Computing the volume of a cat

Cat volume computation
How do you compute the volume of a cat?

Dunking it in water doesn't work-- you only get the volume of the rat-like creature that lives inside the cat; much like the feeble alien within a Dalek. (And, if your answer had anything to do with contour integrals, get real.)

Here is a low-tech method that works: Using successive approximation, determine the smallest box that the cat will fully enclose itself in, and measure the size of that box. Cats tend to leave a few appendages hanging out of the corners-- you may need to assist with folding the cat into the box for the final stages of approximation.

This cat is approximately 648 cubic inches in volume.

[Tags: , , ]

28 comments

The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, July 09 2007 @ 05:41 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Lenore -- I was tempted to try & get this re-posted on Cute Overload (http://www.cuteoverload.com) but it's stiff competition there and more strictly about Teh Qte™.

I did put it on my own Vox page, though: http://teho.vox.com/

- Theo
Authored by: Lenore on Monday, July 09 2007 @ 07:00 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Thanks, Theo! Jelly's probably happier in her box (and on your vox) than she would be on CO, anyway. She's not exactly mainstream cute-- it's more of a geeky cute-- digi-key wrapping, computers, super balls, dictionaries, etc.
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, July 09 2007 @ 07:27 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Hmm. Judging by how well cats can shrink to get into someplace you don't want, or at least expect them, and then expand to cover the entire bed or floor, I'd say that the volume of a cat is a perpetual variable.
Authored by: Windell on Monday, July 09 2007 @ 07:37 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
While there is clearly no maximum, there is necessarily a *minimum* volume that is possible. This is a little bit like the concept of rest mass in relativistic physics. =)

---
Windell H. Oskay
drwho(at)evilmadscientist.com
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/

Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, November 20 2008 @ 09:49 AM PST Computing the volume of a cat
The volume is constant. The surface area is variable.
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, July 09 2007 @ 07:46 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
alternatively "the cat" could become a standard measurement for boxes. Like that box would be one cat and a fridge box would be 53 cats.
-Mattyfu
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, July 18 2007 @ 08:44 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Much like when you buy a car at a used car lot... only hookers are the measurement. "Man this trunk is big, you could fit 3 dead hookers in here".
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, July 10 2007 @ 11:06 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
By immersing the cat-filled box in water, you could also calculate volume easily.
Authored by: Windell on Tuesday, July 10 2007 @ 11:11 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Hmm. Not much advantage to that versus using the tape measure on the box.

---
Windell H. Oskay
drwho(at)evilmadscientist.com
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/
Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, September 26 2007 @ 02:45 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Except that would be your own blood volume....
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, July 10 2007 @ 11:51 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
is it possible to cook a cat via electrocution, i wonder?
Authored by: Windell on Tuesday, July 10 2007 @ 12:02 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Apparently so, but we do not endorse it.

---
Windell H. Oskay
drwho(at)evilmadscientist.com
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/

Authored by: Anonymous on Wednesday, January 16 2008 @ 03:46 AM PST Computing the volume of a cat
XKCD, as always, has a comic that's appropriate here:

http://xkcd.com/26/
Authored by: cab1729 on Wednesday, January 23 2008 @ 09:27 AM PST Computing the volume of a cat
just make sure before you put the cat in the box, there's no radioactive particles, a geiger counter and a flask of hydrocyanic acid already in there...
Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, January 29 2008 @ 06:52 PM PST Computing the volume of a cat
I would say cats are highly variable in all measurements. Mine apparently has a minimum volume of only 0.17 ft^3, but can expand to cover an entire bed, squash himself under furniture only 2 inches off the floor, and yet can still manage to put noseprints 4 1/2 feet above the ground on pane of glass! His weight seems to fluctuate wildly too, depending if he's sneaking onto the countertop or stomping across my face at 3am.
Authored by: MASHFAN649 on Sunday, March 02 2008 @ 03:33 PM PST Computing the volume of a cat
LOL my aunts cats act the same way
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, April 07 2008 @ 08:24 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Ha ha!! I completely agree :)
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, February 28 2008 @ 11:13 PM PST Computing the volume of a cat
Cats are a liquid. They completely fill any object into which they are placed.
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, April 17 2008 @ 10:51 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
I think what you meant is,
a cat is an ideal gas
Authored by: Windell on Thursday, April 17 2008 @ 10:57 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
I think that only applies if you have more than one cat. Two cats in a box: decrease volume> increase in pressure and/or temperature.

