Our dimwitted cat

[BigDogsWang]

I have owned a number of cats over the years. One in particular was very intelligent. He used to open the back door and let himself in! We recently got a cat from a shelter for my son. He is a very good natured cat, very loving and docile. We understand he came from a good home.

However, he has to be the dumbest animal on the planet. It took him weeks to work out the cat flap. Now he knows what it's for, he sometimes comes in through the cat flap and other times he just sits outside scratching the door waiting to be let in. There is not enough room on here to highlight other dimwitted behaviour he expresses.

Do cats have different levels of I.Q? Have we just been unlucky and picked a simpleton?

[wolf63]

My last cat was none too bright either. You hear of cats opening doors etc - but not my George.

The only bright thing he did was to open the freezer one very hot day and lie in the cool. However I think that the freezer hadn't been shut properly by the last human to go near it.

Not only was he stupid he was lazy too.

[BigDogsWang]

Lazy? Hell yeah! He only goes ot for 5 minutes, then comes back in and sleeps all day.

Students of the animal world.

[bensmum]

I used to have a really dumb cat - I can't give any examples but he just used to amble through life with a really stupid expression BUT was he stupid or just laid back. Dumb or not Eric was probably the best natured cat I ever had and everyone loved him because of it. Do you go and let your cat in when he sits outside the cat flap? If so doesn't that show intelligence? I bet you love him really!

[kaylamay]

ahhhh, bless him!!!
I have a multiple cat household and the intelligence ranges dramatically. Too many things to put here. You say he knows how to go out the cat flap, but has anyone bothered to go outside with him and show him it works both ways? Sometimes the obvious to us human isn't as obvious to kitties. Oh sorry i didn't read your post properly. Maybe he just wants someone to get up and let him in instead of going through the flap.

[BigDogsWang]

No, he can go through it both ways. But sometimes he just sits there scratching the door.

[neurosurgon*]

my cat tends to be extremely lazy and occasionally irritable. sometimes she is so lazy sometimes that she won't go out the dog/cat/brother-door, unless my brother is trying to "hug" her. my cat is extremely smart, but is too lazy to do anything but run from my brother. I know how you feel!