Cats understand that humans are a factor, and decide to work around that factor.

That's basically how they live with humans in the first place, they're not properly domesticated, just happens that they can live with us.

This is why cats remind me of that time I stole my older brother's fidget spinners.

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princehendir

Cats understand "naughty". In fact I think they're the only animal who understands it. Dogs know "good" and "bad" but not Naughty. Same with theft. Cats know what theft is. They know when they are thieving and you can see it on their faces. Squirrels are thieves but they don't know that. They know "take" and "have" but they don't comprehend what it is to steal. Nor do raccoons or coyotes or any species of rodent. They may participate in theft but they are ignorant of the weight of what they do, the full meaning of it. Cats know what crime is and they do it on purpose.