Research overview: string-pulling and means-end behaviour in cats

String-pulling tasks, in which an animal must pull a string to obtain attached food, test understanding of means-end connections and physical relations. This overview surveys research with cats on single and multiple string problems, including whether cats appreciate that only a connected string yields reward and how they handle crossed or parallel strings. It discusses evidence that cats can solve simple string tasks but often fail to grasp connectivity in more complex configurations, relying on proximity and trial and error. The topic addresses the boundaries of feline tool-adjacent problem solving and what string-pulling reveals about how cats represent physical connections between objects and goals.