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[male narrator] It's hard to know
what's going on inside the mind of a cat.
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-[woman] Dasha, come here. Come here.
-[meows]
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[upbeat rock music plays]
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[narrator] But new discoveries
may finally open the door
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to our most puzzling companions.
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-[tense music plays]
-[audience applauding, cheering]
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[woman] Aw.
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[meows]
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[narrator] Some people don't think
cats have much to offer.
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We're here to prove them wrong.
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[audience gasps]
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[audience applauding]
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Forget everything you think
you know about cats.
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Cat research is definitely lagging
behind the dog,
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but now we're seeing
an explosion of cat science.
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[cat purrs, meows]
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[narrator] A new generation of scientists
is challenging preconceptions.
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We're uncovering different aspects
of their behavior,
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personality, physiology,
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-all those things that make a cat unique.
-[meows]
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[man] They're intelligent,
they're curious,
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and they interact socially
quite well with people.
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And there is evidence to suggest
that they've evolved to do that.
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[cat meows]
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[narrator] Join us
as we solve the mysteries of the cat…
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[cat shrieks]
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…decode their crazy antics,
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and decipher their hidden language.
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[meows loudly]
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It's not gonna be easy.
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Cats are complicated.
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-[woman] Dasha, come here.
-[meows]
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Yes, they have their attitude.
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But if you want,
you can teach a cat to do anything.
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[audience gasps]
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[audience applauding, cheering]
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[narrator] Anyone can unlock
a cat's true potential
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if you learn their secrets.
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[cat purrs]
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[meows]
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[meows]
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Cats are everywhere.
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And yet, we know so little about them.
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To understand what makes a cat a cat
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and how they've learned to live
with humans…
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-[purrs]
-…we turn to the experts.
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[Dr. Kornriech]
I think people underestimate
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how social cats are.
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Let's face it. They're just entertaining
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and sometimes just very funny.
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[narrator] Oddly, some of the traits
that make them so charming
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evolved from their killer ancestors.
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[Dr. Kornriech] If one were asked
to engineer the perfect land predator
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in terms of physical traits,
in terms of behavior, perception,
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it's hard to imagine
a better one than the cat.
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[meows]
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The scientific name
of the domestic cat is Felis catus.
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Felis catus is
a unique domesticated species
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that was derived from the African wildcat.
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[narrator] All cats, big and small,
belong to the Felidae family.
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[tense music plays]
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Around three and a half million years ago,
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the genus Felis, made up of smaller cats,
split from Panthera,
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big cats like lions and tigers.
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Today, there are
400 million Felis catus worldwide,
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numbers that make them
one of the ten most successful mammals
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to ever walk the earth.
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[Dr. Kornriech] In ten thousand years,
their DNA has changed relatively little.
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Genetics-wise, you basically have
a wild animal living in your house.
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-[bell ringing]
-[cat purrs]
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[narrator] A wild animal
with some amazing physical hardware.
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And at the center of it all,
the cat's remarkable spine.
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[Dr. Kornriech] They actually have
more vertebrae in them than most mammals.
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Their vertebrae also have
especially elastic cushioning discs
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between them, so their spines
are incredibly flexible.
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[narrator] This flexible design
helps make the cat
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the fastest animal on land.
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[Dr. Kornriech]
If you look at a cheetah running,
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the flexing and contracting
of that spine stores potential energy
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and releases it as kinetic energy
as the cat is bounding forward.
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[up-tempo rock music plays]
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[narrator] Your cat is basically
a tiny, flexible cheetah
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with the potential to run
over 30 miles per hour…
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and twist into
some pretty crazy yoga poses.
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[purrs]
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Cats also have
an efficient muscular system.
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They're one of the few mammals
that can activate 100%
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of their muscles when they jump.
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[man] Ignition sequence start.
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Three, two, one, liftoff.
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We have a liftoff.
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[Dr. Kornriech] They can jump between five
and six times their length in height.
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[narrator] That's like a human
jumping over a giraffe.
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[triumphant music plays]
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[Dr. Kornriech] And they use their tails
to counterbalance themselves
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during quick changes in direction.
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[narrator] As any gymnast will tell you,
what goes up must come down,
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which brings up an age-old question.
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The saying is
that cats always land on their feet.
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They do have an amazing ability
to orient themselves quickly.
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In order to do this,
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they first have to recognize
where their body is in space,
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using a phenomenon known
as the righting reflex.
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[cat meows]
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[narrator] This reflex is
a function of the vestibular system.
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Hypersensitive hair cells
in the inner ears
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sense body position,
movement, and acceleration in space
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and transmit this information
straight into the brain.
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[Dr. Kornriech]
So a cat always knows which way is up.
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[gentle music plays]
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[narrator] All mammals have
this righting reflex, including humans.
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But sometimes, we get disoriented.
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And we call that the twisties.
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-[cat meows]
-You heard this thing about Simone Biles.
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She felt like she had lost the ability
to sense where her body was in space.
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And she felt that to continue
would've been dangerous,
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which makes sense.
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But, uh, you know,
it's a difficult thing to control.
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[narrator] A cat's reflexes are
more than twice as fast as ours…
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and faster than any other pet's.
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You know, if you drop a dog
from the same position, and many times,
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they won't land on their feet. [laughs]
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[commentator shouts indistinctly]
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[laughs]
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[narrator] Pound for pound,
felines could be the fastest,
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strongest, and most flexible mammal
on the planet.
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But those wild talents
can also make them mysterious.
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-[meows, purrs]
-[woman laughs]
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-To find out why they do what they do…
-[cat meows]
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…perhaps a cat psychologist can help.
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Sit back. There you go, sweetie.
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Over evolution,
cats have not changed all that much.
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And now they're kind of this mix
between, you know, being those wild cats
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but also being the house cats
that we want them to be.
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[narrator] Kristyn studies the mysteries
of the feline mind.
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She's trying to decode
what cats are thinking.
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I think that the social capacity of cats
has really been underestimated.
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Um, especially, you know, a lot of time,
cats are being compared to dogs.
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[dramatic music plays]
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People say dogs are superior
on a lot of these socio-cognitive traits.
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[narrator] Canines are often thought of
as the more intuitive pet.
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[dog barks]
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They know their name
and as many as 160 or so words.
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They can understand
human facial expressions
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and maybe even problem-solve.
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[dog growls]
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But Kristyn believes cats just haven't had
the chance to prove themselves.
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[woman] Be nice.
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What we're seeing more and more
is the research hadn't been done in cats.
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[narrator] So she set out to determine
once and for all
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just how cats stack up
against their canine rivals.
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[dog yelps]
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So we're just gonna place him up here.
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[narrator] First things first,
do cats know their own name?
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For this test, we're trying to figure out
if Carl recognizes his name.
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So we've got this Bluetooth speaker,
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and we're going to play
my voice through it.
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[tense music plays]
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[narrator] Kristyn starts
with four one-syllable words.
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[Dr. Vitale] Boot!
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[narrator] Carl reacts to the first word,
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a new sound in his environment.
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[Dr. Vitale] Sock!
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[narrator]
But he soon loses interest in the audio.
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[Dr. Vitale] Day!
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[narrator] Kristyn then adds a word
very close to his name.
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[Dr. Vitale] Girl!
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[narrator] Still nothing.
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But then, the moment of truth.
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[Dr. Vitale] Carl!
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[meows]
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Good!
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[narrator] This test has been run
hundreds of times
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with many different cats.
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And it's clear
most cats do know their own name.
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-[bell chimes]
-[laughs]
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Whether they choose to respond
is a different story.
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Go ahead.
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[narrator]
But we'll talk about that later.
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Kristyn's research
led her to the epicenter
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of a modern-day cat revolution.
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["Keep Movin' On" by MYLK plays]
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[narrator] In 2017, cats overtook canines
as the most popular pet in Japan.
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Today it's home to nine million pet cats
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and one of the world's top cat scientists.
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[in Japanese]
Compared with the research on dogs,
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the research on cats
is approximately 15 years behind.
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[narrator in English] Kristyn and Saho
have published 37 studies combined.
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They've helped prove that cats recognize
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both the face
and the voice of their people,
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not to mention other cats.
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They proved that cats
do know what a point means.
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They understand object permanence.
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They are able to understand
that when an object disappears from sight,
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it doesn't mean it's gone from existence.
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[narrator] Bottom line,
they understand way more
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than we thought they did.
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Now that the research is being conducted,
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we're seeing cats are behaving
and performing roughly the same as dogs.
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[narrator] The trick is knowing
how to tap into that potential.
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[cats meow]
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[man] Maryna and Svitlana interview,
ABC mark.
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[woman whispers indistinctly]
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[woman keeps whispering indistinctly]
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-My name is Maryna.
-And my name is Svitlana.
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And we're the Savitsky Cats.
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We are family
of super-trained cats and humans.
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Come here.
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[Maryna] Training the cats,
it's kind of a magic of some sort.
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And it's not an easy one. [exhales]
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[narrator] The amazing Savitsky Cats
are Ukrainian celebrities.
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They tour the world,
entertaining millions.
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-[Maryna whispers]
-[meows]
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They made it to the quarterfinals
of America's Got Talent, by the way.
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Not bad for an animal
often considered untrainable.
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The difference between training a cat
and training a dog is
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the dogs want to please you.
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[pants]
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"I will do anything for you!
I will do… just… just say me."
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And the cats just kind of,
"Make me." [chuckles]
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[narrator] The Savitskys know the key
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to getting the most
out of their performers.
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[in Russian] First of all,
you need to become friends with the kitty.
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It's important that the cat
trusts you completely.
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The cat shouldn't expect
any surprises from you.
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[up-tempo electronic music plays]
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[narrator in English]
For the past four years,
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Dasha has been their breakout star.
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Oh, Dasha.
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[both giggle]
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Dasha is an actress.
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[crowd cheering, applauding]
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Whenever she sees a camera,
it's kind of like the whole world stops,
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and like,
"The camera is the only thing I need."
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-[camera clicks]
-[crowd cheers]
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[narrator] Dasha performs many
of the team's hardest tricks…
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including the Mission Impossible…
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and the high jump.
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[up-tempo electronic music ends]
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[dramatic music plays]
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00:14:58,607 --> 00:15:02,736
Dasha is the undisputed captain
of the Savitsky Cats.
242
00:15:04,029 --> 00:15:07,532
But there are three other candidates
vying to take her spot.
243
00:15:09,034 --> 00:15:12,287
And any one of them
could be the next big star.
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00:15:12,371 --> 00:15:14,206
[cats purr]
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00:15:14,289 --> 00:15:17,209
Each cat is kind of our own child,
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00:15:17,292 --> 00:15:20,128
and we cannot imagine our life without it.
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00:15:21,672 --> 00:15:24,508
[narrator] The only way to bring out
the best in a feline
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00:15:24,591 --> 00:15:26,385
is to establish a bond.
