I don’t know about you, but I wish I were a modern world Dr. Doolittle so I can decode and understand the secret life of pets. But wishes aren’t horses, and we can’t always understand what our feline compadres are telling us.
However, there are some common behavior patterns that we can interpret pretty clearly.
Any behavioral problems you find with your cat maybe its evading the litter box, biting, destructive and painful scratching aren’t just part of your cat’s ego but could point to other problems.
Fortunately, by implementing a consistent restraining program after eliminating any physical causes, you can eliminate such behavioral problems. But for now, let’s us look at some common cat behaviors you should know about and what they mean.
Attention seeking behavior
When it comes to seeking attention behavior in cats, it often coincides with excessive vocalization. The cause can either be emotional, physical or a blend of both. Try and investigate before you decide to punish your feline friend.
Annoying meowing
The repetitive meowing from a cat can drive anyone crazy, and this is also one of the most common complaints from cat owners. But like we said, be sure first to investigate and consider maybe it’s the breed of the cat or another problem.
Late night howling
No one is certain why some cats do this, and it is often associated with senility and deafness in aging cats. However, it can also be because of a physical condition like feline hyperesthesia also called rippling skin disorder characterized by your cat racing around with its fur rolling on.
Either case, you should seek the help of a veterinarian.
Always at the table waiting for treats
Even though sometimes you can’t completely genuine hunger pangs, like the ones we have, cats do at times suffer from addiction. And sometimes this behavior can seem pitiful especially when it comes to their favorite food addiction fix, tuna flakes.
Nothing is wrong with the occasional treats and especially for an overweight cat. Treats usually serve as an excellent alternative when your overweight cat begs for some bites.
Miscellaneous meowing
Okay, I didn’t know how to classify this, so I called it miscellaneous. Some cats especially Oriental and Siamese breeds can be very vocal. But this is nothing atypical, and most cats enjoy meowing back and forth with their human pets—especially if you meow or talk right back to them.
Unseemly scratching
Some cats who have a huge variety of scratching poles and designated scratching surface still display inappropriate scratching behavior. It could be scratching your carpet or furniture, anything out of the usual is typically a way of communicating.
Excessive aggression
If you have a cat that shows excessive aggression especially towards people it could be a result of poor kitty training or due to fear or other reasons. The best way to prevent this is to learn how to prevent aggression, how to handle it when its occurs and how to stop the behavior.
Destructive chewing
This happens to be one of my least favorite cat behavior, first of all, because of the inherent danger to my cat and then there is the damage that comes with it. A key cause for destructive chewing is teething—in kittens. However, the rest could be due to boredom, curiosity or surprise.
Aggression towards fellow cats
Having more than one cat in the house is occasionally a recipe for disaster since you expect them to fight at some point. But when the ugly head that is excessive aggression pops up, especially towards other cats, you may at times need to interfere.
Most of the time the aggression is as a result of fear, being territorial or plain old redirected aggression. Whatever the reason, this is a common cat behavior you should know about especially if you’re getting a second feline companion.
Fear and shyness
Do you have a “scaredy-cat”?
I’ve always wanted to write that but back to our subject.
There are several reasons a cat may be uncharacteristically shy or afraid. Fortunately, by being gentle and patient, you can easily overcome this problem. The important thing is to give your cat some time and go at his/her pace.
There you have it, some common cat behaviors you should know about. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Ivan is a blogger and content manager for CatifyCo which sells cat themed accessories, apparel and decor He’s an advocate for proper cat care and health. If he isn’t hanging out with his Maine Coon Jimmy he is taking a nap with his other kitty Precious.
