The Reel Review
Do cats love their humans? This Netflix documentary answers that important question as well as many others, as cat behavioralists and psychologists share their insight about what our feline friends are thinking, where outdoor cats go at night and why they bring us the birds and tiny animals they kill as gifts. The documentary even teaches us humans how to better bond with our cats. (Hint: It’s all in the eyes.)
While the documentary features lots of super cute and immensely entertaining cat videos, Inside the Mind of a Cat also is surprisingly educational, exploring such basic topics as: Why do cats always land on their feet, what role do their whiskers play in everyday life, and why do cats get the zoomies at night? Then there are the more complex questions: Did the eradication of cats in early 1300s Europe contribute to the spread of Black Death (the bubonic plague)? And what is the earliest known evidence of a pet cat? It may surprise you.
The fun, fact-filled documentary even takes on an international flair, profiling Ukraine’s Savitsky sisters and their feline acrobats who appeared on America’s Got Talent, a whisky distillery in Scotland that uses cats to control its mouse population, and a discussion on how cats in Japan differ from their counterparts in the United States. At just over an hour, this entertaining kitty documentary doesn’t overstay its welcome.
REEL FACTS
• House cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers.
• A cat sticking his or her rear in your face is a gesture of friendship – a signal that your cat feels safe and secure around you. A cat draping his or her tail over another cat or dog is a symbol of friendship.
• In Ancient Egypt, members of a family would shave their eyebrows in mourning when their cat died. Cats were also sometimes mummified and buried in tombs with their owners.
Video & Photo
