It’s Wednesday at 1:15am and my cat Rocket is pawing at my face. He lays down next to me with his two paws on my shoulder purring softly. Within an hour, I get a crushing migraine.
The same cat will paw incessantly at my face in the middle of the night insisting that I go to the bathroom. Once he sees me relent and get up – he darts to the bathroom winding his way through my legs and waiting patiently for me. Once I return to bed, he goes back to his own business – sleeping, playing, or whatever he does in the middle of the night.
Cat are Incredibly Sensitive to Humans
Cats have a tremendous sensitivity to their humans – and I think perhaps some cats are more bonded than others. Curious as to how many other people had similar experiences, we launched a survey on Facebook to get your opinions – and the results are very clear!
First, about 700 cat owners responded – so the sampling of data is relatively large. Over 80% of respondents report that their cats can sense their physical and/or emotional pain. And more than 50% of respondents report that their cats sense both physical and emotional pain. Less than 20% of cat owners said that their cats neither sensed emotional pain nor physical pain.
Cats Rarely Get Credit For Being Attuned with Humans
In our quest to find out more about the ways that cats demonstrate that they are aware and/or care about human pain, we asked readers to share their stories. Here are just a few – and some were life-saving stories.
What’s the moral of the story? Definitely pay attention to your cat’s behavior. They may sometimes act in funny and sometimes annoying ways (like when you’re asleep) but take note. Your kitty may be alerting you to a serious problem that could save your life.
Community Comments
Unfortunately, due to privacy, Facebook disabled comments here. But please feel free to share your story of how your cat has supported you!
Register Your Cat as an Emotional Support Animal
Many pet owners are registering their cats as emotional support animals to protect them, particularly if the pet parent lives in multi-unit housing where there may be restrictions on pets. Rental properties often have rules around pet ownership and many of them will ban pets. If you have your pet certified as an emotional support animal, chances are that your new dwelling will have to allow your pet to live with you, keeping you and your pet together – regardless of where you live. Bonus – if your pet isn’t afraid of traveling, registering your pet as an emotional support animal will also allow them on airplanes; though you’ll have to check each airlines’ individual policies as they can differ.