How They Behave, and Why - The Habits We Like

1 The purrfect sound of contentment
To a cat lover, it is one of the most pleasant sensations in the world: the contented vibration that we know as purring. Why do they do it? Scientists think it is a kind of “homing device ” used by a mother cat to help her newborn kittens (whose sight, hearing and sense of smell are all underdeveloped) locate her when it’s time to nurse. Purring is a kind of “dinner bell ” to young kittens. A mother cat purrs, the kittens fasten on, and the purring stops. We can’t be sure, but it appears that from kittenhood on they associate purring with pleasure.


2Share the purr

Your contented cat may purr in your lap or lying near you, but you won’t hear (or feel) him purr as he lies contented in the sun. Purring is never a solitary act; cats only purr in the close proximity of a human-or another cat. Cat experts think purring indicates not only contentment but also submission. That is, purring is the kitten’s signal to his mother and the adult cat’s signal to his owner that “I’m yours” No wonder owners take such pleasure in it.

3They knead 

you Kneading refers to a cat’s habit of using its front paws to massage a person’s chest or stomach. It goes back to kitten hood, when a nursing kitten uses its tiny paws to massage its mother’s udder while sucking. Kneading is inevitably accompanied by purring, and both adults and kittens are clearly in cat heaven while kneading. Some cat owners love this evidence that cats can pet their owners as well as be petted. On the other hand, kneading can be downright painful to people, because a cat’s claws are definitely out while kneading. Owners of declawed cats (including the author) find kneading to be a perfectly painless and delightful aspect of cat ownership.

4There’s a name for it: “bunting”

 There’s a fabric called “bunting,” and you can “bunt” a baseball. Likewise, your cat will “bunt” you and your furniture as part of a familiar habit: rubbing the side of his head against a person or an object. This isn’t just affection; the cat is actually leaving behind some glandular secretions from his face as a kind of “I was here ” signal to himself and other cats. We can be thankful that this form of scent marking is practiced on us instead of the much more obnoxious spraying of urine. 

5 Mad dashes

 It amuses us as much as it mystifies us: for no apparent reason a cat suddenly makes a mad dash through the house. Many cat owners claim cats do so after using the litter box, perhaps to express a sense of relief and release. Conversely, some do it right after eating. But often the cat’s mad dash is connected to no other event. Experts in animal behavior suggest that running fits might relieve tension, but tension doesn’t seem to be much of a problem for many cats. Perhaps the best and most satisfying explanation is that it just feels really good to run and frolic, even if it’s just for a few seconds.

 6The “ I see you ” 

call Cats vary greatly in their “talkativeness,” but most of them will give an “acknowledgment” call to people with whom they are familiar. This is a very short, soft “meow” uttered when, for example, you walk through a room where the cat is sitting. The acknowledgment call isn’t urgent or pleading, and you won’t hear it if you’ve just walked into the house after being gone for two weeks. Cat owners find it to be a pleasant part of owning a cat, for it seems to be the cat’s way of communicating, “Yes, I see you,” rather than ignoring the person.

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