Have you ever had a nagging feeling that your pet knows a lot more than you give them credit for?
You’re not alone – many pet owners swear that their pets have some kind of “sixth sense,” and there have been many incidences of cats and dogs alerting their owners to danger – from fires, gas leaks, and even earthquakes.
And cats, in particular, seem to be highly perceptive animals.
There’s no doubt that cats are very observant, and there are many stories about cats sensing when their owner is down and trying to comfort them. But what about pregnancy?
Can cats really know when their owner is pregnant? Sure, perhaps there’s been a little exaggeration on the proud cat parents’ part, but are all of the stories about cats paying extra attention to their pregnant owners purely anecdotal?
Well, one viral video is considered by many to be irrefutable evidence, and there’s some science to back it up.
As you know, cats are perceptive. After all, they’ve evolved to pick up on your cues because their survival depends on it (okay, they are not as dependant as dogs, but you get my point).
A groundbreaking study in the journal Animal Cognition suggests that cats can read human emotions by looking at a human’s facial expressions.
So, it’s completely reasonable to assume that your cat knows when you’re angry, stressed, depressed, or happy.
So, a cat will definitely notice a change in a pregnant owner’s usual behavior. But that’s not all. Cats have an amazingly sharp sense of smell.
And, while a woman is pregnant, she has a powerful cocktail of hormones pumping through her body that includes hCG, prolactin and relaxin, progesterone, and estrogen.
But can the odors of pregnancy hormones be detected by cats?
Probably.
And, not only do cats have a very advanced sense of smell, they also have highly evolved ears that may be able to detect sounds and frequencies that humans can’t. So, it’s reasonable to believe that a cat can hear a baby’s heartbeat fluttering in her owner’s belly, too!
So, do cats know when their owner is pregnant? It’s more than likely.
But, if you don’t believe the science, have a look at this video.
The video begins with a woman reclining on her couch, sporting a very pregnant belly. Her cat is perched on the arm of the next couch when she decides to investigate mom’s exposed baby bump.
At first, the cat just seems curious.
She leans over and begins to carefully climb onto mom’s lap. Then, she looks like she has just noticed something. She stiffens and cranes her neck to sniff her owner’s belly intently – as if she is trying to detect something.
She stays still and sniffs like this for a good few seconds.
When she’s done sniffing, she carefully extends her paw – with claws retracted – and touches her owner’s belly ever so gently.
She does this twice – laying her paw on the spot where the baby is. Then, she looks up at her mom with the sweetest expression.
Her eyes grow wide as she looks at her mom, and then her whole demeanor softens – like she’s just realized that there is a baby in there!
It’s not surprising that this sweet video has been viewed more than 11 million times – and if you ask me, it’s irrefutable proof that cats do know when their owners are pregnant!
Still skeptical? Watch the wholesome video below to decide for yourself!
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