Cats are the most popular pet on the planet. We love them, we look at them on the Internet, we tell stories about them and we start at home. But do we know everything about them? What secrets do our pets hide?
There are many superstitions about the mysterious powers of cats. They are credited with: nine lives, the ability to heal people's diseases and even a connection with the other world. We decided to check the most common myths and understand what is true and what is common fiction.
The incredible survivability of cats: a plane crash in 2011
I remember how my grandmother told me that cats are very tenacious creatures. They can fall from the fifth floor and not break. Of course, I have not tried to conduct experiments, but still I have heard more than once about this ability of the baleen. And quite recently I came across such a story.
On July 11, 2011, a fire was recorded on the AN-24 flight Tomsk - Surgut. The plane needed to land urgently, and the pilot made an emergency landing on the Ob River. Some of the victims were saved. There was a cat on that flight, which was not found as a result of searches.
Photo: TASS / Zurab Javakhadze
The wreckage of the plane began to rise from the water only after eight days. When it came to the cockpit, that same lost cat named Daisy jumped out. She fled into the forest and came to the people only after a month and a half.
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In that plane crash, the cat Daisy risked death more than once: she could break on the bars of the cage at the time of a hard landing, drown in the water, she could die of hunger in a flooded liner or while wandering through the forest. But she managed to avoid all this. Maybe cats really have nine lives?
This is a real story from life, and I will not judge whether it is an accident or not.
Energy power of cats
They say that cats have a strong energy. Let's try to look at the pet from the point of view of extrasensory perception.
Photo: YAY / TASS
“A cat is an energetic substance, invisible to us, trembling, of a very high discharge, high frequency, that is, energy goes back and forth, this is not 220 volts in today's digital representation. Probably, this is somewhere in the thousand volts. And this energy substance, of thousands of volts, has eyes at the top that radiate this energy in a living stream,”says psychic Arina Evdokimova.
The energy clot, which is a cat, cannot be destroyed, the psychic believes. This is where those nine lives come from. Falling from a great height, falling into situations on the verge of life and death, the animal simply reincarnates. It goes without saying that the human eye cannot see it.
The Institute for Ecology and Evolution studies the habits of all felines. Zoologist Anastasia Antonevich says that the reason for the vitality of cats lies in the basis of their behavior before they became domestic. That is, the conditions of the wild, in which they were for a long time, clearly reflected in the genetic code of the animal. This is why cats are so highly adapted to survival.
Cat Anatomy: The Key to Strength
There are 247 bones in the skeleton of a cat, 41 more than in humans. Most of the parts are found in the spine and tail. Thanks to this, the animal can bend twice and roll over 180 degrees even in flight.
Why does a cat always land on its paws?
A whole system works here: the inner ear, brain, muscles and spine. When the cat falls, it turns its head, and the liquid that fills its inner ear acts on the millions of sensitive hairs located on the long and elongated cochlea. So information about the position of the body in space is transmitted to the brain, and we see how the animal lands on its paws.
The ability to go without food for a long time
The same vitality, as well as the ability to go without food for a long time, cats have received thanks to evolution and lifestyle.
Photo: m24.ru / Tatyana Ukhanova
For predators, in principle, it is characteristic to be able to hunt and eat from time to time, cats are no exception.
But how do domestic, thoroughbred, spoiled cats find food in the forest, because in the wild, the ability to hunt is passed on to them by their parents?
Interestingly, every cat knows how to hunt mice. It is an instinct or program that is laid down by the evolution of the entire species. But to hunt rats, for example, an animal can learn only if it is taught by its mother. The art of hunting is passed down from the older generation to the younger.
Do cats sense death?
Scientists have been asking this question for a long time. The line between something mythical and links with the other world in cats is very vague.
In the American hospice Steere House lives a cat named Oscar. He does not like people very much and usually hides somewhere in the back rooms. But what is interesting is that he appears at the patient's bed a few hours before his death. This was noticed by the staff of the medical institution. Oscar the cat lives in the ward for the mentally ill. These are people who are in dire need of support. But, unfortunately, when they leave for another world, their beds are rarely surrounded by family and friends. Oscar the cat is most often their only escort.
