0:00:02 > 0:00:04BOTH: We are Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken.
0:00:04 > 0:00:06And we're tracking down the most awesome...
0:00:06 > 0:00:07..incredible...
0:00:07 > 0:00:11BOTH: ..and epic things in the universe!
0:00:21 > 0:00:24Come with us and discover unbelievable things
0:00:24 > 0:00:26that will blow your mind!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Blow Your Mind will be bringing you all the top experts on the planet,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37from icebergs to elephants, spaceships to sharks.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41And this week it's all about amazing animals.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44So, hold on to your brains - here's what's coming up.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48Today, we're going undercover to follow cats
0:00:48 > 0:00:51with amazing GPS systems.
0:00:51 > 0:00:53And we'll be able to watch what they get up to
0:00:53 > 0:00:56when we look through specially designed cat cameras.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Now, Chris, you've got a dog and a cat. Which do you prefer?
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Well, I love my dog, Spike, but I'm a bit more interested in my cat.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06- He's harder to understand. - Well, that's good,
0:01:06 > 0:01:10because today we are investigating cute kitties and furry felines.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12That's right. Blow Your Mind is going undercover
0:01:12 > 0:01:16to find out what happens to YOUR cat when you're not watching.
0:01:16 > 0:01:18That's good. I want to know what he gets up to.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Now, here's an interesting thing. Cats are important
0:01:20 > 0:01:22because we've got ten million of them in the UK,
0:01:22 > 0:01:26and that's twice as many cats as there are people in Scotland.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29For this research, we only needed 50 furry felines.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Let's see how they got on.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33The cat scientists wanted to recruit 50 cats
0:01:33 > 0:01:36of all ages, sizes and breeds,
0:01:36 > 0:01:39so they headed to Shamley Green to see if the cat owners
0:01:39 > 0:01:41wanted their cats to take part.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44- Well, I've got three cats, if that's any good.- I've got one.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48On average, cats live to about 15 years old
0:01:48 > 0:01:51and weigh in at around four kilos.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57This is Lilly. She's an 18-month-old Bengal that I bred.
0:01:57 > 0:01:59This is Obi.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Short for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03This is Cato.
0:02:03 > 0:02:04Claude is quite a character,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and he has various girlfriends in the district.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09He does quite a lot of hunting.
0:02:09 > 0:02:14- I want to find out where he gets them all from.- That's what I said.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17They do go out every night and come back and sleep all day,
0:02:17 > 0:02:19so it would be quite interesting to see how far they go.
0:02:19 > 0:02:23My husband thinks he just goes ten feet up the woods,
0:02:23 > 0:02:24but I think he goes a lot further.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27He used to belong to a lady over the road,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31but he left home when they got a dog.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34I think I'd move out if a massive scary animal with huge teeth
0:02:34 > 0:02:36- moved into my house. - Told you cats were clever.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39Now, the scientists have fitted each of the cats' collars
0:02:39 > 0:02:40with one of these.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It's a special GPS tracker,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46which means that they can see on a map exactly where each cat is
0:02:46 > 0:02:47and at what time.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49- So it's a bit like sat nav in a car?- Exactly.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51This is going to be interesting.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57The especially designed cat collars are a big hit with the cat owners.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01And they're queueing up to get their hands on them.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10Super.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Fantastic.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16- And...- Who's a good girl? - Give her another stroke. Excellent.
0:03:16 > 0:03:17And let her eat.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20You'd rather have one of these?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Hm?- And some more food for him. - Amazing.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27And after a few days, there are 50 collars on 50 cats.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Everything is now in place for the study to begin.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36The scientists and researchers are setting up base in the village hall.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39Behind...the trees on your right.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48The operation will run day and night across the week.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52And they've even brought in an undercover surveillance crew,
0:03:52 > 0:03:54so they can secretly film the cats.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57We're also having five more cameras dotted around.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58One on top of the garage.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02So, hopefully, we'll be able to see what's going on.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And with all the technology now in place, it's down to the cats.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Wow, so not only have they got the GPS collars on the cats,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14they've also got secret surveillance cameras
0:04:14 > 0:04:16keeping an eye on them day and night.
