Photo of Holly and Parental Units by Barbara P. Fernandez, courtesy of The New York Times
But Holly's journey wasn't exactly a Caribbean cruise-she staggered into a neighbors backyard weak and emaciated after a two month, 200 mile trek back to her home. This fascinating article posted on the New York Times blog, "Well", endeavors to understand cat behavior. Why are there so many stories of cats finding their way home, regardless of distance?
The article quotes several scientists who attempt to explain, in vain, what types of instinctual behavior or just plains smarts or luck, would lead a cat on an over 200 mile journey back to its home. But the bottom line is that no one really knows. The closest to a0 scientific study was conducted recently by National Geographic and the University of Georgia's "KittyCams Project", where 55 cats wore video cameras on their collars. The results: "cat behavior is exceedingly complex".
But Holly's journey wasn't exactly a Caribbean cruise-she staggered into a neighbors backyard weak and emaciated after a two month, 200 mile trek back to her home. This fascinating article posted on the New York Times blog, "Well", endeavors to understand cat behavior. Why are there so many stories of cats finding their way home, regardless of distance?
Even Jackson Galaxy, the cat behaviorist whose own cat pulled off a similar feat, threw up his hands: "We haven't the slightest idea how they do this...anybody who says they do is lying, and, if you find it, please God, tell me what it is."
How do you think kitties navigate hundreds of miles, or even a few blocks, to find their way home? Do you have any wandering cat stories to tell? We'd love to hear them!
2 comments:
Animals are amazing!
we think cats are pretty smart. Fish are pretty smart too.
Princess Aurora (Shubunkin) for The Pond Fish
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