Purina Cat Chow: Cat Care Center: Emotional: Cat Behavior

Physical. Emotional. Complete.® - That's the Purina® Cat Chow® Way of Life®

Subjects in this section include: how to keep your cat happy when you're away, toys and playtime, bringing a new animal into your home, feline depression, and more.

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	More about Amy

Author, cat lover, and a big believer in simplifying vet medicalese Specialty: Emotional

Topic: Cat Behavior

Is Your Cat Crazy?

Is Your Cat a Wild Cat?

General Behavior Tips

Every night at about 8:00pm, my cat goes crazy! She runs up and down the furniture from one room to another for about 20 minutes, and then she just stops. What is going on with her?

Sometimes my cat will arch his back and hop around the room for no apparent reason. Why is he doing this?

I help run a rescue group in Tucson, Arizona. We rescue cats who usually have been stray. Adopters sometimes have a problem with a cat who won't use a litter box. I advise them of urinary tract health. What can you do to cure the problem when it is stress-related or otherwise behavioral?

Sometimes I have control issues with my cat. She thinks that she is the boss. There isn't a specific trigger -- she just decides at that moment. How do I correct this behavior? Also, do cats have a sense of humor? Or is this another attempt at control? My friends think I am nuts when I tell them that my cat has a sense of humor. Thanks.

My one-year-old neutered male cat has recently decided that instead of being his 'mom', I'm MATING material! Why has he started doing this and how can I stop him? My vet suggested anti-depressants.

My cat is a little over a year old and he never pays attention. Today the fur on the tip of his tail caught on fire when I was boiling water on the stove. It confused me because most cats are extremely afraid of fire.

What does 'listlessness' mean?

Why did my 2-year-old retired breeder eat all of her kittens from the only two litters she had? A person who didn't know about this saw a picture of my cat and said over and over that she looked evil. Could any of it have really been evil?

Do mother cats remember their kittens? We have a mom and one of her kittens (3 and 2 years old) and still act like they are mom and baby. Are they just friendly cats or really remembering each other?

Can cats be jealous? Ours wakes us up at 3 or 4 AM when my husband is home but not when he is out of town.

How will my cat react to a new baby in the house?

We adopted a female American shorthair a year ago and she eventually started to enjoy spending time outside. She never had any problem with any other animal on the complex; however, now she is provoking a newcomer from downstairs. The new cat is a female housecat so they cannot actually touch, but my cat keeps going down to her window and making disturbing noises. Also her tail is very puffy. I don't know what to do. I have tried stopping her from going outside but she keeps crying until I let her go. Please help.

We have a 3-1/2 year old Himalayan that is not friendly to children. She was raised up to 4 months with 4 children but now prefers adults. This is especially disturbing to our 6 and 8 yr old grandchildren. When they are here she spends the time under the bed. Any suggestions?

Have there been any studies on cats who suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD)? I have a cat who shows the symptoms each and every year and I simply do not know what I can do to help her. She is about 14. During the winter months she becomes moody, depressed and anti-social (almost schizophrenic). The other cats in the house pick up on this and antagonize her unmercifully. Any suggestions, PLEASE?

I don't want to neuter my cat as long as he doesn't spray in the house. Is there a way, besides neutering, to prevent that from happening?

I was wondering why my 4-1/2 year-old male cat likes to hear the sound of a tape in the VCR stop, he will run from one end of the house to the other when it goes off. Also, I have a 3-1/2 year-old male who comes to the refrigerator and smells the cold air whenever you open it? Why?

My cat is currently living with my ex-husband. I go to see Tigger (my cat) once a week until I can take him back. He seems very timid and tenses at my touch and growls when I hold him. He hides a lot also. What could be wrong?

Doesn't a cat's behavior, when it is playful and vigorous, indicate more about my cat's health than his age?

My cat is 1 year old. Whenever I make a salad with green Spanish olives he goes crazy. He loves green olives, he even took the spoon (I used on the olives) out of the sink so he could lick and rub on it. He will go insane, like he is on catnip. Are green olives like catnip, and what is causing him to go bonkers?

I have a 6 1/2-year-old male cat. Other than my dog (13 years, 10 lb. terrier mix), he seems to hate or be terrified of other animals. He totally freaks out. He growls and screams, and after that no one can get near him for a while (he growls and "attacks"). I have never seen a cat react so violently to the presence of another animal. He even behaved that way with an 8-week-old kitten. I can't even leave the door to my screened patio open, because if he sees another cat outside, he goes nuts. He has crashed through my screen enclosure twice. What is wrong with him? What if anything can I do?

My cat has started attacking us as we get into the shower. He also will HOWL the entire time we are in the shower.

