A furry feline has the perfect cat-ouflage as it merges with its family’s thick rug.
Laura Miller’s pet cat, KC, is a very talented hider, as when she rests her head on the rug at home in Muncy, Pennsylvania, she almost disappears into the fabric.
The five-year-old loves rolling around grooming herself on the furry rug, so much so, that when her eyes turn away from the camera, it’s as if she is invisible.
KC is a Selkirk Rex, a breed known for their curly hair, which resembles a teddy bear.
Laura said: ‘KC looks so much like the rug, it’s hard to tell where one ends and the other begins.
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KC, a five-year-old Selkirk Rex, loves her owner’s flully rug. Laura Miller, from Muncy, Pennsylvania, said she can barely tell her cat and rug apart, especially when KC closes her eyes
Hide and seek champion! Laura, who rescued the feline in 2018, said she got the rug before the cat, and did not notice how similar they were, until KC lounged on rug
‘The rug came first, and I didn’t even realise the resemblance until I was sitting in the living room one day and she was rolling around on it.
‘I couldn’t believe how close a match it was.
‘She does love to lie on this rug but she much prefers a lap, only on her terms in typical cat fashion of course.’
Laura rescued KC, along with two other cats, in November 2018, but she says she acts more like a dog than a cat.
Whilst KC loves to lounge on the rug, she does prefers to sit on someone’s lap, and is more like a dog in man of her mannerisms, such as begging for treats
She said: ‘She begs at the table and can be found taking any opportunities available to eat off our plates.
‘KC will wait at your feet until we get up to get a drink and jump up and grab your food.
‘She’s not extremely fond of being picked up and will let you know but loves attention.’
KC is definitely smart enough to use its camouflage skills to get what it wants, and new research shows it might also be able to tell its name apart from other words.
Researchers in Japan discovered that pet cats are able to tell their names apart from other words.
Experts found that commonly spoken words will catch a cat’s attention, but this fades the more you speak to them.
Almost invisible! Laura said KC, pictured on her owner’s rug, behaves like a dog, will beg for food and will eat off people’s plates when given the chance
However, their interest perks up again when hearing their name spoken after a string of words.
Evolutionary psychologist Atsuko Saito of Japan’s Sophia University and colleagues from the University of Tokyo and the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Hirowara are behind the study.
Researchers tested the reactions of 78 domestic cats who either lived in ordinary households or a ‘cat cafe’, establishments where visitors pay to spend time with our feline friends.
Each cat was played recordings of either one of the scientists or the cats’ owner saying four different common nouns, followed by either the name or that of one of the other cats they live with.
Experts looked for evidence of the kitties reacting to each word – such as movements or the cats vocalising back.
More than half of the cats responded to human speech by moving their ears and heads.
Fewer than a tenth reacted by either making sounds, swishing their tails, or moving their paws.
‘Many cat owners know that cats understand their own names. So, there is no big surprise in the results,’ Dr Saito told MailOnline.
Maddie, a nine-month-old pockapoo poses on her family’s rug. Maddie won the nationwide Sofa Carpet Specialist (SCS) competition with her amazing camouflage abilities
However, Dr Saito explains, there was previously no scientific evidence recorded to actually verify that cats have this capacity.
‘Also, people who have no experience of keeping cats do not know about cats’ high cognitive ability,’ she adds.
KC could give Maddie, a nine-month-old cockapoo who won a pet ‘camouflage competition,’ a run for her money.
Back in February in the UK, pet owners from across the country took part in a photo competition to find out whose pet was the best at camouflage, sending in pictures of their cats and dogs blending in with rugs, cushions and even piano seats.
The light-hearted contest was overseen by Sofa Carpet Specialist (SCS) and took place between December 2018 and February 2019 with only 10 making it into the shortlist.
Adorable and fluffy Maddie, from Nottingham who won a stay at a pet-friendly hotel with her owners.
Maddie’s owner Emma said: ‘Maddie is a playful dog who loves nothing more than playing in the ball pit and running around with her pals – oh and blending in with our living room rug! She’s very clever, although she often forgets her own name when there’s fun to be had!’