Your Pet Might Be Smarter Than You — And Here’s The Proof
Ever looked at your pet and thought, “Okay… how are you this smart?” You’re not alone.
[ADVERTISEMENT]
Pet owners everywhere are sharing moments when their furry, feathered, or even scaly friends completely outsmarted them — and some of the stories are so clever, they’ll make you question who’s really in charge at home.
[ADVERTISEMENT]
Take the dog who, after being told “no food on the table,” started bringing his bowl up to the table so he could still eat with his humans — rule technically obeyed, loophole fully exploited.
Or the cat who somehow figured out how to open a bedroom door, then casually began doing it whenever it wanted attention at 3 a.m. It’s not just mischief; it’s problem-solving at a high level.
And it’s not only about tricks or commands. Some pets show emotional intelligence that feels downright human. One woman shared that her usually aloof cat — who never climbs stairs — did so for the first time the night she was crying upstairs. He sat beside her, silent and steady, until she stopped. No training. No treats. Just empathy.
Then there’s the dog who learned that the car keys meant “we’re going for a drive,” so he started bringing them to his owner anytime he wanted to go out. One day, when his person said, “No, not right now,” he trotted off, came back, and dropped every single set of keys in the house at their feet — just to make sure none were missed. You can’t make this stuff up.
Birds, too, are shockingly sharp. One parrot, who usually squawked nonsense, waited until its owner walked out of the room and said, perfectly clearly, “Where’d you go?” The timing was eerie. When the owner came back in, the bird went silent — mission accomplished. That’s not mimicry, that’s comedic timing.
And dogs? They might be the original masterminds. One pup learned that ringing the doorbell made its humans drop everything and come running. So when it wanted more playtime, it’d sneak outside, tap the doorbell, and watch the chaos unfold.
Another figured out how to open the fridge — not for food, but to bring its human a can of soda. (Let’s just say that trick escalated quickly when the dog discovered the leftover pizza box.)
Cats, of course, remain in a league of their own. One cat noticed a draft coming from a wall corner and kept pawing at it until its owner finally checked — and discovered hidden water damage. Call it feline intuition, or maybe a secret side gig in home inspection.
Another cat started dragging its favorite toy to the same spot in the house every day until its owner realized that’s where the morning sun hit perfectly. A little daily meditation session, perhaps?
What all these moments have in common is the reminder that animals are constantly paying attention. They observe patterns, test boundaries, and find creative solutions — all while pretending to nap 20 hours a day. It’s easy to underestimate them because we see them as cute companions, but half the time, they’re running silent experiments on us.
And it’s not just about brains — it’s about awareness. Pets seem to know when something’s off. Dogs that refuse to leave their owner’s side after a bad day. Cats who suddenly cuddle when they normally wouldn’t. Even rabbits, reptiles, and birds have been caught showing surprising sensitivity. It’s emotional intelligence in action, and it’s honestly humbling.
Of course, some of these “my pet is a genius” moments are probably coincidences. But when enough stories pile up, you start to wonder. Maybe animals understand us — and the world — a lot better than we think. Maybe they’re not just responding to words, but tone, emotion, and subtle cues we don’t even realize we’re giving off.
The truth is, we’ll probably never fully know what goes on in their minds. But these stories make one thing clear: our pets aren’t just passive observers in our lives. They’re active participants — smart, funny, compassionate, and occasionally manipulative little masterminds who know exactly how to get what they want.
So the next time your dog tilts its head like it’s judging your life choices, or your cat suddenly decides to sit on your laptop right as you open a spreadsheet, remember: there’s a very good chance they know exactly what they’re doing. And honestly? They’re probably doing it better than we would.
Because when it comes to brains, heart, and pure audacity, our pets might just be the smartest ones in the house — and they’re kind enough to let us think we’re in charge.
1. Can't relate.
[ADVERTISEMENT]
2. "She’d figured out how to shut the cat door so they couldn’t get back in again."
[ADVERTISEMENT]
3. "I swear two of them understand English."
