Cat Proximity
Cat Proximity
[A graph with the x-axis labeled, and the scale indicated from left to right:] Far Human proximity to cat Near [Two curves are  drawn and labeled, first the one starting on top, which then veers downwards and crosses the other as that curve veers upwards.] Intelligence Inanity of statements
[Below the graph, Cueball is seen standing at three distances from a cat that is drawn to the far right. The two first Cueballs are just standing, one below far, the other in the middle, and the last is standing close to the cat (below near) with his hands up, and he is speaking.] Cueball: You're a kitty!

This comic refers to the use of " baby talk " when speaking to pets, especially cats . A person's voice becomes falsetto and cooing , vocabulary becomes simplified, and phrases are repeated, such as "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty."
The chart shows that a person's apparent intelligence decreases, and that the inanity (i.e. uselessness or emptiness) of their statements increases, the closer they get to a cat.
Most people act like this when they're playing with cats or trying to call them over to them.
Thankfully, being close to a cat doesn't actually cause any decrease of intelligence in normal circumstances; the graph technically refers to demonstrated intelligence rather than actual IQ levels. [ citation needed ]
The title text continues Cueball's obvious statement (and thus inane/useless point made) from below the graph.
In 1535: Words for Pets , Randall again mentions how people often talk strangely to their pets.
[A graph with the x-axis labeled, and the scale indicated from left to right:] Far Human proximity to cat Near [Two curves are  drawn and labeled, first the one starting on top, which then veers downwards and crosses the other as that curve veers upwards.] Intelligence Inanity of statements
[Below the graph, Cueball is seen standing at three distances from a cat that is drawn to the far right. The two first Cueballs are just standing, one below far, the other in the middle, and the last is standing close to the cat (below near) with his hands up, and he is speaking.] Cueball: You're a kitty!