We have a 2-year-old female who must pull our Mexican blanket off the back of the couch. She tugs at it until it comes down, either on the seat or behind the couch. Why is she doing this? She doesn't bother any other blankets in the house?

I have two one-year-old cats and a three year old dog. My cats do not get along with my dog at all and I have to keep them separated at all times! One of my cats is better with my dog than the other, and whenever she sees him she bats and hisses at him. I am desperate to know how I can get them to get along!

I have a 14-year-old Siamese mix that is an altered, indoor/outdoor cat. He sleeps with us at night. Recently, his behavior has dramatically changed. Right after we have lights out for the night, he becomes very active and tries to get our attention by sticking his face right in my face. If I don't pay attention, he jumps over me in bed and does the same thing to my husband. This behavior continues until one of us gets out of bed. He had a physical and the vet says there is nothing wrong with him. It doesn't seem to matter how much we play with him he still jumps on us after lights out.

Whenever my kitty hears a car door slam or someone walking up the sidewalk, she RUNS and hides - as if she's afraid the big bad wolf is going to get her.

Ever since I got a new cat my other cat isn't as lovable. Why is this?

I read the articles on a cat's purr. I always think she's happy. How do I know if my cat's purring because she's happy, sad, scared, or hurt?

My cat of 4 years has a very strange habit...She reacts euphorically to whistling…anytime someone whistles, it has to be on-key, pleasant whistling, she starts acting as if she is high on some drug, she just gets taken over as if by an invisible force. She is normally a very grumpy cat who is not at all affectionate but when she hears whistling she acts like an adorable cat and begins to purr and cuddle. Why does she do this?

My Siamese was always "my cat" until I brought home two stray kittens. Now he moves away from me when I try to pat him, he cuddles up to my husband and any stranger. He was nearly two when the kittens came and I made sure he got as much attention as before. He gets on with the other cats but not me.

I just moved in with my girlfriend and she owns a very loveable miniature collie. The problem is I have two cats...the older one (almost three) just seems to ignore the dog, but the baby (will be a year in April) hisses and "puffs" out his tail and runs. The dog has never done anything to him. What can we do, giving any of them up is just not an option.

My cat is a Tonkinese mix and loves to lick metal objects. He will lick our window frame until drool falls out of his mouth. Why does he do this and is there any problems with him doing it?

Do cats hold grudges? I gave my mother’s cat a flea dip two years ago. She went crazy and it was such a fight to simply dip her and let her go. I tried calming her and I was as gentle as I could be with claws dug into my arms. But still to this day she runs and hides when she sees me. I offer her treats, she refuses them from me. She squeezes into small, tight places to hide from me. My mother has her on a more cat-friendly flea program now, but "Taffy" still dislikes me.

Tom keeps dragging all my clothes under my bedside table. He even pulls them out of drawers & out of the closet, tearing them to put under the table. It looks like he's building a nest. Why is he doing this?

My 19-month-old cat has put holes underneath the couch and the box spring mattress. She has enabled herself to get up inside the couch and up inside the box spring. Why does she do this and what can I do to prevent this? I am afraid she is going to get herself stuck and hurt herself.

My boyfriend and I have 2 two-year-old cats from the same litter, male and female, spayed and neutered. We’ve had them since they were 5 weeks old and have lived in the same house since we got them. They get along with each other famously - attached at the hip. Very seldom do they come out from under the bed - we see them every night for about 1/2 hour, then they go back to their retreat. When they are among us we enjoy each other's company. They are playful and loving, but only for this short time. They never come out when we have company - we have friends who have never met these guys. Is there anything we can do?

I have a 4-year-old shorthair indoor cat. Lately my cat has been chasing all types of shadows—my shadow, her own and whatever shadow moves. This happens mostly at night and is a new behavior. I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but it started shortly after my Mother-in-law died. She had been living with us and the cat was close to her. We also have another cat that does not do this.

Why do cats chatter their teeth? My cat does this and I was just wondering what makes them do this and why?

Sometimes in the middle of the night I hear my two cats talking to each other. They alternate short meows back and forth. When they are done, they usually leave the room together to play. Are they actually talking to each other?

I'm not sure if this would be considered emotional or nutritional, but my cat licks the pillows and blankets, is there a reason she does this?

I have two cats. Tuff, is 12 months old, Trent, is 14 months. A son, his wife, and their 5 children have invaded me. The kids’ ages are 9 to 2. Trent seems to hate the kids. He hisses and attacks. How can we help Trent adjust? Tuff is fine with it.

I have a cat that is absolutely crazy. One thing she likes to do is play fetch. I noticed that she is a retriever as soon as I got her. We love to play fetch. I work on my computer and throw the ball, toy mouse, whatever down the hall and she bats it around, and then she brings it back and drops it on my hand. We repeat the process till she gets tired. How come some cats are retrievers and some are not?