Our cats are incredibly emotionally smart and aware. They always seem to know when someone's in distress, and they're always really sweet about it. Also, I swear two of them understand English. If you try and pick up our Balinese out of nowhere, she'll dig her claws into whatever she's standing on.
You have to ask her if she wants uppies or a ride before she'll let you pick her up. She absolutely loves being held, she just needs communication ;_; Also-also, our little old lady who loves loafing on people has figured out she can't lie on my tummy, I have a big cyst so the whole area is pretty sensitive. She makes sure to loaf on my hip instead.
4. "It was obvious he could tell I was in distress."
I think everybody who has pets and loves them typically sees how intelligent they can be. But it’s wild how emotionally in tune they can be. When we got our two kittens We had a former working support dog. He was so sweet and so smart. We used to just let him outside with no leash.
He was a grown man and earned every bit of his freedom. He would rarely leave the property, and if he was ever approached by another dog, he would just act as if he was a person handle it calmly and kindly never bark or growl.
He was more of a housemate than a pet. He essentially trained my kittens and I can see his essence in them Every day. When our pup passed away, our boy cat just couldn’t handle it. He would cry all day long. Pee on himself poop wherever he was standing.
We had to get him medicine for him to take for a few weeks until his grieving process was over. It was heartbreaking. Seeing him lose his best friend. Few months later I took a job 2 1/2 hours away from my two cats and my girlfriend and I was going to be living there for a few years and I remember sobbing next to my girlfriend.
My boy cat desperately tried to console me. He’s always been affectionate, but it was obvious he could tell I was in distress. Year ago when I bought my house, my brother, nephew, and his dog moved in to my house and it was just so cool seeing the dog who never interacted with cats try to chase my cat around, and watching my cat stand his ground, only to rub his head against the dog.
They became best friends very quickly, sleeping together and playing together. I was worried when the pup moved out. Our boy would be in distress, but he wasn’t. I think he understood the dog didn’t pass away. He just moved away. It’s funny. I’m telling the story now because the dogs back at my house while my brother is on vacation and the two were so happy to be reunited.
This was all a while ago now the cats have been around a lot of death and sadness and I can tell it’s aged them. They’re literally attached to my hip all day long. We let them outside like I used to let the dog outside. They’re grown adults and they’ve been through plenty. Oh also my boy cat can open doors….
5. "Most interesting dog we’ve ever had."
6. "I had a Budgie (parakeet) that loved The Phantom of the Opera."
I had a Budgie (parakeet) that loved The Phantom of the Opera. I had the full recording, which is quite long. Whenever I put it on, I would have to play the entire thing, in order, no skipping. I tried turning it off before the end, but he'd start flapping his wings violently and screaming at me.
I tried skipping a song here and there, starting in the middle, playing only one song - no go. He would completely crash out if he didn't get to hear the whole thing from beginning to end. If any of the music came on during a television show or a commercial, he would demand I put on the full recording and give me no peace until I did.
He also loved E. Power Biggs (specifically) playing the Bach fugues on the organ. His other favorite was the 5th Suite for solo cello. He loved to sing, but he did not mimic - he did his own thing along with the recordings. It was wild.
7. "She had not been trained to do that."
I watched a cat slide under a windowsill, and stretch to push the window open a little more with his back. The same cat had a special meow to call the other cat, like a name. My friend had a baby. The baby started to fuss and the dog (a collie) went to the diaper bag, grabbed a bottle and dropped it at my friend's feet. She had not been trained to do that.
8. “Ummmm… you forgot the baby."
Was in my baby’s bedroom with baby and dog. Realised it had been a while since I’d let the dog out. So I (securely) left the baby playing for a sec to nip downstairs with the dog, who usually trots after me. I reach the back door and realise the dog isn’t following. She’d stopped at the top of the stairs. Would. Not. Budge. Just sat there glaring at me like, “ummmm… you forgot the baby 🧐”.
9. "Our cat alerts us to high blood pressure."
Our cat alerts us to high blood pressure. She'll try and get my daughter to sit down/slow down and every time I notice it I ask my daughter if she's feeling dizzy. Also can't raise my voice to talk in the other room or get stressed out around the cat cause She'll start acting panicked and get me to calm down. Daughter has dysautonomia and the cat noticed something was up even before the diagnosis.
