this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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Don't dogs and cats do it?
Cats pretend aggression when playing with each other
When have you seen your dog or cat pretend to interact with an invisible object, like a toddler having an imaginary cup of tea?
My cat did pretend once to eat some crisps I'd given her. She was sat on a chair looking at me pleadingly, so I put a couple in front of her and after a sniff she "accidentally" knocked them on to the floor whilst pretending to eat them.
Cat pretending to eat (YouTube Video)
Interesting to see but I'm pretty sure the music in that video died hundreds of years ago and only now walks the earth to torture the living
Hah in that case here's the original source's channel @diycatgeek (Youtube Link). I assume they don't use the same generic music in their own videos.
I’ve known multiple dogs that put items in a spot, then brushed their noses over them, as if burying them with invisible dirt.
However, I figure that’s an instinctual behavior, similar to digging/burying food. Not evidence of imagination. Just evidence of dogs interacting with invisible objects.
They pretend they have toys when they have nothing at all, sometimes. And I'd argue that even playing with toys the way they do is major make-believe. Which is also something they already do in the wild - practice hunting on dead animals or inanimate objects.
I used to own a boarding kennel. We had several clients over the years who would condition place their plush toys face first in their food dish as if the toy was eating. I have have long supposedthat those dogs were pretending their toy was eating.