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Weather\u2019s in the news this week\u2014chilling snow storms in the East and rain in the West. But you were prepared, weren\u2019t you? You had plenty of food in the house. Your rain barrel was ready to catch the water runoff. You\u2019d brought in your patio furniture and the kids\u2019 bicycles. And all because of your cat, right? You had plenty of warning about the coming storm if you paid close attention to your cat.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that even science looks to animals when it comes to predicting weather. How many years have they been relying on Punxsutawney Phil, for example? I remember my dad checking to see what the cows were doing on his way to his favorite fishing spot. As I recall, if they were lying down, probably the fish weren\u2019t biting.<\/p>\n
So what do cats have to do with predicting weather? Do they really know when it\u2019s going to In early years, cats were a part of a ship\u2019s crew and sailors began paying attention to the correlation between the ship\u2019s cats\u2019 actions and the weather. Basically, Sailors observed that if a cat was frisky, it would be windy; if they licked their fur against the grain, it was going to hail; and one sneeze from a cat meant rain.<\/p>\n Dunwoody also wrote that a cat snoring meant bad weather coming. If a cat washes his head behind his ears, it\u2019s going to rain. And when he lies on his back, it will be a storm. A cat washing his face while facing away from the fireplace indicates a winter thaw.<\/p>\n Some experts say that animals seem to prepare for a disaster more methodically than people do. Snakes will come out of hibernation. Cats will move to higher ground. And animals are thought to sense when an earthquake is about to strike.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s an interesting site offering more information and suppositions regarding your cat as a weather forecaster. Jayme Kinsey at PetHelpful says that cats are better than dogs when sensing changes in the weather, but she adds, \u201cI\u2019ve yet to meet a cat that didn\u2019t act strangely before a storm or other type of bad weather. The trick is knowing which behavior is odd for a cat.\u201d<\/p>\n https:\/\/pethelpful.com\/cats\/Can-Your-Cat-Predict-The-Weather<\/a><\/p>\n I have to report that as I write this post on an early Saturday morning here in Southern California, Lily-kitty is snuggled in my lap. She doesn\u2019t crawl into my lap very often, but I\u2019ve noticed that when she does it\u2019s definitely when we\u2019re experiencing or expecting a cold snap. Our temps have been in the mid to high 70s during the day. Rain is predicted and our temps will definitely drop. Yup, she\u2019s right on target and I\u2019m the lucky recipient of her cuddles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Weather\u2019s in the news this week\u2014chilling snow storms in the East and rain in the West. But you were prepared, weren\u2019t you? You had plenty of food in the house. Your rain barrel was ready to catch the water runoff. … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/gibbseyes-300x225.jpg\")
rain cats and dogs? According to some, yes they do. H.H.C Dunwoody may be the first to have recorded folklore and facts featuring this concept in his book, Weather Proverbs<\/em><\/strong> (1883).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Mouse1-2-169x300.jpg\")
At one point in history, black cats meant rain. Is that part of the superstition about a black cat crossing your path bringing bad luck? I guess it depends on whether you hope for rain or dread it.<\/p>\n