Do cats think logically?

My parents have a cat, Phantom. She now follows me everywhere and has taken to me, and talks to me often, and we have 'conversations.' And she brings me lovely, dead animals.

And it was revealed to me the other day that when she is 'meowing' at me, no sound comes out of her mouth. It perplexed me because I am deaf and I wondered, does she know I am deaf and she thinks I can 'read' her lips? With others, she meows with sound.

It has become a big joke around here what she does with me. I never thought a cat would meow without making any sound, especially with me lol. Does this happen normally - are there cats who meow without sound?

That is so odd!, I think that cats really do have a 6th sense, they are far more perceptive than people give them credit for.

That is weird! Well, I have seen my cats meow without sound, but just a few times. Probably by accident anyways. I don't know - sounds to me like she might know somehow !! I don't know, there might be some explanation for it, but to me it just sounds like she is one smart cat. Especially since she meows with sound around other people. Hmm.

Originally Posted by Miss Mew

I think that cats really do have a 6th sense, they are far more perceptive than people give them credit for.

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I think so, too.

That is a wonderful story, whatever the reason she does this. And I totally agree that cats have a 6th sense... mine have always known when I needed a little extra comforting

I think they're able to understand more than we think. I.e. I'll tease a string for Luna. I'll sit on the floor and drag the string around my body. If I keep a pattern up, she'll pick up that pattern right away and take advantage of it.

I don't know the answer, but I think thats Waaaaaaay cool!

Harvey meows without making any sound, but he does that fairly regularly. (Not all the time...he can make quite a ruckus if he puts his mind to it.)

I also think that they know more than we give them credit for. Tailer ALWAYS knows when I'm sad or sick.

You'll know for sure, though, if she starts signing "Hey...time to feed me!"

Trent does silent meows fairly often, but that's because he knows that mommy and daddy are suckers for silent meows and squeaks. So he does the "I'm pathetic" routine quite often.

But I have to agree with the others. Cats are so much more tuned in to people that most give them credit for. It wouldn't surprise me at all that Phantom knows you're deaf and is trying to communicate in a way that you'll understand better.

Oh thats why we gotta love our cats. Its the same with Peedoodle and Kahu - they know that they cant meow to wake us up so they tap our shoulders.

I would love to see her sign too - that would be a sight to behold!

When I just read the thread title literally (do cats think logically?), I have to say absolutely. I've witnessed my cats reason thru things where they don't have any outside influence over their behavior. How awesome that your babies have found an alternative method to communicate with you!!!

My friend has a deaf cat in a family of 4 cats. She is always fascinated by the ways that the 3 hearing cats communicate with her deaf baby. It is obvious to her that they recognize that something is different about him, and they have figured out ways to catch his attention when it is time to play. They may not understand the difference, but have adjusted themselves to that difference.

That's really interesting... I've met other cats that meow without sound, but none of my babies do it.

When they meow "silently", they are actually meowing at too high a frequency for us to hear. They, however, can hear it easily, and higher. Cats sure are amazing!

Originally Posted by Momofmany

My friend has a deaf cat in a family of 4 cats. She is always fascinated by the ways that the 3 hearing cats communicate with her deaf baby. It is obvious to her that they recognize that something is different about him, and they have figured out ways to catch his attention when it is time to play. They may not understand the difference, but have adjusted themselves to that difference.

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That reminds me of my cats. Forest is handicapped...he has cerebellar hyperplasia, which effects his motor skills (basically, making him walk and move like he's always drunk). My other two cats definitely understand that he's different and you can see them being very patient with him. (Well...Tailer's more patient than Harvey. Harvey can be a grumpy old man sometimes. )

FUnny you mention this Kelly, Kaylee has started doing the same thing to my mother

Originally Posted by fwan

FUnny you mention this Kelly, Kaylee has started doing the same thing to my mother

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Thats funny! Maybe theres a national cat network that passes on the messages to cats with deaf slaves.

That is too cool Kel ! I think that cat is most certainly tuned in to you!
I do think that cats can think things through.
Our Toby will push his food and water dish to whatever room i`m in if he runs out of something that he wants. (I hate when he runs out of food but still has water left, as it always gets spilled all the way!)
When Tedy sees Larry mowing in the front yard (he watches from his perch by the window) and he sees him go around the corner, he`ll jump down and run through the house to get up into a window at the back of the house because he knows he`s going to be doing the back yard soon and he wants to watch.
I`ve seen Toby watch something on TV before in the bedroom, and when something "disappears" out one side of the screen, he`ll dart around that side to the back to see where it went. (Trust me...we laugh ourselves about sick when he does this!)
Tedy also (after being shut in the bathroom door a couple times) will run up behind you as you are entering the bathroom and "chirp" to let you know that he is coming in with you.
Toby will also...if Tedy has a toy that he wants, go and find something that he does`nt want, start playing wildly with it to entice tedy into thinking that it is the best toy ever...then as soon as tedy leaves the toy that Toby wants, Toby will run over and take it.
Yes! they do think more logically than people would think.
Linda

That's very interesting. I guess your cat somehow learned that meowing with or without sound brought the same reaction.

I remember in one of my psychology class, our prof showed us a video of a hearing baby who had a deaf mother. The baby was upset and started crying but as soon as the mom turned her back, the baby stopped crying only to start again when the mom was looking again

I think cats are very intelligent, so it doesn't really surprise me that your cat can do this. I agree that cats are very perceptive--when I'm sick in bed, Miya will come and lay down with me. Sometimes she'll lick me. When I'm depressed, she's right there to cheer me up.

AwwThat's sweet. Paige does silent meows because she can't meow properly (she sounds like a monkey when she tries to meow outloud because her voice hangs for a minute.. you only hear the beginning and the end.)

But then Paige is an odd little duck anyhow.