31 thoughts on “Cats are wilier than you think”

  2. My first thought: the cat just saw “All Dogs Go To Heaven”. Perhaps that was the film TheRationalizer had in mind? (I’ve never a seen any of that stuff)

    1. My guess is another cat. It’s probably figured out that it can more easily scare things off from a distance by sounding like a dog than sounding like a cat.

  4. The Earth must be in peril, because that move is straight-up Nibbler from Futurama.

    1. Addendum: Quick! We must find a hero who lacks the delta brain wave. Somebody call Robert Bishop!

      (okay that was low, hehe)

    1. Given the way the “barking” is in sinc with the cat’s mouth, it certainly seems like the cat is actually doing it.

  11. If this video is genuine – and I’m not completely sure – then this is something that (smart) humans do quite a bit: adjust their accent and / or vocabulary according to what company they are in. It’s a way of fitting in; and maybe, once upon a time, a way of staying safe.

    I’d be somewhat surprised that a cat would do that, as they normally use other tactics when dealing with interlopers. However if the cat has shared a house with a d_o_g (sorry, Jerry) could it be learned copy-cat behaviour?

  12. Yeah it’s kinda cute, but to me it doesn’t really sound like a dog, it sounds like a cat in distress. Cats have an amazing variety of sounds they can make, especially when they are sick or in pain. I’m worried for this one.

    1. It’s like he was freaking out, then calmed down when his person/friend/random human was seen. Perhaps the cat wanted to jump through the opening and was scared to do so.

      I have heard similar sounds from cats, but that’s the closest to a bark I’ve ever heard.

      1. Judging by Baihu’s reaction when I played the video with the audio turned up, I think the two of you are on to something.

        b&

    2. When my cat’s feeling grumpy she wanders around the house making a sort of RAAuur RAAuur noise that’s not too dissimilar to this barking sound. Then when she finds someone (or someone finds her), she switches to a more conventional meow, just as this cat did on seeing the camera person. As Grania said, cats use different “vocabulary” in different circumstances.

  16. If you want to shout slurs at someone, it’s most effective if they understand you. Kitty’s obviously taken an advanced course in canine cursing.

  17. It sounds like a cat. It also sounds like a dog, sure, but I still hear a cat voice. Maybe I’ve spent too much time with cats? Nah.

  18. I want it to be real because I love the switch after catching a glimpse of the human.

  19. Am I to believe I’m the only one here who jumped immediately to a quantum/Schroedinger’s cat (which changes its state based on observation)?

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