# Why are my cats too stupid to figure this out?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 1, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903 "2008-07-01T14:29:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/1 "2008-07-01T14:29:13Z")
My apartment’s not the biggest, especially the kitchen. But for some reason, my cats continue to follow me in there and then lay on the floor while I’m washing dishes or cooking dinner. Inevitably, I step on tails or kick them accidentally. I just stepped on poor Molly, having no idea she’d laid down behind me when I started washing dishes.
This happens fairly regularly, so why do the cats keep doing it? Shouldn’t a fairly intelligent animal remember that, hey, lay around the human’s feet when she’s busy doing something, and she’ll probably step on you? Am I just careless? I don’t normally look at the floor while moving around the kitchen, because 2 steps gets me from sink to stove, and one step from stove to fridge, so it’s not like I have to really navigate around furniture. Apparently I have to navigate around warm fuzzy bodies though.
---
### Author:  [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/2 "2008-07-01T14:50:06Z")
But there’s always the chance you could drop something nummy.
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### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/3 "2008-07-01T14:53:06Z")
[QUOTE=RedRosesForMe]
Shouldn’t a fairly intelligent animal remember…
[/QUOTE]
Yeah. But we’re talking cats here.
Look, I like cats (and dogs). I’m a card-carrying Cat Person. But let’s be honest - they really are as thick as pig shit.
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### Author:  [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/4 "2008-07-01T15:04:54Z")
In my house, the kitchen is the only area that is tiled–the tile is cool–my cat is hot in the summer. So she likes to spread-eagle on the tile, to cool off. Is this what’s happening?
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/5 "2008-07-01T15:08:43Z")
It’s not that they’re stupid, but:
1.) They like to be near you
2.) You might do something interesting; in particular, you might drop something interesting…
3.) …particularly food (cf. **Zsofia** )
4.)… and it’s cool on the floor (cf. **Sattua** ) Our late Clarence spent his last days lying on the floor, soaking up the coolnes.
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### Author:  [@RedRosesForMe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedRosesForMe)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/6 "2008-07-01T15:09:39Z")
[QUOTE=Sattua]
In my house, the kitchen is the only area that is tiled–the tile is cool–my cat is hot in the summer. So she likes to spread-eagle on the tile, to cool off. Is this what’s happening?
[/QUOTE]
It’s terrazzo (sp?) throughout, so it’s not any different from laying in the living room.
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### Author:  [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/7 "2008-07-01T15:26:54Z")
They are _helping_ you. Sheesh. Ungrateful pet owners these days. 😉 I too have “helpers” pretty much every time I’m in the kitchen (either that or they’re trying to kill me; can’t decide which). In our house, it’s customary to accidentally kick a cat at least once a day.
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### Author:  [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/8 "2008-07-01T16:13:53Z")
It’s not that _they’re_ stupid. They are probably thinking “Stupid human, why doesn’t she learn to watch where she’s going and stop stepping on us? Oh well, I guess she needs more training.”
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/9 "2008-07-01T16:15:35Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
It’s not that they’re stupid, but:
1.) They like to be near you
2.) You might do something interesting; in particular, you might drop something interesting…
3.) …particularly food (cf. **Zsofia** )
4.)… and it’s cool on the floor (cf. **Sattua** ) Our late Clarence spent his last days lying on the floor, soaking up the coolnes.
[/QUOTE]
This is almost exactly what I was going to say.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/10 "2008-07-01T18:15:15Z")
:dubious:
I seems to me that it’s you who haven’t learned. 😛
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### Author:  [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/11 "2008-07-01T18:58:24Z")
My cats get tuna or canned food once a week, and so they’ve associated me going into the kitchen with them getting tasty num nums. Anytime I go into the kitchen my cats will sit at the door and stare at me. If I’m in there for more than a minute Tom will walk in and sit at my feet and stare at me and cry like the poor pathetic little starving kitty he wants me to think he is. he knows that if I start moving he needs to get out of the way though. I only had to step on his tail once.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/12 "2008-07-01T19:02:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> My cats get tuna or canned food once a week, and so they’ve associated me going into the kitchen with them getting tasty num nums.
I have a button (whjich I’ve turned into a refrigerator magnet) in our kitchen that reads:
```
**When You Walk Into the Kitchen Your Cat is Hungry**
```
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/13 "2008-07-01T19:04:29Z")
[QUOTE=yellowval]
In our house, it’s customary to accidentally kick a cat at least once a day.
[/QUOTE]
Same here. Actually, once a day is far too little…it’s more like once an hour, maybe two.
Oh…wait…“accidentally”. Sorry, carry on.
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### Author:  [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/14 "2008-07-01T19:05:50Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E]
It’s not that _they’re_ stupid. They are probably thinking “Stupid human, why doesn’t she learn to watch where she’s going and stop stepping on us? Oh well, I guess she needs more training.”
[/QUOTE]
hehe. I once saw a dog after he was hit by a car. Sent the dog home after $800 worth of care. It was the 3rd time the dog was hit. When the guy was paying his bill, he complained that he couldn’t believe the dog hadn’t learned to avoid the road. 😃
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### Author:  [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/15 "2008-07-01T19:07:09Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
I have a button (whjich I’ve turned into a refrigerator magnet) in our kitchen that reads:
```
**When You Walk Into the Kitchen Your Cat is Hungry**
```
[/QUOTE]
My 20-year-old cat is getting pretty senile, and he’s gotten to the point where he’ll stop eating in the middle of a meal and come over to meow for food.
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/16 "2008-07-01T19:18:59Z")
My kitty does this too. She really only does three things.
1. Follow me around.
2. Sleep on my bed. Which is 85% of the time.
3. Stare and meow at me when I’m watching tv or playing on the computer.
I like to think that she misses me when I am at work or out and about on the weekends and that she just wants to spend a little time with me.
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### Author:  [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/17 "2008-07-01T19:57:28Z")
My two cats do this. At first I thought it was because I’m their entertainment. Later I decided it’s a dominance thing. They want to remind me that I’m on their turf and they’re keeping an eye on me. Instead of “the cats” I now call them “the mafia.”
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### Author:  [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/18 "2008-07-01T23:32:47Z")
Is there any compelling evidence that says cats recognize our eyes as what we see them with? I get the strong feeling they think we see with our knees, and in their minds if our knees are near them, they’re perfectly visable.
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### Author:  [@gravitycrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gravitycrash)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2008, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/19 "2008-07-02T03:06:28Z")
As a cat lover I have to admit that they aren’t really all that bright. They appear intelligent and with their independent streak they seem smarter than dogs. For the record I have had seven cats and none of them overwhelmed me in the brains department.
Oh well. They are fun to cuddle with and are good foot warmers on a cold winter night.
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-my-cats-too-stupid-to-figure-this-out/454903/20 "2008-07-02T03:26:34Z")
[Kitty has remote.](http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/funny-pictures-your-kitten-is-hungry-and-has-a-remote.jpg)
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