Have you ever wondered what goes inside that mostly cold but sometimes warm-hearted feline’s brain that takes up space in your room? Cats are the hardest animals to control while researching; therefore, less is known about what goes in their brain.

What’s known is all mentioned here. So, the next time you have intense staring competition with your cat, wondering what it’s thinking, you can recall these amazing cat brain facts!

A Look Inside Your Cat’s Brain

When it comes to structure and surface folding, a cat’s brain is quite similar to a human’s. From a morphological perspective, both human and cat brains have similar lobes and cerebral cortices.

If we look further, the cat’s brain is separated into different areas that are interconnected with each other and allow the rapid sharing of information. This allows the cat to use its quick reflexes and perceive its surroundings.

Learning and Memory

Do you think cats have the ability to store short-term as well as long-term memory in their tiny brains?

Well, yes, of course they do! They are known as one of the most intelligent creatures in the animal kingdom. The cerebral cortex in their brains is responsible for their learning, memory, and decision–making, which enables cats to have both short-term as well as long-term memory effectively.

Memory is an important part of growth that allows learning. Kittens start learning from an early age and retain their knowledge in their adulthood, like lessons on feeding and hunting that they learn from their mother. This is why domestic cats can also be efficiently trained because they retain what they are taught.

Just like human memory, cat memory is also affected by different things like diet, age, and diseases. If you provide them with a sufficient diet, their memory and learning capabilities will remain strong. But as they age, their brain goes through the aging process as well, making some cats forget things and lose their memory.

Some Particularly Interesting Facts about Cat Brain

Are you as amazed by your cat’s intelligence as we are? But as cats are some of the most mysterious animals, their intellectual moments make them even more interesting. So, here are some fascinating facts about a cat’s brain that’ll intrigue you even more!

It’s the Size of Your Pinky Finger

These tiny daredevils have a pretty tiny brain, but a lot goes on in these brain capsules. Yes, a cat’s brain is about two inches or five centimeters long. It’s easy to overestimate an animal’s brain; even we were surprised. But a cat’s skull is made up of thick bones that have large eye sockets, their jaw, and their mouth, which doesn’t leave much space for a large brain. So, the cranium is put in the top with its tiny brain.

It’s the literal definition of: a little can contain a lot!

Cat Brain Weighs Less Than a Plum

Well, it’s a two-inch brain; it is smaller than a plum, so it will definitely weigh less than it too. It weighs about 0.06 pounds or 30 grams. It’s pretty tiny if we compare it to a human baby’s brain, which is still eleven times heavier at 350 grams or 0.77 pounds.

Their Brain Is Similar to a Brown Bear

The number of brain cells in a cat’s cerebral cortex- the part which processes all information, is about equal to a brown bear’s. Regardless of the fact that brown bears have large cerebral cortexes, cats have 250 million brain cells, similar to 51 million brain cells found in brown bears. This is the biggest difference that cat brains have with human brains. The human brain is more complex and structured; therefore, it contains about 21 to 26 billion brain cells.

Cats Can Pick Up on Your Body Language and Recognize Your Voice

Even though cats have a reputation for ignoring their parents, some studies show that even cats like to stay busy in what they are doing instead of responding to their names being called. When some recording of their owners calling to them with some unknown people calling their name, it was observed that they totally ignored the strangers’ voices. Their ears twitched, and their heads turned when their parents called them.

So, they do hear you; they just like to get on your nerves!

Training cats is also quite easy; they effortlessly perceive your body language and do as they’re told. They can also perceive your emotions by their ability to recognize body language and behavior.

Cats Dream

Similar to humans, it is also seen in cats that they dream. Have you ever watched your kitty’s eyes moving and their paws twitching when they’re sleeping? Like us, their muscles are relaxed, and their eyes flutter whenever they enter dreamland to chase and hunt down every last mouse! If it were possible, we’d go into their brain and watch what these tiny things are dreaming about; maybe IT is chasing mice that they are dreaming about.

Cats Can Get Brain Freeze

The medical term used for brain freeze is “Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia,” and similar to humans, cats aren’t immune to it either.  It usually occurs when you eat something too cold and the blood vessels in your throat and mouth rapidly constrict, giving you a sudden headache that goes away in a bit. But you shouldn’t try it on your cat because cats are lactose intolerant, so ice creams are a big no for them.

Wrapping Up

Cats are highly intelligent creatures who just love ignoring you. Don’t underestimate them because their high-functioning brain perceives every single thing, making them card-carrying members of the most intelligent kingdom. But with their mysterious ability, we can never know the extent of their intelligence!