ScienceStuff Do Our Pets Lie to Us?
8 snips
Mar 12, 2025 
Join Mary Robinette Kowal, a celebrated science fiction author known for her award-winning works and her cat's button communication, Katie Golden, a behavioral biologist and podcaster, and Tim Brennan, a cognitive psychology expert from the University of Oslo. They dive into the intriguing concept of deception in pets, debating whether cats and dogs can lie. The conversation reveals animal communication nuances, explores squirrels' deceptive behaviors, and examines the psychological aspects of lying in both pets and humans, all delivered with engaging anecdotes.
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Cat Uses Buttons to Lie
- Mary Robinette Kowal's cat uses buttons to communicate and sometimes appears to lie.
- The cat once tricked her into leaving lunch to model being sleepy, only to eat the lunch instead.
Deception vs Lying in Nature
- Deception abounds in nature, but evolutionary disguise differs from intentional lying.
- Lying implies intentional false communication to mislead others for benefit or avoidance.
Squirrel Fake Nut Burying
- Squirrels fake bury nuts when watched to mislead thieves and protect their caches.
- This intentional deception shows awareness of others and strategic behavior in animals.
