Cats 'mentally map' owner's location from their voice, study finds

Cats are able to "mentally map" the location of their owner based on their voice, according to analysis carried out by academics from Kyoto University in Japan. In a report published in the PLOS ONE journal, researchers said the skill demonstrates "complex thinking".

"They hold mental representations about the whereabouts of others - this is a form of socio-spatial cognition," they wrote.

Dozens of cats were tested, with recordings of their owner's voice played in different areas of a room. The animals were "surprised" when the voice "teleported" to a new location, but responded differently when "non-social stimuli" was used.