I have a cat named Charlee. As a kitten she was sweet and playful, but the older she got, she started becoming more and more vicious. Now at almost 5 years of age she is very aggressive. The only person who she will occasionally allow near her is my father, who now takes care of her. Every time she sees visitors, strangers, or me she begins to hiss or growl or make advances like she will attack but doesn't. She hates being picked up or held or even petted, has never purred, and if my dad or I try to pick her up or anyone else does she either bites, scratches, hisses or grows very quiet with her tail tucked between her legs until she is put down, and then she attacks. What is going on with her behavior/attitude? Is there anything that can be done for her? What might have caused this to happen to her? Is there any prescribed medicine that might calm her aggression down?

Is it normal for cats to be wild and what can I do to help her become calmer? She is about 2 years old.

My 16-year-old spayed female cat used to bring me with her stuffed "alligator" two or three times every day. She would find the 'gator, yowl for a few minutes, then carry it to me and leave it at my feet. For the last few days she has been very protective of her 'gator, keeping it right next to her while she naps and giving me stink eye if I came close to it. Is this a sign of some sort of physical or emotional distress? Is she angry with me? Lonely? I really worry about her because of her age, but she seems to be in good heath except for a little slowing, which I attribute to age.

My cat always is in a bad mood except when he is asleep. How can I get him happy?

A few weeks ago I sent in my question about my cat's biting behavior and I was sent a very long but excellent article on how to modify his behavior. I have tried being firm and saying no when he attempts to bite and ignoring him for 5 minutes. I have tried hissing and spraying water. I no longer spank him when he misbehaves. None of this has worked. This morning without provocation he literally lunged at me and attacked and bit my leg. Before he bit me he was "meowing" and seemed to want attention, which he got. When I started to pet him he tried to bite me. I just don't know what to do. I love this cat but the biting has to stop. Should I see an animal behaviorist or is there more something specific I can do. I really need help.

My cat will stop and smell something intently and then he will open his mouth slightly and breathe. Why does he do this?

Our 10-year-old house cat recently got out of the house and spent a fun-filled afternoon in the great outdoors! Since then she has been constantly restless and very, very vocal, almost to the point of becoming very irritating. The meowing goes on from sun-up to mid-afternoon, when she finally goes to sleep. We love this cat but have not been too happy with this newfound voice of hers. Before this she very seldom even made a peep. Will she get over this? We feel bad because we know she wants to go outside but we think it’s too dangerous. Help.

My cat "Butch" is a five-year-old tabby I have had since he was a kitten. This cat absolutely loves me and the feeling is mutual. Butch takes every opportunity he can get to lick me on the mouth! He especially wants to lick inside my mouth. Needless to say anyone who has ever seen this (except true cat lovers) thinks it is disgusting and I have never heard of another cat doing this. Any light you can shed on this behavior would be greatly appreciated.

My Tash has a strange habit that I was hoping you could shed some light on. While she usually lays down as graciously as can be, sometimes when I'm scratching her back or side she will just flop over onto her side. While she often flops into things (especially my foot) she has never flopped and fallen off of something. After she does that, if I keep scratching her, she will very often either stand up and flop over again or, while keeping her upper body on the floor, stick her butt up in the air and then flop over again. This habit of hers certainly doesn't bother me, I was just wondering if it means something.

When my cat has been out in the garage all night when she comes back in she acts like I don't exist and she won't let me pet her. Why does she do this?

We have two male cats, both declawed. One has this habit of "clawing" or "scratching" my husband's and my shoes, especially shoes with laces. He does this mainly when we first come home or when we're playing with him with his favorite toy. What does this mean?

I have 2 cats, both 2 yrs. old. We have had the neutered male 2 years. We took in a stray neutered female 6 months ago (she was vet checked before introduction) they get along well but when the cats are playing and the male jumps on top of the female she scampers away and claws vigorously at the carpet like a scratching post. Why does she do this?

Cat Body Language: What does it mean when cats lay on their back, legs spread apart?

I have a two-year-old cat that "buries" magazines, my comforter, and a particular footstool. What does this mean?

I have 2 beautiful solid white blue-eyed mother and daughter (who is deaf) cats that I adopted from a parking lot at my first apartment. The older cat is affectionate only when people come over that she doesn't know and the younger isn't at all except for the occasional leg brushing. I've had them going on 3 years now. Will they ever be affectionate?

