Living in a Cat's World

As a human you probably do not think much about your cat's world, other than to feed it and pet it from time to time. We think about our five senses and how we use them, but have you ever really thought about your cat's five senses?

A cat has the same five senses that we have, they hear, smell, taste, see, and touch things just as humans do. However, though all five senses are important, touch to a cat is probably the most important.

It uses its sense of touch to "read" its environment. Now, what do I mean by that? There are many cell receptors in a cat's skin that changes mechanical (moving) stimuli into information that the nervous system uses to help produce a cat's rapid reaction time to things.

When you see Miss Puss lying down or standing with her four feet planted firmly on the floor looking into space, she is not daydreaming. Miss Puss is picking up information from her surrounding environment. She can determine whether or not to stay where she is, or flee.

Cats not only pick up information by the sense of touch; they can leave information also. When a cat stretches up to claw a tree (or the couch) she is leaving a message that she was there. A calling card in fact for the next cat to smell and "read."

These receptors not only detect movement or pressure they also detect pain, temperatures and save cats from harm and injury. They attune the cat to its environment, making them aware of what is going on around them, and if it is safe for them to be where they are.

They also possess an extreme understanding of their bodies and of its capabilities. They have what is known as kinetic energy which is energy associated with motion. Cats are very good at being cats.

Cats use their whiskers and paws to hunt with. These are two of the most sensitive areas on a cat; they contain the most number of nerve cells. A cat can use its whiskers, just as a blind person would use a cane. By using its paws and whiskers a cat can determine an object's size, shape and texture.

There are about a dozen whiskers on each upper lip, along with some small ones on their cheeks, a few on the chin, several above each eye and believe it or not some on the underside of each paw. The whiskers are thicker and stiffer and have been implanted with a special follicle that is sealed within the whisker. Whiskers are connected to a muscle and can be moved back and forth. Never cut a cat's whiskers.

Cats use their whiskers to get in and out of tight places; they can use them to convey their mood. Forward and fanned out means I am in a good mood, pushed back toward its head means, watch out, I am mad.

The average cat does not see any better at night than most humans, but their whiskers give them an extra edge as they can detect air currents deflected by objects, as the cat walks by.

A cat's hearing is better then a dog's, it can hear things moving silently inside of a wall. Did you know that a "whole tone" (like in music) that we can hear, a cat hears it as 10 separate tones. A cat can hear ultrasonic sounds (high pitched) that we cannot even imagine.

Smell is the next important sense in a cat's life; a blind or deaf cat can lead a fairly normal life as long as its nose is in working order.

From the very moment a kitten is born, smell becomes the most important part of its life. A newborn can find mommy and its favorite nursing nipple just by smelling. A cat has 100 million smelling receptors, while the lowly human has only 20 million. Cats use their sense of smell to "see" their world. A cat generally will not eat unless is can smell its food and decide whether or not it is acceptable to eat. A cat that cannot smell its food will not eat it.

When it comes to taste, cats are carnivores, which means they are meat eaters. Unfortunately cats do not have a sweet tooth; they are about the only mammal that does not have one, as they lack a receptor for sweetness.

One thing that cats do like the most is petting. Cats receive comfort from petting and most cats prefer to be stroked from the head down, following the line of their fur growth. Cats do not like to have their fur stroked backward.

My cat Boots loves to have his face and ears stroked very gently, he will let me do this for a long time. I think, since he is a feral cat, that I remind him of the days when he was with mom. He is also one of the few cats that loves to have his tummy rubbed.

Cats are unique and many have strange behaviors, but no matter what their likes and dislikes are, cats like humans and enjoy human contact.

Living in a cat's world is much different than living in a dog's world. Dog's have masters, cats have staff! Cats were treated as royalty back in the days of the Romans and have never forgotten that. Dogs have been bred through the years to conform to certain standards and behaviors. A cat has always been a cat, no one has been able to breed a cat to chase only yellow yarn balls or to herd mice.

If this article has been of benefit, or you are looking for a new insight into the world of cats and dogs please visit my web site and Sadie Dog's Blog at http://www.cats-and-dogs-on-the-web.com