Photo: TASS / YAY / Denise Poloni
“There were situations when we had several people dying at the same time. One incident is recalled when we had two such people on opposite sides of the department. We all thought one of them would die, but Oscar was nowhere to be found. We looked for him and found him on someone else's bed. One of the nurses took him and carried him into the hallway, but Oscar ran away and went back to that patient. And he was right: that patient died. And the one about whom we all thought he would die lived for several more days. But a couple of days before that Oscar came to him too,”says geriatrician David Dosa.
Why can cats feel death? Those who speak from the "magic" side of the issue say that animals can see the human soul. Moreover, both inside the material shell and outside it. A cat, from the point of view of psychics, is able to move from one world to another and communicate with the deceased relatives of the owner. Even in Ancient Russia, our ancestors noticed the ability of cats to foresee death. Many witchcraft rituals are based on this feature.
Cat eyes
A cat's eyes are disproportionately large in relation to her body size. Their sensitivity is seven times higher than that of humans.
Behind the retina of the cat's eye, there is a special reflective layer that resembles shiny fish scales. It reflects light and returns to the retina, which allows the cat to see much better than humans, especially in the dark. Also, cats are able to see in the infrared and ultraviolet spectrum, which is inaccessible to the human eye.
Hearing
Cats have exceptional hearing and can even sense vibrations. It is possible that animals can hear the processes that take place inside a person and somehow react to them. Maybe that's why the cat Oscar came to patients shortly before his death?
Foresight: Cats Save Man
Scientists have long proven that cats can sense vibrations in the earth's crust. The story of how the pets saved the artist Dmitry Kuklachev is not new, but very interesting.
Photo: TASS / Interpress / Elena Palm / DESC
2004 year. Dmitry Kuklachev was on tour in Japan.
The cat's behavior was not a mystery to the translator who was nearby. This always happens before a powerful seismic attack. He immediately ordered Kuklachev to run away from the theater building.
And suddenly three powerful shocks of strength 6 and 8 shook the earth. People rushed to the asphalt, covering their heads with their hands. At this time, the cats were torn from their hands and tried to throw themselves to safety. The shaking stopped after a few hours. When Dmitry returned to the theater building, the hall was completely destroyed.
And this is not the only time cats have saved people.
Feline therapy: treatment with cats
I remember how as a child I had a bad stomach ache. My beloved cat Musya lay down on him and lay for about half an hour. The pain was gone, and then the cat ran away about its business. I don't know what it was connected with, warmth or something else, but she helped me. It turns out that there is a whole system of treatment for cats called feline therapy.
Photo: TASS Patrick Seeger / DPA
The most common questions that are asked for therapy are the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular disease, pressure and depression.
Why does a cat lie down on sore spots?
There is also an explanation for this from the point of view of official medicine.
Purr
Scientists have not yet revealed the secret of the purr itself. In the wild, felines make such sounds extremely rarely and only when communicating with newborn kittens. Mother, rumbling, licks them. When the offspring grows up, the predator is no longer capable of such tenderness. She can't bring herself to purr on purpose. So why does a domestic cat love to purr so much? Does she perceive the owner as her own child and take care of him? For zoologists, this is still a mystery.
Cats and evil spirits
Why is a cat often associated with evil spirits in folk omens?
Sudden aggression in cats is caused by increased sensitivity. In their corners of the nose is located an additional organ, which even scientists sometimes call the "third eye". This is the organ of Jacobson. He is able to capture pheromones and distinguish hormones by smell. This explains the apparent emotional susceptibility of cats. When the owner is happy, the pet seems to support him. But in fact, this is how she reacts to the hormone endorphin. Cats actually have a very limited emotional spectrum.
The belief that cats are possessed turned out to be a myth. Any aggression in an animal is caused by something. Indeed, in every Murka, even if she never leaves the apartment, there is a wild predator. And almost all miracles can be explained by the increased sensitivity that nature has endowed them with.
We love them anyway
Despite some of the myths and connections with supernatural forces, we still love these beautiful animals. They are amazing and graceful, they have their own character and charm. If you have a cat, then most likely she is part of you and your family. Love your animals!