Can cats count like humans, using numbers?

While cats demonstrate an impressive ability to discriminate quantities up to five, they do not "count" in the human sense of assigning symbolic numbers. Their skill lies in subitizing, a rapid perception of small quantities, and noticing differences in magnitude, rather than understanding abstract numerical concepts. This means a cat can tell if there are two treats versus three, but they don't know "two" and "three" as numbers. To delve deeper into the fascinating world of feline cognition, continue reading our full article!