Cats ‘Get’ Human Pointing

Pointing is a unique human referential signal. Babies develop the ability to understand pointing gestures between the ages of nine and 12 months. But what about the nonhuman animals with whom we spend our lives? Scientists have found that a range of domestic animals, including goats, pigs, horses, and, most prominently, dogs, can follow human pointing signals. However, despite being one of the most numerous pets on the planet, relatively little research has investigated social-cognitive abilities like this in cats.

Read more at my Animal Minds post: Cats Get the Point of Pointing.