I recently got a nice review for the Bad Cat Chris book on Amazon by someone named Mia (If you are reading this Mia, thanks for the review and the insight). She said she had a cat like Chris and suggested that smart cats misbehave more because they need more mental stimulation.
I have not heard this before and I don’t know if it is true but it makes sense. Chris is probably the smartest cat I have ever had and has a knack for figuring things out that most cats won’t even attempt. I can’t tell you how many doors he has figured out how to open or how many things he has managed to get on top of where other cats would not even think to go.
I used to let him outside on “supervised” visits and he learned that going under cars meant I couldn’t catch him so he could stay out longer. Puck and Tigger also had short outings but never made the connection.
Perhaps there is something to that theory. maybe I need to stimulate him by giving him math problems, or perhaps a Rubik’s Cube. No, that won’t work. He would need opposable thumbs for that.
What do you think? Is the smartest cat you have ever had also the baddest?
Bad Cat Chris 
Both my cats are fairly mischievous. And both very smart. Babyboy plays fetch. Comes when I call him, plays catch with his paws when I toss paper in the air for him. When I’m not paying attention he’s pretty good but does tend to follow Ms Kitty around. Now, Ms Kitty can be a royal princess pain the the you know what lol When she wants attention she makes it known. By sitting on my desktop, chewing the box of my newly bought camera until I stop what I’m doing to pay more attention. Babyboy would be the perfect therapy cat. When I broke my ankle he was just around 8 months. I was laid up for almost 3 months. And when I could finally ‘move’ around he would escort me up and down the steps, he would go up and down one step at a time and wait for me to move up the step just a sweatheart! He still lays over my leg where the break was at times and keeps it nice and warm 🙂 He’ll always be my Babyboy, and Ms Kitty my Princess!
Maybe there is something to the idea then. Chris is a bit like Babyboy. The last time I was up half the night with heartburn, he just lied quietly on my lap.
There could be some truth to that but my Cody is quite smart and is over all a darned good cat! Ready for this? What I HAVE noticed is a direct correlation between ORANGE cats and misbehaving, Yep! Almost everyone I know with an orange kitty says they misbehave. Your thoughts?
Cat Chat http://opcatchat.blogspot.com
I wanted to bring the orange cat question up in another post. We have noticed that orange cats seem to be more outgoing and friendly but didn’t know if there was any reason for that.
Actually, no. Thelma (one of my two “heart” kitties) was the smartest kitty ever to be part of our household, but she was a very good girl. She, unfortunately, went to the RB at only age 12. So many of our kitties have been naughty, and every single one of them has figured out that underneath the car is the perfect spot for being unreachable. That, and plastered against the wall under the king-sized bed at its exact center. Maybe Chris could take up painting like some other blogging cats. Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
I think personalities are very complex and it is hard to make a generalization about that subject because there will always be plenty of exceptions. I believe Chris to be highly intelligent but the question remains, is his personality the exception or the rule, or is there no rule at all? Perhaps he just has ADHD.
My cats aren’t super bad, but I don’t think that makes them less smart! I mean, Hiro knows what we use the door-knob for, and often tries to reach for it. He’s just a little bit too short. 😉 But he’s not a bad cat!(only sometimes)
I think I should have titled it “Does bad cat equal smart cat.” I realize a lot of smart cats can also be good but I wonder if most bad cats are that way because they are too smart for the amount of mental stimulation they are receiving. Kind of like a genius level kid who gets bored in class and starts causing trouble.
Reblogged this on Bad Cat Chris and commented:
Chris really is a very smart cat but does that make him bad? hmm…
I agree, the smarter they are, the naughtier, but I never made the connection it was because they needed more stimulation ( I guess I am not that smart). I also can’t believe I haven’t read your book yet- I need to remedy that.
Hahaha, yes you do. 🙂