On average, about 144,000 cats die each day, which is truly heart breaking. But have you ever wondered where cats go in their final moments? We never actually see how they pass away, so how do cats sense that their time is nearing its end and where exactly do they go? Let’s find out.
So, what happens to cats shortly before they pass on?
They usually go to a quiet place, may eat less, groom themselves less, and behave differently than normal. Some cats become irritable, growling or hissing when interacting with other animals or people, even if they haven’t behaved this way before. They may also seem anxious or restless.
Cats also tend to start purring more, which can surprise many cat owners. Well, you know, purring before kicking the bucket? Most people think that’s how cats express their joy, so being happy when you’re about to die seems a bit odd. But here’s the thing: purring isn’t just about joy; it’s a cat’s way of communicating, saying they’re hungry or simply soothing themselves. This might be why some cats purr during their last days or hours.
Actually, cats are often believed to have a sixth sense because they notice things that humans can’t. They’re also highly attuned to their bodies and probably understand them better than we understand our own body. Saying that cats actually foresee their death is a stretch; science hasn’t dug into that area much yet. Cats do seem to realize that something’s off when they’re sick or weak. And while it seems that cats run away from home or just hide to die, this is not entirely true. They do this because cats that are on the brink of death usually understand that they can’t defend themselves. This makes them vulnerable to predators, who then receive a clear signal that there’s easy prey.
While domestic cats don’t face this issue and won’t be preyed upon even if they’re really unwell, they’re still driven by instinct. They have to find cover, and this urge can lead them to wander away from home.
Cat Signals
Cats also pick up on signals when they start to smell bad because they get sick and can’t clean themselves. They somehow know something’s off, so they start doing what comes naturally.
If a cat can’t go outside, it’ll look for a cozy, quiet, dim spot indoors. Basically, it’s like how we want to rest and be calm when we’re in pain; cats do the same. They’d rather nap it off. But when the illness becomes too severe, they eventually succumb to it and die.
It’s clear what happens in summer, but winter can be a challenge. Have you ever wondered where cats go to pass away during the cold season? Finding cozy and dry spots becomes quite hard. So what’s a cat’s plan for winter time?
As the cold weather sets in, stray cats often start seeking shelter. They might head to places like barns, basements, or, in more extreme cases, they might try to find warmth under cars or even inside them. They look for spots that are snow-free and somewhat dry. Sometimes, people step in and create shelters for these cats. Without assistance, they end up succumbing to the cold.
Usually, in random places where they freeze, you’ve probably seen those pictures of cats frozen in ice on the internet. But beyond just accidents, there’s another explanation for it. When cats aren’t feeling good, they seek out shady spots like under bushes, clumps of tall grass, or parked vehicles. Sometimes there’s water in these spots, and when the temperature drops, it gets even colder there compared to the surroundings. So if a cat happens to pass away in one of these spots, it can end up covered in ice, making for a pretty eerie sight for anyone who comes across it.
Cat at Shelter
When a cat’s at the shelter and is about to pass away, that’s where it happens. A shelter fundamentally is a spot created for safety and coziness; that’s essentially what it’s meant for.
In general, it’s worth mentioning that it’s often domestic cats that tend to disappear when they’re nearing the end of their lives. Cats that roam freely outside often have a hard life. Even when they’re considered part of a household but are more independent, things can take a really bad turn. Many studies from around the world show that semi-feral cats have a high chance of passing away, with traffic accidents being a common reason. Accidental poisoning is another factor to consider. Cats also frequently get hurt or even killed by dogs.
Average Lifespan of a stray cat
It might be surprising, but the average lifespan of a stray cat is only eight to ten months. Shockingly, over half of them don’t even make it through their first year. The fortunate ones that do manage to survive might reach two to three years, but that’s about it. Only on rare occasions do they make it past that milestone.
Interestingly, the same research indicates that the average lifespan of a pet cat is around five years, even though we all know that our indoor cats often live well beyond 10 to 15 years. Can you feel the difference?
When it comes to cats wandering off to pass away, this tends to happen more often with pet cats. Although feral cats can sometimes exhibit this behavior, it’s not as common. Typically, the death of feral cats is quick and sudden.
