Can Cats Sense When Something Is Wrong – The Facts!

As a cat owner, I often feel a deeper connection with my cat than her just being my pet. She truly feels like a best friend and confidant because of the emotional connection I feel with her. Sometimes it is as if she can already sense if I am feeling down and comes to snuggle me in an attempt to make me feel better. I have always thought it was all in my head; can cats sense when something is wrong?

Yes, cats can sense when something is wrong. Cats can detect ailments, diseases, and even sudden changes in mood. Through sensory cells, cats are able to understand scents and associate it with certain behaviors and situations.

Here is everything I have learned cats can sense and how you can better understand your pet too!

What Can Cats Sense

Cats already have an incredible sense when it comes to hearing, seeing, and smelling. I am sure you have seen your cat’s ears spin around in every direction to hear noises you can’t even hear. Below is a list of what cats can sense:

• fear
• imminent death
• emotional turmoil
• negative energy
• changes in air pressure
• natural disasters

Cats can also smell something with their mouth slightly open. They do this because of a collection of sensory cells on the roofs of their mouths, so when they sniff something with their mouth open, they get a better understanding of the scent.

Of course, being the little predators that they are, cats also have incredible vision and can see very well at night. But, besides this sense, what else can cats sense?

Due to their incredible intuition and innate survival instincts, cats have developed the ability to sense different human emotions around them.

These incredible senses are why several cultures revere, or even worship, cats. Various cultures have seen the high level of intuition cats have and have treated them with respect as highly developed beings. 

Can Cats Sense Human Anxiety

Cats can sense human anxiety. Cats themselves live in somewhat of a state of anxiety, always watching for predators, which is why they have such keen survival instincts.

Since they are aware of this anxiety within themselves, they can feel it in humans as well. If their owner’s body language is expressing anxious thoughts, cats will be able to pick up on that. 

The unfortunate aspect of cats sensing human anxiety is that they can start to mirror our actions. If we are feeling anxious, it means that they might need to be anxious about something as well.

Cats living with chronically anxious owners have often been found to be overweight or experiencing other medical issues. At the same time, cats with less anxious owners tend to be more healthy and active.

Part of this is because owners may not take care of their cats and should if they are dealing with anxiety themselves. Anxiety easily clouds the mind, and, understandably, some things can slip through the cracks.

The other part of this is that cats do form an emotional connection with us. While they may do their best to try and comfort us in our anxious moments, they can start to feel anxious as well, so it’s essential to create a comfortable environment for both you and your cat to relax.

Can Cats Smell Death

Cats can smell death. However, it is usually their intuition that notifies them of impending death, rather than them smelling it.

When it comes to “smelling” death, cats can smell when there has been a change in odor in someone, which could result from an illness leading to death.

Moreso, it is their strong intuition that shows them signs of death. Cats can detect weakness or changes in body temperature that could indicate death. They also pay attention to body language and can tell when someone’s body language has changed and seems weaker.

Cats are incredible at tuning their intuition to sense biological, bodily, and environmental changes in their environment. 

This intuition is so strong that cats can sense the impending death of their owners or themselves. Because of this, some facilities will use cats to comfort terminal patients and also as a way to be notified of when the death is coming.

Cats in these facilities will lay with the patient sometimes as early as a day before they pass away to comfort them and help them relax.

When they sense it within themselves, they start to withdraw from their usual activities. It is often that cats will run away from home to find somewhere cool and dark to pass away in private. 

Can Cats Sense When You’re Sad

Cats can sense when you are sad and may even try to make you feel better. Like most pets, cats can be trained to understand your facial expressions and tone of voice.

Even if you are not purposefully training them, after they have lived with you long enough, they will be able to tell the difference between when you are sad or happy.

If they are used to receiving treats and pets when you are happy, they are more likely to hang out around you when you are in a good mood.

If you distance yourself from your cat when you are sad and don’t give them treats, they will most likely stay away from you when they can tell you are in a bad mood.

