For many centuries, including today, people have believed that cats see ghosts and ghosts. This is often due to unusual behavior of pets, which is difficult to explain otherwise. But are hard-to-explain events some kind of magic, and can cats really see ghosts?
Excursion into history
Representatives of the cat family have been endowed with supernatural abilities since the Egyptians managed to tame them. Initially, cats were bred for the purpose of exterminating rodents, but subsequently cats turned into objects of worship. Cats were reputed to be the personification of the goddess of beauty, hearth and fertility. Their cult still exists to some extent in Egypt.
Special vision
In many religious systems, these animals served as guides to the world of the dead or were companions of spirits and deities. Since ancient times, the magical ability of cats to see not only ghosts, but also, in general, another world hidden from us by a layer of reality, was explained by the peculiarities of vision of these animals - the unique ability to see in the dark and the magical glow of their eyes. After all, an animal with such unusual vision cannot help but observe something irrational!
However, from a scientific point of view, this phenomenon is explained quite simply. On the surface of a cat's eyes there are special photoreceptors, much larger in number than in humans - they are what allow the cat's eyes to see in the dark. The glow is due to the presence of a special “reflector”, thanks to which the light is used with maximum benefit, and is not absorbed by the retina, as in humans.
In the Middle Ages, Christians perceived the cult of the cat as proof of its closeness to dark forces, so animals, especially black ones, began to be destroyed.
As a result, ideas about the peculiarities of a cat’s vision and the mystical nature of the “sacred animal” traditionally overlap one another. However, at some point even ardent skeptics who are directly related to science may believe that their cat saw a ghost.
Scientific evidence behind cat oddities
So, do cats have supernatural powers? Scientists say yes. However, they are supernatural only for us, and for many animals they are the norm. First of all, we are talking about :
- hearing;
- smell.
© shutterstock
Cats are actually able to hear sounds and smell much better than humans. After all, they once lived in the wild, and no one brought them food on a plate. To hunt, you had to have good ears and nose.
Therefore, when a cat sits motionless for a long time and it seems to us that she sees a ghost, the animal simply listens to the rustling of a mouse somewhere in the basement or attic. If he suddenly takes off and runs somewhere, perhaps it is just a chase after game, the smell of which has reached the sensitive nose of the furry predator.
Mystical signs have absolutely nothing to do with it. At least so far, scientists have not found evidence of the ability to see them (as well as evidence of the existence of ghosts).
Why do they think cats see ghosts?
All owners from time to time notice absurdities in the behavior of their pets. Some are inclined to explain the strangeness precisely by the fact that the cats saw a ghost. “Inappropriate” behavior of animals, when there seems to be no object of attention, manifests itself in the following:
- They arch their backs, snort, raise their tails straight up, and jump;
- look intently at one point without moving;
- they begin to hiss and run out of the room as fast as they can;
- they play happily with something, running around the room, but there is no toy in their paws;
- they get scared, look around or run away as if someone is chasing them;
- avoid a certain place in the house (corner, piece of furniture, etc.).
Are you familiar with such situations? Don’t rush to immediately look for reasons for cats’ behavior in the otherworldly realm. Modern science tends to explain the overwhelming number of such cases quite simply and logically.
Smell and hearing
If you are sure that your cat sees ghosts, what we categorically do not recommend doing is immediately contacting psychics. Remember that in addition to her unusual vision, she has very acute hearing. When hunting for mice, a cat relies primarily on sounds from the movements of its intended prey. The human ear is unable to detect this faint sound, but in our smaller brothers the hunting instinct is triggered.
In addition, our pets are endowed with an amazing sense of smell. In addition to the nose, cats, as scientists have proven, have a so-called “Jacobson's organ”, which is located on the palate. With the help of this “device” our pets sense odors at a great distance. In most cases, this explains the seeming oddities in the behavior of pets.
The third explanation for the “strange” actions of felines lies in their character. Even adults are prone to games and the desire to have fun in those moments when it becomes boring. Therefore, jumping, snorting, hissing, etc. may be just a game element.
Experiments by Luciano Boccone
Wait a minute to swear, romantically minded people!
Of course, cats are absolutely divine animals, and therefore there is a lot of mysticism and the otherworldly in scientific circles. In particular, back in the 80s, the Italian research scientist Luciano Boccone gathered a whole team of enthusiasts and built a laboratory on a hill near Arenzano, about the mystical properties of which the residents of the surrounding villages composed entire legends. Using a large amount of photographic equipment filled with infrared film, as well as sound recording and geophysical instruments, he and his fellow scientists for three years, several hours a day, recorded readings from those places and at the time where and when cats began to behave strangely , including looking into space and being afraid of something invisible to the human eye. Underground bunker - shelter concept for the next global crisis
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Luciano Boccone obtained truly stunning results: in the vast majority of cases, in the resulting images one could see certain entities whose nature was completely unknown to science. With their outlines and shape, they looked like ghosts and even some kind of fantastic animals, and their sizes could vary from a small coin to an entire stadium.
Impressive, isn't it? And this is by no means REN TV.
Maybe it really is the ghosts
The son of the famous director of the Cat Theater Yuri Kuklachev, Dmitry Kuklachev, does not wonder why cats see ghosts, but he does not doubt their paranormal abilities. The artist spoke about his confidence in an interview.
Once on tour with Dmitry’s cats, an amazing thing happened. During the rehearsal, the animals did not look at the artist giving commands, but at a completely different point. It turned out to be an ordinary white column, next to which, at first glance, there was nothing unusual. During the performance the situation did not change, and the performance was almost disrupted. Later, Dmitry Kuklachev was told that one day a crow flew into this hall and died near that same white column.
