Cats are one of the most domesticated creatures. They are very adorable and friendly, but other than being adorable they can sometimes be unpredictable. Cats can show behaviors that are far away from human understanding. But still, we will try to break it down for you and tell you how to deal with these behaviors.
1. Sleeping in a Box or Any Closed Space
You might have noticed that cats generally prefer to sleep in small, confined places such as small cardboard boxes. If you’ve seen this first time, then you might want to know that this is a very much natural behavior. This behavior can be seen in big cats such as lions too. The reason behind this behavior is that they feel some sense of security by sleeping in enclosed places.
They feel protected. This is natural because if big wild cats such as leopard or lion are sleeping in the open then they are very much exposed to dangers such as an attack from other animals. And domestic cats feel the same thing. They also prefer to sleep in small boxes because this way they can reflect their body heat to themselves. This behavior is not abnormal, so there is no need to worry about your cat if it prefers to sit in an enclosed space and observes the surrounding.
2. Avoiding the Litter Box
This is a very common behavior and there can be a lot of meanings of this. Sometimes it can become really disappointing when your cat decides to avoid the litter box like it doesn’t even exist. Generally, it is in cat’s nature to litter at specific places and after littering, they usually cover it with sand or something to hide the smell of it but what happens when they suddenly decide to avoid those places?
The first reason can be that the litter box is dirty. This is one of the most obvious reasons as nobody likes a dirty toilet. The same thing is with cats. They avoid a litter box if it is filthy and hasn’t been cleaned in days. To avoid this, clean your cat’s litter box regularly.
There can be another reason too like maybe your cat is sick. Cats can develop stones in bladder or diseases related to urine. So make sure that your cat is checked by a vet occasionally. Those occasional visits to the doctor can really help to keep your cat healthy.
Also, if you have two cats and one litter box, then this is a common scenario as the cats would likely to have their own litter box rather than waiting for each other to litter in a single box. So, provide your cats with individual litter boxes. This way your cat or cats won’t avoid the litter box.
To learn more about litter box problems and solution read this awesome Guide.
3. Howling and Running around at midnight
Cats usually come under predators as they spend most of their daytime sleeping and become very active at night. That’s why you might see them at night doing crazy stuff or making howling noises. The noises can be signs of different issues like they might be hungry or they might be in a playful mood. If you wake up at night and your cat is howling then try giving it some food.
This may shut your cat’s howling down for a while. Also, the cats don’t really know when to wake up or when to sleep. They usually sleep entire afternoon as they find it quiet and in the evening when there are people around then they wake up and when everyone sleeps, they take small naps. They haven’t really adapted to the sleep cycle so this behavior is not something to worry about. But try to keep some food and water for them before going to sleep because they might get hungry at night.
4. Lying on their Back
Cats usually lay on their back when they are in a very playful mood. If you’ve been rubbing their bellies for a while, then they might want it again because cats enjoy belly rubs. This is not entirely true, but most of them like when their bellies are rubbed. Usually, small kittens do this.
But there is also a different story to that. Some people say that sometimes cats feel vulnerable when it comes to their bellies as it is the most vulnerable part of their body. So if they are lying on their back with their bellies out, so make sure that they are not in an aggressive mood.
An angry cat can scratch you with its claws if it feels threatened. That’s why cats are known for being unpredictable. So take care before making any advancement towards befriending your cat with love as you could face sharp claws which you will definitely not like.
5. Getting aggressive
There are a lot of reasons due to which a cat can behave aggressively. Generally, the reasons for being aggressive are sick or getting bored or even getting into a feud with the other cat in the house. If your cat is sick, then provide the cat with proper medical attention.
Sickness can make anyone aggressive, that’s why a visit to the vet can help you deal with the aggression. Visit cbdclinicals to know more about it. If the cat is not sick and you can’t identify the reason of your cat’s sickness then there are many behaviorists who deal with such situations. They can definitely help you out.
If your cat is fighting with the other cat, then rather than getting in between them, just make a loud noise like yelling or throw some water at them. This can stop them from fighting. Cats generally like to move freely around the house and if they can’t find enough space then they can become irritated which leads to aggression. So, try to keep your house more spacious.
