Do cats have an awareness of the self?

[Kirsten]

Well, I've watched Lily several times sitting in front of my mirrored cabinet, playing with a toy and watching her movements in the mirror. It was very obvious that she was thinking about what she saw. Of course I don't know if she knew it was her she was watching or if she just thought the cat in the mirror copied her actions..

And remember when she saw a photo of herself posted at Pet Talk. First she was afraid of it and approached it carefully, then she sniffed it and was looking for the cat inside the monitor! But I'm sure she wasn't aware that it's her!

Kirsten

[Randy_K]

I watched Mango discovering a mirror. He was on the bed and Bubbles was under the bed although her paws were visible from above. Mango looked at the reflection and down at Bubs then back at the refelction and down again. He quickly figured out what he was looking at.

Cats have strong abstract resasoning - being able to see something in their mind that they cannot see with their eyes - and often pounce on something where they expect it to be. I have watched an Aby connect two events that are separated by several minutes and, the next time the first event occurred, he expected the second.

I have watched cats devise a trap for a pesky bluejay where one acted as a lure while the other sprung the trap. They planned it and executed the plan.

We can't read their minds and don't really know what they are thinking or how they think but I know they are intelligent beings who can communicate with us.