Where Your Cat Goes May Blow Your Mind | National Geographic

you should aplha me too quickly he might

you should aplha me too quickly he might walk a little first but if you see it

walk a little first but if you see it

walk a little first but if you see it you know a couple days ago by the cats

you know a couple days ago by the cats

you know a couple days ago by the cats are really unique because they’re the

are really unique because they’re the

are really unique because they’re the only pets we have that we just give free

only pets we have that we just give free

only pets we have that we just give free license to roam wherever they want if we

license to roam wherever they want if we

license to roam wherever they want if we let them outside people have said that

let them outside people have said that

let them outside people have said that they want to track their cats think they

they want to track their cats think they

they want to track their cats think they know generally where their cats go and

know generally where their cats go and

know generally where their cats go and it seems that most the time they are not

it seems that most the time they are not

it seems that most the time they are not they’re not right about where their cat

they’re not right about where their cat

they’re not right about where their cat goes cat tracker is a project we started

goes cat tracker is a project we started

goes cat tracker is a project we started because we wanted to know where these

because we wanted to know where these

because we wanted to know where these cats went

cats went

cats went cats are known globally as a big threat

cats are known globally as a big threat

cats are known globally as a big threat to conservation because they kill so

to conservation because they kill so

to conservation because they kill so many animals but in the United States

many animals but in the United States

many animals but in the United States there are a lot of predators running

there are a lot of predators running

there are a lot of predators running around so we wanted to know how far are

around so we wanted to know how far are

around so we wanted to know how far are these cats going into the natural areas

these cats going into the natural areas

these cats going into the natural areas and are they actually a threat to our

and are they actually a threat to our

and are they actually a threat to our native wildlife that lives there we’re

native wildlife that lives there we’re

native wildlife that lives there we’re working initially in the North Carolina

working initially in the North Carolina

working initially in the North Carolina area where we have tracker units and

area where we have tracker units and

area where we have tracker units and we’re loading them out to people to put

we’re loading them out to people to put

we’re loading them out to people to put on their cats for a week or two at a

on their cats for a week or two at a

on their cats for a week or two at a time

time

time so far most the animals are staying

so far most the animals are staying

so far most the animals are staying pretty close to home but certainly they

pretty close to home but certainly they

pretty close to home but certainly they are making some side trips they’re

are making some side trips they’re

are making some side trips they’re visiting other houses which is pretty

visiting other houses which is pretty

visiting other houses which is pretty interesting so we’re starting to wonder

interesting so we’re starting to wonder

interesting so we’re starting to wonder you know what’s luring them and some of

you know what’s luring them and some of

you know what’s luring them and some of them are starting to go into some of the

them are starting to go into some of the

them are starting to go into some of the natural areas around their houses as

natural areas around their houses as

natural areas around their houses as well it’s important to know is it is it

well it’s important to know is it is it

well it’s important to know is it is it ten percent of the cats that move a long

ten percent of the cats that move a long

ten percent of the cats that move a long way or is it one percent or is the point

way or is it one percent or is the point

way or is it one percent or is the point one percent because we start dealing

one percent because we start dealing

one percent because we start dealing with the billions and billions of cats

with the billions and billions of cats

with the billions and billions of cats that are out there if it’s one percent

that are out there if it’s one percent

that are out there if it’s one percent that could still be a lot that are

that could still be a lot that are

that could still be a lot that are hunting when people find out where their

hunting when people find out where their

hunting when people find out where their cats have gone they generally react with

cats have gone they generally react with

cats have gone they generally react with a lot of shock to see where fluffy pants

a lot of shock to see where fluffy pants

a lot of shock to see where fluffy pants went and they almost feel betrayed or

went and they almost feel betrayed or

went and they almost feel betrayed or shocked their responses are I was like

shocked their responses are I was like

shocked their responses are I was like oh my goodness I am going to have to

oh my goodness I am going to have to

oh my goodness I am going to have to talk to that cat we’re also starting to

talk to that cat we’re also starting to

talk to that cat we’re also starting to find some interesting details in the

find some interesting details in the

find some interesting details in the story of these cats

story of these cats

story of these cats we had one cat where stayed home all the

we had one cat where stayed home all the

we had one cat where stayed home all the time

time

time then all of a sudden it went to a house

then all of a sudden it went to a house

then all of a sudden it went to a house and then came back and we thought well

and then came back and we thought well

and then came back and we thought well what is this is it GPS error or

what is this is it GPS error or

what is this is it GPS error or something like that

something like that

something like that my body’s betraying me turns out they

my body’s betraying me turns out they

my body’s betraying me turns out they were out of town that weekend and the

were out of town that weekend and the

were out of town that weekend and the house that I went to is where they used

house that I went to is where they used

house that I went to is where they used to live it’s somehow remembered where it

to live it’s somehow remembered where it

to live it’s somehow remembered where it used to live knew how to get there even

used to live knew how to get there even

used to live knew how to get there even though we’ve headed across a busy street

though we’ve headed across a busy street

though we’ve headed across a busy street it’s kind of kind of risky actually well

it’s kind of kind of risky actually well

it’s kind of kind of risky actually well so this one example tells us that cats

so this one example tells us that cats

so this one example tells us that cats have long term spatial memory and that

have long term spatial memory and that

have long term spatial memory and that they can navigate around in this area

they can navigate around in this area

they can navigate around in this area even if 99% of the time they’re only in

even if 99% of the time they’re only in

even if 99% of the time they’re only in their backyards what we want to do is

their backyards what we want to do is

their backyards what we want to do is really crowdsource this take this into

really crowdsource this take this into

really crowdsource this take this into the world of citizen science so it’s not

the world of citizen science so it’s not

the world of citizen science so it’s not just a few scientists tracking a handful

just a few scientists tracking a handful

just a few scientists tracking a handful of animals but hundreds of volunteers

of animals but hundreds of volunteers

of animals but hundreds of volunteers tracking hopefully thousands of cats and

tracking hopefully thousands of cats and

tracking hopefully thousands of cats and we generally advocate that people keep

we generally advocate that people keep

we generally advocate that people keep their cats indoors but if you do let

their cats indoors but if you do let

their cats indoors but if you do let your cat out we just want to know where

your cat out we just want to know where

your cat out we just want to know where are they going and try to understand

are they going and try to understand

are they going and try to understand some of the biological phenomenon so

some of the biological phenomenon so

some of the biological phenomenon so that we can help in the future minimize

that we can help in the future minimize

that we can help in the future minimize the impacts of cats on wildlife