And the CATegories are...

History & Folklore

The Mind

The Body

Soul & Purrsonality

Why do cats sulk when you scold them?
Why do cats bother you while you're on the phone?
Why do cats always pester the people who don't like cats?
Why do cats purr?
Why are cats curious?
Do cats dream?
Why do cats' tails quiver?
Why do cats flick their tails?
What do cats' ear positions mean?
What can we tell about a cat's behaviour by her fur?
What can we tell about a cat's behaviour by her whiskers?
Why do cats arch their backs?
Why do cats suddenly 'zoom' away?
What does it mean when kitty does a hop?
Why do cats rub against your leg?
Why does a cat roll over and show her tummy?
Why do cats love to be stroked?
Why do cats knead?
Why do cats get stuck in trees?
Why do cats torture their prey?
Why does a cat bury her "business"?
Why do cats like high places?
Do cats have a memory?
Why does a cat hiss and spit when threatened?
Why are cats territorial?
Why do cats bring dead animals into the house?
What do your cats eyes reveal?
Why are cats hard to train?
How smart are cats?

Why do cats sulk when you scold them? You look pretty big to your cat. When you scold him it isn't what you so, but rather how you say it. The 'sulking', turning his back and refusing to look at you is a way of withdrawing. When you look down as you discipline, he associates your fixed gaze with "the enemy". In hostile situations, the dominant cat stares at his rival, who then will look away to decrease the risk of hostility. When you do the fixed stare you become said dominant rival. When he turns away, he isn't sulking, he has surrendered. (For many animals eyes are a signal of power used to intimidate an enemy, this is way your cats eyes are big compared to his body.) Back to top.

Why do cats bother you while you're on the phone? Kitty doesn't know what a phone is, kitty doesn't even know you're talking to someone else. Kitty thinks you're talking to her. You're probably speaking in soft melodic tones, and that's what kitty is responding to, jumping on the table, rubbing all over you, jumping back up when you put her down. Business calls are less likely to get this behaviour because of the change in vocal tone. Back to top.

Why do cats always pester the people who don't like cats? Remember that cats see us as huge and intimidating creatures. When your cat enters the room and sees a room full of people, she really sees a room full of other cats, large and loud cats. All these "cats" are staring right at her and all this eye contact makes her uncomfortable. Then she sees the only "cat" in the room who is not staring at her, the one who doesn't like cats. To seek out a safe lap in this scary room, kitty makes a bee-line for this non intimidating lap, the cat haters lap. Back to top.

Why do cats purr? Cats of all sizes are the only animals that purr. The purr comes from two membrane folds, called false vocal cords, that are in the larynx behind the actual vocal cords. They purr at 26 cycles per second and purr both when inhaling and exhaling.

Kittens are born blind and deaf, but the vibration of their mom purring is a physical sign that the kittens can feel, acting like a homing device to their mother. The kittens begin to purr at about one week old and it's a signal back to their mom that they're getting their milk and are content. Since it's non vocal it doesn't interfere with their feeding in any way, so they can still get big and strong.

Cats don't just purr for pleasure though, mother cats purr while in labour, some cats purr in fear, and they may also purr when they're anticipating something that will make them happy. Back to top.

Why are cats curious? The cat is an explorer and is constantly on the hunt. So part of the reason for their curiosity is that they're always looking for food.

I believe that their claim on the territory has something to do with it too. Try moving something in your house, they know it's been moved - something is different - and they curiously check out the change thoroughly, perhaps to re-establish the layout of their territory in their minds. Move into a new home and every square inch of that house get a thorough going over. Back to top.

Do cats dream? Yep. Just like humans, cats sleep in cycles of deep and light sleep. Dreaming occurs curing the deep sleep phase, the equivalent to our REM sleep. During their deep sleep, the giveaway that they dream is that they move their paws and claws, twitch their whiskers and flick their ears, and sometimes even vocalize. Back to top.

Why do cats' tails quiver? A cat's tail tells a lot. Mild irritation can be shown when its tip is quivering, but if the whole tail is erect - the whole length of it quivering - it can be joy or excitement. It's a friendly quiver, and you probably notice this after you've come home after being away for a while. Back to top.

