Have you ever wondered why cats do some of the things they do? Well, here us an attempt to provide some answers. Why does a cat purr? A cat purrs in a wide variety of situations. Purring is a sign that a cat is harmless or a friend. Why does a cat like being stroked? A mother cat cleans feeds and protects its kittens. Since a cat considers a human "owner" to be its mother, it demands attention from its mother. Why does a cat tear at the fabric of a chair or other fabric item (eg, lining of my boots when I am not wearing them)? Cats do this for 3 reasons: to remove the sheath from the nails on its front paws and so reveal new claws (cats reveal new claws on the back paws by pulling and chewing at the sheath); to exercise and strengthen the retraction muscles of their claws; and to leave a scent marking (cats have scent glands on the pads of their front feet which is released by the movement of their paws and rubbing it into the fabric). Why does roll over and lie on its back when it sees you? It is a friendly sign which a cat only makes to "family" members. The cats is showing that it trusts you enough to be in a submissive pose. But a cat does not necessarily like its tummy being stroked. This is because the tummy region is very sensitive. A cat only allows a close family members or a person it trusts to stroke their tummy. Why does a cat rub itself against your leg when it greets you? A cat has special scent glands on its temple, near its mouth and at the bottom of its tail. By rubbing itself against you, the cat is marking you with its scent and at the same time, taking the scents that you are giving off. This marking and taking in of scents with its humans makes a cat feel safe and at home. Why does a cat hop on its hind legs when it greets you? Cats typically greet each other by rubbing faces. As humans are so much taller than a cat, a cat cannot greet you in its usual way. The hop is an attempt to raise its face towards your face. A really enthusiastic cat may well jump on to a chair or furniture so that it is closer to your face. Why does a cat trample on or knead your lap with its front paws (and even drool) before sitting on your lap? Kittens knead their mothers belly and drool at feeding time. When a cat sees a person sitting comfortably, it is reminded of feeding time. So an adult cat doing this is an example of where an adult cat behaves like a kitten towards its humans. Why do cats cry to be let in and then cry to be let out again? Cats like to be free to come and go as they please. Their free movement is necessary to allow them to patrol and mark their territories which they like to do frequently because any scent (whether urine or left by rubbing) begins to fade as soon as it is left and needs to be refreshed. Doors prevent cats from doing their patrolling. Why does a cat arch its back? If a cat is scared or feels threatened, it will arch its back to make itself look as big as possible. At the same time, the cat's fur will stand on end and the cat will stand broadside to the threat. The cat will generally also hiss and growl and spit. Why does a cat hiss? If a cat is scared or feels threatened, it will hiss, growl and spit. Why does a cat wag its tail when it is hunting something in the garden? Cats in urban areas don't have the benefit of cover so when a human observer sees a cat stalking pray in the garden, it's a truly representative of a cat's hunting technique. When a cat it is hunting, it is very deliberate and makes use of cover to conceal itself. In most cases, its tail would be hidden and so you wouldn't see the cat's tail wagging. Why does a cat chatter its teeth when it sees a bird through a window? The cat is practising the special killing bite that it would use to kill the bird. The practice is probably a subconscious act in response to seeing the bird. Why does a cat sway it head from side to side when staring at its prey? A cat has binocular vision. The head swaying allows the cat to check the exact distance between itself and the prey. Why does a cat play with its prey before killing it? Cats who live with humans, especially in urban areas don't often have the opportunity to hunt. This means that the hunting and killing of prey is a special occasion for the cat. The cat will prolong the chase as much as possible to savour the thrill of the hunt. But if a cat is chasing a rat, it might need to prolong the chase for practical reasons - a big rat could harm a cat so the cat may have to strike a few blows to subdue the rat before killing it. Why do cats present freshly killed prey to their humans? Even though a cat who lives with humans considers its humans to be its parents, when it comes to hunting, the cat thinks that the humans are its kittens. A cat thinks it must look after its kittens (ie, its humans) by teaching them how to hunt and giving them prey it catches. This is why a cat will often play with dead prey by clawing at it and smacking it and throwing it in the air before presenting it to its humans - it is showing its humans how to kill the prey. So the last thing a human must do when a cat brings it dead prey is to recoil in horror.
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