There is also a famous story about a grandmother and her cat. The woman lived with her pet for a long time until she died. Her grandson and his family moved into the apartment. The cat behaved friendly and quiet with its new owners. But when the next anniversary of the death of his beloved owner came, the animal sat for hours at the front door and looked at her.
From time to time the cat meowed, as if he was having a conversation with someone. The new residents noticed the pet’s unusual behavior and, thanks to this, never forgot about the anniversary of their grandmother’s death.
However, there is no evidence in modern science that cats see ghosts, and it is worth noting that all these cases may have completely natural explanations. Therefore, it’s everyone’s personal choice whether to believe mysticism or not. Perhaps a video will help you confirm your opinion and answer the question of whether cats see ghosts.
Fluffy Ghost Smokey
In May 1912, the Society for Physical Research published a terrible story. An elderly woman had a beautiful Persian cat, Smokey. One day she was severely mutilated by a dog - the animal’s ribs and paws were damaged. Death was painful and long - the cat was in severe pain. The woman's gardener buried the animal's corpse not far from the house.
3 weeks have passed since the funeral. Smokey's owner and her sister were having breakfast in the living room when they saw the cat calmly strolling across the lawn. She looked shabby - her fur was matted, and Smokey herself limped badly. The women could not be mistaken - this was their favorite cat.
They ran out into the yard and tried to catch the animal to give it milk, but to no avail - after a couple of minutes, Smokey disappeared without a trace. The frustrated gardener listened to the frightened women's story and even dug up the animal's grave to convince them that the pet was dead. From that moment on, no one ever saw Smokey again.
There are many other stories from owners of deceased cats. All eyewitnesses say that they were very homesick for their pets, and soon saw ghosts. Apparently, this is how the four-legged cats wanted to calm their owners and say goodbye to them. The ghosts appeared once or twice and then disappeared forever.
Why do cats return to earth as ghosts? Perhaps they want to warn people about danger? Or do they miss their owner so much that even death cannot prevent them from meeting their loved one? Alas, we will not know the answer to this question. These cases cannot be verified or explained, but also refuted. We can only guess...
If similar stories have happened to you or someone you know, please share with us!
Other signs
The most interesting thing is that the cat does not even realize that its manners, gestures and behavior play such a role in the life of the owner. Still, a cat is an animal; it has the natural instincts necessary to survive in the wild.
Therefore, some of her habits can tell us about the weather and other phenomena:
- The nose is hidden under the paw for a reason; it’s getting colder;
- Before warming, the animal sleeps with its belly up;
- If a cat hides in a blanket or sleeps under a radiator, a cold snap is imminent;
- Scratches the floor - indicates windy weather;
- Constantly lies down on one place with the owner: stomach, chest, legs - expect illness here;
- pesters a pregnant woman - labor will begin soon;
It is believed that cats sense human energy. If an animal is affectionate towards guests: asking to be held, cuddled to their feet, then they came with good intentions. If he runs away from them or hisses, expect a catch.
The mustachioed friend is an assistant in literally everything. But to see signs in his every movement is to doom yourself to a restless life. Love your pets, treat them with full responsibility, then they will give you affection, joy, comfort, keep you company and you won’t care what cats see: ghosts or brownies, because they are already a member of your family and a friend.
Video: What can cats see?
In this video, Alexey Trekhlebov will tell you what cats can see that people cannot:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5DU1M2388Rc
Another opinion
Despite the fact that a scientific basis has been found for most of the cat’s oddities, people still cannot clearly explain some things. That's why thoughts about ghosts creep in.
Many true stories testify to a cat’s ability to sense and see the dead. For example, one elderly woman had a cat for a long time, and then this lady died, and children and grandchildren moved into her house. Time passed, and relatives began to notice that every year on the day of the old woman’s death, the pet sits at the door of her room and stares at one point for a long, long time.
Many people are simply sure that cats communicate with the dead, because they notice: in the first days after the death of a person, you literally cannot kick the animal out of the room where he lived and died. Despite the fact that before this it could almost never appear there. Although, according to the Christian religion, the soul does not immediately leave the earth.
People don’t see her, but cats feel the presence of a ghost and communicate with him in some special, unknown language. You can also recall the ability of fluffies to anticipate various disasters: fires, hurricanes, earthquakes. There are many real cases recorded around the world where cats managed to warn their owners about danger and save them.
Scientists explain this again by the good functioning of the senses. They say cats simply hear the roar of an approaching hurricane, or smell the smell of wiring that has begun to smolder long before the fire. However, many people believe that these are ghosts, caring for their loved ones, transmitting information to them through animals.
Everyone has the right to think as they want. Cats are actually very difficult. Most likely, the question of whether they see ghosts will remain open for many, many years.
Cats are intelligent creatures that hear, see, feel more than humans; they are able to communicate with each other without using sounds, understand a person’s mood, and even heal. The strange behavior of pets sometimes frightens owners. Thoughts immediately arise about the connection between cats and the other world. How to explain the animal’s gaze directed into nowhere, hissing into the void, playing with something invisible?
In Ancient Egypt, cats were considered sacred creatures, they were deified, and after death they were mummified and kept in mourning. They were believed to be guides to the other world and protectors from evil spirits. But can modern cats see ghosts?
Countless facts from history confirm that at all times people have seen a special connection between cats and the spiritual world. According to psychics, these animals see deceased relatives and are able to warn the owner about evil spirits entering the house.
On the one hand, skeptics will not allow the thought of this ability of cats, but on the other hand, psychics and ordinary people who are confident that cats with supernatural abilities can see ghosts. Of course, the existence of ghosts has not been proven, but the opposite has not been proven either. There are several features of animals that will help you understand this issue.
