so i got me a trail camera to see if i can catch a gas thief.

[mozeppa]

and i have a question.

can cats see infra red light?

we don't have a cat and we don't feed anything stray.

yet last night i got 40 pictures of at least 4 different cats (and 2 squirrels)

they come right up to it and stare into it.

the camera make no sounds what so ever....so can they see it?

[NyFirefighter357]

Looks like no but my buddy had 2 of his camera's ripped off trees by black bears and the trees weren't in it's path.

[JBinMN]

I would say
it is a combination of camera noise when it took their pic since they have great hearing to catch small quiet critters, it was something different in their "area" and with their great night sight they probably actually saw/noticed it as being a "new" thing in "their" environment, and just plain old curiosity.

[bosterr]

I have two older cameras that the infrared bulbs actually glow red monetarily when taking a shot. I've had lots of shots where deer and bear are looking straight at it when the pic was taken.

[abunaitoo]

Cats, bears, and other animals have a keen sense of smell.
Something that smells different, might be the reason.
Whenever I get something new, my cat wants to sniff it.
After that, she could care less about it.

[Land Owner]

The Passive InfraRed (PIR) that wakes the camera and the flash capacitor that charges just before a shot probably make noise outside of the range of human hearing, on which the animals zero in.

[jsizemore]

Did you tell the police about the cats stealing the gas? Bet they want Animal Control to tend to it.

[woodbutcher]

:D Don`t know about cats.BUT,during WW2,the Navy did some testing of people that had had cataract surgery,because some of them were able to detect IR emissions.IIRC,the Navy took some of them to the Pacific to help spot IR signals used to signal for pickups off of some of the islands of coast watchers.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Johnch]

IMO Coons and Deer both can see the IR flash or here something , but it dose not alarm them
As I use Bushnell trail cameras and I have had a number of coons and deer come over and check out the camera

LOL Over the years I have gotten a bunch of pictures of deer nose's and coon paws as they check out the camera

I even got a picture last year of a Coyote stealing apples and eating it

Good luck with the gas thief

John

[Mr_Sheesh]

We can see into Ultraviolet somewhat too; I hadn't known about IR. A local "weird science" group has directions on making goggles that only allow UV light through, so you can see in just UV and learn more about that. Cheap even.

Good luck on catching pictures of the thieves!

[DocSavage]

Cats have better hearing than dogs so any sound we as humans can't hear cats can and cats being overly noisy have to check out that strange "box".

[Mr_Sheesh]

Of the components inside the trail camera - Some will vibrate when the cam is recharging after taking a photo, and this can be audible to them - Plus that lens looks like an eye - If something makes ANY noise and has an eye, It Must Be Sniffed, whether by a passing dog or a passing cat. Scent makes sense too, any different scent can mean food, and critters like "fast food" :P

[oldred]

I would say it's hearing more than anything else, I have sixteen cats (Yep, sixteen) but these are "working" cats here on the farm and I have a good reason for having them. That part doesn't matter but I have two that are approaching 20 years old and one that's already past twenty by a few months and I am quite partial to these old guys since I have had them so long. They can't eat dry cat food anymore like the others so the "good stuff" is reserved for them and I absolutely MUST open the cans inside the house! I have tried to be as quite as possible and open a can so slowly I didn't think anything could hear it but the other cats know the sound of the cans being opened and come running from everywhere, it's truly amazing at how far away they can detect the sound of a cat food can being opened no matter how slowly and quietly I do it!

[smokeywolf]

oldred, I may disagree with some of your opinions, but sure do admire you for taking good care of your older kitties.

I grew up with horses, dogs and cats. Had one cat that lived to 24 years old.

Good on you, sir.

[xs11jack]

I vote sound. I have seen a video of a fox walking on the top of 2 or more feet of snow and the fox detects the sound of a mouse moving on the ground below. Then the fox jump way up in the air and dives head first into the snow and grabs the morsel for lunch. I also have seen dogs that hear their owners coming home from blocks away. The dogs learned the sound of the car on the road. If the owner catches a ride home the dog does alert until the owner gets out of the car in front of the house.
Ole Jack

[nvbirdman]

I have always heard that a number of animals (especially dogs) can't see the color red, but my dog loves chasing a red laser around the living room floor.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Cats have better hearing than dogs so any sound we as humans can't hear cats can and cats being overly noisy have to check out that strange "box".

I can't speak about Dogs...But I agree that Cats have incredible hearing...and it's "directional".

One year (about 20 years ago), I was deer hunting on a farm that had a small herd of cats. One was particularly friendly to me. She walked with me, to my deer hunting spot, we sat down and waited for the deer, I'd hear a noise, a very slight noise and wasn't sure exactly where it was coming from. I'm not sure exactly when I figured this out, but I soon learned to watch the cat's ears when I'd hear another slight noise, the open cavities of those tiny ears open up some and would move to the direction of the noise. It was like having a furry radar. She and I hunted the whole season together.

[lightman]

My Cat learned the sound of my company truck. She would hear me coming home from blocks away and be sitting inside the back door when I came in. My Wife learned to watch her and would get up and turn the porch light on for me.