249
00:15:27,970 --> 00:15:31,848
Some doctors dedicate
their lives to this art form.
250
00:15:32,349 --> 00:15:34,351
[gentle music plays]
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00:15:37,854 --> 00:15:40,482
Before a person adopts a cat
or purchases a cat,
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00:15:40,565 --> 00:15:42,442
you want them to do some homework, right?
253
00:15:42,526 --> 00:15:45,654
You want them
to kind of look at what to expect
254
00:15:45,737 --> 00:15:47,489
when you bring home a cat.
255
00:15:47,572 --> 00:15:51,159
It's a big decision 'cause you're adding
a valuable family member.
256
00:15:52,077 --> 00:15:53,829
Adding a cat is a huge deal.
257
00:15:55,122 --> 00:15:57,958
[narrator] The learning curve
can be steep for beginners.
258
00:16:00,043 --> 00:16:01,461
If you want your cat to like you,
259
00:16:01,545 --> 00:16:05,257
one of the very first things you can do
is a slow blink.
260
00:16:07,342 --> 00:16:10,804
Eye contact in the animal world
is very important.
261
00:16:10,887 --> 00:16:15,058
Direct eye contact,
a hard stare, non-blinking, is scary.
262
00:16:16,435 --> 00:16:18,687
-If you want to interact with a cat…
-[cat meows]
263
00:16:18,770 --> 00:16:22,566
…make yourself look small,
kind of move sideways, stand sideways.
264
00:16:22,649 --> 00:16:25,861
And, you know,
you can look over and do a blink.
265
00:16:27,154 --> 00:16:29,364
[narrator] To cats, this is like smiling,
266
00:16:29,990 --> 00:16:32,409
spreading happy, positive emotions.
267
00:16:33,035 --> 00:16:34,453
And they will often respond.
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00:16:35,996 --> 00:16:40,542
So they do the… slow blink
to tell you, "Hey, it's okay."
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00:16:40,625 --> 00:16:43,128
"I'm friendly. You know, I like you."
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00:16:43,211 --> 00:16:45,297
"I'm not… I'm not being threatening."
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00:16:46,006 --> 00:16:48,925
And when cats do that,
like, I think of it as a compliment.
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00:16:49,009 --> 00:16:51,219
"Oh, that cat likes me. Yeah."
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00:16:51,303 --> 00:16:54,931
[narrator] If the slow blink works,
you can try to get a little closer.
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00:16:56,016 --> 00:16:58,518
[Dr. Sung] Cats,
when they greet each other,
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00:16:58,602 --> 00:17:01,772
cats that are friendly to each other,
will do nose touches.
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00:17:01,855 --> 00:17:04,441
They will literally come up
and touch noses.
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00:17:05,025 --> 00:17:08,612
If you wanna get to know your cat,
you can offer your finger to them
278
00:17:08,695 --> 00:17:10,697
and let them kind of do like a nose boop.
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00:17:12,949 --> 00:17:16,495
They're sniffing your finger,
getting your scent, getting to know you.
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00:17:16,578 --> 00:17:20,040
And that's kind of like,
for me, like a handshake.
281
00:17:20,123 --> 00:17:22,709
But if they like you,
what frequently happens
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00:17:22,793 --> 00:17:24,711
is they'll rub along your finger.
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00:17:25,420 --> 00:17:27,798
[narrator]
Just don't come in hot from above.
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00:17:28,298 --> 00:17:33,470
Going back to, you know,
their wild ancestors, they are part prey.
285
00:17:33,553 --> 00:17:37,766
So what attacks them from above?
Things that come out with claws.
286
00:17:38,767 --> 00:17:42,521
You know, large raptors, owls,
eagles, things like that.
287
00:17:42,604 --> 00:17:44,940
So when you come over
with your hand like this,
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00:17:45,023 --> 00:17:47,192
it's kind of scary, very intimidating.
289
00:17:48,110 --> 00:17:50,278
[narrator] Low and slow is the way to go.
290
00:17:51,780 --> 00:17:54,241
[Dr. Sung] I usually put the finger out
and let them sniff.
291
00:17:54,324 --> 00:17:56,785
And if they start rubbing,
then I go and pet
292
00:17:56,868 --> 00:17:58,578
along the side of their face,
293
00:17:58,662 --> 00:18:02,040
underneath the chin,
neutral territory, right?
294
00:18:02,124 --> 00:18:04,543
And if they like chin rubs
or neck rubs, right,
295
00:18:04,626 --> 00:18:08,213
then you got the cat
eating out of the palm of your hand.
296
00:18:09,297 --> 00:18:13,218
[narrator] Some cats, wary of contact,
need a little extra convincing.
297
00:18:14,302 --> 00:18:16,388
[Dr. Sung] A lot of cats are very fearful,
298
00:18:16,471 --> 00:18:21,059
so what we do is we have, uh…
we have a pom-pom.
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00:18:21,143 --> 00:18:25,105
It's a little ball of yarn
stuck to a long dowel.
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00:18:25,188 --> 00:18:29,526
We use that to initiate interactions
with the cat
301
00:18:29,609 --> 00:18:34,072
and let them interact with that first
to see how the cat feels.
302
00:18:34,156 --> 00:18:37,075
[narrator] When a cat is comfortable,
they let you know.
303
00:18:37,742 --> 00:18:41,079
[Dr. Vitale] Allorubbing is an important
bond-building social behavior.
304
00:18:41,163 --> 00:18:43,290
-[purrs]
-We saw that 83% of cats
305
00:18:43,373 --> 00:18:45,625
rubbed on their owner
when they returned to the room.
306
00:18:45,709 --> 00:18:47,961
We are seeing
that allorubbing seems to serve
307
00:18:48,044 --> 00:18:50,922
an important stress-relieving purpose
for cats as well.
308
00:18:51,590 --> 00:18:55,218
[narrator] This friendly gesture
might just mean you've been accepted.
309
00:18:55,302 --> 00:18:56,511
[purrs]
310
00:18:56,595 --> 00:18:58,680
But do cats like all humans?
311
00:18:59,639 --> 00:19:02,225
Or do they play favorites?
312
00:19:03,018 --> 00:19:07,063
This test is called paired attachment,
and in it, what we do is look at
313
00:19:07,147 --> 00:19:11,443
how much time the cat spends
with their owner and a stranger.
314
00:19:11,526 --> 00:19:12,903
[tense music plays]
315
00:19:16,198 --> 00:19:18,491
[narrator]
If Carl chooses Kristyn, his owner,
316
00:19:18,575 --> 00:19:21,286
over the stranger more than half the time,
317
00:19:21,369 --> 00:19:23,580
it'll show there's a preference.
318
00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,082
[tense music continues]
319
00:19:38,303 --> 00:19:40,597
Carl basically chose me every time.
320
00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,351
And so he seems to have
a preference for me, his owner,
321
00:19:44,434 --> 00:19:45,769
over a stranger.
322
00:19:47,646 --> 00:19:52,025
[narrator] They've run this experiment
and others like it thousands of times.
323
00:19:52,734 --> 00:19:54,152
And there's no doubt
324
00:19:54,236 --> 00:19:57,489
cats form strong attachment bonds
to their owners.
325
00:19:59,199 --> 00:20:02,577
[Dr. Vitale] The human-cat attachment bond
may be an extension
326
00:20:02,661 --> 00:20:05,872
of that attachment bond
they have with their mother as kittens.
327
00:20:06,498 --> 00:20:09,834
[narrator] Yes, we have a connection,
and we certainly love them.
328
00:20:10,460 --> 00:20:12,754
But do cats actually love us?
329
00:20:14,589 --> 00:20:16,258
We'll explore that more in a bit.
330
00:20:18,802 --> 00:20:21,721
First, another key
to unlocking the feline mind
331
00:20:21,805 --> 00:20:23,682
is to make them feel at home.
332
00:20:25,934 --> 00:20:29,312
And just like their ancestors,
cats like to get high.
333
00:20:30,605 --> 00:20:33,984
Cats like high places
because they want to know what's going on.
334
00:20:34,567 --> 00:20:39,072
And if they're uncomfortable,
they can go to high places to hide out.
335
00:20:39,155 --> 00:20:40,657
-[meows]
-[upbeat music plays]
336
00:20:41,700 --> 00:20:44,661
It's definitely a leftover trait
from when they were wild cats, right?
337
00:20:44,744 --> 00:20:48,873
This is-- Those are instinctive behavior.
You don't need to teach a cat to climb.
338
00:20:48,957 --> 00:20:52,168
He's gonna tell you, "I'm gonna climb,"
and if you don't provide him
339
00:20:52,252 --> 00:20:55,213
with cat furniture
that's appropriate for him to use,
340
00:20:55,297 --> 00:20:57,841
he's gonna make his own little perch.
341
00:20:57,924 --> 00:21:01,386
[man] No, you haven't. You haven't!
342
00:21:01,886 --> 00:21:04,306
[narrator] Cats also like tight spaces,
343
00:21:05,265 --> 00:21:08,059
which helps explain
their obsession with boxes.
344
00:21:09,602 --> 00:21:12,856
[Dr. Sung] Those enclosed sides
makes us feel safe.
345
00:21:12,939 --> 00:21:15,900
I think that's why cats
really like boxes, and it's kind of cool
346
00:21:15,984 --> 00:21:18,820
to hide and jump out
and attack your owners.
347
00:21:19,988 --> 00:21:21,990
[up-tempo rock music plays]
348
00:21:24,326 --> 00:21:25,910
[Dr. Vitale] Cats are ambush predators,
349
00:21:25,994 --> 00:21:29,372
which means that they typically hide
in order to get their prey.
350
00:21:30,081 --> 00:21:34,461
So having a box is something
that's going to kind of help the cat
351
00:21:34,544 --> 00:21:36,546
complete their predatory motor pattern.
352
00:21:38,465 --> 00:21:42,927
Cardboard boxes actually have
a stress-relieving effect for them.
353
00:21:45,638 --> 00:21:48,266
Cats occupy kind of an interesting niche
354
00:21:48,350 --> 00:21:54,189
in ecology because when they're hunting,
they may be going into holes in trees.
355
00:21:54,272 --> 00:21:56,608
-[meows]
-They're navigating obstacles.
356
00:21:58,568 --> 00:22:01,863
A predator
that is able to navigate obstacles
357
00:22:01,946 --> 00:22:03,782
is probably gonna do better.
358
00:22:04,324 --> 00:22:06,993
Clearly,
that's gonna be a survival benefit.
359
00:22:08,286 --> 00:22:10,038
[narrator] Cats have specialized assets
360
00:22:10,121 --> 00:22:12,999
that help them squeeze
where few animals can.
361
00:22:13,083 --> 00:22:15,377
[up-tempo rock music ends]
362
00:22:15,460 --> 00:22:19,923
[Dr. Kornriech] One way we can demonstrate
this ability is to see
363
00:22:20,507 --> 00:22:23,134
how small a hole a cat can get through.