Why do cats flick their tails? Veterinarian Jim Grubb offers two possibilities. 1) To get their balance before leaping; and 2) to mesmerize their prey . Since kitty can't see prey if it's frozen still, he moves his tail to initiate some movement from the would-be prey, which he can then spot. Back to top.

What do cats' ear positions mean? There are five basic ear signals. When the ears point forward and slightly outward, kitty is relaxed and listening to what is going on. When they're erect and facing forward she's alert and ready to investigate a noise. When they twitch nervously back and forth she is agitated or anxious. When she flattens her ears against her head she's annoyed and is feeling defensive (cats pin their ears back to protect them during a fight). When she's feeling aggressive but not frightened she'll put her ears at half-mast, somewhere in-between alert and defensive. Back to top.

What can we tell about a cat's behaviour by her fur? A cat's fur is also a mirror of his moods. When he's scared (hears a loud crash for example), his hair will stand up on end all over his body. When he feels threatened, about to be attacked for example, his hair will stand up only in a narrow band along his spine. It also will incline slightly towards the middle from both sides and form a sharp ridge, this is natures way of making him look bigger. Back to top.

What can we tell about a cat's behaviour by her whiskers? When they're pointed forward and fanned out it means your cat is tense. Not nervous, but alert, excited, ready to act. When a cat bunches her whiskers together and flattens them to the side of her face, she's feeling reserved, timid, or even shy. When they point sideways and are not spread out, your cat is comfortable, calm, relaxed, friendly, satisfied, or just indifferent to it all. Back to top.

Why do cats arch their backs? This is part of kitty's complex body language system. Arching the back is usually accompanies by her hair standing out all over her body, especially the tail. This is a response to feeling threatened. Sometimes she'll turn sideways too to present a more impressive profile.

The arch is able to get so high because her spine contains nearly 60 vertebrae which fit loosely together, giving her that incredible flexibility. Humans only have 34 vertebrae in comparison. Back to top.

Why do cats suddenly 'zoom' away? At full tilt, this zooming can reach 31 mph and can cover 3 times their own length per leap. This behaviour is a result of pent up energy that suddenly overflows. Our kitties are nocturnal beings and natural hunters, the sedentary lifestyle imposed on an indoor cat can drive her stir crazy, resulting in these night time frenzies. Back to top.

What does it mean when a kitty does a hop? The little hop-like greeting that kitty gives you, bumping against your leg and quickly lifting both front paws off the ground and putting them back, is reserved for humans. It's kitty's way of saying "welcome" and it's a throwback to the head-to-head greeting behaviour she learned from her mother. In your cat's mind you've replaced her real mom so you get the same greeting, kind of . If you were her real mom you'd get a nose rub with her head to mingle scents, but you're too big for that, so she settles for what she can get. Back to top.

Why do cats rub against your leg? When she rubs the head or the side of her chin against you or anyone and anything else for that matter, she's actually depositing her scent on objects she considers part of her territory. Like she's saying "this is mine." You are one of her possessions.

She uses glands on her forehead and around her mouth and chin to anoint you. The glands produce pheromones which she transfers to you by rubbing. Be thankful for the rubbing, she could be marking her territory by spraying it with urine. Back to top.

Why does a cat roll over and show her tummy? This is the ultimate compliment, it indicates complete trust. Totally exposing her stomach reveals how secure she feels, because lying in this position exposes her most vulnerable part and she knows it. Sometimes she may be asking for caress like this, sometimes it means she's asking you to play. But sleeping on her back is another matter entirely, trust to the degree of infinity. Back to top.

Why do cats love to be stroked? Cats carry many memories of kitten hood into their adulthoods. They respond to our stroking because they see us as their mothers, and they interpret our strokes as if they were being groomed by mommy just like when they were babies . Back to top.

Why do cats knead? That loud purring and extending her claws on a soft spot in your belly is called "milk-treading." When you relax and sit quietly she's getting the same signal that she got from mom when she was a kitten - that mom is ready to suckle. A nursing kitten instinctively uses her paws to draw out milk, gently pushing her mother's stomach to increase the flow. An older cat acting this way is likely happy and content and recalling the best days of her life . Back to top.

