12 Secrets Your Cat Knows About You
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Published 2022-11-20
Cats know where their owners are
Scientists have learned that cats use sounds to keep track of where you are in the house, even when you’re out of sight. Cats have a whopping 32 muscles in each of their ears, which allow them to swivel and rotate to pinpoint the source of a noise.
Domestic cats create “mental maps” that track where their owner is located based on the direction of certain sounds.
Your cat knows you’re talking to them
Cats may be the masters of indifference, but new research suggests that they are in fact fully aware when they are being directly addressed by their human.A study published in the journal Animal Cognition has shown that cats alter their behavior when they hear the recordings of their owners’ voices speaking to them. So holding that one-way conversation with your cat isn’t as crazy as you might think. Your cat will pick up on your tone and affection
Cats know when you are angry or sad
Cats can understand when their owners are angry or sad through the subtle changes in their facial expressions and body language.
A study by Oakland University researchers revealed that cats are more likely to show “positive” behaviors such as purring if they see that their owner is smiling. Frowning on the other hand was met with less enthusiasm. And if you're stressed, it's common for cats to become stressed in response.
They know they’re going to the vet
Cats are creatures of habit who thrive on routine. Even small changes to their environment or routine can be quite upsetting to them.
Cats hate it when you take them to the vet, so they have learnt to pick up on all the clues when a visit to the vet is about to happen. Your cat knows you're going to take them to the veterinary office because you take the carrier out or you may be a little more nervous than usual so they may try to hide.
They know you fall for their manipulations
Recent studies suggest that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people—and it works!
When they want something, cats will often purr in a plaintive way, or make high-pitched, hard-to-ignore meows that their owners find difficult to ignore.
What’s more is that cats don’t make those meows at other cats. For the most part, cats meow only to communicate with humans.
Cats know when you're sick
Some diseases cause chemical changes in our bodies, which can produce unique smells that some animals can identify in a person's breath or skin. Cats and dogs have an acute sense of smell, and so have the ability to sniff out a chemical change in a human body caused by a disease.
Another instance where cats sense hormonal changes is when we are pregnant. Cats can sense these hormonal changes and act differently in response, often becoming clingy and attentive.
They recognize your voice.
Your cat can tell you apart from outsiders based your voice.
A study conducted by scientists at the University of Tokyo found that cats can recognize recordings of their owners’ voices and tell them apart from strangers’ voices.
Your cats knows when you are afraid
One amazing skill that your cat possesses is the ability to sense fear. When we are fearful, we change a bit. We breathe heavily, we tense up, our pupils dilate, and perhaps we tremble a little. It's on full display and our pets can sense that.
Plus, when we are scared, our bodies secrete a series of hormones, one of which is called adrenaline, and our cat’s powerful nose is able to smell it. Cats often mirror our emotions and get nervous or tense when we feel anxious or afraid.
You are coming home
Cats have a built-in internal clock that guides many aspects of their lives.
Cats internalize our schedule because it's important to their routine. If we always leave and come back at the same time, it's common for our cat to be waiting to welcome us when we return.
And even if you get home at an odd hour, your cat can pick out the sound of your particular car coming down the street, and they are always listening for it.
Where you have been
A cat’s sense of smell is 14 times better than that of humans, which makes it very easy for your cat to keep tabs on you! You pick up scents from everything you touch or everywhere you walk by. Cats can tell if you've been in a grocery store, at work or if you have visited a friend who has a cat of their own.
They know when you call their name
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports showed that cats do know their names—even when it is called by a stranger. In fact, cats may also know the names of the people living in their household.
Cats know that your baby is weak
Cats are intelligent animals and have very strong maternal instincts. They know your little one is dependent and the most vulnerable.
All Comments (21)
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I'm type 1 diabetic. My wife had a cat named George. George passed away years ago. He would get her attention when my blood sugar was getting low when I was sleeping. Decided to tell my experience.
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My first cat was extremely motherly and protective of me. At one point when I was getting a spanking from my father, she actually attacked him pretty viciously. It baffled me for years, but every time I started crying as a little girl, she would run over and bite me. Now, I understand it's because she was trying to pick me up and carry me away, like I was her crying kitten. She was my hero. Anyone who says that cats are aloof or indifferent to their owners simply doesn't understand cats.
