Did you ever find your kitty spilling water for no reason? Do you find them peeing on your pillows despite being the most cleanliness-loving animals? Do you find your felines ending up in goofy things? If you have answered any of the questions as a ‘yes,’ there is quite a probability that your cat is dumb. Well, if your cat is dumb, it doesn’t mean that they will stay dumb forever, and you cannot train them, but it requires a lot of effort and determination from the cat’s parents.
Here in this guide, we are going to clear the air about the reasons why cats turn out to be dumb and a few things that you can do to transform your cats into smart and witty felines:
Reasons why your cat is dumb
If you have a cat that didn’t act dumb initially but started to behave weird all of a sudden, then there are chances that it may have suffered something that changed its behavior. Cats can become dumb due to plenty of reasons; here we pen down a few:
Nature
Sometimes being dumb comes naturally. You can often find such cats behaving weirdly for no reason. For example, they may attempt an impossible jump and end up falling or getting hurt. In reality, they are unable to predict the outcome and do not understand what is right for them or whether they should move ahead to do something or not.
There are chances that such cats are dumb since birth, and the inability to get a lively atmosphere may make them dumb further. Such cats tend to behave stupidly all the time, and their action is not a reaction based on time and environment.
Lack of socialization
Like we humans, cats should also socialize to become smart and active. But if they do not socialize, they may feel scared of humans and ultimately develop a fear of coming in contact with humans or any other living being around them.
So, if you find your kitties avoiding people and behaving dumb, probably it is because your kittens have not socialized with people since the beginning.
Head injury
If your kitty has started behaving dumb suddenly, it’s quite probable that it may have accrued a head injury sometime before. Also, if your cat starts behaving abnormally, it is more likely that it is a sign of head injury and needs immediate vet assistance.
The Wrong rewarding approach of humans
Dumb cats are prone to do all the weirdest things on earth. You may not even predict what they can end up with when they do not use their brains. Some cat owners find their dumb cats and their activities to be cute. As an outcome, they tend to reward their cats for such behavior and shower them with more love and care.
But, besides all the cuteness, you end up signaling your cats that such behavior is rewardable, developing a wrong notion in their minds. So, the more you reward your cats for being dumb, the dumber they turn out to be in the long run.
Other reasons for cats to behave weird
Cause |
Symptoms |
Treatment |
| Stressed cat | Stressed cats are often seen as more focused on grooming. They also start losing their appetite and tend to become more aggressive. | A stressed cat is always in search of a stress-free environment. Fledge them with good quality food and hideout places to help them overcome their stress. |
| Depressed cats | Depressed cats turn out to be lazy and feel easily irritated. They also tend to produce hissing noises and prefer staying alone besides ignoring their humans. | To help the depressed cat, one should try to keep them engaged with toys and give them ample attention to help them come out of their depression. |
| Sick cats | Sickness in cats can result from different causes such as gum disease, flu, diarrhea, weight loss, vomiting, etc. | To help a sick cat, rushing them to a vet is the only solution as they can identify the root cause and provide your cat’s medications accordingly. |
Tips to make your cats smart
Cats that live indoors do not get much of a brain workout and get everything with ease and convenience. Whether chasing out a mouse or hunting for food, indoor cats do not get such an experience that helps boost their brain function. They become habitual of getting everything done by their humans and tend to stop using their brains, making them more dumb creatures. But it is possible to transform such cats into minded kitties. Here we pen down a few tips that can help your dumb cats to transform into a smart and witty feline:
Food puzzles
Food puzzles can help in enhancing the IQ of your cats. The main ideology behind this game is that you make your cats use their brain before they get a meal as a reward. Cats love treats, and throwing food puzzles at them can develop their hunting skills while they solve their quest for food. You can easily buy different size and shape food puzzles from amazon and keep your cats occupied and battling for food.
You can also keep the food in different places in your house and let your fur balls search for the same. By doing this, you get your cats trained for hunting besides sharpening their minds.
Hide and seek
Hide and seek is an evergreen game that is loved by one and all. Even cats do. But only smart cats prefer playing hide and seek, whereas a dumb cat may refrain from playing the game. To make your cats behave wise, you need to teach them the art of playing hide and seek. But ensure that you feed this well in their mind that it is just a game and that they should not get nervous if they find their humans missing.
While you hide, consider calling out your cat’s name in short intervals so that they do not fear and use their brains to trace the direction of the voice to find you. And, if they happen to find you, make sure that you reward them for encouraging their achievement.
Avoid rewarding for uncanny behavior
As mentioned above, humans can send the wrong message to their cats that their dumb behavior is worth a reward. As a result, cats end up playing dumb. Avoiding rewards is the only solution to diminish such a mindset of cats that they have developed over time.\
Conclusion
We hope this guide helps you decipher the reasons behind your cats being dumb and opt for possible solutions that can help overcome dumbness. So, what are you waiting for? If you have a dumb cat at home, get started with the above tips to let your cat dominate and to stop being a jerk!
