# Can a Cat Watch TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 29, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567 "2002-12-29T23:21:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/61 "2014-01-29T18:32:34Z")
Marla was sitting next to me as I was watching something on Animal Planet on a 42" full HD screen, when a mouse came on the screen. She perked up and leaned towards the screen. Suddenly a large snake jumps out, snaps up the mouse and swallows it whole. I thought that poor cat was going to have a heart attack-she actually hissed/screamed at the screen in anger and fear. ---
**Author:** ![Major\_Matt\_Mason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Major\_Matt\_Mason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Major_Matt_Mason)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/62 "2014-01-31T03:21:11Z")
Well, I don’t know about WATCHING TV, but Norma Bates Kitteh definitely HEARS cats in videos… [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pfbVnuBoso](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pfbVnuBoso) [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1328MPrU4VY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1328MPrU4VY) ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/63 "2014-02-02T19:27:57Z")
Today is the first episode of the annual Kitten Bowl. One of my cats (the smart one) is glued to the TV, right up close, taking a break only for commercials. The other cat can’t be bothered. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/64 "2014-02-02T21:56:11Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Today is the first episode of the annual Kitten Bowl. One of my cats (the smart one) is glued to the TV, right up close, taking a break only for commercials. The other cat can’t be bothered. But, but . . . the commercials are the best part! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/65 "2014-02-02T22:23:31Z")
**Can a Cat Watch TV?** Ahem. MAY a cat _please_ watch TV? ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2014, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/66 "2014-02-02T23:09:50Z")
One of my cats spent a couple minutes once watching a follow-the-bouncing-ball singalong and trying to catch the ball. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/67 "2014-02-03T00:38:30Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > But, but . . . the commercials are the best part! See, that’s what’s hard about it. You have to convince the cat. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567/68 "2014-02-03T00:47:24Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Cats can definitely distinguish specific objects on a TV screen, as well. When I was a kid, we had a cat who’d bat with her paw at Pac-Man as I steered him around the TV set (I had an Atari 2600). I also had one of those, with one of those big TVs that doubled as furniture. Believe me, I got more feline help than I wanted when playing Space Invaders or Breakout. I’ve seen cats apparently paying attention to on-screen action. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-cat-watch-tv/145567.md?page=3)