There is a plethora of anecdotal reports of cats predicting severe weather, earthquakes, and even incoming telephone calls. Owners report that their cat "knows" the day before it is going to the vet or when its owner is coming home from a trip. So, what’s going on here?

Science offers a few possible explanations for the behavior changes observed in cats prior to a significant event.  The strange behaviors most frequently reported include restlessness, excitability, a heightened sensitivity to stimulation, increased vocalizations, and sometimes hiding or burrowing.

In terms of storm or earthquake prediction, Scientists postulate that cats may be responding to increases in static electricity that precede the event. In addition to changes in static electricity, it is possible that cats are responding to sudden shifts in the earth’s magnetic field that accompany earthquakes or minor tremors.

Evidence that favors concluding that a cat can predict earthquakes comes from a five year study conducted by the Stanford Research Institute’s Project Earthquake Watch. They found statistically significant results indicating that reports of unusual animal behavior increase prior to some earthquakes. In terms of predicting severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, it is speculated that cats are sensing the significant changes in barometric pressure that precede the storm.

However, as far as predicting that trip to the vet tomorrow, science believes that your pet is reading behavior clues from you that he has come to associate with unpleasant changes in his circumstance. You may consciously avoid using the "V" word or getting out the cat carrier, but your cat still observes subtle changes in your behavior and makes itself scarce.

Posted by Barbara.