discuss in #the-institute · forum · raw data

Is Biscuit Plotting Something? A Longitudinal Study

R. Adeyemi-Clarke (amateur, but careful) · ongoing since Day 1 · this revision: Day 1,218

AbstractBiscuit (domestic cat; male; orange; six years) has, since the first day of observation, displayed a pattern of behaviours consistent with planning. This study records them. It does not yet know what he is planning. It may never know. The study continues.

1. Introduction 2. Methodology 3. Results 4. Field Notes 5. Limitations 6. Peer Review 7. Conclusion

1. Introduction

On Day 1 Biscuit looked at the front door for four minutes without blinking. Then he looked at me. Then he looked at the door again. Nothing came through the door. Nothing has come through the door since, except me, the post, and on one occasion my sister. He looks at the door anyway, every day, as though he's waiting to be proved right. This study is an attempt to find out about what.

2. Methodology

Observations are made twice daily (07:30 and 19:00) and whenever something happens. Behaviours are coded as follows:

Code	Behaviour	Interpretation (provisional)
D	stares at the door	surveillance
K	knocks an object off a surface while maintaining eye contact	a test
N	sits in a box that is too small	preparation (unclear for what)
3	runs through the house at 3 a.m.	drills
W	watches a corner where nothing is	unknown; possibly the key to everything

The codes were chosen on Day 9 and have not been changed since, for consistency, although K has been a struggle.

3. Results

Figure 1. Minutes per month spent staring at the door (code D). The trend is upward. Whatever he is waiting for, he is waiting for it more.

Figure 2. The Suspicion Index (all codes, weighted; K counts double). The spike at month 22 is the pen incident (Day 640; see Field Notes).

Code	Total, Days 1–1,218
D	2,206 observations (about 31 hours)
K	418
N	77 (boxes too small: all of them)
3	301 nights of drills
W	1,005

4. Field Notes (selected)

Day 1. Door, four minutes. Then me. Then door.

Day 412. He looked at the door again. I looked at the door. Nothing. He knows something about the door.

Day 640. Knocked a pen off the desk while maintaining eye contact. I put it back. He did it again. I believe this was a test of my resolve. I failed it. I left the pen on the floor. He seemed satisfied.

Day 801. Sat in a shoebox at least two sizes too small. Looked uncomfortable but very determined, as though it were a necessary step.

Day 1,100. 3 a.m. drills. Nine laps of the flat and one of the bath. Morale (his): high. Morale (mine): recorded separately.

Day 1,217. He sat beside me the whole time I wrote this up. I have coded it W, watching a corner where nothing is, because he was watching me. I don't know what that makes me.

5. Limitations

Biscuit is aware of the study.
Sample size: one cat.
Observer bias: I love him.
The door has not been interviewed.

6. Peer Review

I sent the study to the Quist Institute, which reviews findings on this website. The reply came back in a day:

"Methodology: admirable. Coding: consistent (K excepted, and K is always difficult). Findings: insufficient data. — P.Q."

I understand that "insufficient data" is the highest praise the Institute gives. I've printed it out and put it on the fridge, at Biscuit height, so he knows.

7. Conclusion

Further study is needed. If your cat has done any of this, please add your observations below, with the code. If your cat has done something that isn't on the list, please describe it carefully and do not let your cat see you writing it down.

Raw observations for Days 1–1,218 are on the data page, for anyone who wants to check my working. Please do. Biscuit already has.