I adopted my cat Marie when she was about six months old. Her neurotic behavior convinced the vet that she had been abused as a young kitten. In five months she has made tremendous progress, but I am a little concerned that she still likes to hide under things, such as the bed, dining room table and dresser. She has never climbed or jumped any higher than on top of the bed or couch seat, and if I try to put her there, she gets frightened and jumps down immediately. Everyone says cats instinctively love to climb and be up high. What does this say about Marie's emotional health? Is there hope that she will ever re-embrace such a repressed instinct?

Sebastian is a year old. What does it mean when he does an all body shake? It starts with his head and goes to his back.

Why do cats always seem to be attracted to the people who are NOT cat lovers? And would it be "normal" for a kitten to pee on this person's clothes (and no one else's)?

I have two 10-year-old cats. They are very possessive of me and lately have been fighting over me - no kidding - jealous when one seems to be getting more attention - what is the solution?

Why does Sassy hunch her back all the time? It's usually done when she wants to get attention. Always done for the better. I thought cats usually hunch their backs in anger or defense? She does the opposite! (GOOFY CAT)

My cat always brushes against our ankles when we are standing and then lifts his tail up when he does this. What does that mean?

My fiancé has informed me that whenever I leave the house - even for a few minutes - our neutered male, Beauregard, will pick up his toy sock, run to the door, and cry. He'll go over to Roy and cry, but won't want to play fetch. He doesn't do this when Roy's gone. When I come home, he ignores me for a bit, and then attaches himself to me. He has a playmate - 2-year-old neutered female Molly - but it's not enough. Is it OK that he's ‘pining’ like this? Is there anything I can do to make him feel more secure?

Mr. Mistofeles is 1 1/2 year old and is neutered. He enjoys spending the day outside and is usually very friendly (very non-aggressive). Recently my neighbor began letting her two kittens outside (neither are neutered) and when they begin to approach, Mr. Mistofeles just hisses at them and runs off. Even if we try to get him at that time he runs away from us, when usually he runs into our arms. Why do you think that when these kittens are around he runs away from us? Is there anything we can do to help him know that these kittens are not replacing him?

I adopted two sisters Hildy and Violet, when they were both 9 weeks old. At first they were both a little shy. I tried to be sensitive to the fact that they were adapting to a new environment. But two years later, Hildy still hides from me and won’t let me pet her. She stays under the bed all day long and she will only come out to eat. I have taken the best care of them as I possibly can and I don’t know how to help my little shy girl Hildy. I've tried everything I can think of to be close to both of my girls and to respect and nurture their individual needs.

My cat is eight years old. She used to act all stuck up and sorta preppy like. When she turned eight though she started to act like a kitten and won’t stop playing around. What’s up?

My Siamese cat won’t keep a collar on. How can I get it to stay on her?

My sweet little girl was the most friendly and affectionate kitty with strangers so much so that I even considered taking her to auditions. But when she was fixed at 6 months she turned afraid and anti-social. She is now 2 years old, and continues to not want to be touched or cuddled. She also urinates and defecates when I take her to the vet or to the groomer, anywhere in public. Where has my sweet kitty gone, and is there anything I can do to help her?

My 2 year old cat has always dragged clothes out of the laundry room when we are gone or are sleeping. There can be as many as 5 or 6 different items in different rooms when we get home. I have seen him do this before and he will also act like he's mating with them but doesn't exactly know what to do (he's neutered). Is this what he's trying to do and if so, why does he do it when we're gone or asleep?

My cat, who is five-years-old, has become very grumpy. It growls and mews when people touch it and doesn't get along too well with our other three cats. What can I do to make him happier and more affectionate?

I have four cats, one of which is extremely jumpy. If someone moves around him, he jumps. When he walks on the bed, he is extremely cautious of the sheets and comforter (or what may be underneath). I have had my cat since he was born and know he hasn’t experienced any trauma to cause such behavior (other than daily movements or noises). He's not afraid of people but I'm afraid his "jumpiness" is not healthy for him.

My Maine Coon cat, who I've had for 2 and a half years now, is so afraid of me she won't even let me pet her and I don't know why. Can you help?

My cat is 2 1/2 years old and about a year ago, he started showing some aggressive behavior. Without warning, he would jump at a person’s leg and wrap his paws around it and bite. 90% of the time he's fine, but it's the 10% that is driving me and my husband crazy. We've tried shaking a can with pebbles, spray bottle, etc. This stops it for that one time. He is neutered and does not go outside. My vet suggested Valium, which I started him on yesterday. What is your opinion on this approach?

My cat will go to corners of the room and look up and twist her head around in a circle. Why does she do this?

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	Mentor Steffen Runquist shares her years of experience in this video series

Cats are notorious for drinking from toilets. Their limber bodies allow them to get into position and take a drink. Make sure to lower the cover of the toilet at all times to prevent this. They can be quite secretive. Toilet water can contain a variety of harmful bacteria and may contain treatment chemicals.

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