Justin, a cat from Minnesota, USA, has vivid conversations with its owner through language buttons. It can not only express daily needs but also warn of earthquakes and report dangers. Justin’s mother introduced a button system to him. Now he can skillfully combine 15 to 20 of the 50 buttons for communication.
Justin once used the “Stranger Dogs” button to report incidents where coyotes attacked their cat companions at night. The next day, he repeatedly pressed the button, and only then did the owner realize that he had witnessed the danger. Before another earthquake, he impatiently pressed the combination warning of “Ouch”, “want” and “noise”. He also spontaneously used “water” and “outside” to represent rain, demonstrating his creative associative ability.
Justin was adopted by his owner from the St. Paul shelter when he was four months old and won affection with his intelligence and liveliness. Not only can he open the door and walk the leash, but he also gets along well with the other three cat roommates (Jake, Finn and Marceline), especially as close as brothers with Jake. The owner admitted that Justin had completely changed her perception of cats and now she couldn’t imagine life without them.
Justin’s mother suggests that when training cats to use buttons, one should start with words they are familiar with (such as “play” and “go out”) and be patient. The initial progress might be slow, but once the cat understands the principle, learning will accelerate.
The story of this “chatty” cat once again proves that the potential of animal communication far exceeds human imagination.
Related Topic:
