Cats Behavior - Get To Know What They Mean
Cats behavior is so different for each cat, ranging from being your best bud to the haughty queen, that it just adds to the reasons that cat lovers enjoy their companions, besides the more obious physical differences.
Growing up in a crazy cat household (at one point we had up to thirteen indoor cats) their differences in personality made life interesting. Pansy, a beautiful long-hair tricolor cat (one of the first we got) was shy and quiet. Her affinity was for encyclopedias and she spent most of her time sitting on our old Britannica.
We had one cat, Eric, a short-haired marmalade, who made up for any lapse in bathroom etiquette by having the best bed side manner if you happened to be under the weather or troubled. Another of our cats, Tinker, the most clever, was able to open the trash container with little effort, and loved to pluck out a tune on my guitar should it be left lying about.
It is important for you to know what is normal about your cats behavior. If they go running crazily around the house every night at the same exact time, then that is probably one of their oddities. However, if your cat is normal restful and follows this same pattern then there may be something to be concerned about, anything from being sick to being resentful of a visit from your Aunt Tillie.
Cats have a very strong need to feel that they are safe and secure in their little world. A sudden shift in routine may cause unusual cat behavior such as missing the mark when it comes to their little box or deciding they do not care for the brand of litter you are using. Her only means of telling me this was to no longer use her box. It took quite a bit of trial and error but we eventually found that she preferred shredded newsprint. We have had no problems since we figured that out.
So, in general, realize that cats behavior is as varied as human behavior. The more you know about what's baseline "normal" for your cat the easier it will be for you to pick up on behavioral variations that are trying to tell you something.
Cat lovers are as varied as the many different types of cats. Size and color alone don't necessarily determine one's choice of cat. Each one is unique and learning your cats behavior will reduce many concerns. Sometimes it may take some time to truly learn the idiosyncrasies of each one. Their personalities range from aloofness to affectionate, unconcerned to clingy, and everything in between. Security is of paramount importance, however, since cats are habitual and generally set in their routines. Cats and humans, therefore, bear a great deal of similarities. Cat behavior, like human behavior, is a blend of variety, and not limited to breed.
Published August 3rd, 2007
Filed in Pets
