Is there a way to help improve your cat's intelligence?

I know she has the potential, but I'm wondering if there is any games I could play with her to sort of, spark her brain cells. You know like humans, the more we learn and stimulate the brain, the smarter we get (apparently). Just wondering if this is true for cats too?

Last night she did the most amazing thing. Most of the time she just doesn't understand things, simple little things. But while I was chopping yams she was sitting in the kitchen with me looking up in anticipation and wonder. I told her they were just yams, and if she wanted to, she could come up and look. She waited a few seconds and then half stretched her body up to the cupboard thing I put underneath the shelf as if she totally understood me! And the thing is, I've only seen her do that one other time, when I was making tuna.

Then when I broke my toe, she came up to the couch and looked at me, and I told her I broke my toe and could she come comfort her mummy and cuddle with her? She waited for about 1 minute and then hopped up on the couch and cuddled with me! another thing that she RARELY does.

Anyways, just curious....

I have to start by saying your kitty has very unique markings, I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before Very cute. I haven't really tried to do anything to make my cats 'smarter' but I do think that doing things repetiviely is a good way to have them learn. For instance before I feed my kittys wet food I speak in a very high pitched voice and talk really excitedly, they imediatly go to the kitten near the microwave and wait for me to microwave their food. It's just like training a cat to not do things they're supposed to, you have to do things over and over until they relate what you're doing to whatever they should be doing. Em, I hope that makes sense, I can clarify if not

Tola thanks you for the compliment! LOL.

Yes, that does make a lot of sense. That is how I'm teaching her to let me hold her. I'm up to about 10 seconds now! ha ha.

To your question, I'd say, yes, why not. A cat's brain isn't all that different except in size. I think anything that stimulates mental activity, especially if it's something that makes them do something different and interesting from time to time.

Do you know about treat balls? Balls with a hole in them you can put treats inside? So they have to roll them around on the floor to make the treats fall out....makes them do something and then get a reward for it.

Bijou iand Mika are trained to sit on the mat in front of the sink when they wants treats.

I have never had trouble training a cat.. they train me within weeks

Your stories about the yams and the broken toe are examples of what I think is the psychic awareness of cats.

My mom's bluegrey tabby, Dylan, is the most psychic of our family's cats. We first realized this when we got a laser toy -- he loves that thing so much that we have to hide it in a different place each time, or he will move heaven and earth to get at it. One day, I said to my mom that I was going to get "that light thing" for the kitties, and Dylan instantly came dashing from the next room, looking up at me and then at my hand, up at me, then at my hand... and I hadn't yet made a move to go get the toy at all!

That happened to both my mom and me several times, and then one day, I was sitting in the kitchen and I just THOUGHT to myself that I ought to get that toy out -- and lo and behold, Dylan came running, looking at my face, then my hand, over and over.

No, he doesn't behave that way at any other time -- only when the laser toy is being discussed or thought of. This leaves me with no doubt that he is able to somehow see the images in our minds.

Here's another of my favorite Dylan stories: one day when my father was alone in the house, Dylan came strolling past his chair and brushed against a French door, making the hinges squeak. My father looked over at him and said, "What's all that noise, Dylan?"

Dylan looked at my father, stopped, turned around, went back to the door, pushed it to make it squeak again, looked back at my father, and then strolled on.

(That one really blows me away.)

So... I think our kitties are able to understand us in at least four different ways:

1. They do know some words and phrases.

2. They understand tones of voice.

3. They no doubt pick up on gestures, facial expressions, even changes in our smell that relate to our emotions and intentions.

4. They are simply psychic. Some more than others, no doubt... but I'm firmly convinced that cats (and many other animals) have intense psychic awareness.

Sorry to be so longwinded... but this is a subject that fascinates me, and I get pretty wound up about it.

I say "Do you want chicken"? and they come running or walk with me .. It means, they are getting their wet food.. and it's not always chicken flavor.. lol

They just know chicken for wet food..he he..

My Fonzi, still has to catch on though..