Are cats psychic? - Serious question

[GCP]

One of our cats was as usual wanting to go out this morning - slider door onto upper deck with steps leading down to ground. Jeff, my husband, opened the door for her - giving her a gentle push up the rump when she didn't immediately move out - 20 degrees outside. She suddenly reared up on her hind legs and ran back into the kitchen as fast as she could. Jeff looked down and saw a coyote running through the woods about 20 yds away. So- she heard or smelled it, I know cats have superb senses.

Here's the kicker

Her litter mate who was upstairs at the time, with no view of the woods, came downstairs highly agitated and stood looking out the slider. How did he know something was wrong?

[Sanity Claws]

1. Cats and dogs are known to sense things about their people

There are many documented instances of cats and dogs "knowing" when their owners are on their way home. I wish I could remember the name of the book on this -- I read it a year or two ago.
I now have two cats and I think they communicate with each other in some way, perhaps psychic, telepathy, whatever.
So my answer is yes.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. No

Cats have really good scientifically-established senses.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. In a word. Yes. n/t

[kedrys]

4. Yes

After Caesar died in early September, I asked Plato if he would sleep on my pillow, because I couldn't even go into the bedroom without crying when I saw no Caesar there. And Plato did - and still does.

If that's not psychic, I don't know what is.

I should point out that Plato didn't even sleep in the bedroom until I asked him.

His brother, who sleeps on the bedroom floor and was a third party to the conversation, distinctly shined me on. I couldn't tell you how I know that.

[Karenina]

6. Speaking of psychic cats...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959718/

[havocmom]

5. Decades of observation and personal experiments tell me they are telepathic

Dogs too.

Probably a lot of critters (if not all) are.

Yes, I know they respond to subtle visual cues that we generally don't even notice, but your cat upstairs knew something threatened. I have seen evidence that animals out of sight got messages just the same. So, one considers there are communications means we just don't generally consider.

I have seen dogs hypnotize toddlers into handing over goodies time after time. Lock eyes, then the kid just sorta trances out, handing over treat to patient dog, often a dog they just met at someone's home. When the kid snaps out, there is always the "what happened to my cookie?" look. Priceless.

[Gonzo Gardener]

10. Hey, havocmom...

I agree with some of your comments here, but do you think it is possible that the 'up stairs' kitty might have heard the commotion downstairs or felt a vibration when the door opened or closed? How about a change in air pressure causing different smelling air from other areas of the house to circulate thus giving the cat a cue that the door was opened? Is it possible that when he came downstairs he may have first noticed a change in tone (of voice) or body language of the people and that caused him to become alarmed? Also, consider that when the door was opened that it drew in coyote scented air.

Coyotes tend to sit and wait for food to come to them... maybe the coyote had been stalking outside for a while and the air was very saturated with the smell. :shrug:

I've noticed the same interactions between toddlers and dogs, but my conclusion is that the dogs are watching for the child to focus on something else, waiting for the right moment to snatch the 'prize'.

*** If you have time, please, check my post to the OP. I am curious what you think of my opinion on this.

:hi:

[Gonzo Gardener]

7. Psychic Cat?

It is most likely that your cat smelled the coyote. Their senses are much sharper than ours. If the air was particularly moist and with the breeze blowing in the right general direction, your cat would easily smell any animal passing near to your home.

As for the cat who came to investigate the commotion... he could have heard what was going on or felt the vibration of the door opening and closing. Also, consider that with his heightened senses that he might have felt the air pressure change in the house when the door was opened. Keep in mind, that when air pressure changes it circulates the air through your home and it is quite possible that when a door opens downstairs it draws air that smells different from other rooms of the house. This may be a cue your 'upstairs' kitty has picked up on through close observation.

You can expand your awareness and become more 'catlike'. If you practice meditation
or just slow down... be still and you, too, will be able to pick up on these kinds of subtle changes in your environment.

It is very unlikely that your cats are "psychic", but it could easily appear that way to us. Animals are wired to observe extremely subtle changes in breathing, body language/posture, and tone of voice (sound). It is the way that they communicate with each other and a matter of survival in the wild. An example of this; my dog, Rascal, who has the brainpower of a pea, gets very excited when I'm only thinking about going outside. I might not even notice that I've given him a cue by changing my breathing or by making a slight movement, but he starts dancing and whining to go for a walk. He is half Australian Cattle Dog, a herder, and by his nature, is very observant of slight changes in body posture. I've used this trait in training him to obey hand signals that no one nearby even notices. I've also use specific body language and other visual cues when meeting strange animals (other dogs) including aggressive dogs that most people would run from.

I do believe that *telepathy* can be a factor in communicating. I've practiced this with a few of my more cooperative cats, my current pooch, my dad & grandmother, and a few friends.

:hi:

I hope this helps answer your question and I want to see some pictures of your fuzzy buddies!!!

[GCP]

13. Here you go

Here's the coyote girl

And here's brother as a kitten

[Gonzo Gardener]

19. A cat in a hat?

No, a cat in the sink! :rofl:

Thanks, they are both adorable and have beautiful eyes.

[havocmom]

24. Ah, sweet kitties. And siblings? Hell yes to psychic. ESPECIALLY for siblings

My brother and I used to catch hell from mom for what we DIDN'T say at the dinner table. ;)

[MrsMatt]

26. She wears too much eye-liner

No wonder she attracts trouble!

j/k - both are beautiful cats.

