Siggy, a Maine Coon/Ragdoll mix, is an extremely intelligent cat. She knows basic commands–come, get water, go potty, let’s play–and even knows how to fetch her toys for a game.

See all the videos about her on our YouTube channel.

But she still is a cat–playful, full of personality. Moreover, it has occurred to her that she is a cat, and because of that, she has a difficult time trying to identify the feelings of her beloved guardians.

Dogs are so much in tune with that. As Science Daily reports, “Recent work has identified a remarkable range of human-like social behaviors in the domestic dog, including their ability to respond to human body language, verbal commands, and to attentional states.”

The Smithsonian Magazine reports that cats are as intelligent as dogs and can intuit emotions, too. But cats are usually indifferent: “dogs are attentive and responsive (and needy); cats don’t care what you want, and they don’t want your help.”

Every animal lover has had a cat that doesn’t exactly fit that mold. Siggy is one of them.

In the photo above, she is trying to fathom what is going on in my head when I hold up this square toy of a mobile phone and yet do not use it for play. Sometimes when I am in bed or on the couch, thinking about something joyful or sad, she will jump on my chest and look deeply into my eyes, with her head slightly tilted.

When cats stare like this, they are usually fixing for a fight or are fearful about something unknown. But I have come to the conclusion, along with her dual guardian and mom, my wife Diane, that she is trying to learn dog by intuiting and responding appropriately to my facial cues.

That Siggy shows this type of intelligence makes her a very special cat.

Freya’s not interested in any of this. She is a Maine Coon, and the only thing she requests is guardian adulation.