We’re always looking for cat lovers to help us learn more about feline behavior, personality, and the human–cat connection. We send out results, analysis, and updates (as well as the occasional fun cat fact) via our newsletter.

Below, you’ll find some of the current studies, surveys, and interactive projects we’re conducting. Participation is simple, fun, and makes a big difference in helping us better understand our furry companions. Most can be done from home; all you need is your cat and a few minutes of your time.

What color and pattern is your cat’s coat? Sometimes the answer is more complicated than it seems.

The Maine Cat Lab Coat Decoder walks you through a series of simple questions about the colors, markings, and patterns you can see on your cat. At the end, you’ll receive a description of your cat’s visible coat—whether that’s something straightforward like black or white, or a more detailed result such as blue mackerel tabby with white or seal lynx point.

The Decoder takes just a few minutes to complete. No account is required, and you can share or download your cat’s result when you’re finished. If you create a free Maine Cat Lab account, you can also save the result to your cat’s profile.

Your responses also help the Maine Cat Lab learn more about the variety of coat colors and patterns found in pet cats.

The Coat Decoder identifies visible coat characteristics based on the answers you provide. It is not a genetic test or an official breed determination. Try it here: coat decoder.

Can people tell what cats are trying to communicate from their meows?

The Maine Cat Lab is launching a new study on feline vocalizations. Participants will listen to a series of cat meows recorded in different situations—such as hunger, greeting, or other everyday cat behaviors—and try to identify what each cat may be communicating.

The study takes about five minutes to complete. At the end, you’ll receive a score showing how accurately you’ve interpreted the meows.

This project will help us better understand how well humans can interpret cat vocal communication, and whether some types of meows are easier for people to recognize than others. To take part, click this link.

There has been extensive research into the personality of people. One of the most widely-used test is the Big 5, which assess people on 5 different personality traits using a simple 10 question survey. We’re exploring if and how such an approach could work for cats as well. We’re exploring what sort of a connection (if any) exists between a cat and owner. To take the survey, head on over here.

Unlike dog intelligence, scientists have not yet established a normative Cat Intelligence Test.

The Maine Cat Lab, with your help, intends to change that with our beta test,  The Maine Cat Lab Intelligence Test: 2.0. 

The 10 item updated questionnaire will ask you questions about your cat’s memory, problem solving, attention, emotional intelligence, and accrued knowledge; these are all skills that cat personality and veterinary experts have theorized indicate cat intellect. If you would like to participate in this study, it takes about 5 minutes to answer our questions. We will give you a result (one of 5 cat IQ categories ranging from Guru to Pretty Dim) at the end of the survey. 

There is no compensation, but at the end of the survey you will receive your cat’s Intelligence Score and Category.  Eventually, we will report statistical distributions of all the cats in our sample so you can see how your Cat’s IQ stacks up against other felines. 

Just head on over to this link to take the survey. Feel free (and please) share this widely. The more, the merrier. Thank you in advance!

Once you have your result, here’s an overview of our tentative “Cat IQ Tiers”:

Tier 1: “The Cheshire Cat Dreamer” (7-28)
These cats live in their own whimsical worlds. Like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, they’re enigmatic and carefree, often more interested in puzzling than problem-solving. Their mysterious grins light up any room, but they may not be the sharpest claw in the paw. One such dreamer is Kylo, a cat who licks the air while a sink faucet drips water on his head:. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQHFohNH0UI

Tier 2: “The Garfield Gourmand” (29-33)
Indulgent and relaxed, these cats are like Garfield. Masters of lounging and snacking, they’re experts at convincing humans to cater to their whims. Why chase anything when there’s a soft bed and a full food dish? You might say they are conserving their energy, OR they may be masterminds, like this cat who efficiently oozes (rather than walks) down the stairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GTCNnBnivQ

Tier 3: “The Tom Tactician” (34-42)
Persistent and crafty, these cats are like Tom from Tom and Jerry. While their plans don’t always work out, their sheer determination and ability to think on their paws make them formidable (even if their schemes sometimes end with a frying pan to the face).They may have islands of brilliance, such as Cleo, who stealthily steals undergarments and socks from throughout his neighborhood. He’s clearly learned to adapt to his environment (one of the hallmarks of intelligence) however, there isn’t a rationale for their behavior, so.. points deducted: Houston neighborhood being tormented by long-time cat burglar

Tier 4: “The Bagheera Sleuth” (43-51)
Elegant and cunning, these cats are like Bagheera from The Jungle Book. They combine physical agility with sharp instincts, always finding a way around obstacles with the smooth confidence of a jungle legend. Gutsy survivor Jonesy, the ship’s cat in the film Alien, scores in this category and you can see his profile here: Profile of Jonesy, Ripley’s Cat in Alien (1979)

Tier 5: “The Felix Forecaster” (52-58)
Charming and iconic, these cats are like Felix the Cat. With his magical bag of tricks and clever solutions, Felix has been outsmarting problems for over a century. Cats at this tier can improvise their way through almost any situation and make it look effortless. We believe Kurt is solidly in this category: he’s an instagram star with amazing hearing, a very good memory, and gets the hang of new toys and circumstances quickly. Kurt the super cat #viral – YouTube

Tier 6: “The McGonagall Mastermind” (59-70)
These cats embody Professor McGonagall’s Animagus form from Harry Potter. Brilliant, poised, and commanding, they can analyze situations with surgical precision. They are the feline equivalent of strategic geniuses, exuding wisdom and authority in equal measure. One famously  smart cat in this category: Orangey, a cat star from the 1950s, who starred in many films and TV shows  including Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Orangey’s Cat Personality Profile

Cat Scans: Cat Personality Profiles

A psychobiography is a well-established approach to understanding who people are and why they behave the way they do, not through psychological tests or studies, but simply by looking at their history, speaking to their associates, and studying their behavior. Psychobiographers don’t actually don’t need to speak with the subject at all. Because of this, the approach lends itself perfectly to understanding cats!

We’re working on doing some short videos that present psychobiographies of cats. If you’re interested in participating, just head over to this link and fill out a brief form. We can’t highlight every cat, but we’ll do our best to get to as many as we can.