364
00:22:23,218 --> 00:22:25,303
And we can entice them to go through holes
365
00:22:25,387 --> 00:22:28,431
with things like food
and toys and treats like that.
366
00:22:28,515 --> 00:22:30,517
[slow jazz music plays]
367
00:22:34,062 --> 00:22:36,064
[up-tempo instrumental music plays]
368
00:22:43,530 --> 00:22:45,448
[narrator] Large holes are no problem.
369
00:22:48,034 --> 00:22:50,537
But as Bruce shrinks the size of the hole,
370
00:22:50,620 --> 00:22:53,873
they begin to show
their true mastery of their environment.
371
00:22:57,001 --> 00:22:59,337
And it all starts with the whiskers.
372
00:23:01,047 --> 00:23:04,175
Now, whiskers are
a very interesting adaptation of cats.
373
00:23:04,259 --> 00:23:06,594
As most people know them,
they look like hairs.
374
00:23:06,678 --> 00:23:08,471
They're long, hairlike structures,
375
00:23:08,555 --> 00:23:12,517
each of which is connected
to a bundle of nerves
376
00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,813
that then sends information regarding
what that whisker touches to the brain.
377
00:23:17,313 --> 00:23:19,816
Most people are aware
of whiskers on the chin,
378
00:23:19,899 --> 00:23:22,235
but there are also whiskers
on the eyebrows,
379
00:23:22,318 --> 00:23:24,654
and people aren't aware
that there are whiskers
380
00:23:24,737 --> 00:23:27,574
behind, uh, the backs of the front paws.
381
00:23:27,657 --> 00:23:31,411
So these have evolved to provide
tactile or touching information
382
00:23:31,494 --> 00:23:32,829
regarding the environment.
383
00:23:33,329 --> 00:23:34,747
[upbeat music plays]
384
00:23:34,831 --> 00:23:36,458
[narrator] One benefit of whiskers?
385
00:23:36,541 --> 00:23:39,794
They tell a cat
how small a hole she can fit through.
386
00:23:44,507 --> 00:23:46,551
Their flexible skeleton does the rest.
387
00:23:48,887 --> 00:23:49,762
Their clavicles,
388
00:23:49,846 --> 00:23:53,308
or their collarbones, are not anchored
in bone. They're in muscles.
389
00:23:54,058 --> 00:23:56,686
[narrator]
It's like being double-jointed everywhere.
390
00:23:58,730 --> 00:24:00,857
[Dr. Kornriech] As you can see
in this experiment,
391
00:24:00,940 --> 00:24:04,903
as we gradually make the hole
smaller and smaller,
392
00:24:04,986 --> 00:24:09,699
it's really pretty surprising
that these cats, which are pretty large,
393
00:24:09,782 --> 00:24:11,159
can make it through.
394
00:24:14,913 --> 00:24:18,917
[narrator] But whiskers don't grow
if a cat puts on a few extra pounds.
395
00:24:20,251 --> 00:24:25,006
The whiskers have evolved to be
about the width of a cat
396
00:24:25,089 --> 00:24:27,717
that is a normal, healthy body condition.
397
00:24:28,468 --> 00:24:33,181
And this gets to another issue
of being overweight and obesity in cats,
398
00:24:33,264 --> 00:24:36,392
and many cats are obese, uh,
and it's a big problem.
399
00:24:37,310 --> 00:24:39,521
The whiskers will not grow
400
00:24:39,604 --> 00:24:43,233
to accommodate the increased girth
of a cat that is overweight.
401
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:48,655
[narrator] Fifty-nine percent of cats
in the US are overweight.
402
00:24:49,405 --> 00:24:51,950
So finding the right diet is crucial.
403
00:24:52,575 --> 00:24:55,411
[tense music plays]
404
00:24:55,495 --> 00:24:57,247
Our cats' wild relatives
405
00:24:57,330 --> 00:24:59,165
have to work for their food.
406
00:24:59,916 --> 00:25:01,918
They have no trouble staying slim.
407
00:25:03,086 --> 00:25:05,588
Our cats, not so much.
408
00:25:06,381 --> 00:25:08,633
[woman] Do you wanna set him on the scale?
409
00:25:09,968 --> 00:25:11,261
No cheating.
410
00:25:12,011 --> 00:25:14,472
[Dr. Sung]
If you're eating and eating and eating,
411
00:25:14,556 --> 00:25:15,807
and you eat quickly, you know,
412
00:25:15,890 --> 00:25:19,018
you can get a lot of food down your throat
413
00:25:19,102 --> 00:25:21,938
before your stomach goes,
"Oh, wait, too much." Right?
414
00:25:22,021 --> 00:25:25,316
So we wanna do the same for cats.
We wanna give them something to do.
415
00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:27,860
So, either a cat toy, uh,
416
00:25:27,944 --> 00:25:31,364
feeding… interactive feeder,
but something they can work on
417
00:25:31,447 --> 00:25:33,116
so they know there's food in there.
418
00:25:33,741 --> 00:25:35,451
Dude, you got to work for it.
419
00:25:36,578 --> 00:25:39,539
[narrator]
Also, regardless of what their owners eat,
420
00:25:39,622 --> 00:25:41,457
cats need to eat meat.
421
00:25:43,126 --> 00:25:45,044
[Dr. Kornriech]
Cats are obligate carnivores.
422
00:25:45,128 --> 00:25:48,881
They… they must eat meat
because they are unable to synthesize
423
00:25:48,965 --> 00:25:51,342
certain amino acids
that are found only in meat.
424
00:25:52,135 --> 00:25:55,430
So please, make sure that you feed
your cat a meat-based diet.
425
00:25:55,513 --> 00:25:58,266
It has to be
nutritionally complete and balanced,
426
00:25:58,349 --> 00:26:00,184
but please don't make it vegetarian.
427
00:26:02,270 --> 00:26:03,646
[swallows]
428
00:26:03,730 --> 00:26:05,982
[narrator]
Keeping your cat healthy and happy
429
00:26:06,065 --> 00:26:08,067
can quickly become a way of life.
430
00:26:14,699 --> 00:26:18,453
One doctor in Japan
spends so much time around felines
431
00:26:19,454 --> 00:26:21,998
they call him the Cat Guru.
432
00:26:22,081 --> 00:26:24,083
[upbeat music plays]
433
00:26:29,672 --> 00:26:33,926
[in Japanese] Cats are sensitive animals.
434
00:26:34,010 --> 00:26:36,512
People who do not like cats often say
435
00:26:36,596 --> 00:26:41,434
that they don't understand
what cats are thinking.
436
00:26:43,269 --> 00:26:48,149
[narrator in English] Dr. Yuki has spent
tens of thousands of hours studying cats.
437
00:26:49,567 --> 00:26:53,738
He's working to decode
the subtle nuance of their language.
438
00:26:54,739 --> 00:26:57,909
[Dr. Yuki in Japanese] If you look at
a cat, at their eyes, their ears,
439
00:26:57,992 --> 00:27:01,537
the way they are wagging their tails,
if you observe them,
440
00:27:01,621 --> 00:27:03,623
you can start understanding
how a cat feels.
441
00:27:06,417 --> 00:27:09,420
[narrator in English] When a cat's eyes
are open, and their ears are up,
442
00:27:09,504 --> 00:27:10,546
they're relaxed.
443
00:27:11,422 --> 00:27:14,550
If they narrow their eyes
and lower their ears,
444
00:27:14,634 --> 00:27:16,177
they're becoming aggressive.
445
00:27:16,761 --> 00:27:21,432
Eyes open but ears back means
they're preparing to defend themselves.
446
00:27:22,392 --> 00:27:27,647
And if they bare their teeth,
it means they're ready for an attack.
447
00:27:28,731 --> 00:27:31,401
Reading a cat's face can be intuitive.
448
00:27:32,110 --> 00:27:34,278
The tail is more of a mystery.
449
00:27:35,321 --> 00:27:37,657
[in Japanese] Movements of the tail
have various meanings.
450
00:27:37,740 --> 00:27:43,454
When a dog is wagging his tail,
people say that it is happy.
451
00:27:43,538 --> 00:27:45,039
That's not the case for a cat.
452
00:27:46,332 --> 00:27:49,627
[narrator in English] When a cat
thrashes its tail, it's annoyed.
453
00:27:50,628 --> 00:27:53,423
But when they hold it straight up,
they're pretty happy.
454
00:27:54,507 --> 00:27:58,010
[Dr. Yuki in Japanese] When I come home,
and a cat is coming towards me,
455
00:27:58,094 --> 00:28:03,558
holding its tail straight up,
it is in a good mood.
456
00:28:03,641 --> 00:28:08,187
It's saying, "Welcome home.
Where have you been? I missed you."
457
00:28:09,147 --> 00:28:11,607
[narrator in English]
When the tip of their tail is twitching,
458
00:28:11,691 --> 00:28:13,568
it means they're intrigued.
459
00:28:15,027 --> 00:28:17,655
When a cat tucks its tail
between its legs,
460
00:28:17,739 --> 00:28:20,491
it's afraid and trying to look submissive.
461
00:28:21,576 --> 00:28:26,831
When all their hair stands on end,
it means they're downright terrified.
462
00:28:26,914 --> 00:28:27,749
[hisses]
463
00:28:27,832 --> 00:28:30,835
[in Japanese] When its tail is fluffed up,
that is true fear!
464
00:28:32,879 --> 00:28:34,172
[cow moos]
465
00:28:34,797 --> 00:28:37,300
[narrator in English] If you understand
these coded messages,
466
00:28:37,383 --> 00:28:39,218
anyone can read a cat.
467
00:28:40,928 --> 00:28:44,015
And sometimes, it helps just to listen.
468
00:28:44,098 --> 00:28:45,308
[meows]
469
00:28:46,017 --> 00:28:48,644
[in Japanese] A cat has
20 different sounds
470
00:28:48,728 --> 00:28:50,438
to express its emotions.
471
00:28:51,105 --> 00:28:53,983
[narrator in English] There are sounds
a cat makes when it wants something…
472
00:28:54,609 --> 00:28:56,736
[meowing]
473
00:28:56,819 --> 00:28:59,030
…and sounds when a cat is happy.
474
00:28:59,572 --> 00:29:01,365
[meows]
475
00:29:03,242 --> 00:29:04,076
[yowls]
476
00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:08,122
These are warning sounds.
"Don't get too close."
477
00:29:08,206 --> 00:29:09,999
[growls]
478
00:29:10,082 --> 00:29:10,917
And this…
479
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:12,502
[hisses]
480
00:29:12,585 --> 00:29:14,253
…is the sound of an attack.
481
00:29:15,922 --> 00:29:20,426
But cats talk to humans
far more than they do other cats.
