Do cats recognize themselves in the mirror?

Sometimes a cat looks into a mirror and meows, or looks at itself in any other reflective surface. But does she understand that she sees herself?

Do cats see themselves in the mirror?

For almost half a century, scientists have studied self-knowledge in animals, including cats. Evidence for this cognitive skill remains inconclusive for many creatures.

This does not mean that furry friends are not smart enough to recognize themselves in the mirror. Rather, it comes down to the cognitive abilities of their species. “Recognizing your reflection requires a complex integration of information about yourself and your own movements, as well as what you see in this glass,” animal psychologist Diane Reiss told National Geographic magazine. This also applies to human babies. “Babies have no idea what they look like until they are one year old,” notes Psychology Today.

As Popular Science explains, cats don’t actually recognize themselves in the mirror. One cat looks in the mirror to find a playmate, another may ignore the reflection, and a third “behaves wary or aggressive towards what appears to her to be another cat who is perfectly capable of counteracting [her] own movements.” 

Looking at this “attack pose”, you might think that the kitty is waving to herself, according to Popular Science, but in fact she is in defense mode. The fluffy tail and flattened ears of the cat are a reaction to the “threat” coming from her own reflection.

What does science say

There is scientific evidence to support that many animals recognize themselves in a mirror. Scientific American writes that when an animal sees itself in a mirror, “it may not be able to understand, ‘Oh, it’s me!’ as we understand it, but can know that his body belongs to him, and not to someone else. 

Examples of this understanding include when animals become aware of the capabilities and limitations of their own body when performing physical activities such as running, jumping, and hunting. This concept in action can be seen when the cat jumps to the very top of the kitchen cabinet.

Studying the cognitive abilities of animals is complex, and testing can be hampered by various factors. Scientific American cites problems with the “red dot test,” also referred to as the specular reflection test. This is a famous study conducted in 1970 by psychologist Gordon Gallup, the results of which were published in The Cognitive Animal. Researchers drew an odorless red dot on the forehead of a sedated sleeping animal and then watched how it reacted to its reflection when it woke up. Gallup suggested that if the animal touched the red dot, it would be a sign that it is aware of changes in its appearance: in other words, it recognizes itself.

Although most animals failed the Gallup test, some did, such as dolphins, great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos), and magpies. Dogs and cats are not included in this list.

Some critics argue that the misfortunes of most animals are not surprising because many of them simply don’t know what they look like. Cats and dogs, for example, rely on their sense of smell to identify objects in their environment, including their home, owners, and other pets. 

A cat knows who its owner is, not because she recognizes his face, but because she knows his smell. Animals that do not have a grooming instinct may also recognize a red dot on themselves, but will not feel the need to rub it off.

Why does a cat look in the mirror

The degree of self-awareness in cats is still a mystery. Despite all the wisdom contained in her all-knowing look, when a cat paces back and forth in front of a mirror, she is unlikely to admire the smoothness of her coat or the beauty of her freshly trimmed nails.

Most likely, she is exploring a stranger who is too close for her to feel comfortable with. If the mirror bothers the cat, if possible, you should remove it and distract her attention with fun homemade toys, mice with catnip or fun balls. 

And if she calmly looks into the eyes of the cat standing in front of her? Who knows, maybe she’s just contemplating her own existence.