Why doesn't my cat respond to images on the t.v. screen?

Question

If I put a mirror in front of my cat's face, he'll look all around, everywhere except at the mirror.
He totaly ignores the t.v.
I bought a video catnip that shows birds and squirrels running around chirping and stuff. I've seen someone else's cat actually sit down and watch one of these videos. He even took a couple swats at the screen trying to catch the birds.
My cat heard the birds chirping on t.v. and ran to the window!
I don't get it, why do so some cats respond to t.v. images and not others?

Answer 1

I saw this on the news, cats brains are working too fast to see whats on tv, some cats can see what is going on tv, but most just see lines. It's all about how their brains are wired. I have only had 1 cat who accually watched tv, the rest don't care.

Answer 2

SOme cats are smarter than others, and I swear the ones who don't watch the TV are the smartest (sort of like people, LOL).

One of our cats sits and watches NHL hockey games and gets all excited, running around the back of the set to try to catch the little people inside. The other one lies there and watches not the TV but the goofy antics of the other cat. heh heh

Then there is our third cat. As you can see, the TV is his favorite thing; I think this was taken during a baseball game:

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4698/guschannelchanger30nq.jpg

But I really think it's just because some cats are smarter than others and are not "fooled" by electronic images.

So congratulations. You have a smart cat. :-)

Answer 3

we had cats who when small would attempt to 'interact' with the TV when we were watching snooker

what happened was that when a ball was 'potted' they would be chasing the ball across the screen and then be scrabbling around the side of the TV to try and grab the ball concerned!

after a while tho they wised up to the fact that it was a picture and that there was nothing to be gained and gave it up

it could be that your cat is more intelligent than your friends cat and realizes that what is on the screen isn't of the same quality as what is outside your window

Answer 4

They use all their senses and tv does not stimulate their sense of smell. If the cat paws at a bird on the tv it is simply pawing at a moving shape not actually believing it is a bird. Animals that use more of their eyesight than their other senses do actually watch tv. I had some goslings accidentally imprint on one of my children and they got into the living room and I caught them sitting in front of the tv mesmerized by what they were watching. It was quite funny.

Answer 5

I think the explanation of the mirror issue is that cats avoid looking other cats in the eye, lest it be taken as a challenge. Generally, cats see images in the mirror quite all right, but they do not recognize that they see themselves. That is, a cat will see _another_ cat in the mirror, so he will try to avoid a fight - by avoiding to look in the other cat's eyes.

Answer 6

because the frame rate required to see things as a moving image instead of a slide show is much lower for people than it is for animals. they basically see it as choppy and not real movement so they don't have interest in it. when they increase the frame rate in experiments, the animals were very interested.

Answer 7

Well-adjusted cats of all breeds have a certain aloof "image" to maintain. I have found that the more often a cat behaves "aloof" and uninterested in the activities of mere humans, the more delightfully intelligent it is.

Answer 8

Maybe your cat is too smart to be fooled, except for the chirping.

Answer 9

My cat does not respond to mirrors or TV, either

Answer 10

Because it is a cat they are unexplainable.
Why do you think nobody does researches into why cats do anything.They no that they won't find an answer.
See my source for further proof.