# What's the most intelligent breed of cats? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215 "2006-04-18T21:05:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/1 "2006-04-18T21:05:03Z")
Is there any breed of cat that’s noticeably smarter than the others? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/2 "2006-04-18T21:18:41Z")
I’ve heard that Siamese are very smart. They certainly talk a lot, which makes me think there must be quite a bit going on in their little feline brains. As far as my own experience, my Maine Coon is the smartes cat I’ve ever known. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/3 "2006-04-18T21:22:07Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > They certainly talk a lot, which makes me think there must be quite a bit going on in their little feline brains. I’m not sure my experience with humans who talk a lot gives me a lot of confidence in your hypothesis. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/4 "2006-04-18T21:26:54Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I’m not sure my experience with humans who talk a lot gives me a lot of confidence in your hypothesis. Touche! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/5 "2006-04-18T21:27:27Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Is there any breed of cat that’s noticeably smarter than the others? Not IME. There seems to be a huge degree of variation between individuals, but I do not see a difference that is breed related. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/6 "2006-04-18T21:32:06Z")
Tigers. Tigers are pretty clever. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/7 "2006-04-18T21:32:54Z")
I’ve met singapuras that could, like, decode Enigma ciphers while making hollandaise from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/8 "2006-04-18T21:33:35Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Not IME. There seems to be a huge degree of variation between individuals, but I do not see a difference that is breed related. So no one has ever bred for a “smart cat” trait? Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/9 "2006-04-18T21:42:45Z")
> [@astro](#): > > So no one has ever bred for a “smart cat” trait? Interesting. Well, how would you pick individuals showing the trait? How do you test IQ in a nonverbal species? People _have_ bred for all sorts of peculiarities, though. The munchkin, for instance. An orthopods dream: > **[Short-Legged Munchkin Long on Charm](https://www.thesprucepets.com/munchkin-cat-profile-551883)** > > Munchkin cats have shorter legs than usual but are otherwise typical, healthy cats that are full of personality, playfulness, and love. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/10 "2006-04-18T22:01:47Z")
> [@astro](#): > > So no one has ever bred for a “smart cat” trait? Interesting. Why would anyone want to? Our Feline Overlords are scary enough as it is, without adding more intelligence into the mix. Personally, I think that AS A RULE, Siamese tend to be smarter than other breeds, but there are still plenty of dumb Siamese out there. My own meezer is terrifyingly smart, the world should be grateful that she doesn’t have opposable thumbs. She would probably have made an excellent acting cat, as she is VERY quick to pick up on cause and effect, and is absolutely shameless in seeking attention and food. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/11 "2006-04-18T22:05:45Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Well, how would you pick individuals showing the trait? How do you test IQ in a nonverbal species? > > People _have_ bred for all sorts of peculiarities, though. The munchkin, for instance. An orthopods dream: > [Munchkin Cat — Full Profile, History, and Care](http://cats.about.com/cs/breedprofiles/p/Munchkin.htm) I hate munchkins. As for testing IQ, they manage to do it with other species, but cats, as a rule, are not nearly so eager to please humans as other species are. I’ve found that when attempting to teach a cat something, not only do you have to make sure that it’s something that the cat CAN learn, but it has to be something that the cat WANTS to learn, as well. Some cats are willing to put up with indignities if it means more food or attention. A great many are not. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/12 "2006-04-18T22:11:29Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > I hate munchkins. We get up at 12 and start to work at 1! Take an hour for lunch and then, at 2, we’re done! Jolly good fun! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/13 "2006-04-18T22:23:21Z")
I don’t think one can specify an individual breed, given that there is such a HUGE gap betwwen their intelligence and ours. i.e., They sleep all they want, get food, water & love in generous proportions, shelter, lots of comfortable spots to nap out and sleep, never have to hit a lick at a snake and are worshipped for it. Only thing I can not understand, is why they are referred to as “Dumb Animals.” 😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/14 "2006-04-18T22:45:50Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > I’ve met singapuras that could, like, decode Enigma ciphers while making hollandaise from scratch. And they’d be so _cute_ while they were doing it, too! I love Singapuras. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2006, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/15 "2006-04-18T22:51:36Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > I’ve met singapuras that could, like, decode Enigma ciphers while making hollandaise from scratch. Yeah, I can attest to this. I’ve got one of them. 😃 (Not one you’ve met–one who can just about do those things. We often joke that if he had thumbs, we’d all be in trouble.) Since no thread like this is complete without pictures, [here he is](http://www.pedantical.net/images/tenshi1.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/16 "2006-04-19T01:27:10Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > Yeah, I can attest to this. I’ve got one of them. 😃 > > (Not one you’ve met–one who can just about do those things. We often joke that if he had thumbs, we’d all be in trouble.) > > Since no thread like this is complete without pictures, [here he is](http://www.pedantical.net/images/tenshi1.jpg). Are you sure _that’s_ a cat??? ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/17 "2006-04-19T03:47:03Z")
The mixed breed cat sitting on my lap right now is pretty damn smart (much smarter than our Siamese, that’s for sure). She’s taken a shine (pun intended) to playing with the laser pointer, which isn’t an intelligent feat in and of itself, but when she started realizing where the laser dot was coming from, and getting excited everytime I picked it up. There’s also the time I caught her looking both ways before crossing the street. I thought it was just a fluke, but I kept an eye out, and sure enough, on the way back she did it again. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/18 "2006-04-19T14:07:35Z")
I had an all black polydactul (one extra claw on each paw) that was pretty smart. He could fetch, come when called, and would roll over and play dead. Unfortunately, the one time he got out of the house he wasn’t as smart as **Electronic Chaos** ’s cat, and got hit by a car. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/19 "2006-04-19T15:32:43Z")
The smartest cat I ever had was a grey and black tiger cat I got second hand from the streets of Tulsa, OK. He had a mean streak a mile wide, and used his intelligence for evil. Some examples: he had a peeing issue, and would use his urine as a terrorist tool. Once, he stood on top of a bookcase so he could pee on the ceiling. He peed on the other cat’s food. He hated my boyfriend at the time, and peed on his baseball glove, guitar, closet door, and on the floor next to his side of the bed so that when he got up, he stepped in it. When he wanted food, he would wake up the boyfriend (this was a different one-- he overthrew the first one) by either meowing directly into his ear or by opening his eyes with his paws (no claws). Good thing I loved that bastard and he loved me, because he never did any of those mean things to me. He also opened closed doors and cabinets, presumably with his paws, but with him, maybe it was the power of his twisted little mind. 😃 He turned on the TV with his paws (it was a button, not a dial) so it would warm up and [he could sleep on it.](http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b7/rubystreak/StreakeronTV.jpg) He was a mixed breed with a big mouth and an attitude the size of the sun. Never met a smarter cat of any specific breed than Streaker. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215/20 "2006-04-19T18:55:41Z")
We used to have one of those white cats with orange tabby markings (head and patches…I think they’re called flamepoint) that was incredibly intelligent. Beyond standard human mind manipulation to get what he wanted he had figured out how to open doors in the house (we used to leave chairs next to doors for him to do so) and my father was able to teach him quite a few tricks, including shaking hands, standing up etc… My dad actually got half way to teaching him how to play dead before he got tired of it. Right now we have a cream tabby that’s pretty smart (though not as smart as Babu, King among Cats used to be) 1 sweet-tempered but dunderheaded flamepoint (Gundu, successor to Babu) and a sullen/foul-tempered long-haired calico. The calico is probably the stupidest although she’s purty to look at. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-intelligent-breed-of-cats/353215.md?page=2)