Why do cats stare at nothing?

Is it a ghost? Do cats hypnotize themselves? When cats stare off into space, you may wonder if something is wrong. Most of the time, however, when your cat stares at nothing, it’s a harmless behavior. Cats have heightened senses and may be seeing, hearing or feeling something that you can’t—or your cat may just be acting, well, mysterious!

 

 

Cats have a strong sense of sight

Cats have a sharp sense of sight, so they’re able to see things in clear detail at a distance and have excellent vision in low light. Such good eyesight allows your cat to see things that you may not be able to see, like a tiny spider, fly or ant. 
It might even be that your cat is looking at “invisible” beams of light! Cats’ eyes have the ability to see ultraviolet (UV) light, which is invisible to the human eye. 

Cats are all ears when it comes to hearing

Humans can detect sounds in a frequency range from about 20 to 20,000 Hz. As we age our sensitivity changes, so the upper range is often closer to 14,000 to 17,000 Hz. But cats can hear from about 80 Hz up to 85,000 Hz, giving them one of the broadest hearing ranges among mammals! 

So maybe your cat is hearing something on the other side of the wall, whether it’s a clanking pipe, a mouse scampering around behind the wall, something making noise in a neighboring apartment or someone chatting outside. 

The hunter

Not all hunting happens in your yard—your cat may be hunting in the comfort of your living room! If you’ve ever watched a cat hunt, you’ll notice that they watch their prey before getting into the tell-tale pounce pose. They do this to ensure the timing is right for success. Your cat may be watching a spider walk along a wall and is determining the best time to pounce!

Mystery

Finally, the reason your cat might be staring at the wall is for, well, no reason at all! Sometimes we stare off into space for no reason and your cat may be doing the same.