8 Odd Cat Behaviors Explained
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Published 2021-05-14
Why cats sit on anything you're reading
You probably have noticed that cats love to sit or walk over anything you’re looking at - whether it’s a book, laptop, or newspaper.
Believe it or not, it has been happening for centuries…There are cat paw prints even on a manuscript from the fifteenth century.
First of all, those items have your scent on them. Like many animals, cats are largely guided by their sense of smell; and if an object smells like you, they want to be near it because it makes them feel safe and content.
Another reason cats like to sit on your items is because they're very territorial. When cats walk over your stuff, they transfer their pheromones to the object, giving it a scent that's uniquely theirs. This is a cat’s way to establish their ownership.
And remember, cats are intelligent animals, so they know that whatever you’re reading is taking up all your attention—and that’s the very attention they want for themselves. So they’ll sit or walk right over your stuff so that you’ll have to focus on them.
Why cats sneer
This phenomenon has a scientific name; It’s called the Flehman response. And this behavior isn’t limited to domestic cats. Many other mammals, including lions and horses perform this action too.
When a cat displays the Flehmen response, they’re basically analyzing a particular scent.
This response lets the scent travel along the roof of the mouth where a specialized sensory structure known as the vomeronasal organ is located.
Why cats don’t always cover their waste
In the wild, weaker and smaller cats bury their excrement to eliminate odors and prevent attracting the attention of predators.
Dominant cats that are competing for territory, such as leopards, lions, and tigers, often don’t bury their feces, sending a message that they are declaring that the area is theirs. Mountain lions even build a little hill using dirt and leaves and then deposit their poop on top.
When a domesticated cats suddenly chooses not to bury their waste, they may want to let other cats know about their presence.
Your cat may also not bury their waste if they don’t like the texture or smell of the litter. Painful medical problems, like a urinary tract infection or a sore paw, might also make a cat want to poop outside litter box.
Why cats blep
Blepping is when your cat sticks their tongue out of their mouth.
Experts say blepping is the way cats investigate their surroundings, using their sense of taste to understand what’s going on around them.
Blepping may also happen when the cat forgets to put their tongue back in after eating or grooming. It can happen when you distract them in the middle of an eating or grooming session.
Why kittens freeze when grabbed by the neck
At one time or another you’ve probably witnessed a mother cat carrying her kittens around by the scruff of their neck. This form of transport is known as scruffing.
They can do that because kittens have a reflex in which their bodies go totally limp when picked up by the scruff.
The scruff was designed by nature as a handle to transport kittens from one place to another.
Why cats follow you everywhere in the house
If you live with a feline, you’ll have noticed that they follow you everywhere.
More often than not, cats follow us around because they like our companionship. Contrary to what many people believe, cats love being with their human companions.
Another reason why cats follow you is because they want to be entertained. It's common for felines to be bored because they often spend all their time indoors.
Cats may also follow you when they are patrolling their territory. They want to spread their scent, and to find possible intruders.
Why cats hate closed doors
If you have ever closed a door behind your cat, you probably know that a closed room is something that cats hate.
Cats may be attracted to closed doors because they want to know what is happening on the other side of it, especially if they hear or smell something that piques their curiosity.
Pawing at your closed door also indicates that your pet enjoys your company and wants to hang out with you.
And keep in mind that some cats don’t like closed doors because of their territorial nature. Cats believe they actually own your house and they get confused when part of their territory is closed off from them.
Why cats pee outside the litter box
The state or quality of the litter in the box is usually the reason of out-of-box urination. Cats are very clean animals, and they don’t like visiting a litter box that is not regularly cleaned.
The proper litter box set up will offer your feline peace and privacy, but it must still be easy for your cat to access.
Urine-marking is another reason cats may urinate out of the litter box.
Stress or medical issues are also a huge factor when it comes to house-soiling issues.
All Comments (21)
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I just know that many cat owners who watch this can’t help but smile and recollect memories of such subjects from their cats
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I had 2 roommates. They each got cats, which i took care of, since i was home most often. So they had a strong bond with me. Over the years, one of my roommates started to treat me... not nicely. So every time he picked a fight with me, both of the cats peed in his bed. I miss those furry babies 🥰
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I always imitate my cat’s meow for fun. We’d always have “conversations” and she would usually meow back.
