How do cats tell the time?

[Whoateallthechocolate]

DCat is wondering around the house looking v confused as neither DC is home from school yet. Thursday is the only day that they both have a club straight after school meaning that, rather than at least one of them being home for 3.15, neither is home until 4pm. She has this problem every single week.
But how do cats do this?
Unlike previous cats I've had, she's fairly laid back about when she eats but always appears at 3.15 to greet the DC as they get back from school, at 9pm as it's DD's bedtime and, even if she's been out hunting all night, will race in at 7.20 to make sure she's there for when DD gets up.
I'm not complaining about this as it's much easier getting DD to bed on time now the cat comes to find her!

@Tambora

Years ago my late DM used to come and stay with us sometimes. My work hours varied a lot and I often had to do overtime at short notice. So I would never arrive home from work at the same time of day. DM said she always knew when to put the kettle on because the cat would go and sit on the windowsill about 3 minutes before I got home. I have no idea how she knew, but she did.

One of my cats used to do this as well. I would come home at different times, but he'd always hop up onto the window sill near to the time I'd almost be home.

They are definitely aware of the rhythm of the day, but I think there's more to it than just that.

Brilliant thread 😸

@nellly
Didn’t realise you meant cat flap at first, and was expecting a room with all amenities, fancy cat trees, running two etc. Like a granny annexe for cats

I’m sure I read somewhere once that it’s to do with scent. The missing person’s scent gradually gets weaker over the day, and cats know the point of weakness it’s at when they get home.

That might be bullshit though!

@FelicityBeedle haha don't tempt me!! If we had the space I would do that although he's so clingy he wouldn't want his own place

@Fancymcpantsy interesting theory that would make sense but would not account for variables.

Not my cat turned up 7pm exactly tonight

I had a tabby who I'd let out when I got up. If it was a shitty day weatherwise I would say to him "if you're not back by 8.15 (the time I'd leave for work) you're out all day". Leaving the house at 8.15 he'd be on the doorstep waiting to come in for the day. He had a 9pm curfew which he also kept to.

@TheUnexpectedPickle

They use pawket watch

This comment has been underrated .

@sluj Haribo does that at the same time except he's on a rug by a cold radiator in my craft room.

I lived with a guy very briefly who my cat loathed (rightly it turned out). He used to come home at different times every evening. Without fail the cat would go under the bed 10 minutes before he came home. Every single day. Fortunately it was only a matter of a few weeks.

Once I'd got over groaning at the initial response, this has been fascinating.
When MIL comes to stay (she lives by herself so we've formed a bubble) DCat always goes for a prowl around her room (otherwise, the spare room) just after DD has got up. On other days, she doesn't bother going in there until the afternoon of a sunny day where the middle of the white bedspread beats her usual daytime spot of the windowsill above a radiator

I don't know if its the same for cats but I watched a documentary about dogs once which explained how they always seem to know when their owners will be home soon because their sense of smell is so sensitive they can detect the change in the air through the day so associate certain smells with certain times of day

Well my cats are idiots - they get fed at 5pm, they start meowing at me hopefully from about 2!

Cheddar definitely has a routine. And will almost always appear downstairs around 21.30. I think to tell me it's almost bed time. Magic doesn't have one at all and I do t think she has any concept of time. Our childhood cat knew what time we got home.

Our boy cat used to wait for the DC coming home from school up a tree half way to home.

Girl cat knows when it's 9pm winter or summer 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️ she asks to be put to bed and we don't really have an evening routine.

@TheUnexpectedPickle

They use pawket watch

purrfect !

Fascinating thread! I've had cats who were able to tell time (in a way) and cats who, ahem, lacked time management skills.

My cat is clever enough to tell time with amazing accuracy, but he is too stupid to know the difference between week days and weekend days and gets very upset with me if I'm still in bed at 0600 .

We are woken up at 6.30 every morning, but at the weekend they go to dd's bed. No matter where they are they both appear at 18h30 for their evening walk.

Whatever clock a cat has, or looks at, it only tells time not day of the week. Cats don't consider Sunday or a Bank Holiday to be any different.

Bernard’s supper time is 6.30. At 6.00 he will go and sit hopefully by his food bowl looking meaningfully at anyone who goes near. At 6.30 he will let out a little mew, which means it’s time.

Ours always get a second breakfast when our cleaner (she adores them) is here and they know which day of the week it is.

They sit by the front door waiting for her (the time she arrives can vary but they are always sitting waiting). They never sit by the door on any other day.

They don't show any interest in the door when other people come.

If she is on holiday and doesn't come then they are absolutely fuming about it and sulk all day.

Love the pawket watch comment.

My cat knows as well. He also knows when it’s the weekend so will leave sitting on me and purring loudly for his breakfast until later so I get a bit of a lie in. I obviously do something slightly different when I don’t have work the following day as he also waits on a bank holiday or day off.