On Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:57:30 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

>On 2/21/2013 10:39 AM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> On Thu, 21 Feb 2013 10:00:23 -0500, jmcquown >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 2/21/2013 9:43 AM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>>>> On Thu, 21 Feb 2013 03:24:59 -0600, Alan Holbrook >
>>>> wrote:
>>>> snip
>>>>>
>>>>> My three have carefully explained to me that the only reason I'm
>>>>> allowed to stay in the house is that they can't open their own
>>>>> cans of cat food. But if they ever develop opposable thumbs, I'm
>>>>> toast...
>>>>
>>>> I take it to mean then, that they have learned to open doorknobs,
>>>> drawers and cabinets? I never saw my cats attending actual school,
>>>> but I do know that they taught each other skills. ;o)
>>>> Janet US
>>>>
>>> Persia did! Sort of OB Food, I contemplated putting a slide bolt on the
>>> pantry in the kitchen of my apartment in Cordova. That's where the cat
>>> food was. This was years ago, she was (best guess) 2 or 3 years old.
>>> Back then she got dry kibble every day and a can of Fancy Feast (FF) on
>>> *Sunday* as a treat. She knew where that FF was. One Saturday opened
>>> the door to the pantry. She maneuvered around things on the pantry
>>> floor and got a can of FF off the bottom shelf. She scooted it to the
>>> middle of the kitchen floor, sat down and waited. When I walked in I
>>> busted out laughing! What a smart girl!
>>>
>>> Another OB Food: sense of smell or can she read? The can of FF was
>>> right next to a can of chopped green chili peppers. Exactly the same
>>> size can. How did she know which one to choose?
>>>
>>> I also had to close off the metal bi-fold doors in front of the washer &
>>> dryer. She figured out how to open them. She jumped up on top of the
>>> dryer, then down between the dryer and the wall. Of course she couldn't
>>> jump back up again, no room to leap. I had to move the dryer to get her
>>> out. After that I used long rubber bands to tie the doorknobs together
>>> so she couldn't push the doors open.
>>>
>>> Cats are entertaining, that's for sure!
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> there's nothing like seeing a cat hanging by its front paws from a
>> door knob, shifting their weight until the door opens. He (Charlie)
>> knew the kibble was in the pantry. That will start your day with a
>> smile. I have no idea which of my cats in my history found out that
>> scratching vigorously at their collar with the bell on it would wake
>> the folks up. Not only did every cat thereafter learn that trick, but
>> they taught it to the dogs as well.
>> Janet US
>>
>I've only had this one cat. She wakes me up at daybreak by tapping me
>gently on the nose. It makes me smile. If I grumble a little bit and
>turn over ("it's not time yet") she'll grant me another 10 minutes.
>Sometimes she moves to the other side of the bed so she'll be the first
>thing I see when I do wake up. Big green eyes and a purring cat. Gotta
>love that even if they do have ulterior motives
>
>Jill

I really don't know why people are so surprised when an animal does
something clever. They are much, much smarter than we give them
credit for. I think Persia recognized the specific can. Animals are
very observant.
Janet US