Cats' Mysterious Behaviors Solved

If you own a cat, you might wonder why he behaves, or rather misbehaves like he does. Cats have a lot of idiosyncratic behaviors that seem silly to their human masters. But research has helped explain away some of these mysterious characteristics. Here are just a few common feline mannerisms and the scientific reasons behind them.

Scratching Up Your Furniture

According to "Why Do Cats Do That?" by the creators of CatFancy Magazine, cats are prone to scratch the surfaces of many areas and for many different reasons. They may be trying to give themselves a manicure, keeping their claws sharp and clean. It also feels good for your cat to stretch and scratch, the same way you probably stretch and yawn after first waking up in the morning (Thornton, 1997). Cats may also be marking their territory when they scratch. Cats are very territorial creatures and when they claim a spot of their own they will often mark it in some way. Windows, doorways, and the corners of furniture are often the scenes of the cat scratching crimes. There is also an odor left behind by a scratching cat that only other animals can detect. Although you can't stop a cat from scratching all together, you can train your cat to only scratch in certain areas with the help of positive reinforcement. Give your cat a scratching post tall enough for him to stretch. Make sure the post is as stable as something your cat might usually scratch, such as a sofa or chair.

Bringing You Dead Animal "Gifts"

Cats are natural hunters so their instinct to hunt will always be present. It doesn't matter that your cat will never have to hunt a day in his life because you pamper him with 9 Lives Gourmet can food, he will still occasionally surprise you with a gift of dead prey on your doorstep or worse yet, in your house slipper. Cat Fancy expert Kim Thornton believes that cats who exhibit this behavior are just providing for their human masters the same way they might provide for a litter of kittens. So be grateful when you find that beheaded snake in your kitchen. It only means that Whiskers doesn't want you going hungry.

Rubbing Against Your Legs

Sometimes it seems that our feline friends are not friends at all, especially when they're zig-zagging through our legs when we're maneuvering through a dark house in the middle of the night to go pee. But despite your first impressions, your cat is not trying to trip you. He is only greeting and claiming you as only your cat can. According to peteducation.com, cats have scent glands all around their face. You may not know it but when you're cat is rubbing against your legs, he is actually spreading his scent on you and claiming you as his territory. Don't worry. This scent is undetectable to the human nose, but if another cat were to get a whiff of your pantyhose, they'd know you're taken! It is also a way for your cat to greet you with a friendly, if over-possessive, gesture.

Works Cited:

Thornton, Kim. (1997). Why Do Cats Do That? Real Answers to the Curious Things Cats Do with training tips. Irvine, California. Bowtie Press.