What is the mental capacity of the pets?

[TlaiLaxu]

I guess the pets (and other animals) are not as mentally developed as human adults, and they are more like children/teenagers even when fully grown up. Am i right in my assumptions, or am i making an bubblegum of myself?

[valerio]

It can be easily assumed, given the characters of the wolves, Jata, Sabrina, Tarot, Itsuki, Keene et al., that at least bipedal mammals have the same mental abilities of humans.
Problems for pets is, when you grow up in an environment where you are constantly treated as a kid, and you don't get the same schooling humans gets, it's easy to develop a less mature attitude. But the potentalities are there.
The most learnt pets appear to be the K-9s and presumably the MWDs, but their learning is a specialized process.
Itsuki can study enough to get to university and a job...but it's also true that Itsuki is not exactly 'average'.
Sabrina and Tarot, presumably, have learnt a lot through magic.
The ferrets proved time and again that they can be carefree and quite smart.
Jessica is definitely not a 'kid', in fact she's really mature.
Miles and Jack surely put their knowledge to good use, each in his field.
Karishad...nevermind

[Not A Furry]

According to some stripes, their skulls seem to hold about the same brain capacity as human adults, so I'd guess that's the case for adult pets. Puppies however seem to have relatively smaller heads compared to kids, so I'd guess they start dumber than a toddler and work their way up to an adult human's intelligence.

And I think Valerio's right regarding the education part, I wonder just how similar they'd be if they received the same education and treatment as human children.

[FancyHat]

If so then the possibilities are kinda cute..and dark if you consider obidence school would be like Juvenile Detention Centers...

[Douglas Collier]

Rick once posted a story about the domestication of cats. They weren't very good at planning ahead, and a storm wiped out their homes, which led to them becoming subservient to humans. I think that the ability to plan ahead (and possibly higher math, though there's no evidence to support or refute this) is the only thing that separates humans from animals in the HP! universe.

[Sleet]

It seems to me they age kinda like humans, mentally, but they cap out in maturity/intellect at the level of teenagers.

[TlaiLaxu]

It seems to me they age kinda like humans, mentally, but they cap out in maturity/intellect at the level of teenagers.

That's my impression too, Dutchess for example, acts like daddy's 14 year old spoiled brat

[Not A Furry]

It seems to me they age kinda like humans, mentally, but they cap out in maturity/intellect at the level of teenagers.

That's my impression too, Dutchess for example, acts like daddy's 14 year old spoiled brat

To be fair I know a lot of adults well into their 40's and 50's who act like that.

[Adoring Fan]

It can be easily assumed, given the characters of the wolves, Jata, Sabrina, Tarot, Itsuki, Keene et al., that at least bipedal mammals have the same mental abilities of humans.
Problems for pets is, when you grow up in an environment where you are constantly treated as a kid, and you don't get the same schooling humans gets, it's easy to develop a less mature attitude. But the potentalities are there.
The most learnt pets appear to be the K-9s and presumably the MWDs, but their learning is a specialized process.
Itsuki can study enough to get to university and a job...but it's also true that Itsuki is not exactly 'average'.
Sabrina and Tarot, presumably, have learnt a lot through magic.
The ferrets proved time and again that they can be carefree and quite smart.
Jessica is definitely not a 'kid', in fact she's really mature.
Miles and Jack surely put their knowledge to good use, each in his field.
Karishad...nevermind

I am convinced that Karishad is actually an eccentric genius. Intelligent but with no wisdom what-so-ever. The "Brilliant Fool" as it were. Often today people forget that intelligence and wisdom are two separate and often unrelated things. For instance, like what i believe Karishad to be you can be intelligent as in "This is a tranquilizer dart so it puts things to sleep" but still be a fool because although he has that knowledge he uses it poorly "I'mma make a game where we toss darts at each other until we pass out". He has the knowledge of how things work but has no wisdom as to consider the possible repercussions of those actions. As an example...

"This game is fun and we wont get hurt because they only put people to sleep" a bit later that turns into "AHHHH! OH GOD! YOU POKED MY EYE OUT WITH THAT DART!"

We live in a world of Brilliant Fools and Idiotic Sages, as it seems do the Housepets

[Sleet]

Karishad doesn't really follow any particular rules of consistency so I wouldn't count him.

[Douglas Collier]

Karishad is based on a real person, so I imagine he has human intelligence, though he might be hiding it for the sake of hi-jinx.

[Not A Furry]

Just an idea: I'm preety sure not, but would King's species change have affected his mental capacity somehow?

[TlaiLaxu]

Just an idea: I'm preety sure not, but would King's species change have affected his mental capacity somehow?

Judging by his behaviour after Pete transformed him, he had his human mental capacity. I'm not sure about Kitsune's transformation as he said "You're all Corgi now"

[valerio]

Just an idea: I'm preety sure not, but would King's species change have affected his mental capacity somehow?

nope.
As an animal, he retained his accumulated knowledge of his previous existence. Being a dog didn't affect his thinking based on said knowledge, bringing him to secure his own future with Bailey through wedding, for example.
If else, King is an...eccentric dog, but without any mental impairment