Cat Behavior
Text menu at bottom of page
 |
Vocal Sounds Cats try to talk to us and other animals by vocal sounds and body language. Purring Purring is the sound that comes from deep within the circulatory system of a cat. Some reasons a cat purrs may be:
We often hear a cat meowing when wanting attention, or looking for food. A louder meow sound, which often sounds more like screaming, can be heard when a cat is fighting or before mating. Greeting Cats will greet each other by rubbing faces. The way a cat greets you varies, as if a cat greets you by standing on its hind legs, it wants to reach your face. If you were to lower yourself so your face is within reach, your cat will rub their face with yours. This is only done to humans that the cat trusts. A cat may greet its owner by rolling on its back, stretching its legs and yawning. A "belly-up" position is a very vulnerable position, it indicates total trust of the person involved. Body Language The stance of a cat can tell a cat's mood! A Happy Cat A relaxed cat will let its eyelids rest half-closed. Its ears will point slightly forward and outward. A happy cat will greet its owner with an erect tail with the tail tip bent forward. Passive Submission When a cat rolls to one side from a crouched posture it signals passive submission. A frightened/submissive cat will have its tail low. A submissive cat will look away from the offender. Defensive Cat When a cat feels threatened its eyes will dilate. Ears will flatten to protect them from attack. A defensive cat will arch its back up to make itself look bigger. Its tail will be arched and bristled Aggressive Cat An aggressive cat will often put its ears back and hiss or growl. It may look like it is ready to pounce or it may roll on its back with its teeth and claws displayed ready to fight. An aggressive cat's tail will be straight and bristled. When the tail thrashes from side to side it is a sign it is about to attack. Hunting Hunting is instinctive in cats. Hunting skills are acquired in kittens through play and watching their mother's hunt. Some well-fed cats may still hunt. The only way to stop a cat from hunting is to keep it indoors. Scratching Scratching is an important part of a cat's natural behavior. Scratching allows for the sharpening of claws as well as marking of territory by leaving a visual and scented mark. Marking Spraying will provide information to other cats, such as, sexual identity, individual identity and age. Although both males and females spray it is more common in males. Neutering of males may help lessen spray but may not necessarily stop it. Spraying is generally associated with cat's marking their territory. However frightened or stressed cats may also spray. This may be the result of a change of routine or another animal being introduced to a home. Gland Markings A cat possesses scent glands on parts of its body. The cat will mark certain items or humans by rubbing the scent glands against them. Soiling A cat that has been litter trained may start to foul or urinate around the house. This may be due to an infection in which case you need to have the cat treated. If it is stress you will need to find out what has caused the stress. It could be that the litter tray needs to be changed more frequently. A change in a cat's routine can also cause stress. Types of Aggression Play Aggression Some aggression that is target at owners is actually play. In the case where a kitten has been left alone and has no playmate aggression is a form of play. Kittens may also practice their hunting skills on their owner's feet and hands. Play-motivated aggressive behaviors are commonly observed in young, active cats less than two years of age, that live in one-cat households. Play incorporates a variety of behaviors, such as exploratory, investigative and predatory, and provides young cats with opportunities to practice skills they would normally need for survival. For example, kittens like to explore new areas and investigate anything that moves, and may bat at, pounce on, and bite objects that resemble prey. Fear Fear aggression is triggered when a cat feels trapped and defends itself by hissing and growling. Cats that are fearful may display body postures which appear to be similar to canine submissive postures - crouching on the floor, ears back, tail tucked, and possibly rolling slightly to the side. Redirected Aggression This occurs when a cat is in an aggressive state of arousal but directs this aggressive arousal at the person or animal that is not the offender. For example, a cat becomes aroused by another cat but attacks the owner who goes to pet it. Petting Aggression A cat may tolerate a certain amount of petting but may bite the petter after a certain period of time. This behavior isn't well understood, even by experienced animal behaviorists. For whatever reason, petting which the cat was previously enjoying apparently becomes unpleasant. Biting is the cat's signal that she has had enough petting. Territorial Aggression Cats are highly territorial, even more so than dogs, however, they usually only feel the need to defend their territory from other cats. Territorial aggression in cats isn't commonly directed at people. Redirected Aggression This occurs when a cat is forced into an aggressive response by one person or animal, but then redirects this aggression onto another person or animal. For example, if two family cats have a spat, the losing cat, still aroused, may walk up and attack the family child. |
| Index | Cat Care | Behavior | Breeds | Graphics |
| Kitten Care | Food | Projects | Assorted | Award Winners |
| Travel | Trivia | Commandments | Gallery | Quotes |
