this post was submitted on 17 Aug 2023
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Apparently they also think that humans are particularly large and somewhat useless cats
Thats not a joke, cats literally think that, there are studies about that.
I know what you mean here, but it's a bit egotistical of humans to be like "we literally know what this creature who can't talk" is thinking when they can barely properly guess what their long term partner or friend is always thinking 🤣 cats MIGHT be more simplistic in thought patterns than humans, but to assert what all cats believe based on an incorrect reporting on John Bradshaw's studies of cats is just plain wrong- please do a quick search! You'll see there are conflicting reports of what his book seems to claim, but he himself does not assert that that's what cats literally believe. 😬
Edit to add: here's the article where he's being interviewed about it, and the relevant part!
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/140127-cats-pets-animals-nation-dogs-people-science
"I've read articles where you've said cats think of us as big, stupid cats. Is that accurate?
No. In the book [I say] that cats behave toward us in a way that's indistinguishable from [how] they would act toward other cats. They do think we're clumsy: Not many cats trip over people, but we trip over cats.
But I don't think they think of us as being dumb and stupid, since cats don't rub on another cat that's inferior to them."
@liztliss My personal theory is that they know we aren't a cat like them, but they figure we think the same way they do and that most everyone shows affection and communicates like a cat. I could be wrong, but it seems to fit.