Nobody ever wants to consider the possibility that their cherished cat might go missing. However, accidents do occur and doors are left open, whether it’s by kids, plumbers, or even you on a busy day with lots of distractions. Many cats do have an amazing ability to navigate home even from far away, if the worst should happen and they get lost. However, not all cats will be able to, and there are numerous risks they will face.
In this article, we’ll discuss how some cats can locate their way home, potential reasons why they might not be able to, and how you can prevent having a lost cat.
Can Cats Find Their Way Home When They’re Lost?
Researchers, experts in animal behavior, and veterinarians have long sought an answer to this question.
Science has shown us that cats are definitely better than many other animals at finding their way home. In 1922, Professor Frances Herrick published a study called “Homing Powers of the Cat.” In that study, Herrick separated a mother cat from her kittens, and found that she was able to find her way back to them seven times from distances that varied from one to four miles.
In 1954, a team of researchers in Germany conducted a similar experiment. They tested a number of cats by placing them, one at a time, in a large maze that had six evenly spaced exits. They found that the cats didn’t spend time wandering around the maze, but very quickly located an exit. What’s more is that 60 percent of the time, the cats chose an exit that faced in the direction of their home, even if it was miles away.
These studies support what we’ve already observed through anecdotal evidence: Cats frequently appear to possess a natural ability to locate their homes. However, these studies don’t explain why cats appear to be able to navigate back home so quickly when they get lost. Scientists have many theories but are still unsure about that particular aspect.
How to attract a cat back home
There are numerous other methods you can try to persuade your beloved feline friend to return home on their own if you have searched the neighborhood and haven’t been successful in finding them:
Most importantly, keep looking for your missing cat. Pet owners frequently find their missing cats days, weeks, or even months later. Even though it’s heartbreaking to be separated from your beloved pet, if your cat hasn’t come around to your attempts to entice them back, be persistent and use the advice below.
Magnetic fields
Some people think that cats can sense the magnetic field of the Earth and use that to navigate.
One theory holds that cats have iron in their inner ears, which could enable them to sense the Earth’s magnetic field and use this sense as a built-in natural compass, according to Glover.
Many animals, including pigeons, whales, and turtles, use the Earth’s magnetic field to guide them. How they do this (which brain regions are involved, for example) is largely unknown, but it’s still pretty amazing.
FAQ
Can cats sense their way home?
Cats have a much keener sense of smell than people do, and this helps them navigate their way home using scent. Cats have a sense of smell that is over 40 times stronger than that of humans, and they use their mouths’ scent-picking organs to help them find their way home. Kong told The Dodo.
Are cats better at finding their way home than dogs?
Researchers, experts in animal behavior, and veterinarians have long sought an answer to this question. Cats are undoubtedly better at locating their homes than many other animals, according to science.
Why can cats find their way home but not dogs?
With their fur and paws collecting information from their surroundings and transmitting it to their brains for processing, cats have incredibly strong senses. Finding their way home may be simpler for them than it might be for other animals because of this, along with their keen hearing and highly developed sense of smell.