Why Are Cats So Stupid? Is My Cat Dumb? Facts You Should Know
Cats are lively, adventurous animals who frequently find themselves in absurd circumstances where they appear foolish or create foolish expressions. In contrast, some cats simply “look foolish” due to their physical appearance. This question might pop up in your mind are cats dumb or smart? Most cat owners frequently ask this question whether their feline companions are intelligent or dull. Even if we’ve no concern with the cat’s IQ or EQ, being cat owners, every person is curious to know whether cats are intelligent or not. Why Are Cats So Stupid?
The real fact behind this question is that a few cats that we think are “stupid” are mostly suffering from a hereditary disease or abnormality. Secondly, most cats do absurd actions to amuse their owners; that’s why they look stupid to us. Lastly, some breeds of cats look like they’re odd, humorous, or foolish. But, in reality, cats are more intelligent than other species from the inside.
Don’t worry; in this post, you’ll find a detailed review regarding cats’ intelligence. In this review, we’ve discussed some frequently asked questions by cat owners and the truth behind them. So, let’s continue to read to know more about our cat’s IQ:
Are Cats Stupid or Smart?
Do you ever question whether your feline friends are intelligent or dumb fools who always play around without concern about their surroundings?
Cats aren’t stupid, and all cats aren’t equal. Their intelligence varied with their breeds variety.
Although cats have smaller brains than humans, a cat’s brain weighs about 0.9% of its body mass. On the other hand, the human brain weighs around 2%, but still, size doesn’t relate to the intellectual level.
Check out: Why Do Cats Meow Back At You When You Talk to Them?
What is the Average EQ or Encephalization Quotient of a Cat?
The encephalization quotient is used to relate an organism’s physical characteristics to its supposed IQ. Some experts concluded that a cat’s EQ ranges from 1-1.71; however, a human’s EQ is 7.44-7.8; due to the cat’s smaller brain size.
Moreover, values greater than 1 show that cats also have big brains, but less than 1 value animals have small brains.
What is the Average IQ of Cats?
Scientists researched that cats’ IQ is about 100, which shows cats are intelligent at picking up new skills, understanding simple directives, and finding solutions as young children.
According to research, cats’ intellectual abilities let them associate words with particular items. Moreover, they possess a strong-smelling sense and also remember places or things by smelling them. However, cats have lower IQs than humans, but their IQ shows that they’re intelligent creatures.
Also Read: Cat Myths And Misconceptions – Know The Truth
Why Are Cats So Dumb? Why Are Cats So Stupid?
Your cats sometimes make you laugh by doing some foolish antics, but that doesn’t prove that they’re dumb. Despite their goofy and bizarre behavior, they possess an excellent IQ that is equal to the children of the 2 and 2.5 age group.
Cats may behave foolishly, but there are always justifications for such behavior. Here are a few popular justifications for cat’s dumb behavior:
- Your cat might be jumping here and there after getting a treat from you.
- If you feel that your cat has suddenly started foolish behavior after a head injury, then you must consult your vet.
- Some behaviors are ingrained in a cat’s nature, such as jumping on things or your shoulders.
- Sometimes lack of good behaviour training might cause your cats to show stupid behaviour.
Find Out: Why Are Orange Cats So Dumb? Definitely A Myth
What Types of Cats Are Dumb?
Different cat breeds have varying degrees of intellect. So, humans consider a few cats to breed less intellectual, but less intelligent doesn’t mean they’re dumb or fools. They just lack a few qualities, like less thinking and picking concepts. These lacking qualities make cats dumb.
But if they’re trained on time, they’ll show excellent behavior. Here are some cat breeds that lack some intellectual abilities and may appear foolish(dumb cats):
- Exotic Shorthair breed
- Persian cat’s breed
- Himalayan breed
- Birman cat’s breed
- American Shorthair breed
- British Shorthair breed
- Snowshoe cats
- Serengeti cats
Are Persian Cats Dumb?
A Persian cat is a highly demanding pet because of its laid-back attitude. But are these cats stupid or easily fooled?
Although these cats aren’t stupid, this breed has the least intellectual levels. These cats aren’t enthusiastic and have limited understanding abilities. Moreover, they don’t engage in chasing and hunting activities and are regarded as lazy breeds, not stupid ones. So, you have to work hard to make them move.
Are Ragdoll Cats Dumb?
The most adorable breed of cat is the ragdoll. However, they’re not foolish; they’re a relaxed cat breed that loves to cuddle in your lap. They aren’t extremely spirited, though, but they’re very active in the case of adapting and responding.
They’re usually considered indoor cats, but if they’re trained well, they enjoy learning tricks, proving that they’re clever.
Are Calico Cats Dumb?