482
00:29:20,510 --> 00:29:22,011
[meowing]
483
00:29:22,094 --> 00:29:27,266
[Dr. Yuki in Japanese]
Cats that live with humans meow a lot.
484
00:29:28,267 --> 00:29:30,728
When a cat meows loudly and clearly once,
485
00:29:30,812 --> 00:29:33,773
it often means
that the cat is demanding something.
486
00:29:33,856 --> 00:29:36,484
"I'm hungry, but there's no food
in my bowl."
487
00:29:36,567 --> 00:29:39,779
"I want water,"
or, "Please open this door."
488
00:29:40,530 --> 00:29:42,740
[narrator in English]
The most mysterious coded messages
489
00:29:42,824 --> 00:29:44,784
are found in the purr.
490
00:29:44,867 --> 00:29:46,077
[purrs]
491
00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,496
[in Japanese] When a cat
makes sounds with its throat,
492
00:29:48,579 --> 00:29:49,705
it's feeling really great…
493
00:29:49,789 --> 00:29:51,207
[purrs]
494
00:29:51,290 --> 00:29:54,710
…a little bit enchanted or mesmerized.
495
00:29:54,794 --> 00:29:57,463
That is the sound it makes.
496
00:29:58,798 --> 00:30:00,842
[narrator in English]
A surprising new study has found
497
00:30:00,925 --> 00:30:04,554
they use their purr
to tap into our subconscious.
498
00:30:05,638 --> 00:30:07,932
-[cat purrs]
-[owner smacking lips]
499
00:30:08,015 --> 00:30:10,601
They seem to be able to insert frequencies
500
00:30:11,477 --> 00:30:16,732
that overlap with the frequencies
that a human baby makes when it cries.
501
00:30:16,816 --> 00:30:19,861
[crying]
502
00:30:19,944 --> 00:30:22,572
[narrator]
When a human baby cries, the frequency,
503
00:30:22,655 --> 00:30:24,407
or the length of the sound waves,
504
00:30:25,116 --> 00:30:28,035
is between 400 and 600 hertz…
505
00:30:28,119 --> 00:30:29,328
[baby cries]
506
00:30:29,412 --> 00:30:31,873
…a sound designed to get our attention.
507
00:30:33,249 --> 00:30:36,544
Modern cats have developed
a special high-pitched meow
508
00:30:36,627 --> 00:30:40,506
embedded within their purr
that mimics this frequency.
509
00:30:40,590 --> 00:30:43,009
-[cat purring]
-[crowd] Aw.
510
00:30:43,092 --> 00:30:43,968
[purring]
511
00:30:44,051 --> 00:30:46,470
[Dr. Kornriech]
Cats have evolved a way to make
512
00:30:46,554 --> 00:30:49,599
a sound that humans
have a lot of difficulty ignoring.
513
00:30:49,682 --> 00:30:51,475
[hip-hop music plays]
514
00:30:52,977 --> 00:30:54,186
And so it seems
515
00:30:54,270 --> 00:30:57,940
that that's really tapping into
either the maternal or paternal instinct
516
00:30:58,024 --> 00:31:00,318
of the owner to care for the cat.
517
00:31:01,986 --> 00:31:04,572
[narrator]
They've evolved to make us care for them.
518
00:31:06,073 --> 00:31:10,202
But there are still things
we can do to get them to listen to us.
519
00:31:12,830 --> 00:31:17,627
The first and the basic command
that we teach cats to do is following us.
520
00:31:17,710 --> 00:31:23,466
So we can run off from them
and say, "Come to me," and they will come.
521
00:31:23,549 --> 00:31:24,467
[cat meows]
522
00:31:24,550 --> 00:31:26,928
[narrator] Teaching simple commands
through repetition
523
00:31:27,011 --> 00:31:29,263
is known as classical conditioning.
524
00:31:30,723 --> 00:31:35,978
So the classical example
of classical conditioning is from Pavlov.
525
00:31:36,646 --> 00:31:37,480
[dog barks]
526
00:31:37,980 --> 00:31:40,858
[narrator]
Dr. Ivan Pavlov won the Nobel Prize
527
00:31:40,942 --> 00:31:43,653
for physiology in 1904 for his discovery.
528
00:31:45,488 --> 00:31:47,657
[Dr. Sung] What he learned was that
529
00:31:47,740 --> 00:31:52,370
if you ring a bell
when you offer a dog food,
530
00:31:52,453 --> 00:31:55,957
after repeated pairings,
the sound of the bell
531
00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:58,292
will start causing the dog to salivate.
532
00:31:58,376 --> 00:32:01,587
So the dog got conditioned that
533
00:32:01,671 --> 00:32:04,465
hearing the bell means food's gonna come.
534
00:32:04,548 --> 00:32:06,384
So that's classical conditioning.
535
00:32:07,551 --> 00:32:10,471
[narrator] For cats,
clicker training is a good place to start.
536
00:32:11,973 --> 00:32:13,766
[Dr. Sung] You wanna offer a click sound,
537
00:32:13,849 --> 00:32:16,560
and within a second or two,
offer the cat a treat,
538
00:32:16,644 --> 00:32:18,562
so the cat goes, "Oh, hey."
539
00:32:18,646 --> 00:32:22,274
"Every time I hear the click,
I get to eat my special treat."
540
00:32:22,358 --> 00:32:25,069
So then that click becomes meaningful.
541
00:32:26,946 --> 00:32:30,449
[narrator] Cats get bored easily,
so keep training sessions short.
542
00:32:32,076 --> 00:32:35,579
I would aim anywhere
between one to five minutes.
543
00:32:35,663 --> 00:32:38,249
I… I would be… It would be, like,
544
00:32:39,208 --> 00:32:41,669
exceedingly awesome
if we get five minutes.
545
00:32:41,752 --> 00:32:45,840
Quite honestly, I tell my owners,
like, "30 to 60 seconds, hallelujah!"
546
00:32:45,923 --> 00:32:47,425
"We got it!" You know?
547
00:32:47,508 --> 00:32:50,302
If your cat can do more than that,
that's great.
548
00:32:51,012 --> 00:32:53,014
[narrator] It's important to be patient.
549
00:32:53,514 --> 00:32:55,766
Not all cats respond the same way.
550
00:32:57,018 --> 00:32:58,728
Because all cats are different.
551
00:33:00,479 --> 00:33:04,483
In our research, one thing
that we're seeing in a lot of cat behavior
552
00:33:04,567 --> 00:33:07,361
is that there's
a lot of individual variability.
553
00:33:07,445 --> 00:33:13,784
So cats really differ on their response
to people and their sociability.
554
00:33:15,286 --> 00:33:17,663
[narrator] Not all cats are superstars.
555
00:33:20,499 --> 00:33:23,711
Dasha got to where she is
through years of training.
556
00:33:23,794 --> 00:33:25,796
[purring]
557
00:33:26,922 --> 00:33:30,468
The other Savitsky Cats
are still a work in progress.
558
00:33:30,551 --> 00:33:32,344
[Svitlana speaking Russian]
559
00:33:35,389 --> 00:33:38,726
[in Russian]
Not every cat can do special tricks.
560
00:33:38,809 --> 00:33:43,355
You must observe the cat
to understand what she is capable of
561
00:33:43,439 --> 00:33:46,317
and teach them things
based on their strengths.
562
00:33:48,486 --> 00:33:51,238
[in English] When animals are born,
they're born with a temperament.
563
00:33:53,365 --> 00:33:54,366
[meows]
564
00:33:54,450 --> 00:33:57,161
That temperament is
the initial building blocks
565
00:33:57,244 --> 00:34:01,415
for that personality that's going to
develop over their lifetime.
566
00:34:01,499 --> 00:34:04,710
[Maryna] All of our cats have
different personalities,
567
00:34:04,794 --> 00:34:06,629
and you need to adjust to them,
568
00:34:06,712 --> 00:34:10,758
so you cannot make them adjust to you.
569
00:34:10,841 --> 00:34:13,344
It's kind of not their job. It's yours.
570
00:34:13,427 --> 00:34:15,387
So you need to pick
571
00:34:16,305 --> 00:34:18,015
what works for them better.
572
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,561
We see actually in kittens that already
573
00:34:22,645 --> 00:34:24,730
by the age of three days old,
574
00:34:24,814 --> 00:34:27,191
they're showing differences
within their litter.
575
00:34:29,527 --> 00:34:31,070
[cat groans]
576
00:34:31,153 --> 00:34:35,157
[Svitlana in Russian] It's like
with humans. Some are great at computers.
577
00:34:35,241 --> 00:34:38,244
Some can be great ballerinas.
578
00:34:38,327 --> 00:34:42,039
You wouldn't teach computers
to a ballerina.
579
00:34:42,540 --> 00:34:44,208
[hip-hop music plays]
580
00:34:45,292 --> 00:34:48,379
[Maryna in English] Eddy, come here! Eddy!
[speaking Russian]
581
00:34:49,630 --> 00:34:52,341
[narrator in English] The Savitskys
don't force their performers
582
00:34:52,424 --> 00:34:54,093
to do these amazing stunts.
583
00:34:55,636 --> 00:34:59,181
Like a sculptor who finds
the sculpture within the rock,
584
00:34:59,807 --> 00:35:03,144
they let each cat's potential
reveal itself.
585
00:35:06,188 --> 00:35:09,775
This is Asia. She is a diva.
586
00:35:09,859 --> 00:35:11,443
Come on, come on.
587
00:35:11,527 --> 00:35:14,196
You never know, will she perform or not?
588
00:35:15,698 --> 00:35:17,158
Yet you never know.
589
00:35:17,241 --> 00:35:20,077
She's kind of, like,
really, really difficult.
590
00:35:20,161 --> 00:35:23,581
But the tricks she's doing,
they are really amazing.
591
00:35:23,664 --> 00:35:25,583
So it's worth the risk.
592
00:35:25,666 --> 00:35:27,001
[speaking Russian]
593
00:35:28,002 --> 00:35:32,298
[narrator] At 13, the senior member
of the team is a fan favorite.
594
00:35:33,591 --> 00:35:34,758
[Maryna] This is Chupa.
595
00:35:35,384 --> 00:35:40,764
She was very hard to train
in the beginning, like, very challenging.
596
00:35:41,348 --> 00:35:43,601
She didn't get it, like, at all.
597
00:35:43,684 --> 00:35:47,605
But a few months passed,
and, like, just it clicked.
598
00:35:49,148 --> 00:35:51,442
And now she is a great student.
599
00:35:53,319 --> 00:35:56,697
You definitely can teach
old cats to do tricks.
600
00:35:58,991 --> 00:36:03,120
[narrator] Their newest recruit, Eddy,
had a slightly different upbringing.
601
00:36:04,663 --> 00:36:06,040
[Maryna] Eddy, it's a girl name.
