Radek Tesár 17. 3. 2025 clock 3 minutes video
Cats are not only beautiful, but also mysterious animals that fascinate us with their elegance and behavior. But you may be surprised that like humans, cats can be influenced by optical illusions.
Cats are one of the most popular pets in the world. Many people act as friends who make us society. Even if you think you know cats, their behavior can often surprise you. Sometimes they seem to have their own rules that we can’t easily explain. But you all know they like peace and often choose places where they feel safe and hiding. For example, in small steps such as boxes, baskets or other cramped spaces. Interestingly, cats probably tend to prefer just square shapes.
This popularity for square spaces has led some scientists to test how optical illusions affect cats. One of the most famous illusions is Kanizsa a square that gives the impression that you see a square, even if there is no one. Scientists have decided to find out if this illusion will also affect cats and thus explore how their perception actually works.
YouTube video on how cats react to illusory contouring can be found on the Mascotas Y Familias Felices channel:
Source: YouTube
Cats and illusory contouring
In a new research published in the American press, academic Gabriella E. Smith of City University of New York and her colleagues decided to find out if the cats respond to the illusory squares. 500 cat owners entered the study, but only 30 cats participated in the experiment, which completed all experiments. The owners of cats were not informed about the specific purpose of the study, which was supposed to ensure that the behavior of their pets would not be influenced by previous information.
Every day for six days, the owners were to prepare an experiment by placing two stimuli on the floor. They were instructions to use one of the three stimuli: a real square, a kanizsa square (where four cut -outs in the shape of a Pacman indicate square shapes) and a control Kanizsa square (where the cutouts are turned the opposite). After the owners put on sunglasses (so that the cat could not respond to their sight), they let the cat enter the room and started the video. If the cat stayed in one of the stimuli for five minutes, the attempt ended. The results showed that cats chose a real square and Kanizsa square almost as often, indicating that cats respond to illusory contours as well as humans.
Cats and optical illusions
Although this experiment had several restrictions, such as a low number of participants and possible influence on light conditions in the rooms, it brought interesting results. He showed that cats show similar susceptibility to illusory contours as humans and other animals. All this helps us better understand how cats perceive the world. This research provides us with valuable information about the cognitive abilities of cats and opens up new opportunities for studying their perception and behavior.
Sources: www.bps.org.uk, www.pmc.nc.nlm.nih.gov