Cats don’t like too many people around them so if you are having guests at your home, then putting your cat in the same room can make it angry or irritated.
These are some small factors that affect a cat’s behavior. Try to avoid these to keep your cat from getting angry.
There is one more thing that you should do when your cat is small. Either it is a male cat or female cat; try to spay them before they reach sexual maturity because after reaching sexual maturity they can become aggressive if they are not spayed. So if your cat is still intact and showing aggression, then it is time to spay your cat for its own good.
6. Biting and Scratching
While playing with other cats or with the owner, they usually bite or scratch. They think of it more as a game, but their scratch and bite can leave a mark and it can get infected. If your cat is playing with you and start scratching or nibbling then try to back it off.
But don’t be too rough as these animals take it as a game. Cats start to play-fight with each other when they are very young. And this is what makes them stronger as an adult. So if your cat starts to scratch, you then try your best to avoid it.
To avoid any kind of aggressive behavior, take out some time to play with your cat as this will not only show your cat that you care about them but will also keep your cat healthy. Always go easier on your cat as they are living beings with feelings because if you treat them with aggression then it will make them more aggressive.
Understand that biting and scratching is the nature of the cats so give them toys such as a ball or something that they can play with. The most traditional toy for a cat is wool balls. Cats love them because they are dangly and are very fun to play with.
7. Keeping their mouth open
This is a strange behavior and can give worries to many cat owners. At first, it looks normal but when they keep doing it for a long time like they have seen something horrible, that’s when people think that it is a problem but it has actually a whole different reason.
When cats stare at something with their mouth open then there are more chances that they are smelling something than they have seen something horrible. Cats have glands in the upper lining of their mouth that allows them to gather the scent. This gives them the information about the food or anything they want to smell. This is a great perk as they can smell through both nose and mouth, giving them an advantage over other animals.
This is not anything to worry about as this is more of a natural behavior. Cats usually do that when they see food or anything that looks edible to them.
8. Fleas
Flea is a common problem when it comes to cats or dogs. There are more chances of your cat getting fleas than getting wet in rain. You can easily identify the flea problem in your cat. If your cat is scratching or licking its body too much or losing hair all over your house, then it is very likely that your cat has fleas.
Fleas are not a disastrous problem and can be dealt with easily. Ask your vet about the certain medications that deal with fleas especially for cats. If you have more than one cat, then it is not very hard to say that all of them have the problem. So try to deal with it as soon as you find the symptoms.
9. Biting nails
It might sound weird, but the cats actually bite their nails just like humans. If you don’t believe, then ask any cat owner. Sometimes cats develop the habit of biting nails. There can be many reasons for that. According to psychologists, a cat bites its nails when it is nervous or afraid of something. But if you think that your cat is far from being nervous then it can mean that your cat is giving itself a little manicure.
Just like human beings, cats also love to keep themselves clean and tidy. They usually lick their fur to clean themselves, so biting nails can also be interpreted as an act of keeping their body clean. But if you find this a little surreal that your cat bites its nails all day long then it can mean something different and you should see a vet for that.
10. Running and jumping around the house
Some people get afraid when their cats suddenly start to run around the house or roll over the floor like crazy. It seems like an abnormal behavior, but it is just as natural as humans doing exercise and going for a jog.
Cats are very energetic animals and love to spend their energy in running and so. If you see your cat doing this then understand that they are doing regular exercise to make themselves fit. It also means that you should take them out for a walk because sitting at home all day can make them tired and waste their energy.
If you can’t take them out, then at least play with them every day so that they can spend their energy in the right place.
11. Teeth Chattering
Just like babies, cats are also specific about their needs. They want what they want and if they don’t get it, then they make chattering sound with their teeth. If your cat is doing it, then your cat is probably asking you for something.
Understand the different between chattering and meowing. Chattering means that either you’ve taken something from them or something that you don’t have. But meowing loudly means that they probably want to eat something and that’s how they ask for food. If your cat does either of those, you should give the cat what it wants as it is the most adorable animal in the world and making it happy can make you happy. Cats can show different behavior so keep an eye on them and take care of them as most of them depend on us for their survival.