10. "Other dogs buy it. Every single time."
I have dogs. Whenever a stranger comes by they make a weird howling sound so everyone can know there is a person in the garden gate. So one of them found out that she can use that particular sound just for alarming others and having their toys to herself even though there are noone around. Other dogs buy it. Every single time...
11. "My dog told me 'no'."
12. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and go catch a mouse or something?”
13. Awkward.
14. "He'd followed their scent all the way to a house he'd never been anywhere near before."
When my kids were little they went over to a friend's house a few blocks over. The dog wanted to go too and looked forlornly out of the window as they left. A few minutes later he asked to go outside for the bathroom. When he never came back to the door we went to investigate and found a suspicious new hole under the fence.
After a brief search we found the dog patiently sitting in their friend's driveway. He'd followed their scent all the way to a house he'd never been anywhere near before.
15. "There was a chicken in my living room."
On my way to the kitchen to do dishes, I walked past my lab, asleep on the couch. I was just finishing up in the kitchen when there was a knock on my front door. It was the neighbor, out of breath "Your dog just stole one of my chickens! I chased her here." I pushed the door open so that he could see her, still asleep on the couch.
(Mistaken identity? She's been right here?) Then we heard it. Clucking. In my house. There was a chicken in my living room and a giant lab sized hole in my back screen door. But she was innocently "sleeping".
16. "He's got a road map in his head, back to our house."
My husky mix watches the roads intently, whenever we drive somewhere out of town. If I take a different road to get back home, and pass by the turn-off to go on the usual road ... his head WHIPS around at me, from staring at the window, and stares, as if to say, "HEY YOU MISSED THE TURN BACK THERE !" cracks me up every time.
I believe if I drove him 10 miles out of town, and dropped him off (I NEVER WOULD), but if I did - he would have no problem following all of the roads straight back to our house, from memory. He's got a road map in his head, back to our house.
17. "He just figured it out one day."
18. "This cat heard the very small roof leak we had and was trying to alert us."
19. "I taught our Labrador to shut the back door when she came in from the yard."
I taught our Labrador to shut the back door when she came in from the yard. We'd leave the door just barely unlatched so the AC wasn't escaping and she could nose it open and come in whenever she wanted. Once she was in, she'd push the door fully shut and go find a human who would have heard the door bang shut so that she could get a treat. (We had convenient little treats in candy jars in most of the places people spent time).
Then she started shutting the pantry or bathroom door then going to claim a treat from someone in another room. I also taught my dog to find my keys for me. (Actually she would go fetch or point to anything I asked for if she knew the word for it or could figure out what we were lazily pointing to, which is why we had convenient treat stashes in case we wanted her to hand us the remote or whatever).
For about a week it was great! If I didn't know where I'd put my keys, I'd just ask her "Where are the keys? Get the keys!" Fell down in the couch? no problem, she'd sniff them out. Then she realized there were always keys on the pegboard where I was *supposed* to be putting my keys, so instead of finding MY keys, she'd just go get *any* keys.
20. "He started to cry."
21. "She was just letting me know."
I have 6 ducks and 3 chickens. One windy day the chicken's coop door blew closed leaving one of the girls in. Our lead female duck started alerting there was trouble. I went outside to see if there was a hawk or if neighbors dog was bugging them. But no she was just letting me know.
22. "Watched my pissed off cat chase his brother down the stairs."
23. "Our dog has learned my husband’s forgetfulness."
Our dog has learned my husband’s forgetfulness. He has a tendency to say “wanna go out?” And then when he gets up to grab the harness get sidetracked with something else. The dog apparently got sick of this and wont move from her spot until she hears him grab the harness and then she trots over.
24. "The best furry friend in history."
My mom passed from cancer about 15 years ago. Our cat MAMA (MAMA cat needs to be in all caps because she was BIG MAMA, a 21 pound tabby) would sit on laps in the living room and only ventured to the kitchen to eat from her bowl or to the bathroom. She never went upstairs, mostly because she was a portly little soul and because she was 12.
