A cat’s keen senses are beautifully complex mechanisms.
A cat’s acute senses are wonderfully complex mechanisms.
Find out the facts about a cat’s five senses and if there is a sixth,
As some proud owners say.
From playing the piano to the wagon wheel to climbing gravity-defying trees, cats constantly amaze us with their amazing abilities. But behind these incredible abilities are the senses of cats, honed over thousands of years of hunting.
Our cats have whiskers that double as antennas, ears that double as satellite dishes, and a dual scent mechanism that outlasts even the most sensitive canines. The sensory world of cats is interesting and unique in many ways. Read on to find out how cats’ senses work together to bring the world into focus, and to discover some fascinating facts.
the smell of cats
The cat’s ability to detect odors is not diminished. With nearly 40 times more scent-sensitive cells than human noses, a cat’s sense of smell is a wonderfully complex mechanism that some researchers consider even superior to that of our faithful dogs. So it’s no surprise that a cat relies more on smell than sight to understand its surroundings . From mother-daughter bonding to hunting, mating, and exploring their environment, a cat’s sense of smell is their most reliable tool for gleaning vital information.
Aside from social interactions, this keen sense of smell is one of the best hunting tools a cat could ask for, locating prey long before danger is suspected. The same goes for cat food hidden under the kitchen cupboard . Don’t think that your cat’s sense of smell hasn’t yet located the precious hiding place because they can’t see it!
Fascinating facts about the sense of smell of cats
Cats have a dual olfactory mechanism which is an interesting and very rare superpower in the animal kingdom. Like other animals, cats have natural olfactory receptors for picking up odors in the air. But cats also have a second “nose” located on the palate, called the nasal organ. This has a slightly different use, as it collects pheromone signatures that normal olfactory receptors cannot detect. These pheromones are important for social, mating and territorial information.
In view of the cats
A cat’s eyesight may not be apt for drawing artwork, but when it comes to hunting at night, a cat’s eyes are perfect. Their large field of view and ability to detect motion make them highly skilled hunters. When it comes to cats’ ability to see in the dark, one study found that a large part of what allows them to do so well at night is that cats can see ultraviolet light that humans can’t detect. However, their daytime vision is less well developed as they are mostly evening and nocturnal hunters. Also, cats have a sort of nearsightedness where they can focus well on things that are closer, but have difficulty with things that are further away.
Despite its intelligent eyes, a quick mouse can still go unnoticed. Cats have been found to have a blind spot located just below the chin. So if your cat can’t see things under his nose, now you know why!
cat heard
It’s common for a cat’s predatory nature to be supported by good feline engineering, and the cat’s ear is no exception. A little rustle in the leaves on the ground may go unnoticed by humans, but your cat will immediately activate and explore further. The cone-shaped ears of cats act like a cat’s satellite dish and allow them to hear a wide range of frequencies. In fact, they can hear more frequencies than most mammals, including humans.
The shape of a cat’s outer ear does two things in one : It helps amplify sound as it travels to the middle and inner ear, and it detects exactly where the noise is coming from. Hearing is especially useful for hunting or avoiding game, so it’s no surprise that this cat’s sense of smell has become a notable detection mechanism.
A myth about cat hearing has been debunked
If your cat is white with blue eyes, you are probably more interested in your cat’s hearing than other owners. Based on anecdotal evidence, these particular cats have been placed in a category of their own by cat lovers who fear that their appearance is somehow related to their inability to hear. While there is evidence that some white cats are more likely to develop hereditary deafness, this is not true for all cats with this appearance.
cat flavor
While most of the cat’s senses are highly sensitive, taste is the exception. They only have a few hundred taste buds, compared to over 9,000! This means, for example, that cats cannot enjoy sweet flavours. However, many find that their improved sense of smell makes up for the bad taste.
One thing to avoid is anything bitter, like lemon or coffee. The taste buds do not like this taste and bitter signals are interpreted as signals of dangerous or poisoned food . It’s the same reason bitter liquids and sprays are sometimes used to discourage cats from biting and gnawing on furniture or wounds.
Unique flavour
Experts believe that cats lack the sweetness gene that allows them to enjoy sweet foods and that they may be the only mammals in this situation. While some owners may swear their cat loves treats, it’s most likely the fat content that attracts them, not the sweetness itself.
cats play
A cat’s well-developed sense of touch is always there to support and enhance its vision. Whiskers are your cat’s trusty radar and act as tactile receptors, helping them measure distances accurately. If you see your cat successfully navigating impossibly tight spaces or gracefully leaping over slim ledges, his whiskers are doing the hard work. For more on why cats have whiskers, check out our guide.
Touch receptors are also found on the nose and paws . Cat fur helps improve the sense of touch, as it constantly collects sensory information. This is why the cat responds to a purr whenever it is stroked or stroked.
A surprising fact about your cat’s sense of touch
You probably think of your cat’s whiskers as a facial feature. Whiskers are also present on the front paws of the cat. They come from a time when cats were very much into hunting and hunting and the whiskers on their front paws are essential for spotting the prey they are about to catch.
The sixth sense of cats.
Cats are mysterious creatures and many owners wonder what they see when they stare at the sofa or what they are trying to catch with their feet in the air. We can’t fully explain feline behavior, so many owners believe there is a special ability , the cat’s sixth sense, that can explain everything. Although some cat lovers claim to have seen their cat anticipating imminent danger or communicating with unseen people, there is no strong evidence that cats can detect anything beyond their five senses.
But there is an important job that can be entrusted to our beloved cats and that brings them very close to magic. Some studies have revealed that mating a cat with an autistic child or even a dementia patient can be of great benefit. The unique connection between a cat and a patient can be life-changing, so even if a cat’s sixth sense isn’t present, our felines are still extraordinary creatures.
