Cats are fascinating creatures with unique habits that can sometimes leave their humans puzzled. One moment, they’re purring contentedly in your lap, and the next, they’re zooming across the house at full speed.
Knowing all about your cat’s behavior helps you understand all the bits and pieces of your best friend’s personality.
Every whisker twitch, tail flick, or sudden pounce has meaning. Cats communicate through body language, vocalizations, and instinct-driven actions. Let’s talk more about the common cat behaviors you can see in your best friend.
Why You Need to Understand Your Cat’s Behavior
But first, let’s talk about why understanding our cats’ behaviors is important.
Strengthens Your Bond
Your cat’s behavior is your gateway to connecting with them on a deeper level. When you can interpret their signals and behavioral changes, you’ll know how to respond and what to do to help.
Meets Their Needs
When you learn what your cat is trying to communicate, you can better provide for their needs and wants. This can be anything from food, water, treats, cuddles, or playtime.
Checks Their Health
A change in a cat’s behavior can signal a disease or injury. Common ones include hiding, increased irritability, or lethargy. By noticing this shift, you can check for any other potential signs.
Builds Trust and Confidence
When you understand your cat and know how to respond, you can assure them that they are safe and are in loving hands. This builds trust and makes them more confident with you.
Improves Their Quality of Life
All in all, understanding a cat’s behavior will allow you to make your best friend’s life better, easier, and happier. Just by providing their needs and wants, you can significantly improve their life.
Cat Behaviors About Affection and Comfort
Cats have many ways of showing love and seeking comfort. Some of these behaviors may seem unusual to humans, but they all serve a purpose. If your cat has ever kneaded your lap, purred nonstop, or headbutted you, know that these are all signs of affection.
Here are the common cat behaviors that show affection and comfort:
Kneading
Kneading is when your cat rhythmically pushes its paws against a soft surface, such as a blanket, cushion, or even your lap. This behavior originates in kittenhood when nursing kittens knead their mother’s belly to help with milk flow. Cats can also continue this behavior as a sign of comfort and affection.
Purring
One of the most recognizable and common cat behaviors is purring, a soft, rhythmic sound that cats produce when they are content. While cat purring is almost always associated with happiness, there are times when it can have other meanings, such as anxiety and discomfort.
Slow Blinking
When a cat looks at you and then slowly closes and reopens its eyes, it’s a sign of trust and affection. In the feline world, direct eye contact can be seen as a challenge, but a slow blink signals that your cat feels safe and comfortable around you.
It basically says, “I love you.” Doing the same is a common response that pet owners make.
Head Butting
If your cat bumps their head against you or rubs their face on you, it’s being affectionate and marking you as part of its territory. Cats have various scent glands on their cheeks, forehead, and chin that release pheromones.
When they rub against you, they’re leaving their scent behind, essentially claiming you as their own.
Licking
Cats groom themselves meticulously, but they also groom other cats as a sign of bonding. If your cat licks you, they’re engaging in this same social grooming behavior, treating you as if you were another cat in their family. This cat behavior can be a sign of affection, comfort, or even an attempt to "clean" you.
Rolling Over and Exposing Belly
One of the most confusing cat behaviors is when they roll onto their backs and expose their bellies. Many people assume this is an invitation for belly rubs, but it’s actually a deep showing of trust. If a cat shows you its belly, it means that it is comfortable around you and is open to being touched there.
Elevated Butt During Petting
Picture this: you're petting your cat along their back, and suddenly, their rear end pops up in the air. This cat behavior is usually a sign that they’re enjoying the petting, especially if you’re scratching near the base of their tail.
Hiding in Small Areas
Cats have a natural instinct to seek enclosed spaces, which provide them with a sense of security. Domestic cats, which is why they love hiding in boxes, under beds, or inside cabinets.
Napping
Cats nap all the time, taking 12 to 16 hours a day to replenish their energy and body. This is why when you see your cat taking good, comfortable naps all throughout the day, you’ll know it’s feeling relaxed.
Staring
If you notice your cat staring at you, it might be asking for something. This can be food, attention, or even comfort. Additionally, staring can sometimes come with slow blinking, which confirms this showing of affection.