She was antisocial with most people and trotted away from everyone but me and my mom most of the time, even hissed and swatted at most. Anyway, my mom moved out to my grandma's house to do hospice as things finally got to the end. MAMA walked around meowing at home whenever I saw her there (I moved into Grandma's to help take care of Mom but would go home to get clothes and this and that and feed MAMA and do the kitty litter) shuffling around at a much faster speed than normal like she was worried. When my mom finally let go we didn't go home at all that week.
My godmother did the cat chores for me as I was saying goodbye. Then we had the funeral and it was all a blur. I went home that night after days of tears and just pure exhaustion from grief. Despite the fatigue I couldn't sleep. My tear ducts and throat were worn out and had nothing left. Just that wrenching ache of sadness in my gut churning like a washing machine that they don't make any medicine for. It was probably about 1am when I heard MAMA meowing at the door to my Mom's room.
Then saw her little bowling ball silhouette at the entrance to mine. She had loafed her way up the stairs for probably the first time in 7 years and half her weight ago. She locked eyes with me and stopped meowing, just struggled up to my bed and curled around my arm on my pillow after giving me a little nose boop. Mom hadn't been home in about a month, I hadn't been home in over a week, and it's like she knew my mom was gone.
There's a a cruel isolation to grief at the loss of a parent. If it's anything like my loss you see a ton of people all day but there's a figurative distance between you and your friends and family and you feel like you're on an island thanking people on a passing ship for being there.
When MAMA made her way up the stairs to comfort me it was the first time I didn't feel alone all day on a day I was surrounded by hundreds of people. I bellowed dry sorrow into her fur. The tearless echoey sounds you make when you scream at a concert all day. Normally she would have bolted away at the littlest thing, but she stayed right there until the first lights of morning.
I decided I'd take MAMA home with me to my apartment after that. She lived another 11 years! I said goodbye to her a few years ago now. She never climbed another set of stairs in her wonderful kitty life. She continued to be mean to mostly everyone but me and never sat in anyone else's lap. She was truly my cat. RIP MAMA! You were the best furry friend in history.
25. "My dog has a knack for finding the “weakest link” when we have people over for dinner."
26. "He’ll do 5 mile hikes with us."
My little Havanese, he came out of the vet after a teeth cleaning. The vet said no water for a while. He was groggy and we asked if he wanted a walk or to go home. He turned down the hill towards riverside park. So we were like ok, let’s go for a walk.
He was intent. Almost pulling us down the hill over the pedestrian bridge over the Train tracks and took a left towards the basketball courts and restroom. He pulled us to a waterfountain with one of those dog bowl attachments and sat down.
Looked at us and looked back at it. He defied the vets orders and gave him a little water. He’d only been to that water fountain once, years before and never from the vet. Hes got incredible spacial memory we’ve found, he knows the highway exits near his favorite places, he remembers which apartment buildings his favorites of our friends live in, and he’s VERY vocal and communicative of his needs and wants with everything from squeaks, buffs, barks, growls, and chirps. Hes 12 now, and still going strong. He’ll do 5 mile hikes with us.
27. "He was a good boy."
28. "The older one would take all the toys/etc from the younger one."
I had two dogs, about 6 years difference in age. The older one would take all the toys/etc from the younger one, then go on her own way to play with it. The younger one eventually learned that if he wanted to play with something, he should first go grab a toy that he didn't want, she'd come take it from him, then he would grab his favorite. They'd both have what they wanted.
29. "She started deliberately being naughty so that we’d spray her with the squirt bottle."
My childhood cat, Softie. We did the usual ‘cat gets the squirt bottle if she does something naughty’ training with her, and she was generally really well behaved. Then we had a really hot patch one summer, multiple days in the low to mid 40s Celsius (110ish F), so all of us were sweltering. She started deliberately being naughty so that we’d spray her with the squirt bottle and cool her off 😂.
30. "She took off barking at the front door."
31. "Where'd you go?"