0:04:16 > 0:04:17They'd better keep their eyes peeled
0:04:17 > 0:04:20because cats can travel at up to 31mph.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23That's faster than the speed limit in your town.
0:04:23 > 0:04:24So, what happens
0:04:24 > 0:04:26if the cats walk out of the field of view of the cameras, though?
0:04:26 > 0:04:29Ah. The scientists have actually thought of that,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and they've come up with a way of keeping filming the cats
0:04:32 > 0:04:33without scaring them off.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36I know what they will have done. Hold on. Wait a second.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45Is it this? A cat costume with a BBC cameraman?
0:04:45 > 0:04:48Amazingly...it's not.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51But check out THESE little beauties.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55The BBC's Research and Development department has created
0:04:55 > 0:04:58a brand-new type of camera
0:04:58 > 0:05:00that will capture a cat's-eye view of our world.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Today, Dr Sarah Ellis and Alia Sheikh,
0:05:04 > 0:05:08who developed the camera, are out to test a prototype.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12- It's recording.- Oh, I see. That's clever, yeah.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- CHILD:- Is it recording now? - It's recording now.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15- Is it?- It is.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20The most important thing is the cats' comfort and safety.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23The cameras are very light, and they'll be fitted
0:05:23 > 0:05:25onto quick-release collars in case they get caught up.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Yeah, he's a good boy.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30We'll give him a bit of fuss. That's lovely.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32And we'll play with him.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35You're a good boy. Such a good boy.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37You're a good boy. Are you wanting to go outside
0:05:37 > 0:05:40so we can see what you're doing with that camera on?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45The cameras have been made smaller...
0:05:50 > 0:05:52..and able to film in the dark.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55AND they can record sound.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07And then they're connected to the GPS collars, so that we can see
0:06:07 > 0:06:10exactly where the cats are and exactly what they're looking at.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Coco. How are you this morning?
0:06:24 > 0:06:2714 cats have been chosen to wear the cat cameras,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30and soon we can start to see the world through THEIR eyes.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Cats can jump up to seven times their own height...
0:06:46 > 0:06:49..and jump DOWN even further.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59Cats have excellent long-distance vision,
0:06:59 > 0:07:02but they can't focus their eyes under 25cm,
0:07:02 > 0:07:04which is why they have whiskers.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Hello.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08CAT MEOWS
0:07:08 > 0:07:10So THAT'S why cats have whiskers,
0:07:10 > 0:07:12cos their eyes can't focus on stuff that's near to them,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15- and so they FEEL the nearby world around them?- Exactly.
0:07:15 > 0:07:18So what did the scientists learn about the life of cats
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- using all this technology? - It's quite interesting.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Most cats stay quite close to home.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25You can see on the GPS map here that, basically,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28a cat like Brutus, he just patrols around his home,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31whereas Molly does like to walk to the village woods.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33But basically, the average male cat
0:07:33 > 0:07:35only goes about 100 metres away from home.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37That's the length of a football pitch.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40The average female cat... it's about half that - 50 metres.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42But some of these lines do get quite close together.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44What happens when they meet?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Well, that's when things can get a bit CATTY.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49And that's where the cat cams come in really handy.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55CATS HISS AND YOWL
0:07:55 > 0:08:00When cats stray into each other's areas, trouble begins.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03For some cats, the leafy hedges
0:08:03 > 0:08:07and gravel paths of our back gardens are like a battleground.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15There was one cat that came into the garden.
0:08:15 > 0:08:16It wasn't so much a fight,
0:08:16 > 0:08:21it was a showdown between the two of them, sort of staring at each other.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25He was out all the time.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28He was like the king cat of the close,
0:08:28 > 0:08:30and he was always fighting and literally no-one would come...
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Any other cat would be like, "There's Cato."
0:08:36 > 0:08:39I heard this tremendous fight going on, so I got the ladder,
0:08:39 > 0:08:41climbed up the hedge to see what was going on.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44And the cat was having a fight with the neighbour's cat
0:08:44 > 0:08:45on top of the hedge.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50- On top of the hedge?- Yeah. That was...- Scarface.- Scarface Claude.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53He does come in occasionally.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Frightens the life out of them.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- And they run and hide.- And then Charlie runs up the stairs to hide.
