We’ve been reading all your blogs and noticed that some of you have been having really bad weather this summer. We live in Michigan, and, truthfully, it’s been very pleasant. Cooler than usual and not very humid. Excellent lounging weather. Not quite enough sun for superior sun puddles, but no extreme heat or excessive storms.

Until a couple of days ago. It got really hot and humid. Then we got a HUGE thunderstorm. It woke everyone up and went on almost all night. The next day was really hot. Then another night-time storm. It was really windy, and we lost power for that night and most of the next day. It was really scary hearing all that wind and thunder. We are please to report that things are pretty much back to normal. (Although the humans did nothing to compensate us for the trauma we went through.)

But it did make us wonder. Why don’t humans pay any attention to us cats when it comes to weather? After all, we are much more attuned to nature than they are. If they would just listen…

Of course, humans do have some pretty silly superstitions about cats and the weather:

• Some people thought that cats carried storm magic in their tails. They had to keep the cats happy so they wouldn’t swish their tails and release a storm.
• If a cat plays with your sock, a bad storm is coming.
• If a human is mean to a cat, there will be rain at that person’s funeral.
• You can end a drought by baptizing a cat in mineral water. (Do NOT try this.)
• A cat’s tail always points in the direction of the wind.
• If a cat sneezes, it’s going to rain.

On the other paw, we cats generally do know when bad weather is coming. It appears that we can sense a change in atmospheric pressure right before a storm arrives. We can also use our superior noses to smell rain and feel the humidity change before it rains. There are a couple of things that we routinely do before the weather changes:

Licking – If we seem to be taking an extra-long bath, rain may be coming. Keeping our fur wet helps cut down on the static electricity it collects due to the change in humidity. We are a lot more comfortable without the extra static. (The humans will be too if they touch us.)

Ear Grooming – If we’re being extra careful to clean behind our ears, it may mean a storm is coming. We can feel the change in atmospheric pressure in our ears, and the licking helps counteract the pressure change.

Sudden Change in Behavior – Sometimes, we just act a little “different” because we can sense the weather changing:

• We get a little grumpy for “no” reason
• We get more vocal (some cats yowl when a storm is getting close)
• Social cats hide out (they don’t want to be around the noise of the storm)
• Some indoor kitties try to get out when they sense a storm (looking for a safe place)
• A calm kitty may suddenly have a burst of “zoomies”

(Of course, sometimes we just act a little “different” because we want to act a little different.)

Humans have documented all of the following behaviors in their furry friends:

• Cats becoming agitated and hissing at their human prior to an earthquake or a bad storm
• Cats becoming very “frisky” before a thunderstorm
• Cats licking their fur against the grain prior to hail
• Cats sleeping with all four paws tucked underneath before cold weather
• Cats sniffing the air obsessively before rain or snow
• Cats listening obsessively before rain or heavy wind

And finally, people feel pretty strongly that if a cat is sleeping with their back to the fire, expect cold weather, snow or a storm.

Bottom line – We cats know what’s going on. We may just choose to not share it with the humans.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.