There has been much debate over whether cats make any sense of what they are seeing or whether they just react to the shifting patterns on the screen. This information comes as no surprise to anyone who has watch their cat 'hunt' TV images during nature programs. Some cats certainly are daft enough to have trouble working out the distinction between real life and TV - but then some people have the same difficulty. They can also recognise still or moving images of other cats, but most don't waste their energy attacking pictures - leading us to believe that they don't recognise pictures. If cats can recognise pictures of other cats then they can probably recognise other pictures too.
TV combines a recognisable image with movement and sound.
After spending hours watching my own cats, it seems that they have a sense of humour, though nowhere near as sophisticated as a human sense of humour. The fact that cats can recognise TV images is exploited by companies producing videos aimed specifically at a feline audience. Once dismissed as a cranky idea, many of us now own a cat video. These videos can be played to stimulate the mind of an otherwise bored cat or to keep a lonely cat company. Some cats take to video right away.