This Is Why Your Cat Stares At Nothing

Cats have long had a reputation as eery creatures, perhaps not entirely of this realm. Throughout the centuries, felines have been linked to the spirit world, devil worship, black magic, shapeshifting, and witchcraft. To this day, some people believe that cats can see and even communicate with humans and animals who have died.

Pretty much every cat owner has had the experience of noticing their pet staring intently at what appears to be nothing, perhaps even following this "nothing" around the room with their eyes. What, exactly, is happening when a cat stares so fixedly at empty air? Is the cat communing with creatures in the great beyond, or is there perhaps a more earthbound explanation for what is going on? We asked Dr. Gary Richter, veterinarian and founder of Ultimate Pet Nutrition, to share his thoughts. In our exclusive chat, he explains some of the reasons that a cat might stare off into space — no magic involved. "Cats are predators with highly tuned sensory organs," Dr. Richter explains. To human eyes, a cat might be staring at nothing, "but in reality, they are sensing things we are not aware of," Richter says. From there, things only get curiouser and curiouser.

Some people associate cats with magic, but there's actually some science at play with the way cats stare. "Cats have the ability to see wavelengths of light that are invisible to humans, specifically ultraviolet light. They have very acute vision attuned to minute movements and can track something as small as the shadow of an insect as it flies by," Dr. Gary Richter exclusively explains to Cuteness.

They also have powerful senses of hearing and smell. Dr. Richter says cats can "hear ultrasonic sounds that are inaudible to humans" and "smell changes in the air that we cannot." Plus, cats can "sense air movement through their whiskers," he adds. All of these senses lead cats to have what Richter calls "360-degree sensory awareness." He says, "In other words, they are far more aware of their surroundings than we are." This, of course, leads to looking at things that humans don't notice.

Cats can be challenging to understand. Some owners mistakenly ignore cats' body language cues or misunderstand the ways cats say "I miss you." Owners may be puzzled by why their cats follow them everywhere and why their cat loves singing with them. But perhaps cats are just as confused by humans. "People may think their cat is 'weird' for staring off into space," Dr. Richter explains. "They probably think we are clueless for walking through life unaware of the world around us. Kind of makes you wonder who is the more evolved species!"