Are cats capable of finding their way home? Here's what we know

We know many stories of cats who have returned home even after a long time after suddenly disappearing. This is why there is a widespread belief that cats are somehow able to find their way home and return, even when they are many kilometres away. It is for this reason that some scholars have begun to study the phenomenon, in the hope of being able to understand whether this is actually possible and how. Let us try to understand what we know so far on the subject.

Some experts in the cat world believe that these animals may be able to find their way home thanks to a special search instinct. At the moment, no details are known about this hypothesis, but the most widely accepted is that cats are able to use the Earth's magnetic fields to locate the house they have been living in.

The idea that cats are somehow able to utilise the Earth's geomagnetic fields is a hypothesis supported by the fact that other animals, such as migratory birds, are also able to use them.

Among other hypotheses that some have tried to substantiate is the possibility that some cats have a more developed sense of orientation than others of their kind. A bit like with humans: some have more sense of orientation and some less. This possibility would therefore be subjective and would vary from cat to cat.

But what are the reasons that drive cats away from their homes? Actually, they can be many. These include: the search for food, hunting, territorial defence, the search for a companion, the search for a quieter environment.