A couple years ago I got talked into adopting an elderly, arthritic amazon parrot with chronic sinusitis. It's very much like having a special-needs toddler. He was cagebound for a long time, and not well socialized. He only ever said 3-4 words (hello, wow/woo, uh-oh, and bird) but mimics a variety of other bird sounds.
He picked me as his personal assistant but also got along well with my husband, although they rarely interact closely. Last summer, my husband went on a short trip and the parrot barely seemed to notice. After my husband got back, we settled in for some food and to chat about the trip. The bird was perched inconspicuously next to us.
During a lull in the conversation, he made a low throat-clearing sound and then said with perfect clarity "Where'd you go?" We both almost fell out of our chairs but I'm so glad I had a witness or I'd spend the rest of my life second guessing what I'd heard. The bird has never said this, or any other full sentence, since then.
32. "The little rascal found out the number of blocks he had to run down to guarantee a car ride."
My dog loves car rides and loves driving around our suburb with his head out the window. He realised that if he bolted out the door, I would always come fetch him in the car. The little rascal found out the number of blocks he had to run down to guarantee a car ride. Now, every time I fetch him, he waits 4 blocks down the street and will just sit there with a smug look on his face.
33. "He literally had a silent conversation with me."
34. "He'd pick a direction and stare, we'd drive in that direction."
Not my dog - a lost dog I found in the middle of the road in the forest. The dog was standing on the road, which was dangerous. He seemed well kept. I opened the car door and asked "hey boy, what are you doing here?" He perked up, came and jumped right in my car.
He was very friendly and I was wondering what to do with him. I decided to start driving to the direction he was looking at when we found him. Hoping to run into his owner. I was worried he was dumped, but it was worth a shot. We came to crossroads and the dog became very excited, looking at the road on our right. We turned there.
A few more times we came to a fork in the road and asked him "where is home, boy". He'd pick a direction and stare, we'd drive in that direction. Eventually we came to a clearing with a small farmhouse, I went to talk to the man there if he is missing a small ginger dog. And he was! I opened the car door and the dog jumped out and went straight to the house.
35. "You can almost see the cogs turning."
36. "He waved the stick around by bobbing his head up and down."
37. "He’s so smart!"
38. "My German Shepherd reminded me to give him his monthly flea/tick treatment."
The other day, my German Shepherd reminded me to give him his monthly flea/tick treatment chew when I was a few days late for the first time ever. It's a pill he only gets once a month. He gets up, leads me to the shelf where I keep it, and nudges his head toward the box. Then he sits there smiling and drooling, patiently waiting for me to figure it out.
I knew dogs had an internal clock, but I didn't know it went *that* hard. Another example was a couple years ago, when we'd only recently adopted him and he got giardia. I'd been taking him out to the yard regularly to go to the bathroom so he didn't have an accident (he'd already had one on the carpet and I had to replace it).
One time, he just wanted to go out and play but I wasn't in the mood. So he goes to the same rug I'd just replaced, and he started squatting like he was gonna go to the bathroom. I said "Noooo!" and then I ran with him to the backyard. He then proceeded to *not* go to the bathroom and just run and play outside for 30 mins.
39. "A thieving scoundrel but a genius one at that."
I had made a sandwich and set it down on the coffee table, my dog was watching me and then start barking and ran to the front door. I assume there must be someone there so I go down the hallway and my dog runs back towards the living room,
I open the door and no one is there. Went back to the living room to find my lunch gone and dog pretending to be asleep in his bed, he was squinting and would shut his eyes when I looked straight at him. I got tricked and robbed by a dog who then had the brains to pretend to be asleep. Genius, a thieving scoundrel but a genius one at that.
40. "She will run to the window and pretend she sees a bird outside."
When the cat is doing something wrong and I raise my voice to get her to stop, she will run to the window and pretend she sees a bird outside.
41. "He's figured out which buttons take him to which floors."
So we've got an elevator inside our home since it's rather hard for my grandparents to use the stairs, but I just found out that my dog knows how to use it too after watching us a few times 😂 He's figured out which buttons take him to which floors too haha.
42. "My cat trained me to give her treats."
