I always suspected I was being played, now there's proof.

[tencats]

Cats 'exploit' humans by purring
By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC News, Monday, 13 July 2009 17:54 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8147566.stm
"Researchers at the University of Sussex have discovered that cats use a "soliciting purr" to overpower their owners and garner attention and food."

Sound effect: how cats exploit the human need to nurture
This article was first published on guardian.co.uk at 00.48 BST on Tuesday 14 July 2009. It appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday 14 July 2009 on p4 of the UK news section.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/jul/13/cats-purr-food-research

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. They've been gaming us for a long time.

And the Command Purr is used on me (effectively) almost every morning. Listen closely to that wake-up purr; there's a high, whiny overtone that does not occur in a "normal," sitting contentedly on a lap purr.

Devious little bastards.

[badgerpup]

2. Just goes to show how smart and adaptable they are...

I mean, here they are, in a sort of voluntary symbiotic relationship with another species.
The onus of communication is mostly upon them, since we've got physiological structures that they lack (e.g., areas of the brain as well as differences in tongue, jaw, and larynx structure). Throw in a completely different social hierarchy, priorities, and cognition (f'rinstance, I'm not sure that cats are capable of abstract concepts...but it wouldn't surprise me if they were).

Yet they find a way to communicate their needs, express happiness/satisfaction when the need is fulfilled...and a way to display affection towards other species (not just humans) in such a way that the message gets across.

Know I've said it before, but I'm both humbled and blown away by my cats.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

3. Cats seem to have a "theory of mind"

which is an understanding of what might affect other creatures.

I grew up with dogs, and I've lived with several cats, although Kidley is my first wholly-owned cat.

Dogs wake you up or get your attention directly by nudging or barking.

Cats not only nudge or paw or meow but also make noises with inanimate objects. I once lived in a household with a cat who used to wake me up by knocking the pencil canister off my desk.

If meowing doesn't work, Kidley likes to get my attention by rattling things or otherwise making noise.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. They do.

I had a cat (Charles) who would wake me up by sitting on the dresser and shoving small items onto the floor. Another one (Teddy) would sit on the table next to the bed and push my clock onto the floor. If that didn't work he'd go for the lamp. Woody was a little more straightforward; he just bit me.

Of my current cats, two usually take the direct approach, such as walking on me and chewing on my hair (Pixie), or staring at me while using the Command Purr (Milo), but the third (Jeoffry) uses the most annoyingly effective method of all: he finds a smooth surface, like a window or a mirror, and scratches it as hard and has fast as he can. This makes a horrible screeching sound, and I just can't stand it. He knows it works.

Cats also understand object permanence. They remember where they left things that are put of sight (toys under a radiator), and they also understand that something outside is out there even when they can't see it, such as another cat (Ernie from down the block) walking through the yard. The cats will run from window to window to watch him.

[Orsino]

5. I don't see your purr-mit to read or post this information.

You're gonna get it. :hi: