Is Your Cat Trying to Tell You Something? Cat Behavior Explained
What’s the one thing your cat would tell you if it could talk?
Unfortunately, cats can’t speak. But that doesn’t mean they don’t communicate to us. If you want to give your cats the best care to ensure they live long and happy lives, you have to understand what they’re trying to tell you.
Here are common cats behaviors explained…
Why does my cat play with their tail?
This behavior is more common for kittens than adult cats, but can happen at any age. Cats play with their tails when there’s lack of stimulation. They’ll be laying around, suddenly see movement, so their predator instincts kick in and they target their tail. It’s honestly adorable to watch.
In some cases a cat will attack another cat’s tail. It’s incredibly harmless and there’s nothing to cause alarm, but just like with any behavior keep an eye on it.
If you notice that your cat becomes very violent, hissing at their tail, and doing it frequently, you may want to consider taking them to the vet.
Why does my cat sleep so much?
Similar to their non-domesticated counterparts such as lions and tigers, cats sleep a lot. On average a cat may sleep between 12-20 hours a day! Cats are predators and it takes a lot of energy to play and hunt all day.
Typically a cat will spend most of the day sleeping and will be awake at night since it’s better to hunt in the shadows. Though a domesticated cat will adapt its sleep schedule to its feeding schedule.
Why does my cat get into the trash?
A cat’s desire to get into the trash can stems from their sense of smell. The average cat has about 200 million scent receptors in their nasal cavity; making their sense of smell stronger than a human but not as strong as a dog.
With that said, if they smell leftover food in the trash can, you can bet that they will climb on in. To prevent them from doing this it would be best to throw out the trash soon after tossing away leftover food.
Why does my cat pee around the house?
Cats use their scent to mark their territory. This could mean rubbing themselves on items or “spraying” which unfortunately means peeing around the house. When a cat picks up this behavior it’s usually due to not getting along with another cat.
If you live in a house with multiple cats, it’s something to keep an eye on. For a cat to assert their dominance they will mark their territory so the other cat/s know who is in charge. They will usually pick a corner of the room or a side on the wall.
Depending on where you live, if there’s outdoor cats that come close to your front or back door, your cat/s may be marking their territory to keep the outdoor cat away.
Remember to pay attention to your cat’s behavior when they are spraying: if they seem concerned or in pain it could be the result of a urinary tract infection.