cats

Dogs definitely know when they're doing something they're not supposed to be doing. They get all sneaky and quiet, and look hella guilty if you catch them.

Source: "you can see it on their faces"

To be fair, raccoons give (and take) gifts. I think they consider anything shiny or colorful you leave out accessible to them a gift. My wife was attempting to feed neighborhood cats and we did get some, but we also got raccoons. They took a bright red bowl we were feeding them out of. In return, we've received several shiny rocks and a spoon.

[citation needed]

I left out a crockpot of mostly eaten mac and cheese on the counter. I was on the couch half-asleep when I heard my keys (which were next to this crockpot) jingle. I didn't say anything, I just turned my head and saw my cat running for cover as if it had just tripped the alarms during a heist gone wrong. How do I interpret this in any way other than my cat knowing what it was doing was naughty?

I was cat-sitting for a friend once when the cat started scratching my friend's couch. I wasn't even looking at the cat and in a very gentle tone I said "I could could end you really quick if I wanted. Not cool, dude." (obviously an empty threat)

The little guy went off to another room for his own little shame party then sulked back into the room and we were couch friends again.

They absolutely know what they're up to.

Volunteered in a wildlife shelter with two foxes. When I brought in the meals, one of the foxes would wait at the door, and as soon as I laid down the food he would take his choice piece of the meal, walk somewhere and hide it for himself.

Be cats. Do crime.

Also, one of the most stubborn animals in the animal kingdom. If they want something, they’ll do it, again and again, no matter what you tell them or do to them.

If they want a specific door or window to be left open, they’ll sit there until you open it. Then they’ll stay there to make sure it stays open. If you close it, they’ll complain.

They want to get on top of something? They’ll climb on it. No matter if you shoo them away, yell to scare them away, or get them off. They’ll do their best effort to get on top of that place.

The only thing that can move them from those fixations is by awakening their hunting instinct. Get the laser pointer, and they’ll forget (at least for a while).

But we love them to death. How couldn’t we?

If I give a boiled egg to our cat it might eat it if she's hungry. If I leave a boiled egg on the table, she'll stalk it, steal it and run under the couch with it.

Cats are stupid cunts and that's why I love them so much.

Can’t do theft if everything already belongs to you.

I love cats. This is accurate and makes them better.

The way I heard it, cats are the only other animal who understands sin

The mind behind anthropomorphic thinking: attribution of mental states to other species

Dogs actually do. Definitely birds as well, especially parrots.

Ah yes, coyotes are my favorite kind of rodent.

Ah, mischievous, fluffy, adorable, little bastards !

I don't think this is quite right. Cats might do something you don't want them to do for the sole purpose of pissing you off, but I don't think they understand stealing any better than other animals. My dog won't steal things just to make me upset, but she will for another reason. She stole a rag from somewhere when she escaped one time, but she did it to show off to us, not to make us mad. Dogs certainly don't like it when you take something they're eating, and probably understand that we don't like it either. Cats differ from other pets in that they piss you off for fun, not because they understand naughtiness or ownership better.

Many animals have an understanding of ownership and territory that's not dissimilar to our own. If they intend to eat or use an object, they'll protect it with violence. Animals won't let other animals into their den most of the time, might guard food or water sources, and predators will protect their territory with violence. Modern human ownership simply passes most of the duty of protecting property to the state, while pet owners are in charge of keeping our pets from taking things we don't want them to take through physical force. That's all ownership is: protecting things we want the exclusive ability to use through violence.