Why do cats get stuck in trees? They don't really, eventually they do come down. Their claws are constructed for climbing up, but are curved the wrong way to make climbing down almost impossible. But if you wait long enough he will come down, shimmying backwards down the tree the same way he got up it. Back to top.

Why do cats torture their prey? Field cats, who live off their hunting, will eat their catches immediately. But our domestic cats' hunting expeditions hardly ever relate to hunger. They don't need to hunt to eat anymore, yet they still have a strong need to keep their natural hunting skills in good order.

It could be that she has no idea she's supposed to eat these creatures. If cats haven't been taught by their mothers to kill swiftly, they aren't likely to pick up this hunting skill themselves. Back to top.

Why does a cat bury her "business"? Many experts say that cats bury their mess because they're so fussy. It's true that they're pretty picky, but they don't bury their waste products because of fastidiousness alone. In the wild, only secondary cats bury their waste, the dominant feline will display its feces prominently.

In today's modern home however, you are the dominant animal. House cats will carefully bury their feces to eliminate interfering with the natural order of things as they perceive them.

Another explanation is that like most animals, cats bury their waste to protect their trail from predators. Back to top.

Why do cats like high places? Simple, anything up high gives them a good view from which they can keep an eye on their property. Back to top.

Do cats have a memory? Test it for yourself, see if she remembers the sound of a can opener. Get the point? Your cat's memory can be up to 200 times more retentive than a dog's, but she uses it only for what she regards as useful functions - and usually only what suits her. Back to top.

Why does a cat hiss and spit when threatened? Believe it or not, they're imitating snakes. The sound of a cat hiss is almost the same as a snake hiss, and a snake is one of the most feared animals there is. Hissing is pretty common in all land animals.

When he hisses, kitty opens his mouth halfway, draws back his upper lip and wrinkles his face. As he does this he expels a jet of air, the moisture he releases with this jet is the spitting. Back to top.

Why are cats territorial? Cats establish territory for the same reason that you live in your home or apartment, she needs a place where she can sleep and feel safe. Outdoors it could be mo more than your back yard, or something bigger depending on what she feels she can defend. Indoors it could be just about everything, or a room, or even that small space at the bottom of your bed.

Each territory includes a private place, for sleeping and feeling safe; common grounds, which she will share with a few other cats; and meeting grounds, where a group of cats can meet. Back to top.

Why do cats bring dead animals into the house? Your cat is bringing you a present, the great hunter returning with the spoils of the hunt. In the wild, big cats do it as a social gesture. House cats present prey to their owners in an effort to introduce them to the concept of hunting, says Desmond Morris in Catwatching . Normally cats see us as parent figures, but when they present us with their prey, they see us as their kittens. Indoors they don't have a lot of opportunity to hunt, so once in a while you may be presented with a catnip mouse or squeak toy instead. Back to top.

What do your cat's eyes reveal? The pupils of a hungry cat will dilate up to five times their normal size when Kitty sees his food bowl. They'll also appear as big black pools when he's frightened or threatened. Half closed eyelids say he's totally relaxed; fully closed means he's either relaxed or asleep. He will also shut his eyes against a dominant rival - feeling forced into submission he "cuts off" the image of his tormentor. The victor perceives this as defeat and walks away.

In China, peasants tell the time by looking at a cat's eyes, which dilate and contract according to the sun's strength. The pupils are narrowest at noon. Back to top.

Why are cats hard to train? Actually, cats aren't that hard to train, they just refuse to perform for a pat on the head. One of the reasons it seems so difficult to train cats is that you can't bribe them with sweets. Their taste buds don't have any sweet receptors, they can't even tell the difference between sugar water and plain water. But they do learn by association, consider the cat carrier, one trip to the vet and that carrier is forever associated with going to the vet.

Dogs on the other hand are trainable because they're born to follow leaders. Your cat can take care of herself. Back to top.

How smart are cats? Your cat may possess an IQ that is surpassed in the animal kingdom by only monkeys and chimps. Evidence from lab experiments indicate that cats possess a high level of intelligence skills. It has been shown that cats can remember problem solving strategies and use insight to think their way out of unusual situations. They've been shown to exhibit greater problem solving skills than dogs; while canine memory lasts no more than five minutes, a cat's recall can last as long as sixteen hours. Back to top.