43. "He stole and chugged long neck beers if you left them unattended."
There was a mule at a barn I worked at that figured out how to open gates and latches, and would break into the feed storage at night. He didn't like getting in trouble for it, so he started letting OTHER horses out. SOB would then eat his fill, then relock himself back in his own paddock by morning, leaving the other horses to take the fall. Also he stole and chugged long neck beers if you left them unattended around him. Pour one out for Moose.
44. "I couldn’t even be mad."
My husband had a dog… she was our first baby. (She was supposed to be mine, but my husband became her person.) She was a border collie/husky cross we think, and was beautiful, smart, well-trained, and fabulous with our kids. But she impressed me most with her malicious compliance.
She’d started eating what the kids (still tiny back then) would leave on the table. I got mad and told her to stop eating off the table… so she picked up the bowl with left over mac n cheese in it, put it on the floor, and then ate the food.
I couldn’t even be mad; she did exactly what she was told. She’s been gone for 10 years now. We still miss that girl. Best dog ever, and a great nanny dog with the kids.
45. "My cat coughs and makes herself hyperventilate when she feels she is not getting enough attention."
My cat coughs and makes herself hyperventilate when she feels she is not getting enough attention. Her cough is so human like it is freaky. She had a cold once which included coughing and hyperventilating and got extra special treatment from everyone including extra snacks for being a good girl at the vet and when taking her meds.
We spent over $1000 on vet visits which included X-rays and other tests and were considering getting a second opinion when all the results came in. Everything came back clear and the vet declared she's just an attention seeking fatty who likes extra snacks and pets. We also had a cat who played fetch and one who learned to open doors and turn on faucets.
46. "She knew her name."
I’ve always thought our chicken, Black Hole, was a cute little thing, but I never thought she knew how to work her brain. The other day, tho, I was talking to someone, mentioned her by name, and she stopped and stared at me in horror. I didn’t know she knew her name.
47. "I was dumbfounded."
I have a labradork named Aurora. She is my dog and I am her person. If my husband gives a command, she looks at him like "you are not the boss of me". She won't do it until I tell her to. I just had hip surgery, I'm supposed to stay off my feet as much as possible and have to use a walker to get around, and can't really take care of her.
When I got home, she asked me to go outside. Without really thinking about it, I said "go ask daddy" She went and asked daddy. I was dumbfounded. A few years ago, I had a Golden retriever who was always last in line for the brain cell.
He actually peed in his own water dish. We called him Walter the Wonder Dog. I was having one of those days where every single thing that could go wrong, went wrong. I sat down and just started to cry. Walter the Wonder Dog kept trying to put his ball in my mouth. Because ball is life, right?
48. "Good morning, Stinky."
My Petunia passed away last week, and this is a story that I have shared a lot this week. She was an 11 year old English Bulldog. She was the most stubborn thing. Such an attitude. As most bullies, she had some horrendous gas near the end.
One morning, it was obvious that my husband forgot to give her some pumpkin the night before. The house was quite sulfery. I said, "Good morning, Stinky." She got up (unusual, as her favorite hobby was snoring) and did a lap of the living room, stopped to look me in the face, and turned to crop dust me. Then she went back to her bed to finish her morning nap. I never called her stinky again, and she never crop dusted me again.
49. "He had been letting himself out for walks around the neighborhood."
My partner built a really robust dog fence around the yard so our lab mix could let himself out the dog door to sun himself while we were at work. One afternoon, we caught the dog nonchalantly sneaking through a hole in the fence. "Uh, buddy, what are you doing?"
He froze with the most horrified expression on his goofy dog face and slowly turned to see if we were, indeed, aware that he was sneaking out. Busted. Turns out, he had been letting himself out for walks around the neighborhood for MONTHS and always making sure to get home before we did. He knew he wasn't supposed to do it, so he tried to keep it secret from us.
The only reason he got caught was that he was so comfortable with it that he forgot it was our day off. The neighbors later confirmed that he was extremely well behaved and they assumed we were just allowing it. Truly, he was the best boy.
