Just like us, cats have a hard time understanding optical illusions, no matter how hard they try.
Youtube user Ryan Kotzin uploaded this video of his cat, Peter, who doesn’t quite understand the “Rotating Snakes” illusion. According to CNet, it consists of a series of overlapping round wheels that appear to move like coiled snakes.
Peter just can’t handle it. He stares at it, tries looking at it from different angles, jumps on the paper to attack the snakes, and ends up giving up and eating the illusion to express his frustration.
Peter’s behavior is not unusual, though. According to a 2014 paper titled “Cats and Illusory Motion”, cats react with hunting behaviors when presented with this particular illusion.
Silly Peter, those snakes aren’t real. But if you figure out the illusion, please explain it to us.
