Why Do Cats Gag at Combs?

The Discerning Cat

Have you seen a viral video that’s been going around of a cat gagging when its owner runs their nails over a comb?

The Discerning Cat

This type of cat behavior might have you scratching your head, but it turns out there’s a perfectly good explanation for it.

The Discerning Cat

Let’s explore the question “why do cats gag at combs?” and examine other noises your feline friends might not appreciate.

Why Do Cats Gag at Combs?

The reason a cat gags at a comb most likely has to do with their sensitive hearing. Cats are natural predators. They prey on small creatures, like mice and rats.

Why do Cats Gag at Combs? Cat Hearing

These rodents use ultrasonic sounds to communicate. For this reason, cats are very sensitive to high-pitched sounds; it helps them locate their prey.

Humans and cats share the same lower hearing limit, which is about 20 Hz. However, a cat’s upper limits of hearing go far beyond what a human can hear.

A cat can pick up sounds up to 64,000 Hz, whereas a human can only hear frequencies up to 20,000 Hz. That means a cat can hear three times better than a human can.

Think about it this way; would you enjoy it if someone did something that caused you to gag? Probably not. So although it might seem funny at the time, your furry friend probably doesn’t appreciate it.

Is a Cat Gagging at a Comb Harmless?

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