🐾 Caturday Quakes: Cats on the Fault

 

Wooper (above) and Bobolink (below), earthquake-proof cats


We (three adult humans and eight cats of various ages) live on a hill right on top of the San Andreas Fault, which has been busier than usual lately: three quakes 2.5-3.4 on Thanksgiving Day and the same on Black Friday. Black Friday's early morning earthquake beat the alarm clock by a few minutes and shook us awake. We cleared the sleep from our eyes and looked over to see the cats either still sleeping or yawning in wake-up attempts as the sun began filtering through the windows. That is not what I often read about cats and quakes. Supposedly (though no scientific proof exits), their behavioral changes can tip off humans to pending quakes. Well, no warnings from our eight. So, what is wrong (or right) with our cats?

What cats can do during quakes:

  • Dash under beds or into closets 🏃‍⬛
  • Meow loudly or yowl in distress 😿
  • Freeze in place, ears back, eyes wide 👀
  • Attempt to escape outdoors 🚪
  • Cluster together for reassurance 🤝

What our eight cats do:

  • Stay put, unfazed, even when pictures tilt and loose things tumble
  • No frantic hiding, no vocal alarms, no wide-eyed panic
  • Older cats appear to model calm behavior for the younger ones, reinforcing a steady household rhythm
  • Eight cats reinforcing each other’s composure — a little “herd wisdom” at work
  • Mirroring their humans, who long ago learned to shrug off daily tremors

Why the difference?

  • Living on the San Andreas Fault means quakes are routine here — 1–2 a day is normal
  • Habituation: repeated exposure teaches both cats and humans that small quakes aren’t threats
  • Social modeling: calm humans + calm older cats = younger cats learning calm too
  • Comfort: a secure, familiar home and strong household and community bonds keep everyone grounded

✨ So while cats elsewhere may bolt at the first rumble, our crew of eight has mastered the art of earthquake zen. Tremors come and go, but life on our hillside hub rolls on — steady, calm, and together.


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