Cat brain facts - mind blowing truths into cat intelligence

Updated 27/02/2024

Have you ever been watching a cat watch you and thought they were reading your mind… No? Just us? Well, for anyone who has ever pondered about the cat brain, cat brain size, or cat intelligence, you’ve come to the right place.

We will be trying to unravel the yarn of mystery around the cat brain, while sharing some (seriously) cool cat brain facts - and revealing why we should never underestimate their furry thoughts…

How smart are cats?

Cat intelligence is tricky to measure but you can get a good idea of how clever a cat is by observing their ability to solve problems, detect changes in emotions of other creatures, adapt to new environments, learn new skills, and their ability to communicate within and outside of their own species. Cats are pretty smart and they have the ability to communicate with humans, remember tricks and training cues, and pick up on changes in their owner’s emotions.

Adult humans have around 86 billion neurons in their brain, whilst a cat brain has around 300 million neurons. Many scientists believe that an adult cat’s intelligence is similar to that of a human two-year-old child’s! According to Bond Vet - a site built by veterinary experts - there are several key signs for recognizing cat intelligence:

• Cats can learn and respond to their name, or at least the sound of their name.
• They can recognize different human voices, so they know if it's you calling them or someone new.
• Just as all cat carers feared, they can hold a grudge. If you refuse to allow them into a certain room or space, it isn’t your mind playing tricks, they might really be sulking.
• Our feline friends can detect emotional cues which is a measure of emotional intelligence. They can recognize the difference between fear, anger, happiness, and sadness in their owners. 
• They are independent thinkers who are not as easily influenced by treats or positive reinforcement as other animals. 
• Cats are associative learners. This means that they can alter their routines to sleep, hunt, poop, etc, to fit around their humans. 

If you’re keen to learn more about the science behind the cat brain, check out their page on cat intelligence and details on how their brains work.

The wild cat brains vs the domesticated cat brain

Size is relative. Most wild cats are much bigger than our tame tiny tigers. The cat brain size will vary from species to species, and there is no clear evidence to suggest that brain size relates to intelligence.

However, it is thought since the African wildcat became domesticated around 10,000 years ago, the cat brain has actually decreased in size. Why? No one knows for sure, but it could be to do with our domesticated cats being less reliant on their instincts for survival. 

For example, tigers are considered to be the most intelligent species of cat. In relation to their body mass, their brain size is the largest of all felines. They are solitary and live in harsh, dry environments littered with tall grass and forests. Their prey is sparse and very difficult to catch, and they can have a territory size of up to 150 km2. That is much, much larger than the territory of the average domesticated cat! Life is tough for tigers, which means they need more brain power. By comparison, most of our homely purr pals need only to worry about what brand of food you’ve bought!

What is object permanence and do cats have it?

There’s been a lot of scientific words mentioned in this article. To truly appreciate the cat brain and cat intelligence, we need to understand the phrase object permanence. This means an animal is capable of remembering if an object still exists even if they can no longer see it. And, yes, cats have this ability!

It makes you think, what else do they have the ability to understand?

Meet our veterinary expert, Gemma

This article has been checked by veterinarian Gemma Cliffin BSc BVSc MRCVS. Gemma is an experienced small animal vet who combines her love of writing alongside working in practice. Since her graduation from the University of Liverpool in 2014 she has worked in a wide variety of roles including first opinion practice, as a night vet, and as a locum vet. She has also spent time working at a charity clinic in the Cook Islands which was a challenge but also immensely rewarding. She loves all aspects of veterinary work, but she especially enjoys medicine cases and diagnostic imaging. She is passionate about pain management, particularly in her more senior patients. She currently works in a first opinion small animal practice in North Yorkshire where she deals with both routine and emergency cases.

If you love chatting about cat facts or cat behaviors, head to our Community Forum to discuss feline friends and exchange tips. For those looking for their purr-fect cat sitter, you can find a local carer near you by clicking the link.