Keep in mind calico is the color of the cat’s coat and not any breed. Cats of other breeds may have calico fur. Therefore, the color of the coat doesn’t affect the cat’s intellect level.
The IQ of calico cats varies depending on their breeds, as all cats have this coat color. All cats having calico color coats possess the following features:
- Kindhearted
- Attractive characteristics
- Loving
- Friendly and active
Are Tuxedo Cats Dumb?
The word “tuxedo” means an elegant cat coat color that’s only found in black or white colors. So, imagining a tuxedo cat stupid won’t be the right thing. However, these cats look feisty while simultaneously being friendly and entertaining.
Most cat owners have noticed that their tuxedo cats are more intelligent than other cats. So, you can’t determine the intelligence of every tuxedo cat because, for this purpose, you have to compare every tuxedo cat from every breed.
Are Siamese Cats Dumb?
This breed is one of the popular cat breeds, but a few cat owners think they’re dumb. They’re intelligent and aren’t included in the top 10 cat breeds having poor IQ levels.
However, if this breed was trained from the start, they’ll easily learn tricks, interact well, and do many other actions.
Are Tabby Cats Dumb?
“Tabby” term also refers to a coat color instead of a specific breed. Wild or domestic cats can both have tabby coats.
But we can’t say that all tabbies are dumb because they aren’t related to any specific breed. Moreover, a very diverse tabby gene is found in a few intelligent cat breeds, including Bengal and Abyssinian breeds.
How Can You Tell if Your Cat is Smart?
Cats possess a distinct set of abilities as compared to dogs, but that doesn’t mean they’re stupid. Most cat owners ask how we can determine whether our furry buddies are intelligent or not. By following the below tips, you can easily test your cats’ smartness at your home:
Judging your cat’s social interaction and engagement with strangers or with other animals will let you know its smartness.
Checking your cat’s survival abilities will let you know whether your cat is smart or not.
As you know, both cats and dogs are intelligent and possess great memory. So, by measuring their memorizing ability, you can also judge your cats’ intelligence.
While teaching your cat various tricks, note how much time she requires to learn those activities or tricks; that’s how you can also determine its intelligence level.
If your cat is excellent at expressing her expressions and feelings and understands your emotions well, then your cat is much smarter than you think.
Are Cats Smarter than Dogs?
However, dogs are much smarter than cats. But if cats are educated properly, they can do stunts, understand instructions, and interact with people more effectively. Cats may be brighter or less intelligent than dogs; it depends on the situation.
According to surveys, cats are better at puzzles than dogs as they continue to solve them until it’s done. However, dogs needed the help of their owners to solve the puzzle.
On the other hand, cats also have sharp memories as they memorize things by smelling them, but dogs can’t. However, both species have the same IQ level of around 100. So, it all depends on the situation whether your cats behave smarter than dogs or not.
Frequently Asked Question
Are orange cats dumb?
First of all, orange is just the color of a cat’s coat, not a breed. So, there is no relation between cats’ IQ with their color. Orange cats can be smart if they’re from an intelligent breed or if they’re tamed properly.
Are black cats dumb?
Black cats do have an intelligence factor. Black is the cat’s base coat and 22 different cat breeds possess black color coats. Thus, a black cat’s smartness will depend on the breed; it belongs to.
Are white cats dumb?
White color cats only have white furs, so it has nothing to do with their intelligence. However, most white cats are deaf, so they’re considered less smart than others. But it’s crucial to keep in mind that all deaf cats aren’t foolish; in some situations, they also behave smartly.
Why are cats not intelligent?
We can’t say that cats aren’t intelligent; they’re smart to some extent. It all depends on how their owners trained them. They may behave foolishly to make you happy, due to which they seem like they’re not intelligent.
Do cats actually think?
Yes, cats use their brains and think about everything happening in their surroundings. However, they express their emotions differently than we do; for example, to show their love, they cuddle with us.
Do cats think we are cats?
Yes, as cats aren’t much smarter, but they don’t consider us only a food machine. They consider us more giant cats or mama cats without furs. That’s why they may push our hands with their hands when they need milk.
Conclusion
In the end, I would say that cats’ abilities and smartness vary among their different breeds; all cats possess different traits. So, assuming that cats are “stupid” animals will be an illogical decision. Every cat is intelligent, depending on how they’re trained and brought up; both these factors play essential roles in building up their intelligence.
Moreover, must try the above-mentioned recommendations to test your cats’ smartness. These tips are utilized by most cat owners and work for them.
Before wrapping up, I would advise you to spend more time with your feline friends to judge their abilities and smartness; stop making false assumptions about your cats.
Who is Isabella?
My name is Isabella, and I am a dedicated and knowledgeable cat enthusiast. With years of experience caring for cats and a deep love for felines, I made a mission to help other cat lovers navigate the challenges of cat ownership.
