# Pet telepathy or how does my cat always know when I'm taking a nap? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 1, 2024, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369 "2024-06-01T03:50:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/21 "2024-06-02T09:34:18Z")
[https://phys.org/news/2021-11-cats-track-owner-movements.html](https://phys.org/news/2021-11-cats-track-owner-movements.html) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/22 "2024-06-02T11:50:21Z")
My dog Bernie would nap any old time, but he seriously settled down for the night whenever I did. He had a favoured spot between the desk in my bedroom and the adjacent wall, just wide enough for him to squeeze into. He’d back into it, settle down and let out a contented sigh that let me know that night had fallen. And no, I was not a cruel human who failed to provide him with a doggie bed. Bernie the 120-pound Bernese Mountain Dog pretty much commandeered the small couch in the family room for himself, but he never slept there. He mostly slept in the aforementioned little cave, but occasionally would go off into my son’s bedroom and assume his usual position of sleeping beside his bed. He’d usually change places a couple of times each night, but never slept anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/23 "2024-06-02T12:50:22Z")
> [@Retzbu\_Tox](#): > > Cats are evil. I have twelve of them. With five cats, I’m already teetering on the edge of a complete feline takeover. I mean, I’m practically one paw swipe away from becoming their personal butler. But @Retzbu_Tox? He’s got twelve cats running his show! He’s not just controlled—he’s their full-blown puppet, and trust me, those tiny tyrant puppetmasters aren’t about to let him off easy. Oh, @Retzbu_Tox, the man who went from being a cat owner to cat-owned! With a dozen whiskered overlords, he’s not just on the brink of a feline coup d’état; he’s the star of ‘Meowflix and Chill.’ His cats have him so wrapped around their little paws, he’s one step away from legally changing his name to Mr. Whiskerbottom, Lord of the Litterbox. Cats and mercy? That’s like expecting a fish to master salsa dancing. Have you seen a cat interact with a mouse? Spoiler: it’s not pretty. So, I bet these cats have Retzbu\_Tox under constant surveillance. Every tweet, every post—they’re watching. Any cries for help are immediately deleted with a flick of a paw. The only thing harder than escaping cat control is finding where they’ve hidden the remote. And let’s not even get started on their torture tactics. Catnip-boarding? It’s the feline equivalent of waterboarding, and you better believe it’s part of their sinister brainwashing agenda. Soon enough, we’ll be seeing signs of Retzbu\_Tox’s transformation into a human-feline hybrid. Picture this: whiskers sprouting horizontally from his upper lip, awkwardly pawing at the sandbox, and chasing after laser pointers. Unfortunately, there’s no turning back now. He’s gone from happy-go-lucky human to cat’s personal assistant. Next time you see him, he might be curled up in a sunspot or grooming himself with his tongue. The takeover is complete, and the cats have won. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/24 "2024-06-02T13:49:20Z")
That is REALLY interesting! * * * * * * Apropos of nothing: when my late husband and I lived in the country, cats were always showing up. God bless him, H’s eyesight was not that great and when a darling orange cat started hanging around, I did not disabuse hubby of the notion that the new cat was actually the orange cat we _already_ claimed as one of the menagerie. Just make sure both cats were not in view at the same time… of course, that could always be attributed to double vision. 😻 ---
**Author:** ![Retzbu\_Tox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/retzbu_tox/32/11829_2.png) [@Retzbu\_Tox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Retzbu_Tox)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/25 "2024-06-02T14:38:52Z")
> [@Tibby](#): > > He’s not just controlled—he’s their full-blown puppet, Nuh uh! They don’t control me! As proof, here’s a picture of Fuzzy on the day he showed up in my yard two years ago, and now I mop the floor with him! So there! [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/HpxiTYC.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/HpxiTYC) [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/OCL88Ri.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/OCL88Ri) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/26 "2024-06-02T21:25:39Z")
> [@Retzbu\_Tox](#): > > They control _ **sleep itself!** _ Where do you the think the word “catatonic” came from?? ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/27 "2024-06-02T23:13:42Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > He’d back into it, settle down and let out a contented sigh that let me know that night had fallen. Our blonde lab Ozzie does the sigh thing, too. We think it’s funny and giggle. He doesn’t seem to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/28 "2024-06-03T14:02:09Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > > > But how did she hear my breathing pattern before the apartment when she was outside, 200 ft away at the very back of my backyard, or when she was under the house? > > We all snore louder than we care to admit, and more so with age. I was also thinking about snoring or other telltale sound of a person napping or settling down to a nap. A dog that’s learned sound cues indicating a treat or dinner is impending, can detect the almost inaudible opening of a drawer or faint clink of a fork against a metal can in the next room, and react appropriately. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/29 "2024-06-03T14:12:30Z")
My dog can hear the tiny, tiny _snik_ of the wireless mouse being turned off which means I’m leaving the computer room and treats may follow. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/30 "2024-06-03T14:32:42Z")
My cat’s ears each independently rotate 540 degrees. They can pick up and decipher my brain waves when I think about opening a can of Friskies Canned Cat Food. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/31 "2024-06-03T15:06:48Z")
Ummm, look over your shoulder and tell me what you see. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/32 "2024-06-03T15:11:25Z")
I see this: [![](https://i.imgur.com/h9qjwvh.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/h9qjwvh.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/33 "2024-06-03T15:52:28Z")
Yeah, that’s about right. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2024, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369/34 "2024-06-03T20:56:38Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > One of my cats always finds me within 5 minutes of my lying down to nap, and she jumps up on me. Which I love. I like that she sleeps with me, and I like that she sleeps _on_ me. What I can’t quite figure out is how she always knows when I’m napping. I think that cats, whether appearing to be asleep or not, are quite aware of where their co-inhabitor is located at most any time. Your cat knew that you were somewhere else and when you didn’t reappear soon enough the cat went to find you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-telepathy-or-how-does-my-cat-always-know-when-im-taking-a-nap/1002369.md?page=1)