Dogs that know...what about us cats?

[Psiclops]

Came across this feature in the UK Daily Mail

The weird world of mystic mogs and death-sensing dogs | Mail Online

As it refers to Sheldrake and his findings that cats seem to know when they are going to be taken to the vets - I wondered that, after Alex has proved that dogs know, whether he might experiment with moggies.
I have no idea how such an experiment would work - maybe others on this board have some ideas?
If a cat owner decided to take a cat to the vet for the purposes of demonstrating how the cat shoots off - would the cat know it was only an experiment and not the real thing?
How many visits to the vet I wonder does it take for puss to develop this aversion?
And I wonder what exactly it is about the vets that scares cats?
I mean it's obvious if a vet cut off your gonads - you'd be reluctant to visit again...but would a mere examination by a kindly vet on a table be enough to get pussy trembling with fear?
Or maybe it's the 'vibration of death' about the vets - maybe cats sense other cats pain or past trauma....

[Janix Moon]

I'm surprised there's not more replies here! or maybe I should have checked the dog post because more people are dog lovers.
To me its a simple line of thought: animals are aware/have emotions. animals have souls. animals are so in-tune with emotions (thiers and ours) that its a very plain language to them. animals being in-tune have a natural psychic ability to communicate with each other and us, if were listening. animals who are psychic also have this 6th sense of "knowing" and its just another level of awareness or sensitivity that humans sometimes have depending on how sensitive they've become.
We all have the ability, just animals are better at it than we are- just like we are better at the slower mental wave of spoken language and thought processes. A very in-tune person would also be able to sense the moment someone makes a decision in their head and it is almost like its being broad-cast loud and clear. Thats my experience anyway, when I'm feeling particularly sensitive and a person is focused on a certain thought- its like mentally they are staring intently at a picture of a red car and anyone who's paying attention mentally will automatically look at the same picture because that person is so focused. so when the owner says in their mind "gotta get fluffy now if I dont want to be late" they are usually pretty focused and fluffy gets a loud and clear "time for the vet!" and they book it for the nearest hiding place. Thats my explanation.

[Psiclops]

Thanks for responding to this one Janix - nobody else did.
Glad you seem to be psychic.
Me? I'm psychically impotent - I need some ESP viagra!
But on a serious note...hasn't anyone any ideas how we could experiment with this cats dread of vets thing?

[David Bailey]

I have just noticed this! Yes, Sheldrake did a survey of pet owners, and he found that they reported that about 50% of dogs and 30% of cats seemed to do this. We had one such cat. He was a big ginger tom, and a favourite of the lady next door, so when we were out he would settle in next door. As it happened, we were coming home at pretty random times and I was always a bit sorry to see our cat waiting for us in the garden on most occasions - because I thought he must have been waiting ages to catch us. Then our neighbour happened to mention that she always knew when we were coming home because our cat would ask to be let out of her house! I was a total skeptic at the time, and unfortunately I didn't really believe her, because the cat must have been aware that we were coming back for at least a minute before we arrived in a very ordinary car.

We have had several other cats, but none showed this ability.

David

[Psiclops]

Thanks for this David
So your puss seems to think it's a dog by reflecting the ability of owner homecomings just like canines seem to do.
Sheldrake particularly noticed cats seemingly telepathic dread of vets.
How were yours when it came to that trip for the op?

[hoggworks]

Re cats dread of vet: How often do cat owners take their cats in the car when they're not taking them to the vet? We've got three dogs, and we take them for rides sometimes, but I've never taken a cat out for a stroll (and I've had cats almost as often as I've had dogs in my life).

Not that this proves anything one way or another, but it seems a singular event for the cat.

Unless you're talking about some earlier phase of the transportation. I'd ask the same question about putting your cat in his/her carry-case, though.

[Psiclops]

It's true cats rarely go out in a car but that's not the point.
The point is that because they disappear before the planned outing to the vet - they shove off somewhere, suggesting they are telepathic.
I've heard of this happening with people who don't have a car but just walk to the vets with pussy in a basket so it's nothing really to do with cars

[hoggworks]

Ah, okay, gotcha. Then certainly that explanation wouldn't apply.

My first thought would be similar to that of my dogs' reaction to it being bath-time: namely that I or my wife move or act subtly differently in ways that the dogs can pick up.

Add to this the idea that you are possibly conflating in your memory when the cat started to act funny -- when you started acting funny versus when you decided to take the cat to the vet (how far is that supposed to go back, incidentally? Just when the person takes the steps to take the cat in? When the appointment is booked? When the decision to book the appointment is made?).

Of course, my suggestions don't prove anything one way or another, but it seems like there'd be little to research, here.

[Mr.Book]

I have never heard of anything like this.