Smart cats

A NEW study at a Japanese university is once again backing up the age ­ old cat lovers’ theory that felines are just as clever as dogs.

Forty ­ nine domestic cats were used for the study at Kyoto University, which tested their ability to remember which food bowl they had eaten out of after 15­minute intervals.

The cats, reported psychologist Saho Takagi, appeared to remember exactly which bowls should still contain food, suggesting they had what is referred to as episodic memory.

“Cats may be as intelligent as dogs, as opposed to the common view of people that dogs are much smarter. Also, an interesting speculation is that they may enjoy actively recalling memories of their experiences just like humans,” the scientist said.