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For decades, we have heard endless stories of pets rescuing their owners, warning them of cancerous tumors, and even being able to predict the weather. Some cat owners who live in earthquake-prone areas insist that their feline can sense the tremors hours or days before the episode.
So, are these people giving their pets too much credit, or is there some truth to these claims? While the scientific community isn’t entirely convinced, there is enough anecdotal evidence, as well as some scientific facts, to support the theory that cats can sense earthquakes ahead of time.
So, Can a Cat Sense an Earthquake Before It Happens?
Many experts conclude that cats (and some other animals) can feel small tremors because they are sensitive to the earth’s magnetic fields.1 As a result, they know something unusual is about to happen. Others believe that felines are sensitive beings, which allows them to feel tremors that humans cannot.
While there is no scientific proof that cats can predict an earthquake, an experiment conducted by Jim Berkland in the late 80s and into the early 1990s revealed that there was an increase in advertisements for lost cats just prior to an earthquake.2 He concluded that the reason was that cats would flee from their homes if they sensed an event was about to occur. Although the experiment was a success, it was not repeated and, therefore, cannot be considered scientific evidence.
Scientific Support
While we don’t know for certain if or how cats know an earthquake is imminent, here are a few things we do know about cats:
1. They have better hearing than humans (and dogs).
The hearing range of a cat is around 45-64,000 Hz, compared to 64-23,000 in humans, and 67-45,000 in dogs. This means they can detect sounds at lower and higher frequencies, like the low rumble of shifting tectonic plates. Interestingly, another animal that is reported to be able to detect oncoming earthquakes, the cow, is also sensitive to low frequency sounds, with a range of 23-35,000Hz.
2. They have highly sensitive paws.
The delicate skin of a cats’ little toe beans is packed with nerve endings, making them more sensitive to textures, movements, and vibrations, so it is possible that they can detect micromovements in the earth before we can.
3. They have whiskers.
Feline vibrissae (whiskers) are attached to sensitive nerves, allowing them to pick up on tiny vibrations. Even their coat and skin is designed to be extra sensitive to changes in air movement, allowing them to make the microadjustments to their posture that allows them to balance so well.
These features would, and likely do, allow cats to detect earthquakes far earlier than we can. In fact, they probably also pick up on minor tremors that don’t turn into proper earthquakes, which might explain why our cats will sometimes have zoomies and mad moments!
Earthquake Behavior in Cats
If you are a cat owner and live in an area that experiences quakes, you may want to watch your feline’s strange behavior. Here are some cat behaviors that have been reported by owners before an earthquake:
- Acting nervous or agitated
- Fur sticking up
- Twitchy skin and coat
- Hiding
- Excessive meowing or whining
- Fleeing
- Acting fearful
- Being disoriented
Did Cats and Other Animals Predict the 2011 Earthquake in Japan?
Although there is no evidence to prove it, many people say that they have experienced the strange behavior exhibited by their cats prior to an earthquake.
After the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, Hiroyuki Yamauchi conducted a survey of pet owners on the internet. He gathered information about pet demographics and any strange behaviors observed by pet owners prior to the quake.
The questionnaire had a checklist of restlessness, vocalizing, trembling, and runaways. Postal codes documented how far away the animal was from the epicenter. There were 703 cat owners and 1,259 dog owners that participated in the survey. Cat and dog owners reported that their pets exhibited restless and clingy behavior.
Researchers from Yamauchi’s study say that cats and other animals have a wider range of hearing and a better sense of smell than humans, and that may be why they can detect an earthquake and humans cannot.
While the survey offered some insight, more research would be needed to understand better how and if it is possible.
Final Thoughts
While you may not want to pack up and head for the hills every time your cat exhibits strange behaviors, if you live in an earthquake-prone zone, you might want to pay close attention when your cat is seeming haunted or agitated.
Although there is not enough research to definitively say that cats can detect earthquakes before they happen, we do know enough about feline physiology to say that it is certainly possible. Having an early warning system walking around on four legs in your home could save your life – just one more reason to love cats (as if we need one)!
Featured Image Credit: Zossia, Shutterstock
