Doesn’t it make you look up in curiosity when your cat stares at the ceiling? We have the answers for you below.
Your cat could be trying to spot something because it’s curious, bored, or hungry. In rare instances, your cat is ill.
In this article, we’ll explain each possible reason why your cat is doing this, what to do about it, and the signs to look for when it becomes concerning.
Why Does My Cat Stare at the Ceiling and Meow?
What makes our cats stare up and meow at what it is that they’re focusing on? The reason may be something simple or a sign of a medical condition.
- Your cat is watching something moving. Insects flying about or a lizard are fast-moving creatures that easily catch the attention of your feline.
- It’s boredom. Your cat will try to entertain itself somehow and find something particularly odd with that ceiling such as an interesting choice of color!
- A noise coming from the ceiling. Sounds of small feet running around and squeaking could be an indication of rats in the ceiling or somewhere above you.
- An illness. When your cat appears disoriented, in a daze, and is slow to respond, these could be signs your cat isn’t feeling well. It could also be an eye infection. Symptoms include excessive eye discharge, inflamed third eyelid, and reddening of the whites of the eye.
Read: Why Do Cats like to Watch Running Water?
Why Is My Cat Staring at Me Creepily?
Cats are ever so curious and are noted to stare at their owners for unknown reasons. They’re very observant creatures. They could be trying to read your expressions, silently asking for food, or a few minutes of playtime and cuddle.
If they do it often and aren’t persuaded to stop despite your best efforts, stare back and see how they react. Some owners noted that your cat staring is a sign of affection or trust and reciprocating it means you appreciate them just as much.
Read: Understanding Your Cat’s Body Language: Why Is My Cat Acting Strange and Scared?
What to Do When My Cat Keeps Staring at the Ceiling?
Check the food and water if your cat wants a refill. Observe signs of an illness if your cat is in pain or uncomfortable with something.
You can also use toys or catch their attention with words they like to hear to distract them from staring. Most of the time, it is harmless behavior unless you as an owner feel and observe that something about it unsettles you.
Why Is My Cat Staring at Nothing?
Your cat is trying to listen to something if it moves its ears front to back while seemingly staring at nothing. Cats can also see lights that we cannot perceive such as ultraviolet light because of their unique vision.
It could also explain why cats tend to stare at areas that aren’t visually interesting such as the wall and the ceiling. Cats can’t see the full range of the rainbow unlike us, but they can perceive blue, yellow, and gray. They might be interested in a pop of blue or yellow in their field of vision.
Dr. Buzhardt and Dr. Llera wrote that cats’ vision blurs when the object is far so they could be trying to interpret what it is that they’re looking at if it’s too far.
Read: 5 Common Reasons Your Cat May Be Acting Quieter Than Usual
Why Does My Cat Just Sit and Stare at the Wall?
Your cat is noticing movement from insects and seeing interesting colors on the wall that we can’t see. Researchers obtained eyes from deceased mammals and found that cats, dogs, and several more animals have lenses that allow some ultraviolet light through.
Cats also find certain colors intriguing such as red and yellow. Aside from that, they also sit and concentrate on the noise going on around them. It may look like they’re staring at a wall but they’re focused on something else.
Read: Do Cats Like to Hunt at Night?
What Does It Mean When a Cat Holds Eye Contact?
Veterinary Science graduate Lizzie Youens confirms the words going around that cats blink slowly and stare directly into their owner’s eyes as a sign of affection. It certainly makes me want to cuddle my beloved cat!
Other times, they are very curious about what you’re doing. They will watch you often, and perhaps a little bit creepily until you respond. Try staring back to see how they react and if they’ll turn away. When you catch the right moment, you might see that slow blinking of trust!
Is It Normal for Cats to Stare?
Owners have noted that their cats stare at them, at the ceiling, at the wall, and even at nothing. Dr. Rachel Barrack of Animal Acupuncture located in New York City explains when cats appear to be staring into space, they may be detecting subtle motion as their vision is much more acute than human eyes.
If you find your cat moving their ears front to back, they’re gathering confirmation of the sound they hear. It might be a ghost in the form of a rodent living in your house especially when foods spookily disappear and packets are opened and spilled.
They also stare to express affection and trust towards their owners, accompanied by slow blinking.
Read: Why Is My Cat Hovering over the Water Bowl but Not Drinking? Is It Something I Have to Worry About?
Can Cats See Things on TV?
Cats do recognize the sound and visuals on a television screen but they see it differently than we do. They don’t really pay attention much to it unless they’re hearing familiar noise, fast-moving objects, and colors.
Cats see the pictures better on modern TV which has a refresh rate of 60Hz or 120Hz because they process images faster than we do. They love to watch things that run quickly which triggers their urge to chase them like the true hunters that they are.
Can Cats See Our Faces as We Do?
Human eyes see colors in hues and differentiate them more easily whereas cats are close to being colorblind and can only comprehend a few colors – blue, yellow, green, and even red. Although, red and pink are similar in the eyes of a cat.
With how dull the world looks in their perspective, it’s not surprising to know that they can’t distinguish humans by skin color. They recognize our scents, the sound of our voice, and our faces but they aren’t the best at picking up details as they can’t see greatly from afar, so they rely best on their nose and ears to distinguish us from the rest.
Conclusion:
Concerned about an idle cat more interested at something uninteresting? Your cat is staring at the ceiling when they hear a noise like the buzzing of insects. This is evident when their ears are pricked and are moving slightly to pick up on the sound better. Boredom as well as illness makes our cats do odd behaviors that can’t be properly explained, particularly with eye problems.
