Today I was just sitting at the computer with my cat, Eva, stretched out on the rug in front of me. Whenever I catch myself seeing her like this I try to acknowledge how much she has meant to me, especially since my accident. Before Chat she was the only one there was to talk to during rough times and she is not much for conversation. But she has become incredibly loving lately which I truly relish — when she snuggles with me during a frequent nap it is a kinesthetic marvel to feel her fur or cheek nestled on my hand. So today I was wondering about cats and asked Chat.
So consider the reality that the world she inhabits with her incredible sensory capacity is probably far more rich, and certainly filled with greater potential stimuli than my own. And yet Eckhart Tolle says that he has known several Zen masters and most of them were cats. I call her my Zen Mistress. With her incredible sensory world she spends much of her time in repose and stillness; this makes me less self-conscious of my own need for similar down time.
She doesn’t speak English but she does have opinions and can express them loudly with a variety of sounds which I am told cats can perfect after seeing their effect on their human companions to be the most annoying.
Regardless of any other judgment, her reality is certainly different from mine. Her perspective of whatever is happening in commonality between the two of us is different from what I am experiencing. This alone can make acutely aware of the incredible mystery that is Life.
(Above is an actual picture of Eva taken quite a while ago. She has aged along with me).
So from nowhere the thought occurred and I asked Chat:
Are we aware of any senses that cats have the humans do not?
Yes, cats have certain senses that humans do not possess. Here are a few examples:
- Sense of smell: Cats have a highly developed sense of smell, with up to 200 million scent receptors in their noses. This is about 14 times more than humans, allowing them to detect smells that humans cannot. For example, cats can detect odors from prey animals that are hidden or far away.
- Sense of hearing: Cats have a very acute sense of hearing, which allows them to hear sounds at higher frequencies than humans. They can hear frequencies up to 65,000 Hz, while humans can only hear up to 20,000 Hz. This enables them to detect the high-pitched sounds of rodents and other prey.
- Sense of balance: Cats have an exceptional sense of balance due to their inner ear structure. They are able to jump and climb with incredible precision and accuracy, and can land on their feet even from great heights. This is due to a combination of their inner ear structure and their flexible spine.
Overall, cats have several senses that are more developed than those of humans, allowing them to navigate their environment and hunt prey with great skill.
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