[Paul Anderson]

Paul Anderson  asked the Naked Scientists:

Hi Chris and team,

We have been told to expect a storm across NZ this afternoon. Our cat seems to have gone crazy this morning. Instead of rubbing up against my leg, it was in the kitchen and suddenly darted through the lounge and into the conservatory. The next morment it was darting somewhere else. I was at the kitchen sink a moment ago and the cat is now outside and it darted from east to west across the lawn. Is it likely to be feeling something connected with the approaching storm?
Do storms have any electromagnetic component?

Regards

Paul

What do you think?

[paul.fr]

Can my cat detect a storm approaching?

I may have missed it, but you never said if you actuality had a storm, only that one was forecast.

Cats have a long history with weather folklore, one of those is their ability to predict stormy weather.

If I remember correctly the most commonly held idea is that the cats can feel / sense the change in air pressure, it is also said that cats have very sensitive hearing and that they can hear the rumbles of distant thunder.

I know nothing about cats, so I can not say whether this is true or not.

[LeeE]

I once asked a cat about this very subject and it said 'meow'.  Mind you, it said that to everything else I asked it too.  The only conclusion I could come to was that 'meow' probably means "I'm sorry but if I told you the answer to that I'd have to kill you".

[dentstudent]

Please can you quantify exactly how you determined that you cat had gone crazy? In my experience, "crazy cat" is somewhat tautological.....

[rosalind dna]

Yes, cats can tell when a storm is coming as their senses are
hyper-sensitive compared to human senses, along with their
hearing, sense of smell etc.

Anyway my 2 cats alwaays go berserk or hide in corners or just
come to me. Even playfight more aggressively than they normally do.

[Pumblechook]

Sounds like a load of twaddle.

[rosalind dna]

Sounds like a load of twaddle.

No it's not and when did you last observe an animal or someone's pet during a thunderstorm?

[Pumblechook]

'During' is a different matter.   

[rosalind dna]

'During' is a different matter.  

Of course. But then, Pumblechook, I happen to know my cats very well