602
00:36:07,374 --> 00:36:08,876
Uh, and she grew up with the dogs,
603
00:36:08,959 --> 00:36:14,590
so most of her life,
she has the doglike habits and behavior.
604
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,428
We do know that life experience
605
00:36:19,511 --> 00:36:21,805
really does impact the cat's behavior.
606
00:36:22,514 --> 00:36:26,477
And that also impacts
how social the cat is.
607
00:36:30,648 --> 00:36:32,191
[narrator] Because of her background,
608
00:36:32,274 --> 00:36:35,194
the Savitskys train Eddy
a bit differently.
609
00:36:38,697 --> 00:36:40,824
[Maryna] She's doing everything backwards.
610
00:36:42,493 --> 00:36:45,579
So she's doing, like, really crazy stuff
611
00:36:45,663 --> 00:36:46,997
that other cats can't do
612
00:36:47,081 --> 00:36:50,000
just because their brain
is not wired to do that.
613
00:36:51,335 --> 00:36:53,087
[narrator] Eddy also loves to jump.
614
00:36:54,338 --> 00:36:57,258
So they're teaching her
one of their hardest tricks.
615
00:36:58,676 --> 00:37:02,054
She's currently working on
a jump through the paper hoop.
616
00:37:04,014 --> 00:37:06,016
[speaking Russian]
617
00:37:06,558 --> 00:37:10,980
[Maryna in English] I would say, like,
it's the next more challenging trick
618
00:37:11,063 --> 00:37:14,441
that you can do
after, like, uh, socializing them,
619
00:37:14,525 --> 00:37:19,196
because you basically teach
a cat how to jump into a wall.
620
00:37:20,322 --> 00:37:21,156
Eddy.
621
00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:24,535
[Maryna] It takes time, time, time
and a lot of practice,
622
00:37:24,618 --> 00:37:26,453
a lot of, like, wasted paper.
623
00:37:27,830 --> 00:37:29,957
It's still kind of still in process.
624
00:37:30,624 --> 00:37:32,835
Eddy, leap.
625
00:37:32,918 --> 00:37:34,837
[speaking Russian]
626
00:37:37,965 --> 00:37:40,342
[suspenseful music plays]
627
00:37:42,886 --> 00:37:44,972
[narrator in English]
It's gonna take some practice.
628
00:37:49,101 --> 00:37:53,272
But the Savitskys are learning
how to motivate Eddy.
629
00:37:55,941 --> 00:37:56,775
Good boy!
630
00:37:56,859 --> 00:37:59,862
[narrator] Different cats
are motivated by different rewards.
631
00:38:00,446 --> 00:38:02,197
[speaking indistinctly]
632
00:38:02,281 --> 00:38:06,285
This might seem simple enough,
but many new cat owners get it wrong.
633
00:38:06,368 --> 00:38:07,286
My new love.
634
00:38:08,078 --> 00:38:13,125
I think part of it is that they're using
the wrong items to motivate the cats.
635
00:38:15,544 --> 00:38:19,131
[narrator] Cats are more discerning
than many other pets.
636
00:38:19,214 --> 00:38:21,550
Food is not always the great motivator.
637
00:38:23,635 --> 00:38:27,514
We found that the majority of cats
actually prefer social rewards.
638
00:38:28,223 --> 00:38:31,810
[narrator] Kristyn has done
extensive research on what cats want.
639
00:38:33,145 --> 00:38:34,605
She gives cats a choice
640
00:38:34,688 --> 00:38:36,648
between their favorite toy,
641
00:38:36,732 --> 00:38:38,400
their favorite smell,
642
00:38:38,484 --> 00:38:39,568
their favorite food,
643
00:38:40,152 --> 00:38:41,528
or their owner.
644
00:38:52,081 --> 00:38:55,542
And more than half the time,
they choose their people.
645
00:38:57,002 --> 00:38:59,213
[man whispering] I think he loves you.
646
00:38:59,296 --> 00:39:01,924
[narrator]
It seems the heart trumps the stomach.
647
00:39:03,217 --> 00:39:06,595
So is this proof that cats love us?
648
00:39:06,678 --> 00:39:09,598
[Dr. Vitale] I get asked a lot
whether cats love us or not.
649
00:39:09,681 --> 00:39:14,395
Love is a really complex emotion,
and even in humans, you know,
650
00:39:14,895 --> 00:39:18,065
someone might tell you that they love you,
but they behave very differently.
651
00:39:20,901 --> 00:39:24,530
[narrator] To answer that question
and understand the true nature
652
00:39:24,613 --> 00:39:26,240
of the human-cat relationship,
653
00:39:26,323 --> 00:39:28,867
we need to go
all the way back to the beginning.
654
00:39:34,373 --> 00:39:38,293
For years, historians believed
our friendship began in Egypt
655
00:39:38,377 --> 00:39:39,962
around 4,000 years ago.
656
00:39:43,090 --> 00:39:46,343
But a recent breakthrough
changed everything.
657
00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:54,810
Ten thousand years ago,
658
00:39:55,310 --> 00:39:58,772
so before the Neolithic,
there were no cats in Cyprus.
659
00:40:01,233 --> 00:40:04,570
[narrator] Cyprus is a small island
in the Mediterranean
660
00:40:04,653 --> 00:40:06,780
near the cradle of civilization
661
00:40:06,864 --> 00:40:10,659
where archaeologists
recently unearthed a huge discovery.
662
00:40:12,327 --> 00:40:15,164
[Dr. Giegl]
They found a Neolithic burial of a child.
663
00:40:15,247 --> 00:40:18,375
And in this burial,
there was also a cat skeleton.
664
00:40:19,960 --> 00:40:23,672
[narrator] Dr. Eva Maria used DNA
to date this find.
665
00:40:24,798 --> 00:40:27,176
And it would become
the earliest known evidence
666
00:40:27,259 --> 00:40:29,428
of a human-cat relationship…
667
00:40:31,138 --> 00:40:31,972
[cat meows]
668
00:40:32,806 --> 00:40:36,977
…proving we've been together
for at least 10,000 years.
669
00:40:38,103 --> 00:40:38,937
[cat meows]
670
00:40:39,480 --> 00:40:41,982
This cat did not swim over the sea.
671
00:40:43,192 --> 00:40:48,280
It means that people took this cat
on their ships to Cyprus.
672
00:40:48,780 --> 00:40:52,743
So something happened
around this time in this area.
673
00:40:53,827 --> 00:40:55,746
[narrator] What happened was the farm.
674
00:40:57,539 --> 00:41:00,667
Humans began to grow crops
and store grains,
675
00:41:00,751 --> 00:41:03,587
and wildcats saw an opportunity.
676
00:41:03,670 --> 00:41:05,130
[cat purring]
677
00:41:05,214 --> 00:41:08,592
[Dr. Giegl] These granaries
must have attracted rodents,
678
00:41:08,675 --> 00:41:11,220
which was a disaster
for the early farmers.
679
00:41:11,303 --> 00:41:13,138
And so the cats
680
00:41:14,431 --> 00:41:16,934
jumped on these rodents
and thrived on the rodents.
681
00:41:17,893 --> 00:41:21,230
And this was probably
the beginning of this relationship
682
00:41:21,313 --> 00:41:24,483
between the wildcats and humans.
683
00:41:25,484 --> 00:41:28,111
[narrator]
And from here, the relationship grew.
684
00:41:29,613 --> 00:41:31,365
[Dr. Giegl] Egyptians worship cats.
685
00:41:31,907 --> 00:41:34,743
You had millions of cats mummified,
686
00:41:34,826 --> 00:41:40,666
and from the Egyptian iconography,
statues, all kind of depictions of cats.
687
00:41:41,583 --> 00:41:46,588
And there you see chairs
of noble people, very often women,
688
00:41:47,422 --> 00:41:49,883
and a little cat under the chair.
689
00:41:51,385 --> 00:41:56,056
So this shows us
that the cat had entered the house.
690
00:41:56,682 --> 00:41:58,976
It was on the way to become a house cat.
691
00:42:00,185 --> 00:42:02,062
[narrator]
Wherever we went, cats followed…
692
00:42:04,273 --> 00:42:05,440
often by boat.
693
00:42:07,442 --> 00:42:10,070
[Dr. Giegl] Ships are probably
694
00:42:10,153 --> 00:42:14,157
the predominant means
of spreading of the cat.
695
00:42:15,117 --> 00:42:17,661
The rodents went on the ships,
and the cats followed.
696
00:42:17,744 --> 00:42:20,455
And so there was not
a single ship, probably,
697
00:42:20,539 --> 00:42:22,874
that went out of the port without cats.
698
00:42:23,375 --> 00:42:29,381
[narrator] So this is how Felis catus
made its way to every continent on Earth.
699
00:42:29,464 --> 00:42:30,299
[cat yowls]
700
00:42:33,427 --> 00:42:39,391
[Dr. Giegl] It was so important on ships
that until 1975 in the British Navy,
701
00:42:39,474 --> 00:42:42,769
it was still compulsory
to have a cat on the ship.
702
00:42:43,687 --> 00:42:45,439
[narrator] It wasn't just the British.
703
00:42:45,522 --> 00:42:47,441
[bugle plays]
704
00:42:50,694 --> 00:42:54,114
[man] Attention, Mr. Coast Guardsman.
Herman the cat is on the prowl.
705
00:42:54,197 --> 00:42:58,035
In Baltimore, Herman is fingerprinted,
or is it, uh, paw-printed,
706
00:42:58,118 --> 00:43:00,537
so he can get
an official Coast Guard pass.
707
00:43:01,705 --> 00:43:02,914
[camera shutter clicks]
708
00:43:02,998 --> 00:43:04,416
[narrator] This is real.
709
00:43:05,500 --> 00:43:09,379
Herman the cat was actually
in the US Coast Guard.
710
00:43:11,340 --> 00:43:15,552
But history hasn't always been
this kind to felines.
711
00:43:17,262 --> 00:43:18,639
[thunder rumbling]
712
00:43:18,722 --> 00:43:20,265
[sinister laughing]
713
00:43:20,349 --> 00:43:22,059
[pipe organ music plays]
714
00:43:23,935 --> 00:43:25,187
[yowls]
715
00:43:25,270 --> 00:43:27,856
Stories of black cats and dark magic,
716
00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,401
witches and cauldrons
did not begin in Salem
717
00:43:32,110 --> 00:43:33,695
or even Transylvania
718
00:43:34,613 --> 00:43:38,075
but with a rogue pope named Gregory IX.
719
00:43:39,868 --> 00:43:41,787
[Dr. Giegl] Cats in the Middle Ages
720
00:43:42,788 --> 00:43:44,706
were associated to witches.
721
00:43:45,374 --> 00:43:47,209
Witches were actually
722
00:43:48,168 --> 00:43:54,007
intelligent women,
wise women who knew a lot about nature.
