The cat uses its tail to alter its center of gravity in many different instances. If, for example, it is walking along the top of a narrow fence and it looks over to one side it will shift its tail in the opposite direction to maintain its balance.

Also when the cat is changing direction, if it is running and chasing its prey, it will shift its tail from one side to another in the opposite direction to the body to give it stability and stop it from falling over with the rapid changes in direction.

This is just one of the things that help the cat have such incredible balance, and while we might be concerned to see a cat walking along some precarious objects, they have the ability to react amazingly fast to the messages that they receive through their eyes and inner ear.

The messages that they receive through the eye and inner ear get transmitted to the brain far faster than any human can react, and they can make minute muscle adjustments in fractions of a second that assist them with their incredible balance. Continue reading →

Cats are particularly good at seeing in the dark and that is why they are such good hunters. Their eyes are considerably larger and more spherical than those of a human in proportion to the rest of their body and this size and shape allows them to see things in conditions where there is very little light.

That is why they can easily wander around at night and capture their prey, and if you are unlucky they might just bring it back to show you in the form of bugs, birds, mice and all sorts of other creatures that you don’t want to share your bed with in the middle of the night.

Cats will bring their capture in to show you when they are looking for some form of positive recognition and even though you might not want to see what they have caught, they should be congratulated for what they have done where possible. Continue reading →