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I think that more "intelligent" cats can sense a human's disposition and way better than a "less intelligent" one.
Some cats like there owners because they feed and take care of them and that is all they know. The more intelligent ones may not really like there owners and just use them for food and shelter etc but really dont care for them. Some cats know better and some don't. There seem to be a lot of crazy cat owners that treat their cats in very questionable ways. They think their cats really like them and they may because they don't really know better. The smarter cat knows better and doesn't really like it's crazy owner but stays there for a home. When the smart cat hisses and scratches it's crazy owner because of the abusive and or weird way the crazy owner treats it the crazy owner will say crazy things like she is just mad at me because i left her alone and other nonsense. Some cats become crazy because they have a crazy owner. The crazy owner will make all kind of crazy excuses for their cats crazy behavior but never take any responsibility that it may be from the crazy ways they treat their crazy cat and/or their own craziness. So I think craziness rubs off on pets for sure, particularly cats.
I think there are some cats that are maybe a little more intelligent than others (same can be said for humans and most other mammals), but I don't think intelligence has much to do with the human the cat lives with. However, the cats' personality/behavior/habits will be affected by their environment and how much (or little) attention they receive from their humans. If treated badly or abused/neglected, you will have a stressed/frightened/aggressive/unhappy cat that will probably exhibit the bad behaviors that go along with that. In a good home & being well cared for without any stressful situations (other pets, toddlers, etc.) you will have happy cat that gives you love and affection every day. Little to do with intelligence, everything to do with environment and how they are treated by their people.
I think some cat owners don't undertand cats very well. I've met some who will act as though a dog is like a person and a cat is more on the level of a gerbil or something, a lesser pet if you will. I've known people who had a cat or multiple cats, but didn't care about them that much. I've known people who adored their cats but inscrutably didn't feel they were deserving of certain acts of care (such as regularly cleaning the litterbox or regular vet visits, dental care, quality food, etc.) And then one day they take the cat to the vet and the years of neglectful behavior have caused a medical emergency and they are weeping at work because they've got to choose between dropping thousands on a procedure or putting the cat to sleep. Often they just go with the latter option, sometimes because they simply can't afford otherwise.
I've known people who got mad at cats for behaving like cats. Trying to even punish them for killing a mouse or something...your cat isn't a bunny, I tell them. You can't get mad at it for being what it is. That's just absurd.
Also people, as mentioned above, sometimes ascribe too many human thought motives to cats and other creatures. "The cat peed on my bed because it hates my boyfriend" or because it's "mad." When most likely, the cat was suffering a vague sort of anxiety and was trying to comfort itself by putting its scent on things, or even it may have a medical problem. Some people get attacked because they simply can't read their cat's body language. Cats have definite ways of saying "LEAVE ME ALONE RIGHT NOW." We ignore them at our peril.
I think more folks should watch My Cat From Hell, really I have learned an awful lot about some of the true motivations for cat behavior from that show. It's amazing how much of it just isn't as complex as people think...
EDIT: On the topic of cat intuition about humans though, I think that one should bear in mind that cats and dogs communicate with lots of nonverbal, body-language stuff. So sometimes a person might be tense or acting strange, and the animals might notice things people may not even be aware of. We had a wolf (my husband's, when we first met) who was an excellent judge of character. Turns out that friends who are planning to double-cross you or are lying to you often exhibit nervous body language that such an animal can spot a mile away.
they have incredible people instincts indeed. maybe a 6th sense?
we have a pretty sociable cat. Plumber, heating maintenance guys, phone company, I'm talking guys with equipment & tools. Family friends who the cat had never met before...what-have-you have come in and she will investigate and go her merry way as normal. however one day a contractor came into the house to give an estimate and Cat ran up to the third (!) floor and hid under a bed! family member was warned: find another contractor!
There are people who have cats and then there are people who LOVE their cats. Anyone who is in the latter category will tell you their cats do absolutely bond with their human and love them for more than just food and a roof over their head.
