Cats are so commonplace that we scarcely look at what they do and why they do it, but cat behaviour is quite an interesting topic really, particularly for cat owners and animal lovers.
Cat behaviour is normally taken to refer to that of household cats, although they do share some characteristics with their larger wild relatives.
A cat's behaviour for the most part depends on whether it is a lone cat or one of a number in a household. Cats are normally solitary animals just coming together to mate, although they will usually co-exist with other cats in a house, especially if they met while they were young or those that were introduced were kittens.
You might be problems of territorialism if you attempt to introduce an older cat into a house, where another cat has been living for a while. This is similar to large cats, which have their hunting ground that they patrol and delineate with urine and faeces each day. Tom cats sometimes do this at home, much to the annoyance of their owners.
Rubbing has a comparable meaning. A cat rubs with scent glands on its face to mark something as its own, particularly territory, which is all cats actually care about except food.
Kneading or knitting is another common mannerism in household cats, although it is not actually well understood.
One theory goes that domestic cats remain juveniles, never really growing up, so kneading is reminiscent of kneading its mother's teats to stimulate the flow milk. Others say that it is reminiscent of flattening grass to create a bed, but this does not seem to explain the rapture that cats appear to derive from kneading.
We like to hear our cats purr because we see it as a sign of happiness, but is it? Well, it almost certainly is, but it almost certainly comes from the fact that cats are born sightless and, like most babies, fairly stupid, so the sound of mum purring almost certainly attracts the kittens to her for a feed. The 'memory' of this glad event almost certainly triggers purring in adult cats.
When a cat arches its back, it is probably telling its aggressor that it is bigger than they think it is. It is also an attack stance. With its back arched, a cat can rear up in order to scratch a taller opponent, but it can also jump or run, whichever action is appropriate. The hissing goes with arching to deter the antagonist.
Cats do not have a wide vocal range and, being nocturnal hunters, they have developed a great deal of 'eye language'. For instance, if a cat is pleased, it's eyes dilate - a bit like when we look at their loved ones.
However, it also occurs in cats while they are hunting, which might mean either that they enjoy that activity or that they have to get as much light as possible to see by.
Cat behaviour is normally taken to refer to that of household cats, although they do share some characteristics with their larger wild relatives.
A cat's behaviour for the most part depends on whether it is a lone cat or one of a number in a household. Cats are normally solitary animals just coming together to mate, although they will usually co-exist with other cats in a house, especially if they met while they were young or those that were introduced were kittens.
You might be problems of territorialism if you attempt to introduce an older cat into a house, where another cat has been living for a while. This is similar to large cats, which have their hunting ground that they patrol and delineate with urine and faeces each day. Tom cats sometimes do this at home, much to the annoyance of their owners.
Rubbing has a comparable meaning. A cat rubs with scent glands on its face to mark something as its own, particularly territory, which is all cats actually care about except food.
Kneading or knitting is another common mannerism in household cats, although it is not actually well understood.
One theory goes that domestic cats remain juveniles, never really growing up, so kneading is reminiscent of kneading its mother's teats to stimulate the flow milk. Others say that it is reminiscent of flattening grass to create a bed, but this does not seem to explain the rapture that cats appear to derive from kneading.
We like to hear our cats purr because we see it as a sign of happiness, but is it? Well, it almost certainly is, but it almost certainly comes from the fact that cats are born sightless and, like most babies, fairly stupid, so the sound of mum purring almost certainly attracts the kittens to her for a feed. The 'memory' of this glad event almost certainly triggers purring in adult cats.
When a cat arches its back, it is probably telling its aggressor that it is bigger than they think it is. It is also an attack stance. With its back arched, a cat can rear up in order to scratch a taller opponent, but it can also jump or run, whichever action is appropriate. The hissing goes with arching to deter the antagonist.
Cats do not have a wide vocal range and, being nocturnal hunters, they have developed a great deal of 'eye language'. For instance, if a cat is pleased, it's eyes dilate - a bit like when we look at their loved ones.
However, it also occurs in cats while they are hunting, which might mean either that they enjoy that activity or that they have to get as much light as possible to see by.
About the Author:
Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with feline distemper vaccination. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at Distemper Vaccines
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