Have you ever had a cat come running to you no matter where you are? This is no coincidence, but research shows that cats know where you are even if they can't see you or aren't in the same room.
Researchers have discovered that cats have mental maps, or simply put, a map in their heads that tells them where humans are using their voice recognition. This allows them to follow us wherever we are. This ability is called socio-spatial cognition and object permanence, which is the understanding of spatial relationships and the existence of things even when they are not always visible. (cr. twitter: benwonx)
Saho Takagi, a Japanese researcher at Kyoto University, discovered that cats can sense where their owners are in the house without having to look (that's why cats don't turn around when called 😂). Cats use sounds to sense or guess where humans are. We all know that cats have very good ears. They can find hidden prey even in situations where it's hard to see. Saho discovered that cats can distinguish between familiar and unfamiliar sounds and can also find hidden objects.
From this discovery, researchers conducted an experiment by bringing a cat into a room and having its owner record the cat's name. They then played the sound in front of the door of the room where the cat was, and played the sound in another location far away. The researchers found that when the cat came across the sound, it seemed very surprised that the familiar sound of its owner could warp to many places. It was observed that these cats had an imaginary image of their owner being in front of the door from the sound, and the cat didn't think that it would hear its owner's voice from anywhere else.
This experiment is considered a discovery of cats' special ability to create images in their heads from sounds, opening up avenues for further study of cat thinking. If you're curious about whether cats can actually find you, give it a try. But you'll soon find out that you really can't escape cats. So stop trying! 😂
Credit: livescience
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