Feature:
Why Is My Cat Doing That? 6 Weird Feline Behaviors Explained
“…here’s
a little insight into the mind of the common house cat:
Does your cat like to head-butt you?
The
technical term for this behavior is ‘bunting.’ While head-butting may seem like
a simple display of affection for their owners, it gets a little more
complicated when you realize that cats just as likely to rub their faces on
household objects & furniture.
You may
have heard that cats do this to ‘mark their territory’ with their scent, &
that’s definitely part of the answer. But cats will also rub against each other
to indicate their friendly intentions — so when your cat head-butts you or
demands to be scratched behind the ears, it’s not just a move to mark you as
his property.
Does your cat seem to turn on you?
While
some cats have a higher tolerance for petting than others, many cats will get
excited by the attention & bite or scratch you while you pet them. Cats
aren’t doing this to be mean, or trick you into a fight. A gentle — or
not-so-gentle — nip is your cat’s way of letting you know she’s had enough for
now…
Does your cat eat plants? Or chew on random inedible
objects?
The
good news is that eating grass is totally normal for cats — but excessive
consumption can give your cat an upset stomach & work as a laxative. Cats
may eat grass to provide fiber & help clear hairballs from the stomach, so
unless your cat is regularly eating enough grass to the point of vomiting, you
probably shouldn’t worry. Just make sure your plant-eating cat doesn’t have
access to any common decorative or houseplants that could be toxic.
Unfortunately,
for some cats, this behavior extends to inedible objects like plastic bags or
electrical cords. This behavior, called ‘pica,’ can potentially be dangerous.
Try keeping objects out of the cat’s reach or treating these items with a substance
that tastes bad to cats…
Does your cat ‘knead’ you with her paws?
Kittens
use this same motion to help release milk from their mother when feeding. So
when your cat does this motion while being petted, it’s her way of showing love
& affection for her human ‘mom.’
Does your cat seem to urinate everywhere but the litter
box?
…This
is not normal cat behavior & indicates emotional stress or a medical issue.
Your cat may have a bacterial infection or an obstruction in the urinary tract
that has likely led him to associate using the ‘bathroom’ with pain. It’s also
possible that liver or kidney disease is causing your cat to urinate more
frequently than normal, resulting in incontinence.
If your
vet eliminates any medical reasons for your cat’s inappropriate urination, then
it’s time to look at possible emotional causes for the behavior. Cats are
stressed out by many of the same things as humans. If you’ve recently brought a
new cat into the home, travel frequently for work, argue frequently with your
spouse, have a new baby or have been remodeling your home, that may be the
reason you cat isn’t using the litter box. Sometimes, existing urinary disease
can be exacerbated by stressful living conditions.
Does your cat love to tear furniture to shreds?
Cats
aren’t just scratching furniture for fun — they need to regularly scratch to
keep their claws sharp & healthy…
…Providing
a scratching post is an obvious place to start, although it may take your cat
some time to get used to it. Discourage your cat from scratching furniture by moving
desirable objects, covering up your furniture or even placing double-sided tape
or sandpaper on the floor where the cat normally stands while scratching.
If you
simply can’t get your cat to stop scratching, you can trim his nails
periodically or put plastic caps over the claws to keep them from damaging
household objects.”
Julie
M. Rodriguez
Feb.
25/2018
Care2.com
Weekly Chuckle
Memorial
Casper- April 4/2009
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