"the sagacity of the cat"

You see it is just like this—when you once get a cat to love you, you, and you only, will become the study of her whole life. She soon finds out what pleases you, and what vexes you, and also what you love, and, whether that be dog or child, she will love it too, to please you.
Cats will often, very often—just like dogs—lead those they love to places where something or some creature is in danger. It may be, as happened to myself once, while residing in Lincoln, two summers ago, when a cat came towards me out of an entry, and, as plain as any animal could speak, gazed up into my face, and cried: "Come, oh come and help me!" I followed, and she led me down the garden to a closet, through which her kitten had dropped into the cesspool below. Now just think for one moment of the amount of sagacity shown in this case! Piteously the little kit had mewed to her mother: "Mother, mother, come and help me!" Pussy's answer had been: "My dear, I can't, but I'll soon find those who will." And that was precisely my answer to the mother cat, when I saw the state of affairs, and I kept my word. . .
Some will hardly credit this, because they do not see the working of the internal machine— pussy's mind—nor know the motive power—love, love, love. Amor vincit omnia (love conquers all - Curator).

from The Domestic Cat, William Gordon Stables (G. Routledge and Sons, 1876) p. 106-7. He actually fished a kitten out of a cesspool! Bless his heart!