Cracking the feline mystery: Why your cat is fascinated by walls?
Cats, along with dogs, are the most popular pets and companions in our lives. We love to pamper them, often treating them as full-fledged family members. However, their behaviors sometimes confuse us, like when they fixate on a spot and stop in place, causing worry for many owners. The good news is that these actions are not random.
10:18 AM EST, January 17, 2024
What are cats really seeing?
We often assume that cats see ghosts, attributing an eerie reason to their odd behavior. Actually, it's not about spiritual beings, but rather their unique perception of the world. Cats see in ultraviolet, which is completely different from human vision. A simple white wall might not hold our interest, but for cats, it can be a thrilling attraction.
This vision often reveals an unnoticeable spectacle of colors and psychedelic spots or stripes that glimmer under certain light conditions. These subtle details are not visible to the human eye but provide valuable information for cats in their natural environment. This ability helps them identify traces of old urine or small moving targets that could be potential prey.
Furthermore, cats have a broader field of view than humans, covering up to 285 degrees. In comparison, human vision spans only up to 210 degrees, allowing felines to perceive significantly more of their surroundings.
It's also noteworthy that cats have excellent hearing, superior to both humans and dogs. More often than not, they can detect ultrasound—sounds that might be bouncing off the wall they're staring at, completely inaudible to the human ear.
Cats can detect frequencies up to 65 kHz, which far exceeds the human hearing limit of 20 kHz. This means they can hear nearly two octaves more than us, allowing them to detect changes in weather conditions, such as upcoming storms or other potential threats, from a distance. Because of this advanced hearing, we often struggle to understand their "odd" behavior.
Little known facts about cats
An interesting tidbit is that cats don't see red or green colors. Their world consists of shades of grey, blue, and yellow. Additionally, they can see the ultraviolet spectrum. However, their near-eye sight isn't as sharp as their distance vision.
These animals lack collarbones, which contributes to their agility and flexibility. This allows them to squeeze into tight spaces and sleep in peculiar positions. A cat's body consists of 210 bones, 10% of which are located in the tail alone. Their spine's flexibility is attributed to the 53 vertebrae that are loosely connected together.
Research findings suggest that cat owners have a lower risk of contracting diseases linked to the immune system. Interestingly, the likelihood of strokes or heart attacks in cat owners is also reduced by up to 20%.
