Cats Do Love Sitting In Squares—Even Optical Illusion Ones
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You could buy your cat the cushiest little bed there is, but you know it will always choose that cardboard box. And it turns out that Felix would prioritize all squares above a luxury seat, even if that square is a visual illusion.
In a new study by City University of New York researchers, published in the Applied Animal Behaviour Science journal, lead author Gabriella E. Smith detailed their intriguing discovery on whether domestic felines would also sit in illusory squares.
Every day for six days, pet owners were asked to send their cats out of the room and tape two out of three square-shaped structures on the floor. These included an actual square; a Kanizsa square, which involves four Pac-Man-like shapes facing each other; and a Kanizsa control, which has all four Pac-Men turned outwards.
Image via Smith et al / Science Direct
After setting up the squares, owners would put on sunglasses and bring their cats into the room; the sunglasses ensured that the cats wouldn’t be guided by their humans’ eyes. The test for that day would end if, within five minutes, the cat went into any of the squares. The results were recorded by owners via video.
The researchers enlisted 500 cats and owners to join in on this experiment, and 30 of them completed the study. Participants were not told the purpose of the experiment.
Over the six days, the cats were reported to enter a shape a total of 16 times. Unsurprisingly, the actual square was their one true love, having been chosen for eight of those times. What’s astonishing is that the Kanizsa square followed shortly as their second choice—it was stood or sat in for seven of those occasions. And finally, they only picked the Kanizsa control once.
This means that, yes, cats can be fooled by optical illusions too. You could retaliate against your feline’s choice to take over your bed by making it a fake, petty square.
It’s worth noting that, while a lab might be the more controlled location to conduct such experiments, owners were instead asked to carry out the tests at home, where the cats would be less stressed. This would come with its own drawbacks, such as varying light levels across households.
So pleased to announce that my paper, "If I Fits I Sits: A Citizen Science Investigation into Illusory Contour Susceptibility in Domestic Cats (Felis silvestris catus) has just been published in AABS! #IfIFitsISits #CatSquare #CitizenScience #CommunityScience pic.twitter.com/AXbDttnOGC
— Gabriella Smith M.A. (@Explanimals) May 4, 2021
Image via Smith et al / Science Direct
[via BPS Research Digest, images via various sources]
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