The Paw People

If you haven’t heard of this popular documentary on Netflix by now, we’re happy to be the first to tell you about our favorite parts. Overall, it was well worth the watch for feline lovers and animal lovers of all kinds. Caution: Watch only if you’re prepared to learn some astounding facts about our little furry friends. Read on to learn just a few!

1. Evolution & Physical Stuff
2. Psychological Nuggets
3. Can I train my cat?
4. Reading a cat
5. Spectacularly Crepuscular

Evolution & Physical Stuff

We just love a bit of baseline knowledge about who cats really are, and where they came from. “Inside the Mind of a Cat” opened with a bang by exploring this very topic. Over the last 10,000 years, cats’ DNA has changed relatively little. So, as our narrator enlightes us, you basically have a tiny wild animal living in your house! Did you know cats can also run over 30 mph? Talk about some fast felines. Ever heard of the righting reflex? If not, you’ve surely seen it in practice. The righting reflex is described as a tool of the “vestibular system”, which is how a cat is able to land on its feet. These critters have gathered up these skills and many, many others over time in order to not only survive, but to thrive.

Psychological Nuggets

Kristyn Vitale, cat psychologist, passionately explains research studies conducted on social behaviors and mental activities of cats. Social bonding was one topic of particular emphasis. As the psychologist notes, 83% of cats rub on their owner when the owner entered the room. Experiement results have shown that cats do, in fact, have a bond with their owners. Most of them also recognize their names!

Can I train my cat?

The documentary showcases the well-known Savytska cat trainers. It was truly fascinating to see the tricks performed by their cats, from jumping through hoops to jumping over each other. As they explain, dogs are relatively easier to train since they want to please humans. Cats, on the other hand, don’t have such a wish. However, it’s clearly possible! With the right expertise and a lot of patience, our feline friends can be trained. As explained in the documentary, cats are not the most patients creatures. This means training sessions would have to kept pretty short, even just 30 seconds!

Reading a cat

Cat guru Yuki Hattori was an intriguing and highly knowledgeable guest in this documentary. He carefully described the different expressions and movements that a cat uses to express emotion. You probably know the ins and outs of your cat already, but it’s certainly enlightening to understand more about their facial expressions and which tail wag means what.

Spectacularly Crepuscular

This was such a fascinating piece of information to learn! When your cat gets the zoomies at 3:00am on the dot every night, it’s not because they’re nocturnal… it’s because they’re crepuscular. Essentially, this means that they funnel their energy into the early twilight hours, which are their hunting hours. Watching exciting clips of cats with the zoomies made for a fun addition to this documentary.