My cat denies reality when it doesn't fit her experience.

[wnylib]

18. I don't think that change is always

a consequence of being forced into it. Sometimes there is an "aha!" moment of recognizing inconsistencies between something we "know" and a situation in front of us.

I had a junior high teacher who used to tell us that from time to time in our lives we would need to pause, look around us, and reevaluate our perspectives about ourselves, life around us, and who we thought we were in relation to others and what we thought we knew. I did not understand him then, but did remember what he said later when I did understand his point.

Regarding my cat and looking for birds inside the house (instead of outside) if she was starving, she would still starve. No indoor birds here. But I think (hope) she would be smart enough to seek other sources, e.g. raiding cupboards or howling for attention from someone. This hypothetical situation assumes, of course, that I would not be around, since I would move heaven and hell to make sure she had food if I was present.