---
Windell H. Oskay
drwho(at)evilmadscientist.com
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, April 03 2008 @ 01:12 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
You could place cat into a wet suit and lower into water to get the crucial volume measurement. Don't forget to remove cat from water, wet suit (trash bag w/ straw air pipe) in roughly that order.

But that's only if you must use water. How about using cat chow or wood chips?

Authored by: Windell on Thursday, April 03 2008 @ 01:14 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Yeah, cat chow might work....

---
Windell H. Oskay
drwho(at)evilmadscientist.com
http://www.evilmadscientist.com/
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, April 04 2008 @ 06:07 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Sorry, I meant Meow Mix.

You know, one time I got the volume by hiring an artist to create a life size statue of my cat. I asked him to leave it hollow inside, put a hole near the top, use clear glass for the irises, and to please let me know how much clay was used.

I then simply poured fluorescing green water into the hole noting how much was used. That combined with the clay volume equaled cat volume.

Another time, I waited for my cat to get up from her nap on a pillow into which she had sunk half-way. I then used conventional means to determine the volume of the pillow impression and multiplied that by 2.

I hope this helps.
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, April 07 2008 @ 08:22 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Did you do this for real?!
Authored by: Anonymous on Monday, April 07 2008 @ 08:29 AM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Well actually, the method that you've outlined would be pretty hard for me to follow. My cat thinks he's a dog, so he doesn't really like being put in a box, and since he's really agile, it'd be pretty hard for someone to force him in against his will!

Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, April 18 2008 @ 03:14 PM PDT Computing the volume of a cat
Consider a spherical cat ....
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, November 27 2008 @ 06:33 AM PST Computing the volume of a cat
Spherical? As long as we're in Physics Textbook Land, I'd say it's simpler to just regard the cat as a point mass and have done. All the equations work out easier that way. Also the point-mass assumption leads to more realistic conclusions about fencing.
Authored by: Anonymous on Thursday, February 05 2009 @ 04:15 PM PST Computing the volume of a cat
no no - i've known spherical cats.

admittedly, also many with mass, and points - but not so much point masses.

Welcome to Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories. New projects are posted every Wednesday.


Bookmark EMSL

EMSL RSS Feed
Twitter: EMSL
del.icio.us
feedburner
Feed on Google Reader
Add technorati Fave

technorati search

Subscribe to get new articles by E-mail:

E-mail address:


Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

My Account





Sign up as a New User
Lost your password?

Who's Online

Guest Users: 15

Forumposts

Order: New Views Posts
Latest 5 Forum Posts
 
Re: what is the limi..
 By:  MonsieurBon
 On:  Friday, July 03 2009 @ 04:58 PM PDT
 Views 0 Replies 0
Re: remote LED's?
 By:  Windell
 On:  Friday, July 03 2009 @ 01:27 PM PDT
 Views 0 Replies 0
Re: remote LED's?
 By:  karlgg
 On:  Friday, July 03 2009 @ 01:19 PM PDT
 Views 0 Replies 0
Re: Peggy not workin..
 By:  Windell
 On:  Thursday, July 02 2009 @ 11:02 PM PDT
 Views 0 Replies 0
Re: remote LED's?
 By:  MonsieurBon
 On:  Thursday, July 02 2009 @ 09:14 PM PDT
 Views 0 Replies 0

DIY Hardware for Electronic Art


Interactive LED Panels


Meggy Jr RGB
LED matrix game
development kit.


Business-card sized
AVR target boards


Peggy & Peggy 2
LED Pegboard kits