I got 'the cat whisperer' book for christmas and it says scientists in america study 10,000 animals with the aid of their observers. If they notice them acting peculiar they ring a hotline to earthquake scientists.
They did this in china and in 1975 they evacuated haicheng 24 hours before a massive earthquake devastated the area!
They think it might be due to electric charges in the atmosphere causing changes in the brain, or the sensitivity of cats feet and whiskers to vibrations. They say an earthquake or storm to a cat may be as obvious to a cat as an air raid siren is to us.
It also says in world war II cats would become agitated before sirens went off - very interesting! Hope you and oscar had a nice christmas x