s considers a few thing: 


Introducing this puzzles slow, and whet hers  the cats may needs additional stimulation to starts, for example, a simple puzzle at first, a treat or a new food. I'm also a fan of introducing food puzzles as an option because cats benefit from the idea of ​​having control over their environment.




Do Cats Understand More Than We Think?


Especially when he pretends not to understand you



When Dr. Sophia Yin, a pioneer of quality training based on free will, passed away in 2014, and the world lost a strong advocate for humane treatment of animals. His legacy continues, however, not only in training, practice and the field of animals, but through the many lives he touched by helping people better understand animal behavior. 


A core of dedicated staff remained after his passing to manage the business and continue his work, and this remains a valuable asset. Through her website, drsophiayin.com, her teaching tips and free videos are always available. Here, we share two specific answers from Dr. Yin answers two frequently asked questions about cats.




1..What is special about cats? 

Since cats always have their food, and are not exposed to many different foods, you must first add food to their diet so that they learn to love treats. Then you usually reduce their food intake because they eat too much food and feed them until their food becomes useful. Another unique thing about cats is that they are very good at pretending that they have a short attention span or that they don't understand. 


They may meow and meow or move around aimlessly until you come to give them a treat or reward. In these cases, instead of approaching them when they really need your attention, walk away and let them know that if they don't play your game, you'll eliminate any chance of getting a reward. Most of the time, they will follow you and try hard to do what you want them to do to get the reward. If this is not the case, end the session and restart a little later.




2. Are some species such as dogs, more intelligent than others such as cats?

It depends on how you define intelligence. If you define the smartest animal as one that gets its way, then cats are better than dogs. People often think that animals who don't learn what they teach must be stupid instead of considering the fact that they may be bad teachers themselves or using incentives or negative motivation to act. 


When animals are trained with good support and their behavior is shaped in stages, cats and many animals that are considered stupid can learn as quickly as dogs.