Nature has equipped your cat with special powers refined by countless generations of chasing, hunting and surviving. Five senses uniquely define your pet as a cat. Each one plays an important role in how the world is perceived.

They've heard it all. So many sounds are beyond the capacity of your ears, but your cat picks up on them with no problem. Cats even hear better than dogs. Their sense of hearing can reach ultrasonic ranges of up 100,000 Hz (hertz) compared to 20,000 for humans.

Nose knowledge. Your cat's sense of smell is critical to learning about the environment. About 200 million odor-sensitive cells are found in a typical cat's nose. Humans only have five million. Cats not only use their noses in conjunction with eating, they also rely on sense of smell to communicate with each other.

Staying in touch. Whiskers and paws do the investigative work in a cat's environment. Cats have whiskers on the backs of their front legs in addition to their face. They use whiskers to feel out objects around them and determine things like whether they can squeeze through a narrow opening. Certain whiskers help cats stalk prey in dim light.

Keeping an eye out. Your cat's sight is extraordinary, especially peripheral vision. A cat's pupils can dilate to capture a panoramic view of the landscape. They are also specialists in detecting movement; a trait honed over thousands of years of hunting. It's interesting to note, however, that cat's do have a blind spot right under their chins. Despite their amazing sight, they can literally overlook something within reach.

More than just good taste. There's a reason cats won't necessarily eat whatever you put in front of them. They only have about 470 taste buds. That sounds like a lot, but compare it to your own mouth that includes more than 9,000. Not only do cats have fewer taste buds, they're also not as sensitive. That's why they rely more on their sense of smell when it comes to choosing food. And they rely on you to choose the right nutrition for their special needs.

SOURCE: Excerpts for Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. from "The Cat Behavior Answer Book" published by Storey Publishing LLC, ©2007 by Arden Moore