723
00:43:54,633 --> 00:43:59,012
These wise women
knew that keeping the house clean
724
00:43:59,513 --> 00:44:01,056
would keep you healthy.
725
00:44:01,890 --> 00:44:04,059
So they cleaned the house with a broom,
726
00:44:04,142 --> 00:44:07,229
and they had cats to get rid of rodents.
727
00:44:07,312 --> 00:44:10,649
There came the time when the Church,
728
00:44:11,858 --> 00:44:13,235
dominated by males,
729
00:44:13,902 --> 00:44:15,696
considered them to be a danger.
730
00:44:15,779 --> 00:44:18,824
So the Church tried to get rid of them.
731
00:44:18,907 --> 00:44:19,825
[dogs barking]
732
00:44:19,908 --> 00:44:22,119
[narrator]
Demonized during this Papal Inquisition,
733
00:44:22,202 --> 00:44:25,080
Europe's cat population was decimated,
734
00:44:26,832 --> 00:44:30,836
which some believe
may have contributed to the Black Plague.
735
00:44:34,756 --> 00:44:41,722
Black Death, the plague was transmitted
by… rodents, by fleas, actually.
736
00:44:42,806 --> 00:44:45,726
And the fleas were
in the fur of the rodents.
737
00:44:47,227 --> 00:44:50,313
[narrator] With fewer cats,
the plague was out of control.
738
00:44:53,483 --> 00:44:56,027
Thankfully, even during these dark times,
739
00:44:56,111 --> 00:44:59,740
some people continued to nurture
a bond with cats…
740
00:45:10,709 --> 00:45:14,379
…a relationship
that's still evolving to this day.
741
00:45:19,176 --> 00:45:21,970
There's a history of cats in distilleries.
742
00:45:22,721 --> 00:45:25,015
[woman] It's quite a traditional thing
in Scotland.
743
00:45:25,515 --> 00:45:28,810
There was a very famous cat
over at a distillery in Perthshire
744
00:45:28,894 --> 00:45:32,272
called Towser, and he's probably
the most famous distillery cat ever.
745
00:45:32,355 --> 00:45:35,609
-[man] Yeah, he or she is legendary.
-[woman] Yeah.
746
00:45:35,692 --> 00:45:38,069
[man] I think he is
the most famous distillery cat.
747
00:45:44,701 --> 00:45:47,162
[narrator] Five years ago,
Helen and Drew Mckenzie
748
00:45:47,245 --> 00:45:48,872
adopted two working cats
749
00:45:49,748 --> 00:45:51,958
to carry on an age-old tradition.
750
00:45:54,920 --> 00:45:57,547
[Drew] The abbey was founded in 1191.
751
00:45:59,716 --> 00:46:03,094
We have William Wallace coming here
after his victory over the English
752
00:46:03,178 --> 00:46:04,763
at the Battle of Black Earnside.
753
00:46:05,972 --> 00:46:08,016
[bagpipes playing]
754
00:46:08,099 --> 00:46:09,726
So it's got a huge history.
755
00:46:10,393 --> 00:46:12,979
I suppose we're continuing the tradition.
756
00:46:13,063 --> 00:46:15,941
You know, all the cats
that have been here over the years.
757
00:46:18,610 --> 00:46:21,363
[narrator] They named
the black male Friar John Claw…
758
00:46:23,365 --> 00:46:24,950
and the calico female Vespers,
759
00:46:26,409 --> 00:46:28,870
a nod to the medieval monks
that lived here.
760
00:46:29,704 --> 00:46:34,709
And just like those monks,
these cats begin their services at night.
761
00:46:46,471 --> 00:46:49,724
The eyes of cats are very large
compared to the size of the skull.
762
00:46:51,601 --> 00:46:54,062
They also have something
called the tapetum lucidum,
763
00:46:54,145 --> 00:46:56,898
which is a layer of cells
at the back of the eye
764
00:46:56,982 --> 00:46:59,192
that reflects light back to the retina,
765
00:46:59,943 --> 00:47:03,613
so it allows them
to see very well in low-light conditions.
766
00:47:05,282 --> 00:47:08,285
[narrator] What they're looking for
poses a very real danger
767
00:47:08,368 --> 00:47:09,995
to the health of the distillery.
768
00:47:11,705 --> 00:47:14,207
[Helen] Mice are always present
in a distillery
769
00:47:14,291 --> 00:47:18,295
because of the huge amounts of barely,
and grain obviously attracts mice.
770
00:47:18,378 --> 00:47:19,504
[mouse squeaking]
771
00:47:19,588 --> 00:47:22,048
Unfortunately,
without getting too technical,
772
00:47:22,132 --> 00:47:25,343
mice kind of wee
all the time, so… [laughs]
773
00:47:25,427 --> 00:47:28,972
For want of a better expression.
Um, and that's not a good thing.
774
00:47:30,390 --> 00:47:33,810
[narrator] To find these vermin,
the cats need to get ultrasonic.
775
00:47:36,021 --> 00:47:39,566
[Dr. Kornriech] The ears of cats
can rotate about 180 degrees.
776
00:47:40,609 --> 00:47:42,736
And they can hear very high frequencies.
777
00:47:42,819 --> 00:47:47,949
This is because the prey that they seek
vocalizes in this auditory range.
778
00:47:48,033 --> 00:47:48,909
[mouse squeaking]
779
00:47:49,784 --> 00:47:54,414
So this allows them to kind of localize
and kind of triangulate on prey.
780
00:48:00,712 --> 00:48:01,546
[mouse squeals]
781
00:48:08,595 --> 00:48:10,513
[narrator] The cats do their job well.
782
00:48:13,975 --> 00:48:18,063
But Helen and Drew were curious
what exactly they were up to.
783
00:48:19,981 --> 00:48:23,526
So Helen put on GPS trackers to find out.
784
00:48:26,071 --> 00:48:28,740
The GPS collars revealed that each night,
785
00:48:28,823 --> 00:48:31,201
Vespers travels more than a mile,
786
00:48:31,910 --> 00:48:34,371
but she never strays too far from home.
787
00:48:35,622 --> 00:48:38,458
Vespers, who is officially
the chief mouser,
788
00:48:38,541 --> 00:48:41,127
is busy getting on with
the day job and night job.
789
00:48:42,045 --> 00:48:45,006
[narrator]
And she's most active just before dawn,
790
00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:47,300
prime rodent time.
791
00:48:48,218 --> 00:48:51,805
Cats are crepuscular animals, okay?
792
00:48:52,389 --> 00:48:55,058
Crespuc-- Crep-- [laughs]
Crepuscular animals
793
00:48:55,141 --> 00:49:00,313
means that they're active
early dawn and at dusk.
794
00:49:01,815 --> 00:49:04,734
[narrator]
Which may explain why cats are so crazy
795
00:49:04,818 --> 00:49:06,319
in the wee hours of the night.
796
00:49:08,071 --> 00:49:11,491
My cats tend to have
the zoomies after we go to bed.
797
00:49:11,574 --> 00:49:12,534
[rock music plays]
798
00:49:14,369 --> 00:49:17,706
The zoomies, you know,
when cats have a sudden burst of energy.
799
00:49:18,748 --> 00:49:21,751
We call it "FRAP," F-R-A-P.
800
00:49:25,630 --> 00:49:28,717
You can see them, like,
make little chirping noises,
801
00:49:28,800 --> 00:49:32,012
and they get low to the ground,
and they jump from here to there.
802
00:49:33,304 --> 00:49:35,682
They're chasing each other,
they're vocalizing,
803
00:49:35,765 --> 00:49:38,727
just having a grand time
when the rest of us are sleeping.
804
00:49:40,770 --> 00:49:42,230
This is all instinctive behavior.
805
00:49:42,313 --> 00:49:45,108
It goes back to… to the circadian rhythm.
806
00:49:45,191 --> 00:49:49,320
This is an internal clock in our body
that we got from our ancestors.
807
00:49:50,363 --> 00:49:54,451
[narrator] Some cats have
another peculiar nighttime ritual.
808
00:49:55,910 --> 00:49:59,289
[Helen] Vespers, in particular,
she is a big present giver.
809
00:49:59,789 --> 00:50:04,502
I reckon Ves probably catches…
four or five things a day.
810
00:50:04,586 --> 00:50:08,590
[narrator] But why do cats
bring their owners gifts?
811
00:50:09,090 --> 00:50:12,260
We know
that when a mother cat has kittens,
812
00:50:12,343 --> 00:50:15,764
that she will basically bring
the prey back for the kittens,
813
00:50:15,847 --> 00:50:18,975
so they can learn
what kinds of prey are suitable
814
00:50:19,059 --> 00:50:22,145
and kind of let them play with it, uh,
815
00:50:22,228 --> 00:50:26,858
and in kind of a morbid sense,
to get practice trying to get the prey.
816
00:50:28,651 --> 00:50:31,112
[narrator] Whatever the reason,
it's a compliment.
817
00:50:31,738 --> 00:50:33,406
It means you're family.
818
00:50:34,365 --> 00:50:36,451
And there's few things less pleasant
819
00:50:36,534 --> 00:50:39,037
when you're walking
without slippers on in the morning.
820
00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:40,997
[upbeat music plays]
821
00:50:41,081 --> 00:50:43,625
[narrator] While Vespers performs
the traditional duties,
822
00:50:44,584 --> 00:50:47,921
Friar John Claw has
a more modern approach.
823
00:50:48,922 --> 00:50:50,465
[Helen] He's very laid-back,
824
00:50:51,132 --> 00:50:54,010
you know, loves the public,
spends a huge amount of time
825
00:50:54,094 --> 00:50:57,263
in the actual visitor center itself
just being stroked.
826
00:50:58,139 --> 00:51:02,060
[narrator] FJC realized
his sister is all over the mice.
827
00:51:02,936 --> 00:51:04,979
His talents are better used elsewhere.
828
00:51:06,564 --> 00:51:09,818
FJC's role, it could be said,
is more of an ambassador.
829
00:51:11,111 --> 00:51:12,946
[upbeat music continues]
830
00:51:16,699 --> 00:51:17,951
[Drew] He's front of house.
831
00:51:18,034 --> 00:51:21,329
-[Helen] She's back of house.
-She's back of house, doing the hard work.
832
00:51:22,664 --> 00:51:25,041
[narrator] Vespers uses instinct.
833
00:51:25,125 --> 00:51:27,961
Friar John Claw uses Instagram.
834
00:51:29,504 --> 00:51:32,882
What started 10,000 years ago
as a working relationship
835
00:51:34,008 --> 00:51:36,302
has evolved into a global obsession.
836
00:51:36,386 --> 00:51:37,345
[cat meows]
837
00:51:38,221 --> 00:51:39,931
[meowing]
838
00:51:40,598 --> 00:51:43,434
The way that cats
have gone viral on the Internet is…
839
00:51:43,518 --> 00:51:46,437
I think really exceeds
anything that anyone would have expected.
