There are many anecdotal accounts of cats displaying what appear to be supernatural abilities. These typically fall into three categories – prediction, navigation, and intuition.
Prediction
Many cats know when their owners will soon be arriving home, even if it’s not at the usual time. A cat will often grow excited or run to the door some time in advance of her human companion’s arrival, or hide under the bed well in advance of a stranger’s approach. Cats have also been known to hide or rush out of buildings, bringing their kittens with them, prior to earthquakes. Such behaviours have led many people to believe that cats have predictive abilities. However, many, if not all, of these behaviours are attributable to the cat’s superior sensory abilities.
Cats can hear sounds and detect smells and vibrations that people cannot. In a sense, this does give them predictive abilities. They can hear an owner’s distinctive footfalls from a distance, before he turns the key in the lock, and perhaps even recognize the sounds made by his particular mode of transportation whether it is a car, a bicycle, or even a skateboard. As for earthquakes, there have been several theories put forth. One is that animals feel subtle vibrations that precede an earthquake and another is that they are sensitive to charged ions released into the atmosphere before an earthquake occurs.
Navigation
There are many stories of cats that have traveled great distances to find their owners, such as the dramatic tale of a Persian named Howie who fought his way across 1,000 miles of rough Australian outback to return to his family. There is no doubt that cats have superior wayfinding abilities. However, when a magnet is attached to a cat, her navigation skills are disrupted, because in addition to using the sun for guidance, cats make use of the earth’s magnetic field. As such, the ability of a cat to return home over large distances is probably attributable to her finely tuned perceptive abilities rather than some sort of supernatural power.
Intuition
Often, when all seems calm, a cat will become suddenly alarmed, staring intently at something that humans can’t perceive, perhaps even growling and hissing. Such behaviour has caused many to believe that cats can tune in to the spirit world. But a cat that appears to be reacting to nothing is likely picking up on some sound or smell emanating from the material world that is too subtle or far away for humans to register.
Many cats do appear to have intuitive powers. For example, they often know when the people they care about are unhappy or not feeling well, even if those people don’t show it overtly, or at least not in any way that other humans would recognize. There are cats and dogs that can detect cancerous growths and predict seizures in humans. A now-famous cat named Oscar has the ability to predict which people will die within four hours at the nursing home where he lives.
As impressive as these feats are, the most likely explanation is that metabolic changes that accompany illness are perceptible to cats due to their finely tuned senses. Being quite sensitive, cats may also pick up on subtle aspects of body language in their human companions that indicate sadness or illness.
Further Reading
Not all researchers have ruled out the possibility of a feline Sixth Sense. There are scientists who believe that a psychic bond exists between pets and their owners, and that cats may indeed be telepathic and clairvoyant. See Evidence of a Feline Sixth Sense for more information.
References:
- BBC News. (13 June 2006). “Hero Cat Predicts Epileptic Fits.” News.bbc.co.uk.
- Brown, David Jay. (n.d.). “Etho-Geological Forecasting: Unusual Animal Behavior and Earthquake Prediction.” Mavericks of the Mind: Conversations for the New Millennium. Users.Lycaeum.org/~Maverick.
- Canfield, Jack; Hansen, Mark Victor; Becker, Marty; & Kline, Carol. (1999). Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover’s Soul. Deerfield Beach, Florida: Health Communications Inc.
- Mott, Maryann. (11 November 2003). “Can Animals Sense Earthquakes?” National Geographic News. News.NationalGeographic.com.
- Schneck, Marcus, & Caravan, Jill. (1990). Cat Facts. New York: Barnes & Noble Inc.
- Schneider, Katie. (16 February 2009). “Cat Nips Owner’s Lung Cancer: Man Credits Feline Friend’s Paws of Life for Discovery of Large Tumour.” The Calgary Sun. CNews.canoe.ca.
Jennifer Copley - Jennifer Copley, BFA, BEd, has a diverse base of expertise that includes research, writing, education, pet care, and various other ...
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