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Name: Robert
Status: Other
Grade: 9-12
Location: CA
Date: N/A
Question:
Does a cat or a dog recognize thier reflection in a mirror as either another animal or themselves? Why do they seem to have no response if you put them in front of a mirror?


Replies:
Hi Robert

I am not a vet or a zoologist, but from pure observation I notice that cats and dogs don't answer to a reflection from a mirror.

Still I see many dogs barking to its image saw from a water surface, like a placid pond. Their optical system is indeed different from the humans, that is sure, so they "see" differently.

And thanks for asking NEWTON!

Mabel
(Dr. Mabel Rodrigues)
Click here to return to the Veterinary Topics Archive

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