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2:05 “Cats are a bit nosy” That’s the understatement of the century. I haven’t been to the bathroom by myself in over 2yrs! 🤣
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Just lost my 16 years old cat……I’m here just because I miss him
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My cat watches me clean his litter, then he gets in it even if he doesn't need to use it. I guess he wants to make sure I do the job properly.
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I just got a little kitten that was 3-4 weeks old. I found it crying in the wood pile, and it did retreat and hiss at me when I reached out, but did not scratch or bite when I picked it up by the scruff. At first it was scared and did try to defend itself, but was not at all mean. I took it in and softly and held it close to my heart so it could feel my pulse, and within about 30 minutes it had adopted me as its new mother. Recently I caught her brother in a location much further away. He is a decent amount larger, so I presume she was abandoned when mama cat moved the litter because she was the runt, and her mother probably did not have enough teats to go around. Miss Knottingham is only about 4 to 5 weeks old now, and already knows what "yes", "no", "good girl", "bad", "treat", and "get it" mean and has just about learned "give me a kiss". It was somewhat amazing that all she ever knew was a woodpile, and somehow when she saw a litter box for the first time, she knew exactly what it was. She has never gone outside of her litter box. I guess she instinctively wanted to bury her stuff to stay hidden, and that was the only place she could dig. On the topic of not burying their stuff, after she got comfortable she let a couple go without burying them apparently to mark her territory. Even though she is much smaller, she is much smarter than her brother and I believe will be a better hunter simply because she has far more body whiskers than he does. I call her "Knotty" for short, because she's always tying herself In a knot, then falling asleep looking like a pretzel. I live on "that nice little farm up north" where losers abandon their pets when they no longer feel responsible, so this cat is a couple generations feral, but was conquered by kindness. If more people would treat more people with kindness, the world wouldn't be such a violent, feral place.
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I love the animation of the cat at 2:45 covering it's waste. When in reality, cats actually use their front paws to do the digging and covering.
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The cat paw prints on the ancient manuscript is hysterical 😂
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I swear seriously that my cat follows me around just so she can get under my feet and trip me.
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I’ve heard that if your cat keeps messing with your laptop, if you make a little replica laptop they’ll sit on “their” laptop instead of yours. I’m not sure how true it is but it’s absolutely ADORABLE either way 😂
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The younger of my sister cats started peeing everywhere one day, but still in the litter box. I was going through a tough time myself so thought she was just trying to get my attention. Once I had a calm point I took her to the vet and she had diabetes. She was very unwell at that point I felt terrible for neglecting to think it could be a medical reason. Got her on insulin twice a day and she was so much healthier. Sadly she passed during the early months of the pandemic. I’ll never forgive myself for that period where I didn’t think to check earlier just because my life sucked. I miss her affection every day. Please make sure to checkup your cats whenever.
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"cat's are a bit nosey" understatement of the year.
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So to sum everything up: -This is mine -What's this? -Pay attention to me/I'm lonely -This litterbox is bad. -Entertain me peasant
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1:40 “Cats are becoming more sociable, and enjoy spending time with human family” Me: goes to the group of stray cats. Cats: “DON’T TOUCH ME MAN!”
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My mum used to bring my first cat ever with her sometimes to meet me halfway on my way home from school. When my cat spotted me on the long road, he always ran to me with full speed and peed on my leg 😹❤️
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I don't find my cat following me strange. I find it adorable and it makes me think he's quite loyal
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Video: Cats are very intelligent creatures Same video: Cats sometimes forget to put their tongue back into their mouth
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My rescue kitten knows that he can make things on my phone screen move if he steps on it, drags his feet, moves quickly, etc and he LOVES doing it! He is six weeks old and surprisingly smart, funny and affectionate.
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There has been this kitten outside the appt where I live. It's been almost a month since I first noticed her. She has a dirty collar on but no tag. Out of no where she start crying at my door. I gave her food but she actually wanted to come inside. This morning she followed me to throw out the trash. I think she lost her family and is asking for help
