The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Oct 23, 2011 at 10:10am
My cats can't anticipate earthquakes--I don't think, anyway--but they certainly know how I'm feeling. They've just been sitting quietly in a circle around me. They're not playing. They're not bickering. They're not asking for attention. They're not whining to be fed. They're not chewing on my computer cords. They're not grooming themselves.
I just realized it--all seven cats have been sitting in a circle around me, with immense solemnity, for hours. They're looking at me, quietly.
It's moving and eerie.
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Sep '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
Obey.
Oct '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
You've been eating too much cheese.
Feb '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
True that animals do know things... weather events, etc. before we do.
One one cat here, pictured. But a group of cats -- fun to watch them interact. Usually they're not doing a damn thing, just hanging around -- something Estelle here is very good at.
Still, you've got a good group of friends there. Also I am impressed by a group here in the US, Alley Cat Allies, who are working to improve the lot of outdoor, feral cats, and keep them from being trapped and killed. Horrible, but it happens a lot.
It's a shame cats are just seen as disposable items. I'm obliged to make a conservative comment here re our 1990s Pres-- one you met in your young life --we saw that pix. The media made a big deal about Socks, the Klinton Kitty. When they left the White House (along with the silverware and whatever else, etc). they dumped Socks. He wasn't useful to them as a family prop any longer.
Edited on Oct 23, 2011 at 11:29amMay '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
Yes, the felines are in tune. It's as if they smell our emotions. And some certainly do anticipate weather changes. Ours slink low to the ground like snakes and hide, long before I know a thunderstorm is on the way. Claire, give yours some extra TLC before day's end, OK? Your human-feline home is perhaps the best kind of collectivity!
May '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
It's time to listen to your cats and be more cheerful! Moroseness is not helpful.
Apr '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
I've been expecting this ever since you posted those photos of your cats wearing tin-foil hats. A wounded animal is dangerous, most especially if he's wounded in his amour-propre. Don't let them get behind you.
Edited on Oct 23, 2011 at 1:51pmAug '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
What an interesting coincidence. I have seven vultures sitting in a circle around me, just staring.
It is eerie but, for some reason, not moving.
Aug '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
This website shows the aftershocks are still pretty heavy, and repetitive...
http://earthquaketrack.com/tr-65-van/recent
Oct '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
The cats were just plotting, as they do, must be organized you know. Most likely members of The Feline Collective , Chapter 321.
Oct '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
The humorous asides notwithstanding (esp. liked the vultures :-), Claire---don't be too quick to rule out earthquake detection among the many feline capabilities and virtues. Lucy Elwood is smack-on with the cat-as-early-warning-device phenomenon. I get a 90 min warning on significant weather changes ... most recently an unusual late summer hailstorm that came out of nowhere. Well, OK ... she didn't exactly say "Hey knucklehead (her term of endearment, I'm sure), there's a hailstorm coming!" But she was clearly distressed about something and anxious to talk about it. Tried to sooth her, but to no avail. I suspect that compared with over-the-horizon weather, her ability to read my emotions is a snap. It seems to be as easy for her as it is discerning about me. So, yeah, the magnificent seven are tuned in to your frequency and looking out for you. There’s a reason ancient Egyptians took Mittens to the grave with them, although they definitely went a little overboard with the whole cat cult thing---Akhmed’s Cat Mummies To-Go franchises were simply over the top.
Oct '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
That dogs and cats sense our moods is certainly so. A year or so ago, I saw a story on TV about a cat residing in a nursing home who was able to sense when a resident is near death. Although she moves freely about the nursing home and is quite social and much beloved by the all the residents, from time to time she goes into a particular resident's room, into his or her bed, and remains there constantly. All of the residents on whom she lavishes this attention are bedridden (though she does not do this with all bedridden residents) and invariably, within a day or two at most, the individual dies. One speculation is that as someone nears death and organs start to fail, the chemical changes associated with that process produce odors to which cats are sensitive. Perhaps so. Or perhaps it's something else we don't really understand. But it is certainly eerie.
Oct '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
Are you okay, Claire?
Aug '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
I once went to one of those "swimming with the dolphins" things. There were several adults in the pool and the dolphins were somewhat attentive. But then a young mother took her Downs Syndrome daughter into the pool and the dolphins ignored the rest of us and crowded around the child, gently nuzzling her with their noses.
Feb '11
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
philopat: The cat is probably carrying Listeria that kills the nursing home residents with prolonged exposure. It's cute and fluffy though, so we project to it magical powers.
I second Joseph Eagar's question and concern.
Aug '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
Are these the last cats in Turkey who haven't figured out Erdogan ? No wonder they're so mellow.
May '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
Kitties, is Claire okay? We are worried about her.
Sep '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
It's been 7 hours since our last contact with Claire. I'm convinced the cats have taken her hostage. They would post the ransom demands on Ricochet but they can't type the credit card number right.
Dec '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
You are probably right, but if so, they are very discerning.
I've been making preparations to leave for an extended period, while at the same time mellowing out the humans as to how tasks will get done. The humans have not been very helpful. For example they refuse to sing and dance after dinner, to announce to the dogs that it's time for their treats. Sure, the dogs like their treats anyway, but it's not nearly as special without a touch of Vaudeville.
Today, as I opened the gate and drove off, the cats yawned, the chickens pooped, and the dog closest to me followed me out to the gate, then dashed away, as she thought she saw a lizard to chase. They sensed nothing, but that was also the vibe I was trying to project to the humans.
Dec '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
I remember my cats. Sally Kansas, I rescued her from the Animal Rescue League. She was a tiny calico, all fur and no cat. Other then curling up on top of me and throwing up fur balls she didn't do much. My other cat was Jack the Cat. He was a stray that hid under the cottage during a thunder storm. Long, lean, tan, and big he looked like a small puma. Jack loved to fetch like a dog. I'd throw a large paperclip and Jack would tear across the apartment and pounce on it like prey. Bringing it back and dropping it at my feet, his tail would twitch waiting for the next throw.
One night during a thunder storm, Jack got out. It was pouring rain and I went out after him. I saw him hiding under a bush. I reached down and he sunk his teeth into my hand. Ignoring the pain I closed my hand on his jaw and picked him up by the mouth. I walked the few yards back and threw him (literally) into the apartment. He avoided me for a while but it didn't seem to ruin our relationship.
Aug '10
Re: The Extraordinary Sensitivity of Animals
I'm glad that nobody here is spreading the old belief that animals predict earthquakes. This belief, which goes as far back as 373 BC, has been studied pretty systematically.
There was one study where cat (and dog) owners in California were asked to call a 1-800 number whenever their animal displayed "unusual behaviour that could be indicative of an imminent earthquake". You know, strange meowing or barking or whatever. They never, ever, got any calls to the 1-800 BEFORE an earthquake, but they did get a lot of calls AFTER earthquakes in which the owners claimed they observed strange behavior but forgot to report it (yeah, right). It's a classic case of seeing patterns where none exist.
However, there are PLENTY of documented cases out there that show cats and dogs can be VERY tuned in to the emotional states of the humans they are close to. I'm sure many of you have heard about Oscar, the nursing home cat that comforts folk who are about to pass away.
At the very least, my kitty gives me someone to talk to during "energetic meteorological events", so I don't feel too crazy talking to myself. ;-)