[MaryB]

Whenever I come home Tigger(RIP) and Oreo would be waiting at the door to greet me and have to smell my hands to make sure I wasn't petting any strange kitties.

[Traffer]

I can't speak about Dogs...But I agree that Cats have incredible hearing...and it's "directional".

One year (about 20 years ago), I was deer hunting on a farm that had a small herd of cats. One was particularly friendly to me. She walked with me, to my deer hunting spot, we sat down and waited for the deer, I'd hear a noise, a very slight noise and wasn't sure exactly where it was coming from. I'm not sure exactly when I figured this out, but I soon learned to watch the cat's ears when I'd hear another slight noise, the open cavities of those tiny ears open up some and would move to the direction of the noise. It was like having a furry radar. She and I hunted the whole season together.

I think you may be on to something there..."hunting kitties" Tracker Cats" ..."seeing eye dogs, hearing ear cats" Hmmmmmmmm

[Mr_Sheesh]

Only problem is that cats probably will freak out when you shoot something, unless using suppressed firearms or a bow / crossbow?

[Thundarstick]

When I was a teen my Grandpa's farm was over run with sparrows, hundreds of nest in the big pines out front . That supplied a huge amount of target practice for us, and game for all the farm cats. You could walk out, shoot a 22, and cats would come running from every corner of the farm! :p

[Traffer]

Only problem is that cats probably will freak out when you shoot something, unless using suppressed firearms or a bow / crossbow?

I dated a girl many years ago who trained her cats. First time I ever heard of a potty trained house cat. They also faithfully came when she called and even did some tricks. A cat would be a great companion on a hunt or even in the military. You could train them to wake you when there was an animal in range or if in war, train them to wake you if there was danger. You could carry them with you in a game bag or a big pocket.
:bigsmyl2:

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I dated a girl many years ago who trained her cats. First time I ever heard of a potty trained house cat. They also faithfully came when she called and even did some tricks. A cat would be a great companion on a hunt or even in the military. You could train them to wake you when there was an animal in range or if in war, train them to wake you if there was danger. You could carry them with you in a game bag or a big pocket.
:bigsmyl2:
I am a cat person (more than a dog person, but dogs are great too). I've had several cats over the years, some cats are more trainable than others...and many cats are NOT trainable what so ever. I've had one cat that I was able to train to play fetch. I've trained almost all of the cats I've had to come when called, I like to use a "Two clap" call and NOT "voice and words". The two clap seems to trigger a cat to pay attention, like a Dog getting yanked with a choke collar. It took my current cat a full summer to learn the two clap, but it was worth it, if a cat is to be a indoor/outdoor cat...and you want to call them into the house, without waking up the neighborhood. On the occasion she is stubborn and won't listen, a shake of her Food cup with some food in it, always makes her Run back in the house.



Only problem is that cats probably will freak out when you shoot something, unless using suppressed firearms or a bow / crossbow?
I suspect you are very correct with this...Cats are triggered/alarmed quite easily with unexpected loud noises...and I imagine a cat will BOLT or freak out to a gun shot, I can't even imagine training that out of a cat?

I never got to shoot during the one season when the friendly farm cat was along for the hunt :sad:

[bedbugbilly]

They must be young cats and squirrels . . . taking "selfies" like that . . . . now the younger generation is rubbing off on the wildlife? :-)

[Smoke4320]

You got pictures of a catdashian
always seeking a camera

[beemer]

I think some can tell time also. I kept my step daughter's cat when she and my wife were gone for a week. After the first day he would wake me five min. before the clock went off and set on the bed and meow right before the time I usually went to bed.

[Smoke4320]

I think some can tell time also. I kept my step daughter's cat when she and my wife were gone for a week. After the first day he would wake me five min. before the clock went off and set on the bed and meow right before the time I usually went to bed.

I know both my dogs can tell time.. At 5 minutes to 6PM they both start pacing and whining at the door .. closing time is at 6PM

[Mr_Sheesh]

My older rescue cat came trained to retrieve toys, sadly one time when I was sick for too long she lost that training. She knows her name and the word "Treats" will always get her wandering towards me; She wasn't really socialized when I got her at a year old, I've fostered so many that I fixed that. She now pats me on the face to ask for treats; Her sister in crime knows her name too, and cheek rubs things (Here it's usually the laptop's display) to ask for treats.

They put their paws up for ordering breakfast and dinner; On the "Catbinets", though the younger one has decided to use cheek rubs for that too, now - Which is fine. It's understandable, in context. Younger one just got up to ask for more treats now - They aren't spoiled, at all, riight! LOL

I love both cats and dogs, they're both great; Can't have a big mellow dog here though, unless I trained it as a Service Dog - And I don't have enough that it could do for me to make it doable, so I am waiting till I've moved to get one. Probably will get two, so they have a buddy.

Hoping the OP catches their gas thief, we've sorta hijacked this thread LOL

[Mr_Sheesh]

Time, LOL yeah I call it "Tummy o'clock" mine know JUST when it's breakfast or dinner time, seems like!