My calico is quite intelligent, or at least I think so. She has a somewhat large head, with an unusually domed skull. And she uses it, too. Last night I said something involving catnip, and she looked at me with bright, interested eyes, and meowed sharply. Like “hey! I want that.” She had been ignoring me before. Here are some other words I’ve known her to understand and respond to cognitively.
Food, bed, dinner, bedroom, Mom, no, okay, out, hi, excuse me, her name of course, toy, mouse, water, litter box, bathroom, couch, chair, and quite a few others.
Interestingly enough, she has learned a few words of Japanese and responds better to them than to English. Fewer hissing sounds.
She’s invented her own ways of communicating too. For example, she will pet you with her tail if she likes you, because she has learned that people pet each other when they like each other. Living with her is like living with a little furry alien who cannot speak, at times. It’s fun!
Mindflight 