As cat sitters we care about what makes cats unique and how best to care for them. Since cats are sensitive to sound we create a pet sitting environment that is quiet and calm. Did you know that “feline ears are similar to those of other mammals consisting of the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear? A cat’s outer ear design is shaped to assist in the detection of prey. The cat’s ability to detect sound is similar to humans, however, it is superior in some areas such as the detection of high frequency sound (such as the ones that rodents make) and inferior in others, such as the sounds of short duration used in human speech. The ability to locate the sound of prey is critical to hunting success. The outer ear plays a role here-have you ever seen your cats ears rotate in response to sounds? The cat’s ability to move the pinnae (external ear) greatly increases its ability to pinpoint the location of a sound” (Animal Behavior Institute).
As the logarithmic scale indicates, the hearing range of various species may overlap with the human range while some share very
little. Note that elephants communicate at very low frequencies. Such infrasounds travel great distances and are a key manner in which elephants stay in touch at great distances in their environment.
You and your cat share a similar lower limit but the difference in high frequency sound limits is great. Humans can hear frequencies up to 20000 Hz, dogs to about 45000 Hz, cats to 64000 Hz, and mice up to 100,000Hz. Humans tend to be most sensitive to sounds of around 3000 Hz (most human voices are near that pitch), while cats tend to be most sensitive to sounds of around 8000 Hertz.
The Hotel 4 Cats boarding is very aware of the sound sensitivities that your cat has and therefore provides a very quiet environment for him/her. Our staff strives to deliver superior pet care based upon the unique needs of your loving cat.
This blog was adapted from Animal Behavior Institute (ABI).
The Hotel 4 Cats: Cat boarding serving the Mooresville, Lake Norman, Davidson areas.