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5 Strange Things Cats Can Predict, According to Vets

By Beth Ann Mayer Parade Pets

Updated May 7, 2026 5:26 AM

A cat sensing that its owner is sad and cuddling with them. Getty Images LAW Ho Ming

Cats often seem like they're one step ahead of us, reacting to changes in their environment-or even our emotions-before anything obvious happens. This has led many people to wonder if can cats predict things, what do cats sense, and why do cats act strangely before changes in weather, illness, or daily routines. While it can feel like cats have almost mystical abilities, veterinarians say there are real scientific explanations behind their behavior.

"While cats may sometimes seem to have a 'spooky' sixth sense for things, their ability to detect things that we can't-or don't-is usually the result of highly specialized sensory abilities and a brain wired for pattern recognition," says Dr. Margo Hennet, DVM, the senior veterinary genetics manager of Wisdom Panel. "They have superior senses, such as highly attuned hearing and great sensitivity to vibrations and atmospheric pressure."

In reality, cats aren't predicting the future, they're detecting subtle changes in sound, scent, air pressure, and human behavior long before we consciously notice them. These heightened senses can make their reactions seem almost uncanny.

To separate fact from fiction, here are five of the many strange things that cats can predict-and that are actually backed up by science and veterinarians.

5 Strange Things Your Cat Can Predict-According to Vets

There are a few surprising things your cat may seem to sense, but it's not because they have special powers. Here's what two veterinarians say cats may be responding to-and why it can look like they're forecasting these five things.

1. Earthquakes

One strange thing your cat can predict are earthquakes. Cats may be able to sense earthquakes before humans feel a single tremor, according to veterinarians and animal behavior experts. While they can't predict disasters in a conscious way, their highly sensitive hearing and vibration detection may allow them to pick up early warning signs that go unnoticed by people.

"They may also be able to hear high-pitched sounds and vibrations from earthquakes," says Julie Hunt, DVM, a veterinarian contributor at Embrace Pet Insurance. "Once these are detected, a cat may hide or act oddly due to the stress associated with these strange noises and vibrations."

Experts explain that cats have specialized sensory systems that make them especially responsive to subtle environmental changes. "The vibration-sensing mechanoreceptors in feline paws and limbs are called Pacinian corpuscles,," says Dr. Hennet. "In addition to their facial whiskers, cats also have tactile hairs above their carpal pads on the forelimbs that help detect movement and vibration."

A cat's vestibular system-the internal balance center-may also help them notice tiny shifts in equilibrium linked to seismic activity. This combination of sensitive hearing, touch, and balance could explain why some cats behave differently before natural disasters occur.

2. Severe storms

Many pet parents wonder can cats predict storms, and veterinarians say cats are extremely sensitive to weather changes long before humans notice them. While they aren't "predicting" storms in a conscious way, they are reacting to subtle environmental shifts that come before severe weather.

"Cats have a small sensory organ in their middle ear that acts as an internal barometer," explains Dr. Hennet. "Their eardrum is also very sensitive to pressure changes, and their whiskers can detect even subtle shifts in air currents and the ‘heaviness' of the air."

Because of this, cats can sense weather changes linked to dropping atmospheric pressure, which often happens before storms develop. This sensitivity may explain why some cats behave differently when a storm is approaching.

In some cases, cats may show signs of restlessness, increased grooming, or unusual anxiety before severe storms, especially if they've previously experienced thunderstorms and learned to associate those pressure changes with something unsettling.

3. Your arrival before you open the door

Cats can't literally predict the future, but veterinarians say they are extremely good at picking up subtle patterns and signals that help them anticipate when you're about to arrive home.

"Cats can feel vibrations through the ground, like heavy footsteps," says Dr. Hennet. "They very likely can tell the difference between the precise vibrations of your heavy footsteps and someone else's."

Along with their sensitivity to sound and movement, a cat's sense of smell is also highly developed, allowing them to detect familiar scents long before you actually walk through the door.

4. Death and illness

Your cat isn't a substitute for an annual check-up, but veterinarians say cats may be able to detect signs of illness and disease in humans and other animals-sometimes even before obvious symptoms appear.

"Their ability to detect a wide range of scents can reveal changes in the body that humans aren't able to detect," says Dr. Hunt. "This includes shifts in blood glucose levels when they detect ketones-linked to high blood sugar-or isoprene, which can be associated with low blood sugar. They may also be able to smell signs of bacterial infections or, in some cases, certain types of cancer. In addition, they can detect changes in body temperature when someone is unwell."

Researchers believe this heightened sensitivity may help explain why cats often behave differently around sick individuals, sometimes becoming unusually attentive or staying physically close.

So when your cat curls up beside you or won't leave the side of a sick family member, it may be more than affection-it could be a response to subtle biological changes linked to illness that humans simply can't perceive.

5. Your Mood

Can cats sense human emotions? According to experts, they can! In fact, it's one of the strange things cats can predict.

Cats rely on facial expressions, body language, and voice tone to interpret how you're feeling, making them more emotionally aware than many people expect. "Cats are especially sensitive to the pitch and intensity of your voice," Dr. Hennet explains. So, even though people often think of cats as emotionally aloof, that's a huge myth. In fact, it's quite the opposite as cats can predict your mood.

"While cats might not 'empathize' with your mood in the same way that a human would, they are really good at state-matching," Dr. Hennet says. "This is where cats adjust their behavior to sync with yours, and, by extension, your mood."

How do cats predict your mood? For starters, Dr. Hennet notes that stress can increase stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline. "Cats can 'taste' these hormones in the air and cue into a person's internal physiological state," Dr. Hennet explains, later adding, "They can detect the changes that occur in your body due to stress or fear or even extreme happiness."

Sources:

Dr. Margo Hennet, DVM, the senior veterinary genetics manager of Wisdom Panel
Julie Hunt, DVM, a veterinarian contributor at Embrace Pet Insurance
The auditory midbrain mediates tactile vibration sensing. Cell.
Cat Weather Lore: Can Cats Really Predict the Weather? Farmer's Almanac.
Emotion Recognition in Cats. Animals.
Man's other best friend: domestic cats (F. silvestris catus) and their discrimination of human emotion cues. Animal Cognition.

This story was originally published May 7, 2026 at 5:10 AM.