Understanding Cat Behaviour

As smart cats are, they have some unusual cats characteristics behaviour, making most cat parents wish they had a decoder to help them figure out cat behaviour meaning. So, here’s a quick guide to help you understand the behaviour of your furry along with some interesting facts about cats.

Understanding normal cat behaviour

1. Purring

   Purring is undoubtedly one of the most common cat behaviours and its meaning will melt your heart. A unique sound made by cats, purring can be described as a rhythmic sound emanating from the throat. While the cats characteristics behaviour of purring is a sound most commonly associated with positive occurrences, such as being happy, stressed cats also often purr to console themselves as it helps lower blood pressure and releases serotonin. 

2. Showing belly
   

   In the wild, cats often face threats from larger predatory animals and prefer to stay on guard at all times. The belly is a vulnerable body part, so, cat behaviour meaning of showing their belly is considered an intense moment where your kitty is feeling secure and safe in your presence and has chosen to let down its guards and reveal its vulnerable body parts.

3. Napping
   

   Cats are famously known to fall asleep at the most uncommon of places at any given time. It is actually an ancestral instinct in cats that allows them to conserve energy and use it for hunting. As nocturnal animals, cats are likely to stay up during the night and low-light times. Adult cats often have an erratic sleep pattern marked by intense bursts of playfulness between naps.

4. Chirping

   If you are a cat parent, it is not unlikely for your kitty to greet you with a hearty chirping once it sees you! Chirping is one of the most interesting facts about cat behaviour that is associated with affection and love in the feline family. Cats also often chirp at birds to engage their natural hunting instinct.

5. Licking itself
   

   As majestic as cats look in their fur, the credit mostly goes to their ability to lick themselves clean! Licking allows cats to easily get rid of dirt particles, loose hair, and dead tissue cells. Licking is considered a friendly cat behaviour and its meaning is affection, as mother cats also lick their kittens clean, and cats behaving amicably can also lick and groom each other.

6. Kneading

   Kneading, or making biscuits, is one of the most common cat behaviours and its meaning can be traced back to a cat’s childhood. As kittens, it is normal for kittens to knead while they are being nursed by their mother. Some kittens might carry this behaviour into their adulthood, and display it while being fed or pet by their favourite human.

7. Rubbing

   Have you ever wondered about cat behaviour meaning of rubbing against you? Cats often rub themselves against their favourite humans, as a way of claiming ownership over them. Special glands located at the base of their tail and cheek that releases a scent containing pheromones, which helps cats mark their territory. By rubbing its scent over you, your kitty is literally claiming you as its own!

Meaning of unusual cat behaviour

1. Knocking things over

   The unusual behaviour of cats knocking things over stems from their predatorial instinct and inquisitive nature whereby they are drawn to investigating new objects by swatting at them or by trying to knock them over. This behaviour can also be linked to a cat’s tendency to explore its surroundings to satisfy its curiosity.

2. Scratching furniture

   In the wild, cats keep their claws sharpened to fend off threats by scratching them against trees. Scratching also helps cats get rid of dead tissue cells that accumulate around their paws. Another reason for scratching is for marking their territories. Domestic cats often reflect this behaviour by scratching wooden furniture available around the house.

3. Licking you

   As tidy as cats are, they usually keep their coat clean by licking themselves, and often, mother cats would do the same for her kittens. So, licking has become one of the biggest cat habits of affection widely recognized in the feline community. If your kitty is trying to groom you by licking you clean, it is simply a gesture that stems from deep love and admiration.

4. Bringing dead animals at home

   The reason cats bring dead animals home will melt your heart. Cats are mostly predatory creatures and within the feline family, the adult cats hunt down smaller animals to feed their kittens, who haven’t grown enough to hunt by themselves. So, if your cat is bringing home dead animals, it means that it cares for you as a mother cat would care for her kittens.

5. Chewing cords

   Cats are playful and perpetually curious about everything around them. Your little furball might decide to test random objects around it by tasting them! Especially as kittens with new teeth coming in, cats are likely to chew anything they find around. However, chewing on electrical cords poses a significant threat. So, it is advisable to keep away electrical wiring out of the reach of cats.

6. Peeing/pooping outside the litter box

   One of the most interesting facts about cats characteristics behaviour is that they are exceptionally tidy and prefer relieving themselves only at designated locations, such as the litter box. However, if your kitty is peeing or pooping outside the litter box, it might indicate a need for attention. Pooping or peeing outside the litter box is one of the cat behaviours to worry about.

7. Eating grass
   

   Though it might appear far from being normal, but cats eating grass is not always a rare phenomenon. Cats often munch on blades of grass for boosting their vitamin levels. Grass contains trace amounts of folic acid, which also increases the oxygen content in their bloodstream. Furthermore, cats often eat grass to prevent indigestion. Grass also contains fibre, which acts as a natural laxative for a constipated feline

Cat Behaviour FAQs