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If you share a home with a cat, you know cardboard boxes are their idea of IKEA furniture. Regardless of the size of the cat or the size of the box, furry occupants are content to idle for hours inside packing material.
Now, cutting-edge cat science has revealed cats are even obsessed with imaginary boxes.
In a new study published in
Applied Animal Behavior Science, animal cognition researchers including co-author Gabriella Smith of Hunter College worked with pet owners to have them set up an optical illusion: each “corner” had a circle made of paper with a 90-degree angle cut into it. Together, the impression of a square shape on the floor was created, known as a Kanizsa square.
Ars Technica:
It is a truth universally acknowledged at least by those of the feline persuasion that an empty box on the floor must be in want of a cat. Ditto for laundry baskets, suitcases, sinks, and even cat carriers (when not used as transport to the vet). This behavior is generally attributed to the fact that cats feel safer when squeezed into small spaces, but it might also be able to tell us something about feline visual perception. That’s the rationale behind a new study in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science with a colorful title: “If I fits I sits: A citizen science investigation into illusory contour susceptibility in domestic cats (
Horsetalk.co.nz Light and bedding’s effect on equine sleep explored
Image by Olga Itina / Dreamstime.com
A recent study examined the effect of environmental factors on equine sleep stages, and whether this would influence cognitive performance during a memory task.
As a prey species, horses have evolved to cope with short periods of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and are known for their ability to sleep, or at least doze, (Non-REM sleep, NREM) while standing up. They still have to lie down for REM sleep which is only possible during recumbency because of the lack of muscle tone that occurs during this sleep phase.
Our feline friends certainly wow us with their cleverness - they can fetch things, open doors, navigate seemingly impossible obstacles, and even understand basic instructions (when they feel like it, anyway).
Experienced horses are a steadying force in paddocks, study findings suggest horsetalk.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from horsetalk.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.