840
00:51:46,521 --> 00:51:49,983
I believe the second most common reason
people go to the Internet
841
00:51:50,066 --> 00:51:51,401
is to watch cat videos.
842
00:51:52,694 --> 00:51:55,989
[narrator] Cats are
the number one family-friendly thing
843
00:51:56,072 --> 00:51:57,073
on the Internet…
844
00:51:57,740 --> 00:51:59,075
[woman laughing]
845
00:51:59,159 --> 00:52:01,661
…with more than 25 billion views.
846
00:52:01,744 --> 00:52:02,579
Oh-ho-ho!
847
00:52:03,913 --> 00:52:05,748
[narrator] A new study
found that cat videos
848
00:52:05,832 --> 00:52:08,334
actually boost positive emotions
849
00:52:08,418 --> 00:52:10,170
and decrease negative feelings.
850
00:52:10,253 --> 00:52:11,087
[laughs]
851
00:52:12,130 --> 00:52:15,550
In other words,
they provide a big ol' shot of dopamine.
852
00:52:16,509 --> 00:52:17,427
[laughs]
853
00:52:17,927 --> 00:52:20,847
I think that the Internet
has kind of become a space
854
00:52:20,930 --> 00:52:24,517
where cat-lovers can all
kind of unite and just love
855
00:52:24,601 --> 00:52:26,436
cats and laugh at them
856
00:52:26,519 --> 00:52:29,564
and kind of bond over
the silly things that our cats do.
857
00:52:29,647 --> 00:52:31,733
It kind of gives us a space to do that.
858
00:52:34,068 --> 00:52:36,321
[narrator]
Bad behavior makes for a fun video.
859
00:52:37,864 --> 00:52:41,284
But it's not always funny
when it's happening in your own home.
860
00:52:43,494 --> 00:52:46,122
When we have unwanted behavior,
861
00:52:46,206 --> 00:52:49,083
keep in mind that,
you know, cats are being cats.
862
00:52:49,167 --> 00:52:51,502
They don't know you don't want them
on top of your counter.
863
00:52:53,213 --> 00:52:56,090
[narrator] Rule number one,
never punish a cat.
864
00:52:56,633 --> 00:52:57,717
[pot clanging]
865
00:52:57,800 --> 00:53:01,054
When your cat is doing
something you don't want,
866
00:53:01,137 --> 00:53:02,472
right, and you punish him,
867
00:53:03,097 --> 00:53:07,143
he sometimes doesn't understand
why you don't like it, right?
868
00:53:07,227 --> 00:53:09,562
It also makes you feel unpredictable.
869
00:53:11,022 --> 00:53:12,857
"All of a sudden,
you're yelling and screaming."
870
00:53:12,941 --> 00:53:14,692
"I don't understand what happened."
871
00:53:16,236 --> 00:53:18,071
[narrator] The key is positivity.
872
00:53:20,823 --> 00:53:22,617
[Svitlana speaking Russian]
873
00:53:22,700 --> 00:53:24,953
[in English] If your cat is doing
something you don't want,
874
00:53:25,036 --> 00:53:28,998
you wanna be able to distract the cat
and then tell him. Tell him what you want.
875
00:53:29,082 --> 00:53:31,918
"Hey, let's do this.
Come over and touch my hand."
876
00:53:32,001 --> 00:53:35,880
"Go to your bed.
[gasps] What a smart kitty, yay!"
877
00:53:35,964 --> 00:53:39,050
And your cat goes,
"Yeah, I'm the best cat ever!"
878
00:53:42,011 --> 00:53:45,932
[narrator] For really bad habits,
classical conditioning is not enough.
879
00:53:47,642 --> 00:53:53,147
Counterconditioning is the process
of changing an emotional response.
880
00:53:54,357 --> 00:53:57,402
[narrator]
This is when you pull out the good stuff,
881
00:53:57,485 --> 00:54:00,154
their favorite, most irresistible treat.
882
00:54:00,822 --> 00:54:04,242
[Dr. Sung] Offering something
so highly valuable or rewarding
883
00:54:04,325 --> 00:54:08,454
that the animal goes,
"Oh! That wasn't so bad. I like this."
884
00:54:09,789 --> 00:54:11,749
I always give the example to my clients
885
00:54:11,833 --> 00:54:14,544
of, what if every time
you walked out of the house,
886
00:54:14,627 --> 00:54:17,964
you had a snarky neighbor,
and he always said something mean to you?
887
00:54:18,464 --> 00:54:21,009
So you try to avoid going out
when he's out there.
888
00:54:22,302 --> 00:54:25,596
But what if every time
you went out there, I gave you $1,000?
889
00:54:25,680 --> 00:54:26,806
Huh?
890
00:54:27,724 --> 00:54:31,102
Then you're like, "That's not so bad.
I don't mind seeing that guy."
891
00:54:32,020 --> 00:54:34,355
What if you saw him four times a day,
and you got $4,000?
892
00:54:34,439 --> 00:54:36,941
You're gonna be like, "Yeah! Bring it on!"
893
00:54:37,025 --> 00:54:39,861
"Where is he?" You're gonna wanna see
that guy all the time, right?
894
00:54:41,154 --> 00:54:43,281
So that's what counterconditioning is.
895
00:54:43,364 --> 00:54:45,283
You can change a situation
896
00:54:45,366 --> 00:54:50,163
from being negative,
to more neutral, to then positive.
897
00:54:52,790 --> 00:54:56,044
[narrator] Like any relationship,
it can take patience,
898
00:54:56,669 --> 00:54:58,296
but it's worth it.
899
00:54:59,380 --> 00:55:02,842
You get the sense sometimes
that they might not need you,
900
00:55:04,010 --> 00:55:05,595
but they still want you.
901
00:55:05,678 --> 00:55:10,641
And that's this very unique and mystical
and deep-seated relationship.
902
00:55:11,225 --> 00:55:13,227
[narrator] A cat's true motivation
903
00:55:13,311 --> 00:55:16,564
isn't as easy to interpret
as some other pets'.
904
00:55:17,065 --> 00:55:17,899
[dog barks]
905
00:55:17,982 --> 00:55:21,277
[in Japanese] Dogs see
their owners as gods.
906
00:55:22,653 --> 00:55:24,530
But cats think of themselves as gods.
907
00:55:26,074 --> 00:55:27,909
Cats don't want to do
what they don't like.
908
00:55:28,576 --> 00:55:30,620
They want to sleep
when they want to sleep,
909
00:55:30,703 --> 00:55:33,164
eat when they want to eat,
play when they want to play.
910
00:55:36,793 --> 00:55:40,088
[narrator in English] Don't mistake
independence for indifference.
911
00:55:40,797 --> 00:55:44,133
If you kind of have that perception
that cats are aloof,
912
00:55:44,217 --> 00:55:46,302
they don't care about social interaction,
913
00:55:46,386 --> 00:55:48,471
so you don't go out of your way
to interact with them,
914
00:55:49,055 --> 00:55:52,350
you're basically shaping
the cat to then also be aloof
915
00:55:52,433 --> 00:55:54,602
because that was what
you expected of them.
916
00:55:55,645 --> 00:55:57,855
In our work, we found that
917
00:55:57,939 --> 00:56:01,484
how the person behaves
really does impact the cat's behavior.
918
00:56:02,860 --> 00:56:05,947
[narrator] Kristyn's research is proving
how a cat treats you
919
00:56:06,531 --> 00:56:09,492
directly reflects how you treat them.
920
00:56:11,035 --> 00:56:15,623
One step further, her work is showing
they might even pick up on how we feel.
921
00:56:18,209 --> 00:56:21,337
So this is known as
the social-referencing test.
922
00:56:21,421 --> 00:56:24,465
And the whole idea is
that this fan with streamers
923
00:56:24,549 --> 00:56:26,509
is totally novel to the cat.
924
00:56:26,592 --> 00:56:30,096
So he doesn't know if it's something scary
or if it's something fun.
925
00:56:30,596 --> 00:56:34,183
So the whole idea is that the person
can put off emotional cues
926
00:56:34,267 --> 00:56:36,269
and see how the cat responds.
927
00:56:37,019 --> 00:56:38,646
Carl, that's scary!
928
00:56:39,689 --> 00:56:41,732
Carl, that's scary, isn't it?
929
00:56:42,525 --> 00:56:44,026
Oh no!
930
00:56:44,110 --> 00:56:46,863
Oh no! Oh my gosh!
931
00:56:47,738 --> 00:56:48,823
Look at that!
932
00:56:48,906 --> 00:56:51,284
[narrator]
When Kristyn acts scared of the fan,
933
00:56:51,367 --> 00:56:52,785
Carl tries to hide.
934
00:56:53,286 --> 00:56:54,912
[ominous music plays]
935
00:56:55,746 --> 00:56:57,457
[Dr. Vitale] Is the fan scary?
936
00:56:58,207 --> 00:57:00,793
[narrator] A quick reset
and an attitude adjustment,
937
00:57:00,877 --> 00:57:02,462
and it's time for round two.
938
00:57:06,507 --> 00:57:08,593
[Dr. Vitale]
So if I'm happy towards the fan,
939
00:57:08,676 --> 00:57:11,762
we should see if the cat
can pick up on my emotions.
940
00:57:14,891 --> 00:57:16,809
[calm music plays]
941
00:57:16,893 --> 00:57:19,854
Look. Look at what a nice fan.
942
00:57:21,397 --> 00:57:23,274
Look at what a good fan.
943
00:57:23,357 --> 00:57:27,069
[narrator] When she speaks nicely
to the fan and is not scared,
944
00:57:27,153 --> 00:57:28,946
Carl seems more confident.
945
00:57:29,697 --> 00:57:31,699
Look at those streamers.
946
00:57:33,159 --> 00:57:34,243
Look.
947
00:57:35,119 --> 00:57:37,538
[narrator] The fan is no longer a threat.
948
00:57:38,289 --> 00:57:39,373
No more fear!
949
00:57:43,169 --> 00:57:44,504
[narrator] It's not just Carl.
950
00:57:46,005 --> 00:57:50,301
Seventy-nine percent of cats
look to their owners for emotional advice.
951
00:57:51,969 --> 00:57:54,430
For scientists, it's another breakthrough.
952
00:57:57,350 --> 00:58:01,062
It seems cats
are experts at feeling our feelings…
953
00:58:03,773 --> 00:58:05,399
good and bad.
954
00:58:06,901 --> 00:58:10,363
[Maryna] If you even have a bad mood
and you go into training cats,
955
00:58:10,446 --> 00:58:11,781
just walk away.
956
00:58:11,864 --> 00:58:13,866
Do not go… Do not go there.
957
00:58:13,950 --> 00:58:17,578
They feel everything,
and they make it worse.
958
00:58:18,120 --> 00:58:19,288
Asia, come here.
