Cats are peculiar creatures that engage in entertaining and sometimes not-so-entertaining behavior. They leap to impossible heights like professional acrobats; they sometimes bring us unpleasant "gifts" and even sit on our laptop, ensuring no work gets done without their approval.
While looking at photos of their random acts is fun, today we are going to decode some of their common behaviors. This will help you understand your feline friend better and also deepen your bond with them.
If you’ve ever been around a cat, you must have noticed that they rub their face, from cheek to chin, against your face and forehead. Sometimes they’ll even go all the way in and do it like a skull-to-skull. This gesture is called ‘head-bunting’.
Cats' bodies, particularly their faces, are covered in smell glands. These glands excrete pheromones that have their own scent. One of the reasons cats head bunt is to share their scent and mark you as one of their feline family. When your feline friend does this, it has accepted you as a member of the feline family.
Unlike their ancestors, domestic cats no longer need to hunt for food in order to survive. However, their genetic makeup still influences their behavior. One example of this is their propensity to nap frequently in order to conserve energy.
The temperature of your body when it is fully at rest is called the basal temperature. And the reason cats love lounging on the sunny window or getting curled up in warm places is because they have somewhat higher basal temperatures than humans.
We’ve seen cows eat grass, but have you noticed a tabby nibbling on it? Well, few cats do it, as it helps with digesting their food. Grass acts as a natural laxative that helps eliminate hairballs. But for a few others, it might just be a snack or a way to fulfill their urge to chew on something.
However, it is crucial that the grass they have access to is free from pesticides, as they can be toxic to felines. Well, it looks like cats are quite like us when it comes to wanting to snack on something all day long.
The reason sometimes cats might suddenly attack a toy, furniture, or other animals is due to aggression. The anger can stem from various factors like anxiety, territorial instincts, or feeling threatened by unknown surroundings. But this tendency can be reduced with positive reinforcement training.
As a cat parent, it can be confusing or scary when your beloved pet brings dead birds, rodents, or bugs to you. Their ancestor's hunting instinct plays a role in this behavior. By bringing these gifts, cats demonstrate their desire to ensure that humans are well fed. This is their way of showing affection. Many kitties learn hunting from their mothers.
