Animals Are 'Stuck In Time' With Little Idea Of Past Or Future, Study Suggests

Science Daily ^ | 4-7-2008 | University of Western Ontario.

[meowmeow]

My two cats punish me whenever I leave for more than two days.

Our cats know what time we're supposed to get up, what time we're supposed to be home, what Saturday is (God forbid we are away from the house that day), that when they are tossed in the car, a left turn at the light means we're going to visit favorite Uncle K - so no meowing - and a right turn means we're going to the vet - so lots of meowing.

This study is bunk.

[TexanToTheCore]

I disagree. Both my cat and my dog have accurate timeclocks.

When I come home early, the dog takes a long time to get home to greet me. If I am on time, she is there at the gate.

The cat wakes me up just before the alarm clock goes off. Maybe ten minutes.

[brivette]

what a great movie!

[Mark was here]

Women never forget anything.

[PCBMan]

“I’m convinced my cats are psychic...”

Absolutely true. My wife’s cat knows - through walls - when I as much as *think* about the laser pointer.

[Chili Girl]

This explains why my cat does not understand that feeding time is 7am and 7pm, despite my repeated attempts to tell him that. :)

[GOPJ]

Or as liberal reccommend - they’re “living in the moment”...

[Red_Devil 232]

It in now 5:04. My Two Irish Setters are letting me know loudly that is past 5:00 and it is time for them to eat!

[Caramelgal]

I don’t know much about rats (thankfully) but I can tell you that Willie the Wonder Cat knows exactly how much time has passed since his last feeding and he’s not shy about letting me know.



Mornings around my house look at lot like this:

Feed the Cat

[steveo]

...what Saturday is...

FYI that's 'Caturday'...

[scory]

Well, I don’t know about all this. I have to ask myself why some animals exhibit what sure looks an awful lot like loyalty and even affection bordering on love for their masters. Every once in a while I read a story about a dog (seems it is always a dog but maybe other animals too) saving the life of a human master - sometimes incurring injury or even death in doing so. How do the scientists explain that kind of behavior? It certainly makes no sense in terms of “instinct”.

But then I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Scientists have so far utterly failed to explain honor, love, loyalty, faith, honesty or any of the higher ideals that humans express routinely. And scientists, so far as I am aware, are all humans. You would think that what with working with a human mind every day of their lives they would have developed some insight as to how and why it works the way it does. But they haven’t. Why should it be expected that they will do any better with the minds of non-human creatures?

[ßuddaßudd]

My cat remembers not to jump onto a hot grill lid from many many years ago.

[Richard Kimball]

Good grief. Now they’re doing research studies on old George Carlin routines. I think this one about dogs thinking everything will last forever was from “Carlin on Campus.”

[Caramelgal]

Of course, just touching a can of catfood does the same thing.

I feed my cats mostly dry food or canned cat food with a pull top lid but every once and a while I give them some “tuna water” along with a few small pieces of tuna fish.

I can rummage around my kitchen drawers and cooking all day long but as soon as I even touch the can opener, no matter how soundly he is sleeping and no matter where he is in the house, Willie the Wonder Cat appears out of no where and is saying: “Tuna? U got Tuna? Me like Tuna! U like Tuna! Gimme some Tuna! Gimme Tuna NOW!”

[Ditter]

It is bunk, I agree. My dogs ‘know’ so much it amazes me.

[Twinkie]

Heh. I’ve noticed that my cats are so funny about sticking their heads under some small table or bench, closing their eyes, leaving their bodies and their fat behinds sticking out in a walkway and act like they feel completely hidden and safe because THEY can’t see US.

[P.O.E.]

Help! I'm stuck in Time!

[LucyT]

Magpies remember when they leave a twig on my deck and will return to retrieve it. Even tho they have other bad habits, Magpies will not remove a twig belonging to another bird.

[Kimmers]

LOL

[metesky]

Wow! Is there anything experts don't know or can't figure out?

Here I was just reading The Encyclopedia Rattus Norvegicus the other night and...