When we have a cat doing something interesting, it’s highly likely at least one other cat is observing and learning. We need to watch some “cat theater” ourselves, to make sure what they are teaching each other are not the wrong things.
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Cats don’t have to be social to learn from each other, but it helps. Seeing another cat accomplish something creates instant interest, and cats actually enjoy admiring glances from other cats. They will then be likely to repeat this same maneuver, and the other cats will study it.
Every cat Reverend Jim has encountered has been a profound influence on him. Because of his deprived background, he tends to study other cats intently, but he doesn’t actually imitate them.
Instead, he seems to grasp the concept of what the other cats are doing, and then come up with his own way of accomplishing or understanding a task. In many ways, another cat showing RJ that something is possible creates linkages for him.
It’s not that RJ is simply imitating another cat. The key is when he understands that the other cat is doing something to get what they want.
Having his own kitten has been a great boost to RJ’s development, since he sees Olwyn figure stuff out at his developmental level. It’s not that RJ is not bright; he is.
But he’s still a kitten in many ways. His age, coming up on three years old in a month or so, is still in the kitten range, especially for such a naturally large cat as his most prominent breed, the Maine Coon. But it’s his deprivation that originally stalled him, and now slows his progress.
We started out having to teach him how to play. I even developed a special cat toy to help him grasp concepts and work with his natural intelligence and independence.
Since Dear Husband had never raised a kitten before, he did not see what I saw in RJ; the slowness, the times he would seem to “lock up,” and the way he was seemingly unable to initiate many kinds of contact. Then, we got Olwyn. Seeing a normal kitten negotiate the world made him realize what I had been saying about RJ all along.
Cats learn from other cats all the time, even if they don’t have a deficit to make up. This is why our procedures to keep them out of trouble have to be as smart as our smartest cat.
We only need one cat to figure it out; but after that, any cat can do it. Even after the original cat is no longer there, having a Cat Civilization means these tips and techniques will be passed on.
Which is just another reason why I love having a Cat Civilization.
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There’s more about multiple cats in The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See more posts on the MULTIPLE CAT ADVANTAGE.
are another way to keep the good times rolling; sometimes, literally. These play tunnels are often able to be collapsed and put away, keeping them fresh to our cats. Leave a toy in storage long enough, and it becomes new.
