Whenever we take cats out for a walk, to prevent them from wandering around and disappearing, we often use a leash to hold them. Some well-trained cats don’t require such trouble; when the owner calls their name, they obediently come back. However, if your cat is mischievous, using a leash can be a rather helpless method. Sometimes, you have to face unexpected situations. For example, if your cat suddenly becomes unusually excited one day, you open the door and before you can put on the leash, the cat dashes outside wildly and disappears in no time. At this moment, owners often panic helplessly—will my cat come back?

　　Compared to cats, we know dogs have a strong sense of direction, which is innate. You often see dogs urinating by utility poles or under trees and sniffing constantly with their noses; this is one of their good methods for navigation. So, does a cat also possess this ability?

　　Recently, a netizen in Hangzhou posted that their cat, lost for two years, had returned. Netizens were not only amazed and blessed but also deeply impressed by the cats' sense of direction. Abroad, there is a cat with an even more amazing skill; this pet cat in the UK, when the owner is not home, goes out alone and rides a fixed bus route back and forth several times.

　　This astonishing ability of cats is related to their physiological sense of time—that is, their internal biological clock. If a cat leaves home or its living area, the biological clock inside the cat mismatches with the position of the sun in the original place. However, the cat’s biological clock temporarily maintains the position of the sun from its original home at that moment. If the cat moves in the direction that corrects this deviation, it can find its way back. Studies have shown that if the cat’s distance from home is within about a 12 km radius, it can generally find its way back. If the distance exceeds this range, the cat may get lost. Once a cat reaches near its home, it can use its keen sense of smell to detect familiar scents, thereby locating the exact direction and floor of its home amid the city’s steel jungle. When cats spend a long time at home, they have an indelible impression of the home’s scents, environment, and their owner’s voice. After getting lost, cats will use their judgment to find the way back home.

　　For cats and other animals, the biological clock is an essential ability for survival in nature. Ancestors of cats and other animals used the sun’s position to judge when to do certain things, when to go hunting to catch prey, and when going out would meet predators, etc. Today’s pet cats no longer need to hunt, but their lives are still regular. They can remember when their owners get up and when they get off work, which is also related to the biological clock.

　　Of course, not every cat has this ability. We often hear about cats going missing. Therefore, in terms of cats recognizing the way home, we still need to guide them gradually—for example, letting them become more familiar with the house and surrounding things. Also, if a cat is unhappy living in an environment, it may never come back when it runs away. The best way to prevent cats from running away and not returning is to take good care of them: give them a comfortable environment with food, water, play, and rest. Cats will naturally be reluctant to leave and will come back even if they get lost. Furthermore, cats should be neutered at the appropriate age to avoid them leaving home due to heat cycles.