0:08:59 > 0:09:03Scientists think that many cats have a personal territory.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08This is its own personal space where it eats, sleeps
0:09:08 > 0:09:09and brings up its young.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16So, when another cat enters this space,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18they instinctively want to defend it.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29So, cats are territorial animals. If you step on their patch,
0:09:29 > 0:09:33you're going to know about it. The results could be CAT-astrophic.
0:09:33 > 0:09:34Very good, Chris.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36So were there any good fights in the village?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39Well, actually, the scientists were really interested in finding out
0:09:39 > 0:09:43how cats defend their territory. Let's meet one fierce feline.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Ginger the cat!
0:09:50 > 0:09:52Ginger has lived in the village for ten years,
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and he seems to be a friendly, well-behaved cat.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59We think that he just goes next door, catches the odd bird and sleeps.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01And we don't think he goes out at night.
0:10:01 > 0:10:02Because when you watch him,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06he doesn't seem to like getting his paws wet or...being out in the rain.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08He doesn't like the cold, he doesn't like the snow.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11In the summer, he'll just sit and sunbathe in the garden.
0:10:11 > 0:10:12So, yeah, it will be interesting.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16But appearances can be deceptive.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Ginger, it turns out, has a secret life.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29Here's Ginger. He came over here.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31And if we just move forward...
0:10:35 > 0:10:38The GPS data show that he deliberately heads
0:10:38 > 0:10:41towards another cat's territory - their garden.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45To find out what he's up to,
0:10:45 > 0:10:46the scientists put a camera on him.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51At 8.36pm, Ginger leaves the house.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57He spends a few minutes patrolling his own back garden.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07And then he takes a trip across the village common.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15At exactly 8.48pm, Ginger stops dead in his tracks.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24He's now behind enemy lines in the other cat's garden.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30And, unfortunately for Ginger, that cat is at home.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31GINGER HISSES
0:11:31 > 0:11:34This might not have been such a good idea after all.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Sensibly, Ginger decides to cut his losses and make a run for it.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43GINGER YOWLS
0:11:43 > 0:11:44If you want to come and have a look,
0:11:44 > 0:11:47- we've got some footage on one of the cat cameras.- Right.
0:11:47 > 0:11:48This is from Ginger.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51Ginger has been roaming around the area near its house
0:11:51 > 0:11:52going through some fields.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55RECORDING HISSES
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Moving quite fast.
0:11:59 > 0:12:00He's stopped.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03You can see right away there
0:12:03 > 0:12:05there's a pair of eyes from another cat.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10GINGER HISSES
0:12:10 > 0:12:12GINGER YOWLS
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Is he running towards the other cat?
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I think he's trying to get a bit of distance really, more than anything,
0:12:19 > 0:12:21because the other cat came towards him.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24GINGER YOWLS
0:12:25 > 0:12:27GINGER HISSES
0:12:28 > 0:12:31Definitely doesn't want to be anywhere near him, anyway. Yeah.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33Wow.
0:12:33 > 0:12:36Looks like really a piece of classic stand-off...
0:12:36 > 0:12:38- Yeah.- ..between two cats
0:12:38 > 0:12:41where they are using hissing, growling and yowling
0:12:41 > 0:12:44to really try and keep a distance from each other.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47- Yeah, yeah.- And it looked as if it was reasonably effective there.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53So this is a big part of what your cat does beyond the cat flap -
0:12:53 > 0:12:54patrolling their territory
0:12:54 > 0:12:58and facing off against invading neighbourhood cats.
0:12:58 > 0:12:59So cats WILL defend their territory,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03but most of them prefer to avoid fighting so they don't get injured.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06But they do like sticking their noses into each other's territories.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08So it's true what people say, that curiosity can kill cats.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11It does get them in trouble. You can see how close they get to each other
0:13:11 > 0:13:13with those coloured lines on the GPS map.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15I think it's cool, this spying on the cats.
0:13:15 > 0:13:18I'm glad you're enjoying it, because we've got more.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20Coming up this afternoon, we're going to see
0:13:20 > 0:13:22if it's all-out cat warfare in Shamley Green,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24and we're going to meet some cat burglars.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26So join us later on...
0:13:26 > 0:13:27BOTH: ..Blow Your Mind.