Pets and their ability to watch TV

Matt: I swore my cat Pete watched the movie Balto with me. My friend denied the possibility, saying, “Cats have only the ability to see three-dimensional images” I've seen lots of dogs watch TV, why not a cat? Pete was very interested in the animated movie, to all appearances.— Paula, faxland

Given a choice, Pete likely would have picked The Birds or even a Bass Masters retrospective, but there’s a chance he found something worth watching in Balto. Sure, cats have the ability to see a TV image, though I’d like to believe they “watch” only when they’ve exhausted all other entertainment possibilities. Like dogs, cats will be intrigued by a moving image or interesting sound, even if it’s animation. Sound and movement pique hunting or play instincts momentarily, until the animal realizes (unlike us) that TV is not real life. Researchers believe cats are physiologically capable of seeing colors but don’t respond to them because colors aren’t useful signals to animals that hunt at night. So the Three Stooges are as potentially interesting as a big Technicolor extravaganza. It’s a sure bet Pete would hate CSPAN or The McLaughlin Group. Not enough action.

Pete probably endured all 77 minutes of Balto because he wanted to hang out with you, and you happened to be watching a video at the moment. Did you check to see if his eyes were open the whole time? Cats sleep 10,12, maybe 15 hours a day, so my guess is he snoozed through most of it. “Interested” may be overstating Pete’s involvement. But more than sounds or movements, cats and dogs are stimulated by smells. So come the day that TV can transmit the true reeking stench of Third Rock from the Sun or Encino Man, most domestic animals will have only a superficial interest in vid fare.