how to teach a cat to type
 

how hard would it be to teach a cat to type? i dont mean just randomly walking on a keyboard, but actually to portray thoughts using a keyboard. im thinking that since cats are not able to produce the sounds necessary for most modern human languages, that this would be the easiest way to figure out what is on their minds.

obviously it would be best achieved with a cat that has its natural predatory instinct bred out of its lineage. also one must take into consideration that the letters on the keyboard are symbolic of written letters, so a knowledge of the alphabet would be required.

i am asking seriously if this is impossible, or maybe no one has thought of doing something like this?

you could do it in a reward system somehow, it'd be really weird, like have it memorize the muscle movement of typing "food", and then you feed it.

You'd have to specialize the keyboard. I don't think any cat would differentiate the 100-odd keys on a typical keyboard. Start with one button and work your way up. And have the buttons for things important to cats: food, water, catnip, etc.

I'm not really sure cats care enough to let people know what's on their minds, apart from the ways they already do: desire for food, attention, etc. Typing to convey thoughts would be a completely alien concept to them. Their primary means of natural communication are body language, scent, and vocalization. It would probably be more effective to adapt a system of communication that read these things and expressed them in ways we could understand, rather than the opposite.

i dont even

It's possible to tap into visual cortex of a cat's brain to get the image that it sees.


Getting visual data from a cat's brain in realtime (TechnoCalyps)

there is a lot of technical things to consider on this topic as well. Even though a stumbling cat might type a few letter here and there the precision is not there. you would need to adjust the keyboard to more paw friendly sizes.

People have taught cats to use toilets, use eating utensils, and open doors. Then on the other hand they're not smart enough to catch the elusive red light.

Teaching cats how to write in english is definitely possible, mine writes novels, they aren't very good though.

My cat can type and play EQ, np


http://i61.tinypic.com/2iw0rv8.jpg

My cat writes interspecies erotica.