Can Cats Sense Earthquakes Before They Happen? What Science Says

Some cat owners report that their cats can detect earthquakes. Every time there is an earthquake, there are often a few reports of cats that had strange behaviors right before. Once the earthquake happens, these behaviors may be interpreted as the cat knowing the earthquake was about to happen.

However, there isn’t any scientific evidence that this is the case. This behavior is very difficult to study, of course. We don’t know when earthquakes are about to happen, so figuring out if cats can detect them is almost impossible.

There are several theories as to why cats may be able to sense earthquakes just before they happen. One is that the cat may be able to detect slight changes in their environment that happen right before an earthquake hits. For instance, they may feel changes in air pressure or the earth’s magnetic field. Another theory is that felines can feel the vibrations that come just before the earthquake that humans are not able to detect.

However, it is important to note that many animals, including dogs and birds, have also been said to exhibit strange behavior before earthquakes, and the scientific evidence for these claims is generally lacking.

What Does the Science Say?

While there hasn’t been much research in this area, there have been a few studies involving cats sensing earthquakes.

One study analyzed video footage of cat behavior before and after a series of earthquakes.¹ The study found that cats tend to be more active right before earthquakes and less active afterward. However, this could be due to other factors besides earthquake prediction.

In studies, it is nearly impossible to determine the intent of an animal’s actions. We can’t exactly ask them, after all.

How Do Cats Act When an Earthquake Is Coming?

Anecdotal reports often state that cats become restless or start to hide right before an earthquake hits. The feline may become nervous or more aggressive than usual. Excessive meowing is also reported. Other owners have reported that their cats are still and silent before an earthquake, which may lead the owners to believe that they sensed the earthquake would happen.

Still, other cats may try to escape the area. It seems that the reported behavior varies a lot.

Of course, just because your cat displays these behaviors doesn’t mean an earthquake is coming. Cats may meow, hide, or become aggressive for all sorts of different reasons. It doesn’t necessarily mean that an earthquake is about to happen.

Even if cats can feel earthquakes before we can, they don’t necessarily make the best prediction tools.

Conclusion

There is no scientific evidence that cats can detect earthquakes before they happen. One study found that cats may exhibit a slight change in behavior before and after earthquakes. However, this isn’t necessarily because they’re predicting the earthquake. It may also be because of the actual earthquake.

There are lots of reports of cats (and other animals) acting strangely right before an earthquake happens, leading their owners to believe that they felt the earthquake. However, as of now, we don’t have any scientific evidence to back this up.

Featured Photo Credit: Marie-Claude Lemay, Shutterstock