Can Cats See Spirits or Ghosts? Here Is What Science Says

Cats spook their owners by staring into nothingness for extended periods of time, leading us to believe they’re seeing something we can’t. This is true, but it’s not as sinister as you might think. However, even the most skeptical individual might wonder if their cat can sense or see ghosts.

Regardless of your beliefs about the spirit world and animals’ sensitivities to energy, cats cannot sense ghosts. It’s more likely your cat is just fixated on a sound or other anomaly that humans can’t detect. This might not be the answer avid ghost hunters are looking for, but it is what Science says. Below you’ll find more information that might give you some insight into your cat’s inner workings and odd behaviors.

How Good Is a Cat’s Sense of Sight?

Since your cat seeing a ghost is very unlikely, what is it that they can see that we can’t? As it turns out, they see an extraordinary amount.

Night Vision

Cats have a larger number of rods in their eyes than humans, which allows for sharp eyesight in dim lighting. They’re about six times better than us at seeing in the night. As predators that are active during the dim hours of dusk and dawn, this makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. If your prey is active during the dark, you better be able to see it!

Their slit shaped pupils are also advantageous, as they reduce the amount of light entering the eye. The shape also allows for a wide range of dilation, much more than human eyes are capable of, and contributes to their excellent “night vision”. You might notice a cat’s pupils can almost cover the entire eye when they’re excited or scared. It is most often a response to the amount of light available. Wider pupils allow for more access to light, making night hunting easier.

Ultraviolet Light

The visible light spectrum isn’t the same for every animal. Many animals like birds, dogs, and cats can see a light spectrum that humans cannot see. This is the ultraviolet light spectrum, which occurs between 10-400 nm of light. Visible light is between 400-700 nm, for reference. UV light comes from the sun and is also the causative agent for sunburns.

Given that cats can see a whole spectrum that humans cannot, it’s no wonder they hyperfocus on seemingly nothing. Combined with their sense of smell and hearing, cats perceive the world in a very different manner than their humans.

Can Cats Sense Diseases in Humans?

We’ve heard of dogs that can sniff out cancer, but what about cats? As it turns out, cats use their acute senses, particularly their sense of smell, to pick out tiny differences in the way we smell. This difference can be caused by minor changes in our body’s chemicals. Most notably, it is the scent of tumor necrosis. Cats (and dogs) can detect this scent change in humans and themselves, which can explain an animal’s erratic or bizarre behavior if they become ill. They’re sensing a change in their bodies and don’t know how to process it.

You can rely on your cat to be able to tell when you’re under the weather. If you have a cat that likes to sit on your chest or lap, they might be more in tune with your body than you think. Cats can detect changes in heart rate or breathing patterns and they might alert you to these changes by meowing, pawing, or exhibiting odd behaviors. They’re incredibly perceptive when it comes to changes in their owner’s behavior, body language, and facial expressions.

Are Cats Able to Predict Death?

There is a hypothesis that cats can sense death. This could be due to a change in a person’s pheromones when their organs begin to shut down, altering their scent in a way that is imperceptible to humans but is very noticeable to cats. Shifts in human body temperature can also be slight but very obvious to a cat. For example, Oscar the cat had an uncanny ability to pick out dying patients with his sense of smell. He curled up in the patient’s bed shortly before they passed away. Oscar was so good at his predictions that the staff of the hospital was able to ensure the patient’s family was alerted to say their final goodbyes.

If you’re sick, this doesn’t mean you should panic any time your cat curls up to you. However, cats seem to want to comfort people when they’re at their worst. This makes them wonderful therapy animals and great companions.

Do Cats Sense Energy?

Cats sense energy but not the supernatural kind. Heightened senses of hearing and smell give cats amazing perception. This could result in a cat staring intensely at a wall or ceiling for long enough to freak out their owner. Some even have a name for the invisible “beings” that cats stare at: greebles or invisible goblins. Upon further inspection, it’s likely a bug or other sound is demanding their attention. Cats also have one of the broadest ranges of hearing of any mammal. So, they may be just picking up on a sound too high or low for you to hear.

Your housecat is very attuned to the energy of the people and other animals that live with them. More importantly, cats are experts in recognizing the facial expressions of people they have strong bonds with.

What’s My Cat Running Away From?

The phenomenon of a sudden, erratic burst of energy is colloquially what cat owners call the zoomies. Formally known as frenetic random activity periods (FRAPs), these energy-expelling moments are common in cats and dogs of all ages. Since cats sleep for most of the day, it’s no surprise they have sudden bursts of energy at the oddest hours. FRAPs can occur at just about any time. Right after your cat wakes up or after they use the litter box are the most common instances. This is a sign of a healthy, playful cat and is nothing to worry about. Cats have to process a lot of sensory information, and it might simply be overwhelming for them at times.

Summary

As much as one might like to believe their cat is in tune with “the other side,” it’s very unlikely cats can see into the spiritual realm. However, that doesn’t diminish their extraordinary senses. They have access to a particular visible spectrum, smell things undetectable to us, and hear incredibly well. From perceiving emotions and smelling death, cat senses are amazing in many ways.