50. He knew what was up.
51. "Our iguana is fully potty-trained."
Our iguana is fully potty-trained. We have a tiny “iguana door” built into our screen door to the outside. She steps outside, does her business, and then walks back in and goes back into her cage.
52. "I was moved to tears."
Our ancient old tiger was 18, deaf and pretty blind. We'd bring him outside to sit with us in the yard, along with our two much younger cat girls. One of the girls always hunted along our pond shoreline and would bring the old guy treats that she caught; dropping them down as he sat on the lawn. I was moved to tears when I first saw that! It confirmed decision making, compassion and blew my mind.
53. "I can't tell if it was sympathy or if she was sending healing vibes."
My cat gets zoomies at night and likes to pounce around on the bed, even when I'm under the covers. So sometimes she'll hop all over me but not really acknowledge my presence. Well, one week I was in bed recovering from hip surgery.
My cat was doing her usual thing, but this time as she was zooming past, one of her paws grazed my hip. She then stopped, turned back around and started making biscuits where my surgery incision was. After 5 minutes of that she went about her day.
That's not the end though. The NEXT day she hopped on the bed, sat on top of me and proceeded to knead my hip again, exactly where the doctor had made the incision. I can't tell if it was sympathy or if she was sending healing vibes. But now I know shes willing to help if she thinks something's wrong. Cats definitely don't get enough credit.
54. "She was crouched behind the toilet, knowing I couldn’t get to her."
55. "They were smart enough to escape, but also smart enough to know where their food and drink came from."
I had a solid plastic pet cage that opened with a sliding horizontal metal grid on top. Over the years this cage had held various animals for various periods of time, including mice and guinea pigs, with no problems. When one of my new rats turned out to have been sold to me pregnant, it became a nursery cage.
At about 5 weeks old, I separated the babies by gender, and put mum and the baby girls in the main cage with the other girls while the six baby boys stayed in the nursery cage until they went to their new homes. These tiny, fluffy baby rats, that had only had their eyes open for about three weeks, worked out that if all of them hung from the grid by their front paws, and swung back and forth in synchrony, they could eventually use their combined weight to nudge the sliding grid along, just far enough to stick a nose through at one end, and escape as a group.
Best thing is, they were smart enough to escape, but also smart enough to know where their food and drink came from. So, rather than finding an empty cage and having to search for half a dozen tiny escaped rats, I instead discovered several baby rats just chilling out on top of the cage, greeting me and asking for treats.
(They could easily get down from there whenever they wanted, either back into the cage or down into the rest of the room). Later on, they demonstrated for me exactly how the escape had been achieved, otherwise I don't think I'd have ever worked it out myself. I am less intelligent than half a dozen baby rodents.
Another time, some of my rats staged a breakout, booted up my desktop PC, got into the BIOS, and messed about with a load of the settings. I still don't know if I ever got them all back how they should be.
56. "She’ll drop the ball and grab the chew toy."
57. "My cat started aggressively herding me."
I heard a loud noise from the back of my house and went to check, thinking about raccoon got in the laundry room again. My cat started aggressively herding me the other way, turns out my son had fallen out of bed and hurt himself, and was crying pretty much silently. Kitty got lots of treats that night.
58. "She'd break out and walk through the whole village."
59. "She'll only come out when I actually put treats on the floor for her."
My cat hangs out with me in my room most of the day if I'm home, but will keep me awake if she's in my room at night, so I shut her out. She's figured out that I'll kick her out one way or another when I'm going to bed, so as soon as she sees me brushing my teeth and arranging my blankets etc, she hides under the rocking chair in my room so I can't physically get to her.
The only way she'll come out is if I shake her treat container and call "treaties!" And she'll only come out when I actually put treats on the floor for her, she won't come out just for the container being shaken. Even if I've just fed her dinner, if she sees me getting ready for bed, she'll hide under the chair until I give her treats to bribe her out of my room.
60. "She knows that's how doors open."
61. Seems reasonable.
So the next time your pet gives you that look, just remember — they probably do know something you don’t. And honestly? You should probably be taking notes.
Share this article:
