'If I fits, I sits,' but make it science.
He and eight other cats with less interesting names were part of a citizen science study designed to test to what degree cats prefer to sit inside boxes, no matter how illusory. The inspiration for the study came from an online phenomenon: people putting tape down on their floor in the shape of a square and recording their cats. See, if the internet knows one thing about cats, it’s that if they fits, they sits.
The cats went for the Kanizsa square just as often as the full square outline, and more than the control .Normally, this kind of experiment would be conducted in a laboratory setting. But the pandemic offered a unique opportunity to have volunteers do the activity in their own homes. Though that makes for a less controlled experiment , this citizen science approach did allow for the cats to behave as normally as possible.
But there was one major challenge to going the citizen science route: More than 500 people volunteered for the study, but only 30 completed all of the trials required. And of those, only nine cats actually selected any of the stimuli, whether because there was something more interesting going on or because the squares just weren’t intriguing enough. A lab setting might have mitigated some of those issues.
Research like this might seem silly—and to some degree it is—but it’s also an important part of studying cat cognition. On its own, this study might not contribute a huge amount to our understanding. Over time, though, it will become part of the body of knowledge on
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Al Stewart: Of Zodiac Cats, Succulent Grapes and the Genius of Chuck BerryIt’s an enviable position for any musician to find him or herself in: You have enough disposable income to need something to spend it on. But instead of drugs, flashy cars or shady offshore investment situations, in the early 1970s Scottish singer/songwriter Al Stewart decided he’d literally put his money...
Read more »
Police find 2,000 dead cats intended for use in traditional medicine in VietnamVietnamese police have discovered around 2,000 dead cats intended for use in traditional medicine, state media said Friday.
Read more »
Schoolgirl feeds feral cats in Ukraine's rubbleEleven-year-old Veronika Krasevych crouched down in the rubble near the ruins of her home in northern Ukraine, holding out a sachet of food to two ragged cats at her feet.
Read more »
New rail cars, simpler fares: Here's what's onboard Metra's new strategic planIntegrating fares with CTA and Pace, nimbler service and low-emission trains are among Metra's goals for the next five years.
Read more »
Luar Ushers In a New Era for New York Fashion WeekDesigner Raul Lopez closed NYFW with a show packed to the brim—making it clear that he's shaping a new legacy fashion house that plays by its own rules.
Read more »