959
00:58:20,498 --> 00:58:22,083
[cat growls]
960
00:58:22,750 --> 00:58:26,712
[narrator] Cats have learned to be empaths
to adapt and survive.
961
00:58:28,297 --> 00:58:31,008
[Dr. Vitale]
There is an evolutionary advantage
962
00:58:31,092 --> 00:58:34,804
to being able to look at social partners
in your environment
963
00:58:34,887 --> 00:58:36,639
and gather information.
964
00:58:36,722 --> 00:58:40,226
So if you're unable to read
anybody's response,
965
00:58:40,309 --> 00:58:43,104
then you have really cut yourself off
966
00:58:43,187 --> 00:58:47,024
from a whole lot of information
about how to react
967
00:58:47,108 --> 00:58:49,151
to something potentially dangerous.
968
00:58:50,361 --> 00:58:53,698
[narrator] This revelation
that cats pick up on our feelings
969
00:58:53,781 --> 00:58:57,285
then took a much bigger turn
than anyone ever expected.
970
00:59:01,581 --> 00:59:04,959
Back in Japan,
Dr. Saho Takagi noticed something.
971
00:59:06,669 --> 00:59:07,628
[hisses]
972
00:59:07,712 --> 00:59:11,632
[in Japanese] I realized
that we can observe different behaviors
973
00:59:11,716 --> 00:59:15,386
in cats in the US and the ones in Japan.
974
00:59:18,014 --> 00:59:22,351
In Japan, cats have a hard time
with unfamiliar places.
975
00:59:23,894 --> 00:59:25,688
However, cats I saw in the US…
976
00:59:25,771 --> 00:59:27,815
["The Star-Spangled Banner" plays]
977
00:59:28,691 --> 00:59:34,280
…act normal even in unfamiliar places.
978
00:59:34,363 --> 00:59:41,287
So Japanese and American cats
might have different personalities.
979
00:59:42,288 --> 00:59:45,541
[narrator in English] Kristyn and Saho
decided to run the same experiments
980
00:59:45,625 --> 00:59:47,627
in the US and in Japan.
981
00:59:49,503 --> 00:59:52,548
And they're finding
the cats are different.
982
00:59:56,093 --> 00:59:59,430
We're seeing social differences
between cats in Japan and the US.
983
01:00:00,723 --> 01:00:07,355
[in Japanese] I realized
that our cultural differences affect cats.
984
01:00:09,732 --> 01:00:12,818
[narrator in English]
Is human culture changing cat culture?
985
01:00:14,236 --> 01:00:17,657
[Dr. Saho in Japanese]
Japan is an island nation.
986
01:00:18,866 --> 01:00:23,162
Most cat owners keep
their cats completely indoors.
987
01:00:23,245 --> 01:00:27,166
People in Japan
rarely have a party at home.
988
01:00:28,000 --> 01:00:30,878
Therefore, for cats in Japan,
the frequency of meeting strangers
989
01:00:30,961 --> 01:00:33,881
is much less than for cats in the US.
990
01:00:34,799 --> 01:00:39,428
These might be factors contributing
to the differences between cats in Japan
991
01:00:39,512 --> 01:00:41,514
and cats in the US.
992
01:00:43,599 --> 01:00:46,644
[narrator in English] Their research
suggests these cultural differences
993
01:00:46,727 --> 01:00:50,398
might actually be handed down
from generation to generation.
994
01:00:51,732 --> 01:00:53,317
[seagulls cawing]
995
01:00:53,984 --> 01:00:58,447
And in one culture, it's bringing
our species even closer together.
996
01:01:03,661 --> 01:01:05,663
[upbeat folk music plays]
997
01:01:11,919 --> 01:01:14,547
Even before Istanbul was Constantinople,
998
01:01:14,630 --> 01:01:17,133
it was the city of cats.
999
01:01:19,009 --> 01:01:23,889
These streets are home
to more than 100,000 community cats
1000
01:01:23,973 --> 01:01:26,767
perfectly suited to an urban lifestyle.
1001
01:01:31,814 --> 01:01:35,401
Nowadays, when you go to Istanbul,
you find these cats around.
1002
01:01:36,986 --> 01:01:40,573
They are cats
that belong to the neighborhood.
1003
01:01:41,323 --> 01:01:43,701
They are not owned by a specific person.
1004
01:01:44,493 --> 01:01:48,247
People provide the infrastructure for cats
1005
01:01:48,330 --> 01:01:50,291
so that they can survive,
1006
01:01:50,374 --> 01:01:54,295
but they are not… They do not belong
to somebody specifically.
1007
01:01:56,422 --> 01:02:02,136
[narrator] In 2021, Istanbul introduced
new laws protecting these cats,
1008
01:02:02,219 --> 01:02:05,264
some of the most progressive legislation
in the world.
1009
01:02:07,391 --> 01:02:11,687
Treating a cat as an equal
and seeing things from their point of view
1010
01:02:11,771 --> 01:02:14,607
is the best way
to strengthen the relationship.
1011
01:02:15,900 --> 01:02:16,734
Hi.
1012
01:02:18,652 --> 01:02:19,653
[cat purring]
1013
01:02:25,326 --> 01:02:27,495
[Dr. Sung] The whole reason
my specialty exists
1014
01:02:27,578 --> 01:02:30,998
is because people recognize
they have this deep bond with this animal,
1015
01:02:31,081 --> 01:02:32,333
this deep love.
1016
01:02:34,335 --> 01:02:36,045
We do it for the love of animals.
1017
01:02:36,670 --> 01:02:39,256
We do it because we recognize
the human-animal bond.
1018
01:02:40,925 --> 01:02:43,761
And I don't know why I'm crying.
Stop making me cry.
1019
01:02:43,844 --> 01:02:47,848
Um… yeah, this is why we do it,
because we love animals.
1020
01:02:47,932 --> 01:02:48,974
[cat purring]
1021
01:02:49,975 --> 01:02:52,853
[narrator] It's clear we love cats.
1022
01:02:53,896 --> 01:02:56,816
Which leads us
to the biggest cat question of all.
1023
01:02:59,276 --> 01:03:01,737
Do I think cats love us?
1024
01:03:02,780 --> 01:03:05,699
It's really hard to measure
emotions in cats,
1025
01:03:05,783 --> 01:03:07,952
but I do feel like,
based on their behavior,
1026
01:03:08,035 --> 01:03:09,870
based on their relationship,
1027
01:03:09,954 --> 01:03:15,417
that cats can form such a deep bond
with someone that it is akin to love.
1028
01:03:16,460 --> 01:03:17,503
[cat meows]
1029
01:03:20,005 --> 01:03:22,758
[in Japanese]
Cats love their owners very much.
1030
01:03:22,842 --> 01:03:28,722
I believe that my cats definitely love me.
1031
01:03:28,806 --> 01:03:30,349
[cat purring]
1032
01:03:30,432 --> 01:03:32,893
[in English] It's pretty clear
that cats provide
1033
01:03:33,519 --> 01:03:37,356
emotional support,
a feeling of wellness, happiness.
1034
01:03:37,982 --> 01:03:42,903
This notion that you can come home
and have unconditional love from your cat
1035
01:03:42,987 --> 01:03:44,864
is something that's vital.
1036
01:03:44,947 --> 01:03:45,906
[cat purring]
1037
01:03:50,619 --> 01:03:52,538
[narrator]
With all the devotion of her family,
1038
01:03:52,621 --> 01:03:56,458
Eddy is perfectly positioned
to become the next big superstar.
1039
01:03:56,542 --> 01:03:59,545
[Svitlana and Maryna speaking Russian]
1040
01:03:59,628 --> 01:04:03,132
[narrator in English] All she needs to do
is complete the paper hoop.
1041
01:04:03,632 --> 01:04:07,052
[Svitlana speaking Russian]
1042
01:04:08,888 --> 01:04:12,641
[narrator in English] We're only beginning
to realize the potential of cats.
1043
01:04:13,267 --> 01:04:17,855
[in Japanese] There is still so much
we don't know about cats.
1044
01:04:17,938 --> 01:04:21,150
The future will bring
more discoveries bit by bit.
1045
01:04:23,193 --> 01:04:24,737
[narrator in English] The more we learn,
1046
01:04:24,820 --> 01:04:28,282
the more we realize
just how deep our connection is.
1047
01:04:30,910 --> 01:04:33,829
[Maryna] They feel the love
that you giving to them.
1048
01:04:33,913 --> 01:04:37,333
And they are kind of, like, feeding on it.
1049
01:04:39,043 --> 01:04:40,753
Love is going both ways.
1050
01:04:42,880 --> 01:04:46,383
[narrator] If we can learn
how to bring out the best in our felines,
1051
01:04:46,467 --> 01:04:48,844
they will bring out the best in us.
1052
01:04:50,846 --> 01:04:53,641
[in Russian]
I can't imagine my life without cats.
1053
01:04:54,308 --> 01:04:57,436
They are my animals. I feel them.
1054
01:04:57,519 --> 01:05:01,023
And I hope they love me
as much as I love them.
1055
01:05:02,441 --> 01:05:04,568
[narrator in English]
When everything comes together,
1056
01:05:04,652 --> 01:05:07,196
the results can be magical.
1057
01:05:08,072 --> 01:05:10,074
[triumphant music plays]
1058
01:05:23,045 --> 01:05:25,756
["We Are Golden"
by Raphael Lake & Aaron Levy plays]
1059
01:05:35,557 --> 01:05:37,559
[meowing in slow motion]
1060
01:05:41,230 --> 01:05:43,983
♪ We never danced in the dark ♪
1061
01:05:45,109 --> 01:05:47,569
♪ It's all clear to see ♪
1062
01:05:49,405 --> 01:05:53,867
♪ Up with the skylark is our reality ♪
1063
01:05:57,538 --> 01:05:59,665
♪ One voice to another ♪
1064
01:06:01,291 --> 01:06:03,544
♪ One heartbeat ♪
1065
01:06:05,546 --> 01:06:08,132
♪ Sisters and brothers ♪
1066
01:06:08,215 --> 01:06:11,969
♪ We are the remedy, the remedy ♪
1067
01:06:12,052 --> 01:06:13,929
♪ We are golden ♪
1068
01:06:14,013 --> 01:06:15,556
♪ Yes, we are ♪
1069
01:06:16,056 --> 01:06:19,935
♪ Hear the thunder, see the stars ♪
1070
01:06:20,019 --> 01:06:23,439
♪ We are golden for all to see ♪
1071
01:06:24,106 --> 01:06:27,526
♪ We are golden, believe ♪
1072
01:06:28,027 --> 01:06:31,864
♪ We are golden for all to see ♪
1073
01:06:31,947 --> 01:06:35,617
♪ We are golden, believe ♪
1074
01:06:36,577 --> 01:06:37,953
♪ Believe ♪