Chewy is a perfect example. I am the one who is home most of the time, so I feed all the cats, clean out their litter boxes and sit with them on the couch and make a fuss over them. Chewy loves me, but he REALLY LOVES my Son. As soon as my Son comes home Chewy tears to the door at full speed and acts like he has never seen my Son for months. He can be fast asleep on my lap, but as soon as my Son comes home I am chopped liver. Anytime my Son is around you will find Chewy right next to him.
Lucky is that way with me, he is my cat for sure. As soon as he sees me heading for the couch he is running to get there and will sleep on my lap for hours. He considers me his human and gets very jealous if Chewy or Daisy get too much attention. If Chewy wants to nap on my lap I have to hold Lucky slightly up on my body or he will bug Chewy to get him to leave. He gets this disappointed look on his face as if to say "Hey, I thought I was YOUR cat !"
Every cat we have had over the years is like that, they bond with one member of the family the most and become that person's cat. Scooter was like that too, she would want to snuggle with me to the point my then GF would have to move on the other side to sit close to me. Scooter considered me her human as well and made sure Sniffy or my GF's S h i t s u could not get near me on the couch.
No one will ever convince me we are just a meal ticket to our pets, be it dog or cat.
Some cats seem to know things other cats may not. Like their owner is a lunatic. I like black cats. The friendliest and coolest cats I have known have been mostly black.
I don't if it depends on how intelligent they are, but I think they do know. My cat Scrappy definitely can tell for sure. He's not a smart cat either, even the vets confirmed that. He's the sweetest cat I've ever had but they think he has some kind of a mental handicap. And yet he knows for sure who is trustworthy and who isn't. I've had him for twelve years now, and he's helped me find out with a few people who aren't very good people. He generally has a bit of distrust for men at first, but after a while he gets used to them. However, there was this one guy I knew that he absolutely hated. He would hiss and growl at him anytime I invited him over. The guy turned out to be a major jerk, and he stole a lot of money from my change jar. And normally he has no issues with females whatsoever, but once when I had a female co-worker over before we went to work, he acted the same way as he did with my guy friend. I thought that was odd, but it turned out she was someone who is manipulative and likes to try and back stab and get people fired.
So I kind of wonder if it's an automatic sixth sense.
I had a laugh tonight while eating dinner. Chewy is definitely a smart cat, he doesn't miss a trick and you can see the wheels in his head turning sometimes. He was laying on the coffee table while I ate and I got up and put some of the paste the vet gave us on my finger to put it on his paw so he would lick it off. I hid that I was doing it so he wouldn't see.
I thought I was being sneaky about it, but when I got back to the table he was laying with all 4 paws tucked tight underneath him ! He gave me this look as if to say "I know what you are up to and I'm not having any part of it !" I had to pet him on the head and tell him what a nutty cat he is.
I had a laugh tonight while eating dinner. Chewy is definitely a smart cat, he doesn't miss a trick and you can see the wheels in his head turning sometimes. He was laying on the coffee table while I ate and I got up and put some of the paste the vet gave us on my finger to put it on his paw so he would lick it off. I hid that I was doing it so he wouldn't see.
I thought I was being sneaky about it, but when I got back to the table he was laying with all 4 paws tucked tight underneath him ! He gave me this look as if to say "I know what you are up to and I'm not having any part of it !" I had to pet him on the head and tell him what a nutty cat he is.
Don
That sounds familiar. My girl Angel most certainly knows what a medicine bottle and eye dropper are. The minute she sees either one she's gone... usually under the middle of the bed. The last time I had to give her an antibiotic about a year ago, she got so good at figuring out what I was doing that I had to prepare the eye droppers in the bathroom behind a closed door. Then I had to carefully disguise my body language until I was close enough to get hold of her.
May not be very nice of me, but I have used their own intuition against them. I like to read the Sunday paper at my dinning room table, and frequently have uninvited guests for the occasion (newspaper=cat magnet). All I have to do is get out the flea treatment and start playing with the little tubes, and it will clear the room in a matter of seconds.
Yep, the vacuum cleaner will clear out a room too!
Don
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So I think craziness rubs off on pets for sure, particularly cats.
. The last time I had to give her an antibiotic about a year ago, she got so good at figuring out what I was doing that I had to prepare the eye droppers in the bathroom behind a closed door. Then I had to carefully disguise my body language until I was close enough to get hold of her. 
