Cats Stare into Space: Are They Seeing Ghosts? Scientists Say
Does your cat suddenly freeze and stare into a corner where there is nothing?
Don't rush to call psychics - science has long found a rational explanation.
Dr Liz Staley , a cat vision specialist, explains: "Cats see in the ultraviolet spectrum. They can spot rodent urine, dust or glare that humans cannot see."
Scientific American magazine added: their hearing picks up frequencies up to 64 kHz (humans hear up to 20 kHz), so pets react to rustling behind the wall.
But there are also more unusual theories. In 2020, Japanese scientists from Kyoto University conducted an experiment: cats were shown "ghosts" (light projections). 60% of the animals followed the movement, although people did not see anything.
"This proves that their brain processes visual information differently," says Professor Hirokazu Tanaka.
The owner of the Siamese cat Mira, Alina from St. Petersburg, says:
"She sometimes looks at the ceiling and meows. Once there was a fly there - I didn't even notice it!"
Zoo psychologist Jackson Galaxy jokes:
"Cats don't see spirits. They see what we call 'nothing' because our senses are more primitive."
When to worry? If your cat hisses, arches its back, or runs away, it may be frightened by a real object (such as ultrasound from household appliances).
Check your home for sources of high-frequency noise, advises veterinarian Igor Mironov .