But here’s what I’ve been wondering: if cats can sense their illness and go away to die, and they also sense when humans are nearing the end of their lives.
Oscar, a therapy cat
Meet Oscar, a therapy cat who’s been a long-time resident of a nursing and rehabilitation center in Rhode Island. Doctors at the rehab center say that this tabby cat accurately predicted the deaths of about a hundred patients by 2015. In fact, Oscar lived to see 2022.
Oscar was known for having incredible abilities. If he curled up beside a patient in the nursing home, it was usually an indication that the person would pass away soon. When doctors saw the cat was near someone, they would promptly get in touch with the patient’s family to give them a chance to bid their farewells. Following that, the nursing home would swiftly call for a priest to give last rites. As per reports, Oscar was never wrong.
Oscar Predictions by Ketones
Researchers are pretty sure that Oscar didn’t possess any magical abilities to foresee when people would die, and I’m on the same page with them. The only logical explanation for Oscar’s ability is that the cat was probably able to perceive the odor of ketones coming from a dying patient. Ketones are biochemicals released by dying cells. This is why people who are about to die have a particular odor. It’s possible that when Oscar detected the scent of ketones from dying patients, he would lie down next to them. Another simple reason for Oscar’s unique skill could be that he saw how still the patients were when they were close to death and chose to nap nearby.
Cats sense EarthQuake
It’s a bit simpler when it comes to a cat’s ability to sense earthquakes. Some experts suggest that cats possess a unique sensitivity to the Earth’s magnetic fields, allowing them to sense subtle tremors that go unnoticed by humans. These minor tremors tend to happen right before a more powerful earthquake. During a particular study, researchers were observing cats when they successfully anticipated two earthquakes in California. How did they do it? Well, all they did was keep tabs on the number of nearby kitties that were reported as lost in the local newspaper. Whenever there were frequent reports of missing cats, it meant an earthquake was coming soon. It looks like the cats were trying to leave the house early because they were afraid it might collapse.
I’ll be honest; I find this whole cat death thing terribly sad, and these stories about cats whose owners die and the poor things have nowhere to go are heart breaking.
Senior Cats
It’s especially tough when the cats are quite old and aren’t quite ready to live in a new family. This is where the concept of cat retirement homes comes into the picture. These special residences offer senior cats a second chance by providing a secure place for them to spend the rest of their lives with joy. Unlike shelters where cats are kept in isolation, in these homes for older cats, felines have the freedom to explore as they wish. This creates a natural and comfortable setting that improves the well-being and happiness of these senior cats. They usually only take in cats that are 10 years old or older.
Most spectacular cat funeral in history
And while we were looking for stories for this varticle, we came across a story about the most spectacular cat funeral in history. In recent history, it all started in 2004 when Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, was on the verge of closure due to financial problems. Things were going very badly, the employees were barely making ends meet, and then they made an unexpected decision to make a stray cat living at the station the boss of the place. Well, what did they have to lose, right?
In lieu of a year’s salary, the railroad provided Tama with cat food for a year and a gold name tag on her collar. The tag, as it should be mentioned, not only bore her name but also her job title. They even crafted a hat just like that of a genuine station master for Tama. By the way, this took over half a year. Tama’s appointment suddenly changed everything. It led to a dramatic increase in passenger numbers. The cat won the grand prize of the top station runner award, and a train was named in her honor.
Here’s what it looks like inside: there are pictures of Tama all over the train, and even the station building has been remodeled to resemble a cat’s face, and it’s watching you. Tama turned into quite a sensation in Japan, drawing people from all over the country. As a result, the money troubles were sorted out, all thanks to the influx of tourists. Tama contributed to a total of about 1.1 billion yen, which is equivalent to about 8.9 million dollars, to the local economy.
When she passed away due to old age in 2015, a truly remarkable cat funeral took place. Thousands of her fans from all across Japan came to pay their respects. Tama was honored with a Shinto-style funeral right at the station and posthumously given the title of honorary Eternal Station Master. Tama was even placed in a nearby Shinto cat temple as a spirit goddess.
