If you’ve ever had a cat, you know their intelligence varies wildly. Some seem to operate on pure instinct, while others have the problem-solving skills of a tiny, furry genius. And then there are the spooky smart ones—the cats who watch, calculate, and leave you wondering if they’re secretly plotting something.
A viral video shared by @catshouldnt on X shows a next-level feline mastermind. Not only does this cat know how to open a door, but it first removes the door jam—placed specifically to keep it inside—before making its grand escape. Even when you know what’s coming, watching it unfold is seriously impressive.
Cats have an uncanny ability to assess a situation and execute near-perfect maneuvers, whether it’s leaping to a seemingly impossible perch or, in this case, cracking the code to a locked door. But figuring out a multi-step problem like this? That’s next-level brilliance.
People on Reddit chimed in with their own cat-versus-door stories:
- “We had a cat like that when I was a kid. He would grab the knob and then swing his chonk ass back and forth to open it.”
- “My cat either rams it open with her head, pulls it open from the bottom, or jumps for the handle. She WILL get in eventually.”
- “Meanwhile, my cat is completely defeated by a door that’s open an inch.”
- “I met a cat that tried to claw through the hinge side of a door that was half open, then meowed for help.”
Clearly, cat intelligence runs the full spectrum—from absolute genius to, well… adorably clueless.
While it’s tough to measure intelligence in animals, a 2016 study found that cats have about twice as many neurons as dogs, which could indicate higher intelligence. But any cat owner will tell you that “smart” comes in many different forms, from strategic problem-solving to sheer persistence.
As for this particular escape artist, one thing is certain: If its owner wasn’t already sleeping with one eye open, they probably are now.