Can Cats Sense Natural Disasters?

Stories abound of strange behavior among animals -- cats, dogs, chickens, cows and fish among them -- before natural disasters. Whether it was before an earthquake in China or the Indian Ocean tsunami, people reported fleeing behavior among a variety of animals. It's natural to wonder if Kitty has a sixth sense for natural disasters.

  1. Animals Lead the Way

    • In 1975, Haicheng, China, a city of 1 million, experienced a 7.3-magnitude earthquake. The city experienced foreshocks for days and months prior to the quake, and behavior of local animals in the days before was telling. Snakes came out of hibernation in the middle of winter to flee, people witnessed restless behavior among animals -- and the city took notice. Haicheng evacuated just days before the disaster, potentially saving more than 100,000 lives. The animals of Haicheng may have been responding simply to foreshocks that everyone felt, or foreshocks that humans couldn't perceive. Whatever the case, the animals responded first, and people followed their lead.

    Science Says Coincidence

    • Many scientists shy away from the theory of animals as predictors of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or other disasters. They point to events such as the Haicheng earthquake and the Indian Ocean tsunami as being anecdotal evidence, and attribute reports of unusual animal behavior to a psychological focusing effect, whereby people recall strange behavior after the accident. Naysayers also note animals who flee and survive disasters such as a tsunami are often good swimmers or tree climbers.

    Toads May Offer Insight

    • A 2009 earthquake gave researchers pause after they noticed a colony of toads abandoned its home days before an earthquake in Italy. After studying the area, the research team found that stressed rocks released charged particles that reacted with the groundwater. Scientists believe the toads were sensitive to changes in the groundwater chemistry and left the pond. This opens the possibility that cats and other pets may be able to sense subtle changes in the environment as toads can.

    Good Listening Skills

    • Some disasters, such as avalanches, earthquakes and tsunamis, are accompanied by extremely low frequency rumbles, known as "infrasound." Infrasound can travel long distances through water, air and earth. Disasters can produce high frequency sounds, such as those caused by rock fractures. Kitty's superior hearing allows her to perceive a wide variety of pitches and tones. A cat may hear an unfamiliar noise that makes her ill at ease; if she doesn't know what it is or where it's from, she may not like it and may cry, pace or act restless.

    Sixth Sense or Good Sense

    • Though science is getting better at understanding environmental changes preceding disasters, many unknowns exist. What is known is that Kitty's senses are much more highly developed than humans'. In addition to great hearing, her sense of smell is about 15 times better than yours, and her whiskers detect changes in air current. Though science is still learning what happens in the air before a tornado strikes or a quake shakes the ground, it's possible Kitty's innate senses can pick up hints before you do. Though she'll never be the local weather reporter, Kitty's keen senses may give a clue when something's about to happen.