After the funeral, Wakayama Electric Railway President Mitsunobu Kojima and other executives traveled to the area where Tama was born and selected stones to build her memorial. Let’s be honest; wouldn’t you do the same for your pet if you could?
Another cat story
There’s another cat story that actually did some good for everyone. This brave French kitty became a star all because it went to space. The cat’s name was Felicette, and she went into orbit as part of a French rocket program in the 1960s. Felicette became the first cat to explore space, although thankfully, it wasn’t a harrowing journey. The trip to orbit was short, lasting only 15 minutes, during which scientists kept a close eye on the cat, monitoring its breathing and heart rate through electrodes. Eventually, the capsule containing Felicette separated from the rocket and descended safely to Earth.
After her heroic return, the cat briefly became a celebrity. However, her fame didn’t stop there.
A French scientists from euthanizing her two months later studied the brain’s reaction to space travel. A couple of years ago, a memorial was dedicated to Felicette because it seemed like everyone had forgotten about the courageous things she did.
You probably haven’t heard about Felicette before, and that’s not surprising. During the space race between the USA and the USSR, France’s achievements didn’t get much attention. However, sending a cat into space was a significant step in advancing space science. Even the exciting talk about future Mars settlements might owe a bit to Felicette’s contribution.
Cat remains used to make fertilizers
The astronaut cat is certainly impressive, but you probably had no idea that these animals were used to make fertilizer. Cat remains were once thought to have a direct effect on soil fertility. The ancient historian Pliny the Elder actually wrote that the ashes of these animals could scare field mice away from crops. Back in Roman times, an unusual method of fertilization involved cat mummies.
This custom suddenly made a comeback in 1888 when an Egyptian landowner stumbled upon a staggering 300,000 cat mummies on his property. He ended up selling 80,000 of them to the British, who bought them at five dollars per ton. The ashes were used to fertilize the land around Liverpool. As a result, even today, British farmers are finding ancient jewelry and animal remains thousands of years old in their fields.
However, the terrifying discoveries do not end there. To this day, cat mummies are also found in the foundations of many buildings, especially in the UK. Perhaps some of them got there by accident, but it’s more likely that the cat was placed there because it was supposed to bring happiness to the household, scare away rodents, and even fend off evil forces. Imagine tearing down a building and stumbling upon a centuries-old cat mummy that was meant to protect the occupants from supernatural harm. That’s some risky business.
Death is not the end. When a pet dies, it’s always a tragedy, especially if it’s not a fish or a hamster but a cat or a dog that’s lived side by side with the owner for many years and become more like a family member than a pet. Kelly Anderson from Texas had a hard time dealing with the death of her cat Chai, whom she called her soulmate. In the end, she spent $25,000 to have her beloved cat cloned. The cloning process took four years, but according to Kelly, it was definitely worth the wait. The clone cat didn’t turn out exactly the same; it developed its own personality and habits. However, the owner wasn’t anticipating a carbon copy. She’s simply glad that the new cat carries a part of the old one—their shared DNA.
Feline blood bank. Human blood banks have been around in the UK since 1937, and dogs have been participating in blood donation campaigns for years to help those in need. However, it’s been trickier for cats due to rules and logistical challenges. But that’s changing now with the introduction of feline blood banks. Today, if a sick cat needs a blood transfusion, there’s no longer a struggle to get feline blood products. This means they don’t have to scramble to find a donor right then and there, which can be tough, just like it can be for people. Sadly, some animals don’t make it while waiting for help. Having a cat blood bank takes away that worry, or at least eases it a bit.
The oldest cemetery. Have you seen “Pet Sematary”?
Now, imagine what the oldest pet cemetery ever found would look like. No need for mystical theories here—just some interesting history. Around 10 years ago, they discovered this site in the early Roman Port of Berenice. Initially, nobody was really sure what it was, but then scientists rolled up their sleeves and dug deeper, uncovering the final resting place of nearly 600 cats and dogs. It’s pretty clear that these furry companions were part of somebody’s family. In simpler terms, this means we’ve stumbled upon the oldest known pet burial ground. It was in use between the second and first centuries A.D. This goes to show that even back in ancient times, people had a similar fondness for cats and dogs as valued family members. That’s a really surprising discovery.
