Cats Defenses

Question
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Followup To
Question -
Okay. Cat's use their whiskers like radar.
Their pads are used like shock absorbers.
Claws are used for digging and scratching.

Do cats possess any special sensory abilities?
Please let me know. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Jason Goldman
JGoldman10@yahoo.com



Answer -
Supernatural?  Not sure.  But cats are much more aware of what goes on around them than humans are.  For one, every hair on their body serves as a tactile sensor.  You know that whiskers are used to determine distances and the size of openings, etc.  But they use each hair on their body to detect motion and wind direction, which helps them locate their prey on a chase.

Cats are also much more sensitive to smell.  This sense is 14 times keener than that of humans.  We release certain hormones when we're feeling certain ways.  When we're happy, we release endorphins.  When we're depressed, we release serotonin.  When afraid, we release adrenaline, and so forth.  Cats can actually smell these hormones, and as a result, read our mood.

And cats are one of the creatures who have what's called a vomeronasal organ, also called a Jaconbson's organ.  This is a specialized bundle of olfactory nerves just above the palate of the mouth.  When a cat smells an interesting scent, especially that of another animal, he will pick up the scent on his tongue.  Then he touches his tongue to the roof of his mouth, to pass it along to the vomeronasal organ.  Here, the scent is stored and analyzed.  A cat will be able to recall this scent for a very long time, so he's able to recognize animals from a scent he picked up long ago.

Besides that, they have another advantage certain other animals have - a cluster of magnetized cells in their brains that acts as a compass.  It takes about 2 months for this compass to set to their homes.  After that, a cat can find his way home over miles.  Some cases show they can travel thousands of miles back home!

Cats are also able to detect energy in the environment prior to thunder storms and earth quakes.  Exactly how isn't known.  Some believe cats can actually hear movement within the earth and atmosphere.  Others believe they can feel electrical charges building in the air with their sensitive hairs, especially those furnishing the ears.

Finally, cats can hear pitches much higher than we can.  In fact, they can hear two octaves higher than dogs can!  So they are able to hear noises of other animals that we never would.  Actually, if you have ever seen a cat give you a 'silent' meow (the mouth opens but nothing comes out), he's more likely meowing in a pitch too high for you to hear.  So yes, I would say cats possess special sensory abilities.

Date: 11/7/05 4:32 PM

Hello:

Can cats sense danger?
How keen is a cats eyesight?
Please let me know. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Jason Goldman
JGoldman10@yahoo.com

Answer
A cat's eyesight is pretty keen as far as animals go, but they see very differently from us.  Not sure how much you know about the eye, so forgive me if I simplify this too much.

Our retinas (and a cat's retinas) contain two types of receptors - rods and cones.  Cones are used to detect color, and rods are used to detect light and movement.  Humans have more cones than cats do.  This means we see a full spectrum of color, but we are less adequate at detecting movement.  Cats have far fewer cones and far more rods than people do, which means they see a limited array of colors, mostly blues, yellows, and greens.  But they have an unbelievable ability to detect motion, making their eyes perfect for hunting.

Cats and some other animals also have a special membrane called a tapetum.  When light enters the eye, the tapetum sort of bounces it back through the retina, like a mirror.  This is why a cat's eyes glow at night.  And it's also the reason cats see well in the dark.  They get twice the light we do passing through their retainas.  In those senses, a cat's eye sight is superior to that of a human, and to that of dogs, as well.

Because of the position of the eyes, a cat has a greater field of vision than a human, especially peripheral vision.  But they do have a "blind spot" in the middle.  Essentially, that means a cat can see much more of what's going on around him than we can, but he has difficulty seeing what's right in front of his nose.  This is where their excellent sense of smell and the use of whiskers to feel around come in.  Whiskers detect how close they are to an object, the nose helps them zero in on it.

Also, a cat's eye sight isn't as finely tuned as ours.  Rather than fine detail, they see objects.  While you and I can see words on a page, a cat will simply see a gray blur.

There are numerous reports of a cat scratching and howling at their owners when their house is on fire, saving their lives.  Cats have been known to attack people and other animals to protect their owners from someone with bad intentions.  While I really couldn't say how they sense these things, it seems evident to me that they do sense danger in many instances.  In my opinions, body language, which they are very in tune with, probably has to do with the ability to detect people and animals who are an immediate threat.  And an uncomfortable change in energy may be the cause of the ruckus some cats raise during emergencies.  Although cats can't express themselves the way humans do, they are very similar to humans in thought process and do, indeed, recognize when their loved ones are in need of protection.

However, it's not something I would count on.  A cat...any animal, really, is going to be leery of things it's not familiar with.  But things they are familiar with and have come to trust, they will not usually recognize to be dangerous.  Cats that are familiar with people will often trust all people.  They don't sense when a person means them ill will.  This is how outdoor kitties often end up abused by rotten neighbors.