[havocmom]

14. Cats hearing is a lot better than dogs' too. they can hear things the dog ignores

So, smell, and hearing probably alerted to the coyote. Sight is amazing too, if the light isn't too bright.

And you are right, cat upstairs could have heard the family and been curious, but I notice cats can REALLY be sensitive to emotion, so that one may have sensed the fear response of the cat that saw the invader.

I have done telepathy experiments with dogs I don't know. Amazing results most of the time.

Had to walk past a house with 5 really aggressive dogs (they can get that way in such a strong domestic pack). Two were rotties who were trained to guard. (Signs up all over the front fence) One was a Dobie, one was a shepherd cross and one was put together by committee. They were really hostile when one would get close to that house in the neighborhood.

Used to do visual imagery about a block before I got to that house. Picture them all calm, relaxed, lolling in the grass WITH me rubbing bellies and scritching ears. When I did that visualization, the five would be lined up along the fence, calm and happy to see me.

When I didn't do the visualization, they were crazed and throwing themselves at the chain link and snapping jaws, frothing. A-friggin-mazing. I also stopped in a place I could just watch and that was their response to anyone else going near but their owner.

Also used to go to a couple parks, stand off about 300 yards and 'think' to dog obedience classes. OK, that was mean, but fun to watch just the same ;)

One of my fav results was a nincompoop who had a wolf (yes, full blood wolf) in Tucson. Guy was a hair dresser and lived above his very private shop. Poor wolf was an only pet, and had just a small balcony to stay on during the day. He was miserable. I would think to him then got to where he was really glad to see me walking by to work and I would talk to him just a bit.

One day the fool wolf prison guard brought the wolf into the tailor shop I had. The wolf was very calm (he was good on leash and did some movie/video work) When the bored, sad beauty heard my voice, he went into full-on puppy joy mode. I got on the floor and we bumped shoulders, lowered our chests to the ground, keeping our hind ends up and 'wagging', did lots of visual language and got really silly. The owner was PISSED. "That's NOT a dog, ya know" He was really annoyed that I was not impressed with his macho and afraid of his 'pet'. He was really pissed that the wolf got attention and I completely blew him off.

"yeah, I know what this big guy is. And I know he is happy to finally get to play with me instead of just thinking about it." And I kept rolling on the floor with that poor lonely wolf. It was pure bliss.

I really wanted to take that bastard apart for keeping that beautiful animal alone and in a place it should never have to be. It was just a sad shadow of what it should have been. But that brief romp, with no fence between us, well, I will take that joy with me to the grave.

[Gonzo Gardener]

21. Great stories...

and thanks for responding to my question, havocmom! I agree that visualization/telepathy is real. I've had way too many experiences that prove it. It's normal for me. :crazy:

Poor wolf. I would have held that "nincompoop" down while you kicked him!:grr:

:pals:

[havocmom]

22. the nicompoop could have been held down with one hand

The wolf was his armor. Sad. But, I couldn't shred him cuz my momma taught me not to pick on those weaker than myself. The man had a rather shaky ego.

[Gonzo Gardener]

27. Ah, classic over-compensator.

:eyes:

[triguy46]

8. No. They are cats.

[Karenina]

20. Check the link in post #6

[amitten]

9. Yes...but your story is not an example of it.

Your story proves two things: Cats have highly-attuned senses and are hyper-aware of their surroundings...especially where predators are concerned.

That said, I know the cats I've owned are "psychic", not in the future-predicting way but in the mind-reading way. Cats definitely know what you're thinking without a word being spoken. My current cat is so in tune that I can often "think" a command at him, and he will respond physically.

[begin_within]

11. I'll tell you this much...

When I had 2 cats, and it was time to take one to the vet, I would bring the cage into the room. Normally the cage would scare any cat because they know it means travel in the car, usually to the vet. The odd thing was, I wouldn't say a word. Whichever cat needed to go to the vet would somehow know and bolt from the room, or go under the bed. The cat who didn't need to go would just sit there on the bed acting bored. I don't know how they could tell which one I wanted to put in the cage, without me saying anything, but somehow they both knew.

[SPKrazy]

12. Animals sense things we don't

I guess that might constitute "psychic"

however, maybe we all are capable of more but are just entrained in the senses that we learn :shrug:

hell i don't know

:P

[Orsino]

15. No.

Or my cat wouldn't have taken a huge steaming dump in the hall last night when company was over.

[YDogg]

28. heh

[Akoto]

16. Might be. I mean, remember Death Cat? n/t

[Kutjara]

17. No, it's just that we humans are so oblivious...

...to the world outside our own heads, we fail to pick up the subtle clues that animals, living in the moment, do. So we think they're psychic or magical, when in fact, we're just obtuse.

[kentauros]

18. Rupert Sheldrake has studied this pretty extensibly.

Read the following articles and I think you'll get your answer :)

The Unexplained Powers Of Animals
THE N'KISI PROJECT

[Justpat]

23. Yes,

read "The Language of Miracles", by Amelia Kinkade.

great book for anyone who loves and/or lives with animals.

Even if you never try communicating with your pet, this book is
worth reading just for the stories.

[applegrove]

25. I had a cat that saved my ass a few times. Though it wasn't psychic

power just her natural instincts. I also had a cat who tried to get me to go into the closet just as a hurricane was arriving (I had been out taking pictures of the storm surge in the hours before it was supposed to make land and had just returned home). That cat was beside itself meowing and trying to herd me into a safe place.