Can Cats Do Math – The Surprising Answer!

Math is a notoriously disliked subject amongst students. It feels like they cannot wrap their heads around the different equations they have to learn for some people. Yet, when we take a closer look at the world around us, math is the foundation for many different things. So even if we think we have a hard time understanding the subject, there is a great amount of math we understand simply by existing. Does this mean animals understand math too? Can cats do math?

Yes, cats can do math. Cats often make calculations as they prepare to jump, run around, or attack their prey. Cats also logic to rationalize important decisions such as when to eat and how to observe objects.

They are just not doing math in the way we may have learned in school. Cats do math when they use their special reasoning to figure out how to get through a space. Or when they visually quantify how many treats they have in front of them so they can decide it is not enough, and they meow at you for more. Cats have their own way of doing math; let’s learn more about it.

How Do Cats Do Math

Cats are not performing the kinds of equations we all learned in school. However, cats have a concept of “more” and “less,” which requires a type of mathematical knowledge. Often cats will find a way to alert you that their food bowl is empty or running low.

They utilize the fundamental, abstract concept of numbers that they have to determine that their bowl has “less” rather than “more.” This behavior relies heavily on their ability to see how much food is in their bowl when it’s full and to remember what it looked like once it’s empty.

Cats are also known for always landing on their feet. While this is mostly due to their own anatomy improving their balance and coordination, some of this is also due to their understanding of math.

As a cat owner, you may often see your cat jumping from different pieces of furniture of varying sizes without ever missing a step. This is because before they jump, they take in their surroundings and calculate the best way to land. In a way, it is like cats are doing geometry to understand the shapes around them and how they can move through them.

Can Cats Do Basic Math

The kind of “basic math” that cats can do is called Logic, which many students have taken a course in themselves. Logic has less to do with numbers and equations and has more to do with rationalizing. Through their effervescent curiosity, cats are able to use logic to learn about their surroundings.

Like when they knock the remote off of the coffee table, that is their way of learning cause and effect. Same with when they come running because they hear their treats rattle. They learn from their owner’s behaviors and habits. Some of this learning is natural instinct, some is training from routine, but some of it is also a fundamental understanding of logic and math.

Can Cats Count

It is undetermined as to whether or not cats can actually count. Cats can be rather finicky, and researchers have found them to be challenging to work within these kinds of studies. Most cats who participate in this research become bored or distracted and walk away from the experiment. There have been a few successful trials, but there still needs to be a few more before a clear answer.

The answer we have so far is, no cats cannot count. This answer was determined by placing three circles above a desirable object while two dots were placed over an undesirable object.

Researchers then worked with the cats to see if they could understand the difference between the two objects based on their differing qualities. Researchers found that cats were only focusing on the larger circles once the circles were made larger and not the larger quantities.

Can Cats Count Their Kittens

This question has been a difficult one for researchers to answer. This is because there is no clear way to verify if cats count their kittens or not. Mother cats can usually tell when one of their kittens is missing and will look for it. It is unclear if cats do this because of their inherent instincts.

Perhaps they notice one less presence in the room and start looking for their kitten. Or maybe they recognize their kittens’ faces and can tell when one is missing. It is also possible cats are able to count their kittens and go looking for the missing one when their count is off. As soon as researchers can find some agreeable cats to participate in another experiment, we will have a clear answer as to how well cats are able to count.

Things To Consider

It is essential to consider that while math is universal for us humans, the concept of math is not something cats know at all. So things we may view as mathematical practices may be instincts or learned behaviors for them. This is why so much of this research exists in a gray area of neither confirming nor denying a cat’s ability to do math.

Very little research exists in the first place since cats are challenging to keep focused in these experiments. Most of these experiments also have yet to figure out a way to differentiate between instincts and cats computing math in the moment. Either way, we know that math is a part of many different pieces of our world, so cats must understand the subject. At least you will always be better at math than cats!