Do you have a pet? Many people have kitty . Scientists in Japan just discovered something amazing about these furry felines. Cats can keep track of their owners. They do this just by listening!
Saho Takagi led this study. “I study cats’ minds,” the scientist said. Takagi has always been interested in cats’ hearing. She started this study to learn about how kitties can map their owners with sounds.
Takagi and her team got to work. They played recordings of owners calling out their cats’ names. Then, the experts would play the same recordings again. But this time it was from a different location. “Cats were surprised when their owner’s voice came from an place,” Takagi said. That shows that cats can make mental maps. They use these “maps” to know where their humans are, based on sounds. And cats can tell when a person is suddenly in another location!
But what makes this discovery so special? The cats knew where people were. And the cats didn’t have to see them! Takagi said this means cats can imagine. “Cats may have more complex thoughts than we thought,” she said. Takagi was pumped. “I was happy to see the cleverness of cats!”
Takagi shared some advice. She said to follow your interests. “Don’t worry if adults laugh at you,” she added. “Your knowledge and experience are your own treasure.”
Updated November 18, 2021, 5:01 P.M. (ET)
By Alexa Tirapelli
