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Cats are (almost) liquid

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253 points lnyan | 9 comments | 17 Oct 24 11:43 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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move-on-by ◴[17 Oct 24 15:47 UTC] No.41870772[source]▶
> While dogs slowed down and hesitated before they attempted to use an uncomfortably small opening, in the case of cats, we did not detect this change in their behavior before their attempt to go through even the narrowest openings. However, remarkably, cats showed hesitation both before they attempted to penetrate the shortest openings, and while they moved through it.

I just skimmed, but I didn’t see any mention whiskers. It’s seems to me that cats can make highly precise measurements of width just by sticking their heads in a space, but height judgments requires additional consideration.

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1. ChrisMarshallNY ◴[17 Oct 24 16:29 UTC] No.41871149[source]▶
If you have ever put a cone on a cat (which lasts about five minutes), you see they get crazy. They hug the walls.

Their whiskers are a major factor in their perception.

I think they can also dislocate their spine.

My cat likes to sit in what we call his "Buddha" position, with his back bent about 90 degrees, and his paws in front. This seems to be a common position. He'll sit like that for an hour.

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2. shepherdjerred ◴[17 Oct 24 16:43 UTC] No.41871274[source]▶
My cats are weird and loved their cones after they got neutered. One would stick his head back in the cone after I took it off.
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3. Optimal_Persona ◴[17 Oct 24 16:51 UTC] No.41871348[source]▶
I think the cones must also screw up their aural spatial sensation (changing their perception of sound from fairly omni-directional, to seeming like all the sounds are coming from in front of the cone).
4. ninalanyon ◴[17 Oct 24 17:14 UTC] No.41871540[source]▶
I think all cats are weird in their own way. Our cat often sunbathed in the middle of parking space across the road. We occasionally had to go out to fetch him because he would refuse to move when someone started to drive into the space.
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5. Halfwhit ◴[17 Oct 24 21:56 UTC] No.41874226{3}[source]▶
I have a ginger tomboy who does exactly this. He loves just rolling around in the fine layer of dirt while keeping an eye out for birds or frogs
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6. somnic ◴[17 Oct 24 22:19 UTC] No.41874381[source]▶
I've seen a few people use a soft inflatable or plush collar that's more flat, and doesn't go up around the face, instead of an actual cone. That way the cat's the whiskers aren't disturbed while still preventing the cat from worsening wounds by licking. At least some cats seem to be a lot more tolerant of that style.
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7. pfdietz ◴[17 Oct 24 22:40 UTC] No.41874537{4}[source]▶
Orange cats sharing their one brain cell.
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8. steadicat ◴[17 Oct 24 23:41 UTC] No.41874941[source]▶
I tried this but cats, being (almost) liquid, can very easily wrap around the soft collars and reach pretty much any part of their body.
9. ChrisMarshallNY ◴[18 Oct 24 01:15 UTC] No.41875503{5}[source]▶
I think mine goes to the bathroom, when it's his turn with it...