Understanding Behavior of Cats

Have you ever come home to a ball of fur wounding itself around your legs or stared into those beautiful, soulful eyes which look at you insolently asking or rather demanding for food? Well, you probably are one of those million cat lovers from around the world who made that excellent choice of bringing home a cat. Living with a cat is like having an adventure everyday. The antics of your feline friend can be both funny as well as baffling. However decoding and understanding the behavior of your cat goes a long way in establishing a loving and fun relationship with this amazing animal.

Since cats rely on body language for communication, most people misunderstand their behavior as being aggressive or just plain weird. A human can probably not understand the way these animals see, hear or smell things which may be due to genetic and instinctive makeup. The best recourse for a cat owner is to try to understand that everything a cat does is for a reason. Instinct drives these feline animals as hunting and preying are their strongest urges. There is also a difference in the cat behavior, depending on the breed and the individual cat.

So, is understanding my pet an impossibility? Well not really. Most cats display some common traits. Knowing them can take you a step ahead in how to respond to them.

Understanding Behavior of Cats

Body Language
Cats rely heavily on body language for communication. A simple twitch of the tail might mean more than a 1000 words for a cat. It is easy to understand the cats feelings once you notice these behavior patterns in cats. For example, a cat expresses its disgust by shaking its paws. This is particularly noticeable when they step into water. Similarly the wide swath of the tail can indicate its displeasure and aggressiveness.

A happy and contented cat would be sprawled on its back or roll about the floor. Sometimes cats knead your stomach with paws. This action is accompanied with a purring sound and a loving expression. This is reminiscent of a young kitten kneading its mother to stimulate the nipples for milk. To a pet owner it signifies that the kitten feels the same warmth and love for you as it does for its mother. A fun behavior to observe in cats which are relaxed and contented is the way they slowly blink their eyes. If you follow suit and look at them, they close their eyes, happy and satisfied in the comfort of your home and presence.

One of the most common behavior that almost every cat owner can identify, is the pressing of the face against the person's body. This is to actually mark you with its scent so that other cats can know you are his! Twitching of the cats ears are indicative of their feelings as well. Ears which are erect and leaning forward represent their interest in the situation. If the ears are backward it probably marks a complete distaste for the situation.

Exercising Those Vocal Chords
Mark Twain once said, "If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much."

However cats can be quite vocal if they choose to, their meows indicating their feelings plaintively. Most cat owners are in tune with and respond to it instinctively. Remember the contended purr or the commanding meow for food? Identifying them are particularly easy, like a distressed cat emitting a high pitched frantic meow would be very different from the whining meows of protest or attention. A very distinct sound is the chattering sound it makes when it wants to attract prey like birds.

Food Habits: Cat Owners Take Note
Cats are carnivorous animals who hunt smaller mammals for food. Sometimes a pet owner might find the cat chewing grass. Do not worry; he has not really taken to vegetarianism. It's just a cat's way of eliminating the hairballs and the bones by triggering the regurgitation reflex. Another vexing behavior of cats is their need to bury their food sometimes, even the food bowl! This action is related to the instincts in wild animals to bury their dead prey for fear of the food being taken away or when they are not hungry.

Sometimes cats can be irritating for pet owners, especially when they decide to play in the middle of the night. This is purely instinct as the ancestors of these felines would hunt at night, so that is what instinct tells them. Also in the absence of anyone it could have slept the entire day and believed night time to be play time with the family. A distressing behavior for a cat owner is the cat's instinct to scratch furniture or even the expensive oriental rug! This is actually a way for cats to clean their nails; they hook the nails and pull it backwards for removing the debris. With suitable training and a scratch post, this can be avoided.

Cats are often conceived as being aloof and selfish, but this is a complete myth. These friendly and lovable creatures can be one of the best companions. However pet owners should be considerate and loving. It is important to take some time out for your cats and appreciate their needs. Never abuse or hit your cat as this can lead to aggressive behavior and shyness in your cat. Appreciating and understanding your cat can go a long way in solving most of the behavioral problems. However if you are unable to deal with the persistent behavioral problems, then it is advisable to refer to an expert.