Cat Behaviors
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Most of us who decide to own pets choose to have a cat or a dog. You can almost tell things about a person's personality by the pet that they own. Both dogs and cats make great pets, but there are huge differences in owning each of them. One major difference is that while you can usually tell what a dog is thinking and
the reason they are doing something, many cat behaviors tend not to make much sense. Though this can be confusing, that is one of the great and entertaining things about owning cats. They remain very mysterious, and trying to figure out why they are doing what they are doing can be enjoyable.
Most pet owners know the basics of cat behaviors. Kittens are often very energetic and love to play. Most people realize this is because they are learning to ‘hunt’ like they would if they were in the wild, even though they really don't need this skill in our modern world. What looks like playing is actually a life survival skill for their species. This makes little kittens a ton of fun, and is probably the most common of the cat behaviors that everyone sees in a new kitten when they first bring them home. Many kittens also do something called ‘mixing bread’ which is a natural nursing urge they have. Some outgrow this urge and some don't.
Some other common cat behaviors are a bit harder to read. Some cats outgrow kitten-hood and they calm down and sleep for most of the day, or at least it seems that way. However, there are times when they will suddenly seem to revert to the behaviors they had as kittens, and they will have what some people call the night crazies and start attacking and playing with anything that catches their eye. This could mean your shoes, the curtains, or even something small that has fell onto the floor. Some believe this is due to the fact that cats are awake most of the night, and they get a burst of energy when the sun goes down that they would need if they were hunting when in the wild.
Some cat behaviors are learned through their environments and living arrangements. Some like to sleep in strange places, and that might come from that fact that there are children around, or perhaps they are living in a home that has a lot of company dropping by. They find places where they can quench their curiosity and see what's going on while feeling that they are out of the way and out of reach. Some cat behaviors can't be explained, and if your cat develops one out of nowhere that seems out of the ordinary to you, you may want to see if there is a medical reason for it. Sometimes, cats will do strange things to try to tell us that something is wrong. Make sure to take them to the vet if these strange cat behaviors persist.
