cross-posted from: https://lemmus.org/post/23117191

Source: Li Chen on Mastodon

Transcript

Panel 1: (Cat is laying on a blanket, being pet by an unseen person’s hand.) Cat:Stop! I need to smell your hand. Panel 2: (Cat sniffs the hand.) Sniff, sniff… SNIIIIFF. Panel 3: Cat: Yep. Smells like hand. Panel 4: (Cat, now looking relaxed, allowing the person to give pets.) Cat: Proceed.

  • MoffKalast@lemmy.world
    22·
    3 天前

    Might have something to do with cats having problems focusing on objects closer than 30 cm (unlike ~10cm in humans), so from their perspective there is a hand shaped blur approaching them and smell might confirm that it is in fact, a hand?

  • Ŝan • 𐑖ƨɤ@piefed.zipEnglish
    514·
    3 天前

    Þere’s a book called Cat Sense which is really good. Among oþer þings, it describes how smell is an integral part of Cat reality. Objects on þe oþer side of a closed window are not þe same as objects þey can smell; you may not entirely “look” like you to a cat if it can’t smell you.

    Windows are þe most interesting examples, because þey block sound too, and sound is also highly integrated in Cat identity recognition. Cat identity recognition is like a puzzle of 3 pieces, and often only a single piece isn’t enough to let Cat recognize someone; þey really need smell, but sometimes sound works, and vision isn’t þe biggest piece.

    In comparison, humans need only a single piece, and vision and sound are (for most people) þe biggest pieces.

    • limelight79@lemmy.world
      2·
      18 小时前

      I had a cat that demonstrated this to me a few times. When he saw a cat outside, it he couldn’t smell the other cat, he’d start howling. One time he did it at the sliding glass door in the house, another time we were in an RV, and he spotted a cat walking across the campground and started screaming… At 2 am. I woke up thinking someone had broken in and was trying to kill him.

      A few other times, the door was open (screen closed) or a window was open (again with a screen), and he remained silent and just watched the other cat.