https://www.sciencealert.com/cats-prefer-meals-that-require-the-least-amount-of-effort
Unlike numerous other animals, cats show a strange unwillingness to work for their food.
When given the choice between a freely available meal and a meal trapped inside a puzzle, scientists have found most animals, such as dogs, bears, pigeons, pigs, goats, mice, rats, monkeys and other primates, prefer to work for their food - a concept known as contrafreeloading.
Cats stand out amongst other animals in that they seem to favor an easy meal
The results add weight to the findings from a small lab study, conducted in 1971, which first revealed a lack of contrafreeloading among cats.
In this historic experiment, six domesticated cats were trained to operate a food dispenser. They were then given the choice between the food puzzle and a free bowl of kibble in a laboratory setting.
Unlike every other animal that had been tested in similar ways, the cats in these experiments showed a clear preference for the free meal.
In Jakarta, we have far too many cats everywhere, so it would seem that we would not have many rats. However, the rats marginally outnumber the cats, as the cats prefer to eat off the rubbish heaps, while the rats content themselves by eating from my larder and my table. Only the snakes (mainly cobras) do somewhat keep the rats in check, but they make lousy pets.
Humans would be right there with the kitties.