We love cats, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s going on inside their heads. A new Netflix documentary, Inside the Mind of a Cat, explores this question and helps viewers understand a little more about their feline friends.
Like cats and dogs
In the beginning of the documentary, the narrator summarizes a common misconception about cats: that they do less than dogs. The narrator says:
“Some people think that cats don’t have much to offer. We’re here to prove them wrong.”
Of course cats have so much to offer! They’re smart, cuddly, funny, and just as trainable as dogs. And Inside the Mind of a Cat does a great job showing that.
The Savitsky super-cats
Some of the stars of this documentary are the Savitsky Cats. These fluffy kitties have been trained by their owners, Maryna and Svitlana Savitsky, to perform feats that are almost superhuman. Or should we say “supercat?”
For some of their tricks, they can climb and jump several feet onto a pillow, jump through paper hoops, balance on balls and other strange objects, and crawl upside down along a rope like a super spy!
Their owners knew the right way to train them. They explain that they had to make friends with the cats first to gain their trust.
They also say that they couldn’t make one cat do every trick, but that they had to find what things would come more naturally to the cat. In that way, it was as much exploration as it was training.
The Savitskys explain that sometimes it may be hard to train a cat because they need more patience and convincing than dogs. But clearly they’re just as trainable, and with their agility and reflexes they can be taught to do some pretty incredible things.
Deciphering the cat
The documentary also promises to help viewers “solve the mysteries of the cat, decode their crazy antics, and decipher their hidden language,” and it delivers on this promise too!
It includes interviews with cat behavior scientists and shows simple, humane experiments that answer different questions about cats. What do different meows, purrs, and body language mean? Can a cat recognize its own name? Does a cat prefer its owner over other people? Do cats really love us?
The last question is especially interesting for cat lovers: do they love us back? The answer that the cat scientists give is that it’s hard to tell, but they are almost positive that cats can form attachments that are deep enough to be called love.
All the answers to these questions are fascinating and truly help the viewer understand their relationship to their cat companion better.
Inside the Mind of a Cat also briefly goes over the history of the human relationship with cats, which started way back before the Neolithic era. The theory is that people started to keep cats as companions when they started farming and storing grain, so they could keep mice away from their food.
Ever since then, cats have been indispensable in human society and in many people’s lives. How could we resist them? They’re so amazing!
Inside the Mind of a Cat is a delightful documentary that shows nothing but love for our favorite felines. It’s a must-watch for anyone interested in learning more about cats and just what is going on inside their heads.