Cats do not exactly think humans are cats, but they also do not fully recognize humans as a completely different species. They tend to treat humans similarly to how they treat other cats in social interactions, seeing humans as part of their social group or as caregivers rather than distinct beings. Cats exhibit cat-like behaviors toward humans, such as rubbing, kneading, slow blinking, and grooming, which are typical feline social behaviors. However, cats also recognize humans' differences in size and abilities and do not view them as equals or other cats per se but as providers and companions with a unique role in their lives.
How Cats See Humans
- Cats do not change their body language significantly around humans compared to other cats, suggesting they do not categorize humans as a separate species distinctly.
- Behavioral experts say cats may see humans as large, somewhat clumsy, non-threatening cats, akin to parental figures or part of their social circle.
- Cats develop unique vocalizations like meowing specifically to communicate with humans, which is uncommon with their fellow cats; this implies they perceive humans in a special way.
Differences in Perception
- While cats treat humans similarly to cats, they do recognize that humans have different skills and attributes and do not consider humans as equal members of their species.
- Cats rely heavily on scent and sound, and humans appear large and somewhat indistinct visually to them, but their interaction patterns with humans mimic feline social bonds more than interspecies interactions.
Summary
Cats do not literally think humans are just bigger cats but also do not fully classify humans as a completely different species as dogs tend to do. Instead, they have a unique mixed perspective where humans are part of their social environment, often as caregivers, companions, and providers, with whom they share many forms of social communication typical of intraspecies cat relations.