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My cat didn't have a mother, so I rescued her when she was about 9 days old, I I fed her, taught her how to pee and poop, I was basically her cat mama, let me tell you, it was a struggle, getting up every 2 hours to feed her, making sure she was warm and cozy ( kittens in this age can't control body temperature) I didn't even know if she was going to make it, because she was so small and so week... Now she's 2y old, and she never leaves my side, she literally follow me, she coddle with me every night to sleep, and every time I'm sad she lay in My chest and gives me little kisses, i never felt this type of connection with any pet before, I know she loves me, she shows me every day... she's the most loyal creature I ever seen ❤️
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One time, my mum got really sick -- must have been food poisoning or something. Anyway, she was bedridden all day. Our cat hopped up onto the bed next to her, kneaded her, purred and headbutted her, and stood watch all day, like a soldier. :3
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Cats are so much more emotional and caring than people give them credit for. It's just that their facial expressions and body language are so subtle that unless you know what to look for you might not pick up on most of the signs. Once you know how to speak cat though you can see all their tiny reactions to everything around them, a whole world opens up. I adore my cat, she's so loyal and loving and I love every second I get to spend with her.
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Cats are more intune with their environment than we give them credit for.
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I had a female cat that I adopted when she was all grown up. When I would be experiencing menstrual pain while laying in bed, she would sit below my stomach where I would feel the most pain without me signaling that I was in pain in that area. She knew the weight and the heat coming from her would help relieve the pain.
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My cat knows the instant I wake up in the morning. Even if I haven't moved an inch.
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Cats are amazing creatures
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I got hurt in a car accident months after I got my cat six years ago. My cat immediately knew I was injured and was super attentive. She clung onto my injured shoulder the whole time I was recovering. She's now 19 years old and purring right next to me as I type this.
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I have 2 cats who I adopted 13 years ago. I have a degenerative spinal disease that causes constant pain & my boys are so tuned into my pain levels, it’s incredible. They know when it’s a worse than normal day & barely leave my side. My mum was always more of a dog person but the first time she saw my boys react when a particularly nasty pain spasm hit she completely fell in love with them. In her words “I never knew that a cat could look so worried before”. And to think, when I adopted them they were terrified of people after a bad first home. I didn’t know if they’d ever become lap cats, never mind therapy cats! They really do make living in constant pain that bit easier to cope with.
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When I was 8, at my grandparent's house,Milo, there cat, knew I was scared of the dark, so every time my grandpa turned off the lights and left the door open a little, Milo would walk in and lay right next to me, and even sleep, I think he thought he was making me feel safe and I love him for it!
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They’re such amazing creatures and it’s so sad that there are many people who don’t like them 😢
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My kitty is far more empathetic towards me when I'm sad than my dog is.
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My mom had a cat who hated everyone and everything but her . One night she wouldn’t leave my moms room or side and we didn’t know why. She ended up having a stroke , even when we rushed the room trying to help she was still there. Unfortunately she passed and my brother took the cat now, but now we know she knew something bad was going to happen and refused to leave her side
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My cat not only understands most of what I say to her -- I understand her answers.
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When I had a fall last week my youngest cat got so protective of me. She even got friendly towards my friend who came to help me. My cat doesn't like anyone but me. So wouldn't normally be friendly to anyone else. I think she was trying to say thank you to my friend
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Their internal clock is amazing. If I do not wake up at the time when I should wake up, she will jump on me and start walking all over me and sniffing my nose. More of it, on the weekends, she does not do that. Also they know where I am and what I am doing. When I am working, they just sit outside of the office and enjoy being lazy. If I stop typing and make no sounds, one of them will come to the door of the office just to check on me.
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Cats are very aware, intelligent and amazing silent communicators.
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I have 25 Greek rescues they all know their individual names they wait for me when I come home know when it's sleep time know when it's food time know my voice and listen when I talk to them individually.. I love them all and they all have different characters..