However, some cats will come to help you feel better. In their litter’s cats will lay close to one another and purr if they can sense that one of their littermates is sick or injured.

This purring and closeness creates a warm, gentle vibration that can help to alleviate pain. Cats purr in a frequency that helps to promote tissue regeneration, so they are helping if you are injured, and they do this!

I have always been one to snuggle and give my cat lots of kisses when I am feeling sad, so she has become trained to spend time with me when I am feeling this way. Before I even have to look for her, she will find me, cuddle up in my lap, and start purring until I feel better.

Can Cats Sense Bad Energy

Since cats have such incredible intuition, they can sense bad energy. This seems strange to say since energy is not tangible; it is more of a vibe. But, cats have what seems to be a superpower to sense the changes in energy and identifying when it is bad.

Cats can usually tell when someone is dangerous, and this activates their fight or flight reflexes. They then will either lash out and scratch or hiss at the dangerous individual. Or they will flee the scene and hide in the safest spot they can find.

This is also their reaction if they can sense that someone is not necessarily dangerous but does not like cats. Some of this has to do with the individual’s body language and how they are physically reacting to the cat’s presence. A lot of it is just a sense that they have to protect themselves.

They can also sense when their owner has bad energy. Even though they know you are not dangerous and that you like them, they can still tell when your energy is more negative than usual.

If stress affects you and makes your energy “bad,” they can tell from your body language and facial expressions. In instances where they sense bad energy from their owner, their fight or flight instincts may kick in.

However, they may also attempt to help you relax because they know you do not always have bad energy. They want to help you get back to a place of having good, positive energy. 

Can My Cat Tell If I’m Depressed

Cats can tell if you are depressed for several reasons. One reason is their intuition. They have something within them that helps them to be more in tune with the world than most creatures.

So if something is off with you, even if you do not show it physically, they will be able to tell. Another reason is if you do show physical signs of depression, they will be able to see that.

Cats have a very strong vision and a more robust understanding of what is going on around them than most people realize. When you are depressed, your body language changes, your tone of voice is different, and your hygiene habits may change.

Cats will take note of these changes in your routine and deduce that you are feeling depressed. These routines are yet another reason why cats can tell you are depressed.

Change in your routine often changes their routine as well. If you feel depressed, you may take some extra time to sleep and won’t wake up as early as you usually do to feed your cat.

Or maybe a few more days go by in between litterbox cleanings because you can’t motivate yourself to do it. Cats especially notice when changes to their daily routines happen, and with their intuition, they can understand that you are depressed.

What Do Cats Do When You’re Sad

Cats will typically react one of two ways when you are sad. How they determine which behavior to take is entirely based on how you treat them when you are sad.

First, they may distance themselves from you. This is usually because you distance yourself from them when you are feeling sad. Your cat becomes trained to understand that when you are feeling sad, you need to be alone.

Or maybe you have snapped at your cat when you feel sad, and they fear being yelled at. It can also be as simple as they notice they don’t get treats or special attention when you are sad, so they don’t see a reason to be around you.

Second, they may try their best to comfort you. This happens because you have sought out your cat when you are sad to spend time with them. If they associate your sadness with cuddles and kisses, they will gravitate towards you when they can tell you are sad.

Cats feed off your emotions and often mirror how you behave, so they want you to be happy in general. When they sense that you are feeling sad, they might start to feel sad themselves. This then compels them to try and make you feel better so they can feel better as well.

Things To Consider

Not many people know this, but cats can also sense when you are pregnant! This is usually because of their keen sense of smell. When you become pregnant, your body goes through drastic hormonal changes, and cats can smell these changes.

Once the baby develops a heartbeat, they can also hear it. Then there is also the physical change you go through and how this changes your body language. They can pick up on all of these cues to understand that you are pregnant.

Especially if they have been pregnant before, your cat will be more in tune with the upcoming changes and will sense your pregnancy maybe before even you know. Your cat will get excited to welcome a new member to their family.