Are Scottish Fold and Scottish Straight Cats Smart?

Cat breeds

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Scottish Fold and Straight cats — are they smart? Cats’ brainpower is debated. Some believe that cats are dumber than dogs. Others claim that, on the contrary, cats are too smart and so, they hide their intelligence so that humans don’t particularly come down on them with training and upbringing. We tend to believe that dogs are still smarter, but cats are also smart enough to coexist with humans comfortably, but sometimes they seem dumber than they really are.

Are Scottish Fold cats intelligent? Scientists have even rated cat breeds by their intelligence.

1 place: Sphinx

2 place: Siamese, Persian, Burmese, and Angora cats

3 place: British and Scottish cats

4 place: Oriental cats, Cornish Rex

5 place: Munchkin

6 place: Balinese cat

7 place: Siberian and Bengal cat

8 place: Abyssinian and Singapura cats

9 place: Maine Coon

10 place: Norwegian forest cat

There are a variety of ratings. They include the same breeds as this one, but sometimes switch places. For example, the Scottish and British are sometimes ranked the second and sometimes — the eighth.

At the same time, your cat can not only perfectly understand everything, but outsmart you as well. It is proven that cats can manipulate people and swindle, and in this respect they’re smarter than dogs.

Besides, cats know perfectly well how to convey necessary information to us. It has been proven by a research of zoopsychologists at Cornell University. Cats have developed a system of signs to communicate with people, including the sound ones that they don’t use for communicating with their conspecifics. Does your cat rub its head against your legs and purr when you’re in the kitchen? You are well aware of what it wants! It runs up to you, touches you, and runs away at once? Most likely, it invites you to play. And so on.

So why do people believe that dogs are smarter? According to scientists, their social intelligence is better developed. Dogs hunt in packs or together with humans. Throughout history, they were taught to follow orders and guard houses. There are service breeds that help to search for people, drugs, etc. Dogs have to communicate more with each other and humans. That’s why they are quicker-witted and can memorize more commands. Human intelligence is also of social nature. This results in better mutual understanding between us and dogs. Cats have other stronger aspects, which we sometimes fail to appreciate.

What memory do Scottish Folds and Straights have?

As for memory, it depends on particular cat and its age, just like intelligence. An average Scottish or British cat has a good memory. Thus, they can remember where the food they were going to eat was before something distracted them.

Besides, the Scottish and the British acquire conditioned responses quickly. That’s why it’s easy to train them and teach the cat etiquette: use only a litter box as toilet, sleep in a specified place, use a cat scratcher for sharpening their claws, etc. Sometimes it may seem that these habits are innate. But in fact, a cat mother taught her little kittens everything, and humans only help her. That’s why it’s so important not to wean a kitten from the mother before 2.5 or even 3 months: by this time, she teaches the kitten the etiquette of a human house.

Actually, the most smart and quick-witted cat is yours, of course. It feels and understands you like no one else, and you feel and understand it. Don’t worry if this isn’t the case yet: it will be so one day. It takes 1-2 years to figure each other out. Kittens under a year may find it difficult to understand the owner, but they’ll learn it over time. It’s like a family: we don’t get used to each other right away, we might have problems at first, but if you really want it, sooner or later everything will be all plain sailing.

Do you know that cats’ quick-wittedness can be developed?

It can be done using special educational or smart toys.

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Felinologist Kate Yuhosh

Author and editor of the murkotiki.com. Educated according to the WCF (World Cat Federation) system. Founded the Ukrainian Breeders’ Association and the website to sell pedigree pets lapa.shop. A parent of a Scottish Straight and a Highland Fold cats, as well as a Miniature Schnauzer dog. Her areas of expertise include pet dietology and pet psychology.

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