Cats Amazing Senses
By HollywoodPet.net |
Tue, 26 Dec 2006
Cat have keen senses that are adapted for hunting and surviving. Their senses are amazing to behold. Here is a little about your amazing cat.
Hearing.
Cats have very keen hearing, even more keen than in a dog. Cats hearing is adapted to pitches that are made by small rodents like mice. Cats use their ears for hunting and for communicating with other cats. The ears do the hunting before the eyes.
Sense of Smell.
Cats noses are better than humans but not quite as good as a dogs nose. Much of a cats smelling is of the scent signature of other cats. Each cats puts off an individual smell through scent glands on their cheeks, lower legs, and under their tail. Cats rub their cheeks on everything to mark their territory. This marking helps to avoid fights with other cats. They will adapt their boundaries to avoid fighting with other cats. The scents left behind can indicate to another cat the direction of travel, the mood they were in, and how long ago they marked the territory. Letting their presence be known is the key to this invisible communication. Cats also have a smell organ in their mouth. If you have ever seen a cat raise its lips and draw air through its teeth you are witnessing how they use this gland to identify other cats.
Sense of Taste.
Cats don't have well-developed senses of taste. And they don't instinctively know what is good for them to eat. Most of their eating habits are taught to them.
Sense of Touch.
Cats paws are very sensitive to touch. Their whiskers and other body hairs aid them in knowing their environment. In darker place these hairs help them see better in low light by feeling objects and air currents.
Sense of the Supernatural.
Cats have been attributed all kinds of supernatural powers over the years. The truth is that cats are good observers. They are very keen on sizing up threat by reading body language, tone of voice, and vocal range. Cats can smell other natural scents that are given off when people are angry or afraid. Cats survive because of this skill of watching arm gestures, voice inflection, or aggressive manners in walking or talking. When a threat is perceived, cats usually leave or retreat. This is a great survival skill that has served them for a very long time.
Sense of Time.
Cats have a sense of time. They pick up on patterns of routine, and can anticipate daily arrivals home or other routines. This is keener in cats than in many animals.
Cats can be a real joy. Everyone has noticed how quickly a cat will know that food is out of the oven or can hear the quietest sound like a can of cat food being opened. These sharp senses have allowed the cat to develop into what it is today.
