5 Signs Your Cat Isn't As Domesticated As You Think January 14 2020, 9 Comments
Cats are adorable! They're small. They're round. They're fluffy. And they're also pretty much hardwired to be tiny killing machines. As tame and trained as our domestic feline friends may seem, there is no denying that they still have a wild side. Domestic cats are still driven by their natural instincts, passed down for generations from their wild ancestors. Even though our friendly balls of fluff have never actually hunted in the jungles or stalked the deserts of Africa, those wild instincts are still present in our cats today -- and these instincts help explain common cat behaviors that baffle us humans.
1. Hunting Prey
Cats are hardwired to hunt and stalk prey, even if they have food available to them every day. In fact, hunting and stalking help keep your cat’s mind and body strong and healthy in an environment that can easily become unstimulating and boring to a cat.
For ideas about how to activate your cat’s hunting instincts, consider toys that imitate the movements of real prey. And if your cat has a really high prey drive, they might need some mental stimulation even when you aren’t home to play. Check out these battery-operated toys or consider adding a food puzzle into their meal routine.
2. Perching Up High
Photo Featuring the Jungle Gym Cat Tree Condo
Perching helps cats stay safe from predators while they keep a close eye on their surroundings and potential prey. Even cats who don’t live with other animals (potential predators) or have regular access to live prey have an innate desire to perch high. If you have a cat who prefers to perch up high, consider offering a sheltered cat tree from which to perch.
3. Marking Territory
Your cat isn’t scratching the arm of your sofa out of a wanton desire for destruction. Believe it or not, cats actually scratch as a form of communication to other cats – and us humans, if we know how to read cat. By leaving a visual mark on visible areas of the house (the ends of couches or chairs, for instance), your cat is letting anyone and everyone know that a cat lives here and that this is their territory. If your cat is a problem scratcher, here are some great solutions!
Cat paws also have hidden scent glands, and they use these secret scent glands to mark their territory. Besides the visual markers that scratching a post or chair leaves, every time your cat scratches, she is also leaving behind her scent -- effectively claiming it as her turf. These pheromones are pretty much undetectable to our human noses, but other cats or animals in the home will be able to sniff out that message loud and clear: This is MY house!
4. Seeking Fresh Water
Does your cat prefer fresh, running water to their water bowl? Do they come running anytime you turn on the sink? Your cat's instincts might be telling them that an old, stagnant bowl of water could be contaminated and unhealthy to drink.
Most of us also naturally place our cat's food and water bowls next to each other. But this placement can actually go against a cat's natural instinct to keep food and water separate. In the wild, cats will often go to great measures to keep their food and water sources separate to avoid having the food contaminate the water.
Try a circulating water fountain designed for cats that prefer running water to encourage your cat to drink more - without you having to leave the faucet running!
5. Scent Marking
Have you ever wondered why your cat rubs their face on the edges of furniture, walls, or even your foot? Cats have scent glands on their face and the base of their tail. When they push their head onto your hands or feet, they're scent-marking you, letting the whole world know (in their own secret, pheromone-encrypted way) that you belong to them.
Comments
Gayle JEAN Thornberry on December 27 2020 at 03:43PM
My cat weighs 24 lbs and I’ve had him all his life he was so tiny when I got him you could put him in palm of your hand he is 5 years old and keeps growing he is neutered and was bottle feed when do cats stop growing
Jamie on August 17 2019 at 06:16PM
@Dale Capuano This is a guess because for some reason every cat I’ve been owned by has been a cuddle bug and always under foot lol but it seems like your cats may be doing this because they miss your eledest cat. Cats can become very attached to the other inhabitants of their homes. Just like in the article they claim furniture and people alike. It wouldn’t be surprising that now that your eldest has passed that your 2 other cats have taken you on as their own. They may also be saddened by the loss of your eldest cat and are either comforting themselves with your presence or as cats are pretty intuitive maybe they’re comforting you.
Jamie on August 17 2019 at 06:08PM
@jaydonone1 I’ve been lucky enough to have been owned by many cats in my time and several of them have knicked me while cuddling. They usually do it while they knead at me the way kittens do to their moms when they drink milk. Some kittens are separated from their mothers early and will continue this kneading motion to comfort themselves long into adulthood. It’s something they do when they’re happy and trying to settle in for a catnap or nights sleep. Not all cats do it but my tuxedo does it every night while burrowing his face under my chin.
Jaydonone1 on August 17 2019 at 04:49PM
Okay. Can anybody tell me why my youngest cat loves to poke my neck & throat with her claws? She’s a feral we took in almost 2 yrs. ago as a tiny kitten & she’s different than our other cat who was also a feral kitten. We had her claws trimmed a little over a week ago & she realized a couple of nights ago while I was TRYING to sleep, that they’ve grown out just enough to poke me again. I’ve never had one of my cats do this to me. HELP!!!!!!
jmuhj on August 17 2019 at 01:40PM
My eldest stalks, catches, and brings me “prey” in the form of her favorite twinkle ball. (She likes one certain one, even though there are dozens here, and invariably she will choose THAT one to bring.)
Lisa Bradbury on August 17 2019 at 12:27PM
My cat makes a strange sound, a very different meow, over and over again, during mid-morning and in late evening. When we hear this, we know she will be walking around the corner soon to bring us a mouse (toy mouse). She will drop it next to us, wherever we may be. We keep many of these mice around the house. She loves to hunt them and even fetch them when she’s feeling playful.
Rosemary Rambow on August 17 2019 at 10:58AM
My Mosie was left in a compost bin on Easter Sunday. She was only four days old. She’s done incredibly well and is four months old now. She’s very long and slender; long legs and an exotic profile. That compost bin is where I feed my colony of ferals. They’re all fixed. I still think of her as their little niece! She believes I’m her mom and nurses on the inside of my arm, then jumps up to kiss my face.
I’ve watched her closely as I’ve raised over five hundred orphaned or abandoned kittens. She’s just different. She tries to bury her food! Even covering it with paper works for her. She carries her stuffed bear around a lot. She’s fearless and pounces on my other cats. She’ll be a great cat. So glad we found each other!
Dale Capuano on August 17 2019 at 10:44AM
I had 3 cats, the oldest was adopted from a vet, the second and third cats were feral. I had basically no interaction with the feral cats. When I had to put down the oldest 14 yrs old that I adopted from the vet, the feral cats now have become very attached to me. Jack is 11 and Jilli is 9. After all these years I was in total shock. Has anyone ever experienced this?
V on August 17 2019 at 10:20AM
I have a little cat game on my iPad with swimming fish…My cat Leo loves to bat at them and seeing the simulation of water being splashed around and ripples.. my cat was very intrigued… what was cute was that after Leo had enough… he took his paw off the screen then shook it several times like he was getting the “water” off it then proceeded to clean his little foot…. instinct is cute❤️🤗