[Straysmommy]

For the upteenth time Prince duped me just now.

He'll disappear as I'm totally focused on feeding the strays downstairs, I'll call and call and look for him in the black night, under every bush, each dark corner, confusing white nylon bags in the distance for a dead cat body and panicking, blaming each neighbor I can think of for murdering him.

This goes on for like an hour till I'm almost crying in despair and running around not knowing what else to do, then I'll suddenly sing enthusiastically: "We're going on a stroll in the park!" (it's the beginning of a song for kids which I sing when I want my strays and house cats to follow me on a stroll to the little park half a block away) and in less than a second Prince zooms past me in the direction of the park, chirping happily in anticipation of our stroll.

Then, not wanting to lose the effect of this last recourse, I have to spend another hour downstairs waiting for Prince to get tired of the park and want to come back home.

Weren't cats supposed to be less smart than us monkeys??

 

[BigDaveyL]

There are two toys I cannot find.... lol

 

[marie73]

You'd save an hour if you sang that song to begin with..... :grin:

 

[Ragdoll_Joy]

Yah, Joy as figured out where the little square is on the coffee table that does NOT have the sticky paws, so she jumps up there and sits on that little square! But then again, we cant cover the square or else her paws wont be the only things stuck to the table!!! LOL

 

[krzyk]

I think my little gal has just outsmarted me. I can't seem to find her stuffed turtle anywhere! I've looked under the futon, in her favorite corner, and around the living room in general. It's nowhere to be found. Hm.

 

[Straysmommy]

Under the fridge or washing machine?

 

[krzyk]

I took my eyes off her for two seconds, and the turtle magically reappeared on her pet bed. I'm a little suspicious my roommates are playing a joke on me. Or is the cat really that smart?? :roll:

 

[spirite]

Oh I'm sure the cat is that smart. On two separate occasions, Celia hid herself so well at my parents' house that I had to delay my departure, the first time by four hours, the second time I ended up having to spend another day because it was too late to drive home by the time we found her. Rationally, I knew she had to be inside, but when you can't find your cat, you just panic.

It's really not a fun feeling to not be able to find your little fur monster.

 

[razzle]

Razzle could completely hide in the space of a bedroom without me finding him.

Kathy

 

[Straysmommy]

I'm a little suspicious my roommates are playing a joke on me. Or is the cat really that smart?? :roll:

That's my feeling too. I tend to suspect anyone and anything else, because I just can't believe that "the cat" can outsmart me like that!

I live in a tiny 2-room apt., yet when they want to be sure they won't be found, I can look for them for about 1 hour. If it's a new hiding place.

I guess stealth is what it is, and cats are sooo good at it!

 

[Catmamma]

Love this thread. Here I thought I was the only one whose cats could outsmart her. I once looked for Ruby for two hours--in my house. I was sure she was unconscious and sick (she is 17 years old). Pippi will hide but can't resist answering when I call her. So, I can usually find her unless she falls asleep. But Ruby can resist even if I have her favorite food. How can I get smarter?

 

[spirite]

Reading all of these posts does make you wonder why we're higher up on the evolutionary scale than they are, doesn't it?

Catmamma, like your Ruby, Celia also will not come out for anything if she doesn't want to, especially when she's sleeping. Even though I know she can get into ridiculously small spaces, she has still managed to find somewhere that it would never have occurred to me to check. The time she was hiding at my parents' house, she was underneath a long dresser. There was a gap of about 4 inches between it and the wall, so I looked behind it but didn't see her. It turned out that although the dresser was down to the floor in front, in the back the wood only went down part way and stopped about 4" from the floor. She had crawled behind the dresser and was laying flat in that space. For HOURS.

 

[Straysmommy]

I think they enjoy giving us IQ tests from time to time to remind themselves that they're smarter. My ape pride is hurt when my cats are smarter than me.

It's like "C'mon here!" It can mean absolutely nothing to a cat, just sounds humans make - unless he actually feels like coming on here, then those sounds are an obvious invitation.

 

[OctoberinMaine]

I don't think Murphy outsmarts me, but he sure does manipulate me.

 

[3furbabies]

My two youngest have their favourite toys that they wear out fast. I try and throw them out and replace them when they look done. The same day I plan on chucking the old toys is when they suddenly disappear and I don't see it for a long time when suddenly a bunch of old toys will appear.

My youngest, when she was still an only cat and a little kitten, she one day disappeared in our old apartment. I was crying frantically for 2 hours. Guess where I found her? In the closed entrance closet inside my ugg boot . :O

 

[Goldtanker]

Midnight, the wild cat, jumps up on the 6 inch wide porch railing behind the garage at night. He knows (instinctively) that this trips the sensor on the flood light so we can see him. Of course he can then see us looking and he starts meowing - translation - FOOD! FOOD!

 

[Straysmommy]

Oh no that goes to prove that cats can use technology to their advantage over us!

 

[bluemilk]

Well,Robin will hide out to take a nap-or he SEEMS to be napping! He always wants out,and when I don't see him,I thiink 'great!,I'll just sneak out...' I'll open the door,and a gray -tiger-and white blur will rush past my feet! The he goes to the basement,which used to be the GREATEST hiding place-til I put na light down there. I think it's hunting behavior,OR watch the patern-locked human!

 

[LaurulFeatherCat]

All I have to do is stand at the bottom of the steps to the second floor and open one of those pop top cans and then tap the can on the cat dish. Over the next half hour every one of the cats will saunter into the living room and help themselves to the bounty I have put out for them. Anyone who does not show up within the hour I can flush out by walking through the house shaking a can of cat treats. Problem solved.

Right now I have two cats in liver failure and keep tabs on them every two hours throughout the day. They are both in the hiding stage of their illness so sometimes I must look for them when they decide to change places, but they also will answer me when I call their names.