Dear Cathy: I'm a retired scientist who usually seeks scientific evidence to support my conclusions. In your column regarding a dog that went to the door before its owner's arrival, you stated that it was a function of the dog's superior hearing. There is another factor you should consider.
Dr. Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D., a respected British biologist and author of the book, “Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home,” has performed experiments that rule out the pet's auditory acuity as well as time of day expectations as the only explanations of a dog's anticipating its owner's arrival at home. I've provided a link to a less than two-minute YouTube clip, which could point you in the right direction. — Allen, Marana, Arizona
Dear Allen: Thank you for your letter. I watched the video, and his conclusion is fascinating. Dr. Sheldrake says many dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, parrots, and other domestic animals seem to know when their owner is coming home by going to a window to wait or announcing it in the case of parrots.
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Sheldrake proceeded to conduct a test that removed factors like time of day and the sound of the owner's car as explanations for this behavior. In the test, they sent owners five miles away at random times of the day and had them return in taxis or unfamiliar cars. They kept cameras on the dogs to see what they would do.
Dr. Sheldrake concluded that “some dogs, not all dogs, could reliably predict the return of their owner over and over again in a way that's highly significant statistically that shows it must be something like telepathy because it can't be explained in any other standard ways.”
That is very cool, and it doesn't surprise me (nor probably my readers) to learn that animals may have telepathic abilities. Thank you for sharing. I am going to check out his book.
Dear Cathy: We have a 13-year-old cat who has suddenly developed a habit I can't explain. He goes down to the basement each day and spends his day there. The litter box has always been there, but it's dark (but dry) there. He comes up to be fed and get petted but then wants to return to the cellar. He lost his companion cat 18 months ago, but they had always kept their distance. He has recently become a lap cat, sits with me, and purrs; he used to never stay in my lap for long. Any ideas about this behavior? — Christopher, Norfolk, Virginia
Dear Christopher: It's not uncommon for an animal's behavior to change when another pet dies. Pets have ways of controlling each other's behaviors when they live in the same home. For example, this cat may have wanted to spend time in your lap, but your other cat (who recently passed) may have been the “lap cat,” effectively keeping the other cat away.
I have seen cats keep other cats from using the litter box, too, which is why several litter boxes should be in a multi-cat home. When your cat died, your other cat was able to move into the old cat's territory, i.e., your lap. This explains why he now spends more time on your lap.
As for going into the basement, he may have found a new cozy sleeping spot where no one bothers him, he could have a health problem that makes him want to be in a quieter area of the house, or he could be bored. I always recommend a trip to the vet whenever there are behavior changes. If there are no health problems, going into the basement may be a comfort for him or just the quietest place in the house to enjoy his naps.
Go downstairs when he is down there to see what he is doing. He may have found a cozy place to sleep, which you may be able to recreate upstairs. Also, if you think he might be bored, play with him for 10 minutes, three times daily, and introduce a interactive and puzzle toys to engage his mind more. He may simply need some extra incentives to stay upstairs more.
