# Cats seeing things we can't see?



## rketto (Aug 22, 2010)

I noticed my cats seem to track things a lot that just aren't there. Just now, my girl Lilith was sitting on my computer desk. It's clear as day in this room. She looks up at the ceiling and her head is tracking something back and forth, and occasionally in an arc. I see NOTHING there, no bugs, no light reflections etc. She tracked it for quite a while. Both my cats do this.

I've heard of other people's cats doing this too. Anyone know what it might be? How do cats see differently than us?


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

My cats do this a lot too. I just assume they hallucinate leprechauns or something.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Mow does that too and it freaks me out. He'll suddenly sit up and stare at a spot intently.


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## shicagah (Jun 1, 2008)

Sir does this, only she'll look up at the ceiling and proceed to "paw" at some invisible string or something of that nature.


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## CataholicsAnonymous (Dec 4, 2006)

Ooh, ooh, ***raising hand*** I know! To make dumb humans look at the ceiling! (Decades of living with scheming cats has taught me this.:twisted


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

CataholicsAnonymous said:


> Ooh, ooh, ***raising hand*** I know! To make dumb humans look at the ceiling! (Decades of living with scheming cats has taught me this.:twisted


LoL - is that what it is? I've been wondering - it freaks me out when my two do this - and they sometimes do it at the same time - which really makes me wonder what they are seeing.


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## Vivid Dawn (May 31, 2010)

Sometimes Nebbie will suddenly stare at the wall next to the door.
I sort of wonder if they can hear subtle movements in the building's structure shifting. Yanno, when the wind blows and the buildings shift enough for us humans to hear...I'm sure there are tiny ones we don't hear.
Nebbie will look at the ceiling, when my dad is very active upstairs - but at least I know what she's trying to see!

Paizly's too lazy to care. The only time anything disturbs her, is if the doorbell rings. If she's in bed with me, she'll scramble under the covers... or if she's on her own in the room, scramble for some "safe" place like her paper grocery bag or a nook by the fish tank. Oh, and she growls...sounds like she wants a fight, while at the same time running for her life. Hilarious!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I don't doubt they can hear stuff we can't. I live in an apartment complex by the main entrance. I doubt Mow runs to the door every time he hears a car but he's *always* meowing before I get my key in the lock. He must know my car....

He *loves* company. Someone knocks on the door he's cautious in the hallway until they get inside and then he's all over them UNLESS it's my ex husband. I don't know if it's the way he knocks on the door or the way he walks but if Mow suddenly goes scrambling under the bed and someone knocks on the door I can guarantee it's my ex. (where was a pet with this great judgement when I MET the guy)

I'm a total believer in their stronger 'senses'.


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## koobe (Nov 8, 2009)

Cheetah does this too. But it is because we pretended that we threw a ball in the air and he just stared, looking for the imaginary ball.


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

At some point during the week, each one of my girls seems to think there's something in the main air conditioning vent. They stand up and paw at the grating, eyes all wide and meowing. It's not usually running or anything, they just seem to think there's something for them in there. It's pretty funny.


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## djf052 (May 17, 2010)

Marley (22 months old, had a litter) sometimes leaps into the air attacking floating dust. It's not like my house is that dirty, but when the sun shines in at a low angle, and it catches the dust particles just right so that they almost sparkle as they float through the air, you've all seen it, she picks a big hunk out and then leaps up and tries to grab it. It's clear she's not confused or upset, she's just having a good time. Sometimes while we're eating, she'll attack the tiniest speck of dust on the floor. If she gets really really crazy, she'll start making it all up -- attacking stuff that's not there at all -- racing off all the way upstairs and back, only to attack something else that's not there... the look on her face getting wilder and wilder, then she'll suddenly stop completely and start licking herself. She'll stalk mosquitoes too, which has lead to a couple blood stains on the walls. Sometimes she'll notice a speck on the wall and check it out and after that she'll even start walking around the house looking up at the walls searching for mosquitoes. She seems to be having a good time.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

These are the only suggestions I can come up with:

1. Dust particles like suggested, but you would probably be able to see them too.
2. GHOSTS 8O
3. I have heard that overusing laser pointer toys can cause similar symptoms. I'm not sure if its true or not though.


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## reprot (Nov 11, 2004)

My hairdresser's daughter has a cat that sits before the fireplace and stares at its own reflection in the fireplace screen for hours. Hairdresser showed me a photo of said kitty. I think it was watching the reflections of what was going on in the adjacent kitchen. It was funny to see this lone black cat sitting in the middle of a grand room watching what looked like nothing to a human.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I used to ignore it when my cats did this, until one time they were staring intently at a corner of the room. The next thing I know, they are batting at a SNAKE in my living room! Now anytime they start paying lots of attention to something, I completely wig out! I think they do it intentionally just to see me lose it.


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## Hitomi (Nov 15, 2010)

My guy does that too.I don't pay much attention to it unless my I'm watching my Dads dog and he does it too.Then it's time for the baseball bat and hope it's something you can hit!


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Kobster said:


> I used to ignore it when my cats did this, until one time they were staring intently at a corner of the room. The next thing I know, they are batting at a SNAKE in my living room! Now anytime they start paying lots of attention to something, I completely wig out! I think they do it intentionally just to see me lose it.


A snake...Yikes! My girls often seem to be seeing things, but at the end of the day, I usually discover what they're looking at. Once Muffs was going nuts, trying to chase what I thought was the invisible. Upon closer inspection, I found a wasp behind the curtains. I couldn't see it, but she could either smell or hear it. Another time, Abby was sitting on my chair in the basement, trilling at something in the hall. I told her she was seeing things. Then she ran off down the hall. When I went to investigate, I saw the tiniest little ant that she had seen from about 20 feet away. I'm sure they see things we don't, such as dust or a tiny cobweb that we would miss if the light weren't shining just right.


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## lunakatrina (Dec 31, 2010)

One of my friends and I wonder about this all the time! We finally decided they can see things--like ghosts or something from "another world" lol!

I think it's just something cats do! They get bored so they entertain themselves?


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

My blind kitty was looking down at a tile intently. I couldnt see anything! I got down on my hands and knees and looked. There was a tiny tiny bug about the size of the head of a pin slowly crawling across the tile. I was amazed she could hear this tiny bug moving!

Chandler my orange tornado likes to jump at dust floating in the air. You can see it in the sun light. Its a kick to watch him.


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## Mom of 4 (Jul 29, 2006)

When the cats look up at the ceiling, I know there are house rats or mice up there. =( They are common in our area, unfortunately.


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## CatnipCats (Feb 15, 2010)

On some cat forum many years ago, I read an explanation for this which I've used ever since. They're looking at "killer air molecules."


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## Straysmommy (Dec 23, 2010)

LOL Mowmow, can I borrow your cat before my engagement? ;-)


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Straysmommy said:


> LOL Mowmow, can I borrow your cat before my engagement? ;-)


Yes, bring the boy over and we'll see if he's Mow certified and approved.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

It's to distract your attention whilst they steal your food.


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