Mary Allen
Cats really are amazing animals: many owners have tales to tell of their house tigers traveling miles to find their way home. But how do our house tigers actually do it?
One thing is clear: our cats have a great sense of direction and know-how to use it. Even stories of cats who got lost on vacation and found their way home from an unfamiliar city are circulating in the world of cat owners. The interaction of eyes and ears is mainly used for orientation.
This is How Cats Find Their Way Home
Cats hear much better than their humans and also find their way around better in the dark. When they go on tour, much of their orientation is based on familiar sounds, which they can associate with stored memories of their surroundings.
To refine their orientation, they are aided by the volume of the various sounds around them, which can even be used to estimate the distance from one place to another.
Nevertheless, It Is Important to Take Good Care of the Pets
Of course, a cat’s good sense of direction is no guarantee that it will always find its way home. Not only the distance of the route plays a role, but also how strongly the animal has already been influenced by its home and how well it knows how to trust its senses. That’s why you should of course always take good care of your beloved pet – after all, traveling long distances can also be dangerous for cats, for example, if they have to cross large streets.
In addition, a cat’s sense of direction only works when the velvet paw knows its home really well and sees it as such: If you are moving the cat, for example, you should definitely wait at least six to eight weeks before you let your pet out. Also, if you go on holiday with your cat, be sure to leave it indoors for its own good: it might try to run home!