Interrupting Calls
If your cat suddenly becomes more vocal, affectionate, and needy while you talk to someone over the phone, it’s a sign of the need for attention. Cats have incredible hearing, which means they can hear voices, but might be confused as to where they’re coming from.
Cat Behaviors About Hunting and Play
Cats are natural hunters, even if they have never set a paw outside. Their instincts drive them to mimic hunting behaviors, such as stalking, chasing, and pouncing. Even well-fed indoor cats will engage in hunting-like activities, often using toys, household objects, or even their human hands as substitutes for prey.
Here are the hunting and playing behaviors you should know about:
Chattering
You might have seen your cat staring intently out the window at birds or squirrels while making a fast, clicking, or chattering noise. In that case, you’ve witnessed a fascinating aspect of feline hunting behavior. A twitching jaw and a focused stare often accompany this sound.
Bringing Gifts
Many cat owners have experienced the surprise of finding a dead mouse, bird, or insect left at their doorstep. This cat behavior is actually a sign of their natural hunting instincts and desire to share food with their family. When a cat brings their owner a gift, it may be treating them as part of their family.
Stalking and Pouncing
If your cat suddenly crouches low, wiggles their hindquarters, and then launches themselves forward in an ambush, they are engaging in hunting behavior. Cats stalk and pounce because these behaviors are deeply ingrained instincts, even for those who have never hunted live prey.
Zoomies
Sometimes, cats will suddenly race through the house at full speed, leaping onto furniture and dashing around corners. These random energy explosions, often called zoomies, are a normal part of cat behavior.
Zoomies are often a result of pent-up energy. Indoor cats, especially, need daily exercise and playtime to prevent excessive zooming.
Knocking Things Over
Cats have a habit of batting objects off tables, shelves, and counters with their paws just to watch them fall. This cat behavior stems from curiosity, boredom, and playfulness. Your cat may be curious about that certain object, or it’s trying to get your attention.
Chewing Cords
Chewing cords is a behavior that some cats exhibit, and it can be both frustrating and dangerous. This can come from boredom, curiosity, and teething.
Attacking Feet Under the Covers
If your cat suddenly pounces on your feet while you're in bed, it just means they’re hunting and playing. The movement of your feet beneath the blankets triggers their instinct to stalk and attack.
Pawing on the Water
Some cats treat water as a toy, especially if they see ripples or reflections on the surface. They may swat at the water or splash it around simply because it’s fun or because they’re curious. Moving water is also more appealing for them to drink.
Cat Behaviors About Marking
Cats are highly territorial animals, and much of their behavior revolves around marking and defending their space. Even indoor cats, who don’t have to worry about intruders, still exhibit territorial instincts.
Here are the common cat behaviors in terms of territory and marking.
Scratching Furniture
Scratching is a completely natural cat behavior, but it can be frustrating when it’s directed at your furniture. Cats scratch to leave a visual indicator to mark their territory. They can also scratch furniture to sharpen their nails and relax their muscles.
Rubbing Against Legs and Objects
When a cat rubs against you, they’re not just showing affection. They’re also marking you with their scent. Cats have scent glands on different body parts, such as the forehead, chin, cheeks, and the base of their tails. Rubbing releases pheromones, confirming that you belong to their family.
Sitting on Things You’re Using
You might have noticed your cat sitting on your things, especially those you use. This can be laptops, books, or even papers. This cat behavior can come from the comfort of the warmth of your laptop or territory marking. Additionally, this can also be a sign of seeking your attention.
Covering Food
When you notice your cat covering its food, it might be overprotective of its food. This comes as an instinct that can also be caused by several cats stealing each other’s food in the household.
“How your act acts is one way they express their feelings and emotions.”
- Dr. Soheyl Simaei
Final Thoughts
Cats are complex creatures with emotions that are sometimes difficult to understand. From simple purring to scratching furniture, we might often wonder what goes on in the heads of our adorable feline companions. Fortunately, the more we learn, the closer we understand our cats’ behaviors and personalities.
Frequently Asked Questions
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