Is there a ghoulish ghosty hovering in your kitchen corner just beyond your sight?
Some people believe that cats are staring at spirits when they fixate on a wall that seemingly has nothing of interest to offer them.
But the truth is your kitchen is not haunted (well, probably not, anyway). So why do cats stare at walls?
That’s right, their ears perk up at sounds we don’t notice. It’s not unheard of for cat owners to discover a nest of rodents or raccoons behind a wall their precious pet was focusing on, believe it or not.
If it isn’t crawling critters they’re catching wind of, they may hear a familiar sound like a family member’s car arriving home. Or they could simply be trying to understand an unknown sound and figure out what it is.
Much better, to be frank. Their peripheral vision alone is 200 degrees compared to our 180 degrees, and they can see ultraviolet light as well as other wavelengths that we can’t.
So perhaps they’re watching dust particles floating through the air, or a tiny insect buzzing around lazily. Sometimes what they find interesting is all but unseen to us.
The brains of our kitty companions are wired differently from ours. Sometimes they experience somewhat of a reboot where they freeze mid-action and appear to be working something out.
Subscribe to The Discerning Cat Newsletter and we'll send you a free 50 page ebook Why Do Cats…. Common Cat Behaviours Explained