I just discovered something amazing about cats!
Last week, my cat Coco sneaked out while it was snowing. I grabbed my boots and followed her, I was curious where she’d gone.. The snow was fresh, and at first, I was confused as to why there was only one line of footprints. But cats have four legs.
I crouched closer and looked at the tracks. That’s when I noticed that Coco’s hind paw landed almost exactly where her front paw had stepped. She was direct-registering. Her trail wasn’t messy at all, except she lightly messed up on the third step!
She left almost no trace that a tracker might even think a rabbit or a squirrel had passed by.
It was kind of cute, but also really smart. By stepping in her own prints, she barely disturbed the snow.
And it makes sense. In deep snow, or on soft ground, it takes less effort to step where you’ve already compacted the surface.
Plus, it’s quiet and sneaky, so it is good for hunting or sneaking out. Even house cats like Coco carry this instinct from their wild ancestors.
I was thinking about how incredibly aware cats are of their bodies. Coco had her little secret all along. I’ve always been impressed by her stealthy moves; she steps so quietly and carefully that she barely knocks anything over.
Have a lovely day,
Mariah 🐾