Purina Cat Chow: Cat Care Center: Emotional: Why Does My Cat... ?

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

Topic: Why Does My Cat... ?

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My cat likes to sit on my lap and knead my stomach with her paws. Do you know why she does this?

Why does my cat carry only one item (my daughter's slippers) around the house while we are sleeping or when we aren't in the house? He meows while carrying it and sounds very sad when he does this.

My cat all of a sudden stops what she is doing and starts to stare at me with her eyes big and round. Why is that?

When I'm sitting still or lay in bed, my cat will sometimes 'knead' soft areas of my body with his front paws. Is he trying to tell me something? I love the purring and attention, but what can I do about the kneading? (I won't declaw him!)

My cat hates it when I touch her paws or tail. I would like to know why.

Why does my cat take her food out of the bowl while she is eating and throw it all over the floor?

Why does my cat put his paw in his water dish before and as he drinks his water?

Lately, all my cat cares about is eating - she meows and runs to her food dish even though it already has food in it. Why?

Why does my 2-year-old cat suck her own breasts?

When my cat runs around my apartment he sometimes raises his middle half of his body and hops towards me looking to attack me and really scares me. Does he have a neurological problem? He’s about 14 months old and neutered.

My cat has been acting very much like my dogs lately. The way she walks, eats, etc - seems to be mimic them. Should I worry or is this natural with a cat that has been raised with 2-3 dogs?

My cat has been declawed - why does he still go through the motion of clawing with his paws?

My cat likes to sleep in my lap, but after a while she will jump up and start to meow a lot. After a while she goes back to sleep. Do you know what this is? Is she dreaming?

My cat has always drooled when she was happy, but as she gets older it's getting worse . Is there anything I can do?

Why would my kitten rather lick my hands than let me pet her just about every time I try to pick her up?

Why does my cat sometimes take off up the stairs? No one is messing with her, she is just sitting there, then runs up the stairs to hide. Is there something wrong with her?

Why does my 2-year-old cat put all her toys in her water dish and drown them? Even my watches have ended up soaked.

Joey is a 7 month old male who quite often paws at things, taking his two front feet and stepping one foot at a time. It is usually right before he lays down on something or when he is getting comfortable and is usually purring at the same time. What does this mean?

Whenever the cat(s) play or chase a bug or whatever, as they sit and watch they make clicking noises with their mouth and/or very short, quick meows. A lot of times it is barely audible. I've seen several cats exhibit this behavior and nobody could tell me why they do that. What is going on?

My one year old, indoor-outdoor cat has begun leaving dead birds right outside our front door. What would make Linus do this and how do I teach him to stop?

Why would a cat in a home with another cat (sisters) chew off the other cat’s whiskers? I know mine do and I'm wondering why.

One of my male cats has a habit I find very endearing but I would still like to know what the true meaning is. When he sits on my lap or curls up next to my head when I'm laying down he takes his paw and strokes my cheek or touches my lips or nose. Is there something he is trying to tell me?

Why do cats love wool balls so much?

Why does my cat squeak when she stretches? She'll be sleeping, and I'll softly rub her belly. Then she'll gently grab my hand, pull it towards her, and cover her eyes with my hand and her paws as she makes these little squeaking noises. (Kind of like when a human stretches, and the noise they make.)

Why does my cat hide under my bed and not come out at all?

Why does my cat like to be upside down on his back and look at things upside down. He is so funny. He sleeps upside down. He watches TV and watches me do things upside down. He is just hilarious.

I know cats fluff up their tails when they become frightened or whatever but sometimes when I’m playing with my kitten she will fluff up her tail but is still just fine and not scared at all...why does she do this?

My family bought a kitten when I was small, now he's 8 years old. He hates me because before I was afraid of him, so I used to scare him. But now I adore him. I do everything to let him love me but he doesn’t. What can I do to let him love me?

How do you help a cat get over separation anxiety? My husband and I have two 6-year-old cats. One of them howls and chews her legs until they're raw when we're not home.

I was wondering...what are the "quirks" to cats?? I mean...my cat chews at my hair, licks me, meows till I pick them up, or they will purr into my ear, sticking their nose in there, or honestly seem like they'd love a kiss on top of their head. I really would like to know what certain things mean when my cats do these things...just so I can be more in touch with them, seeing how I am such a cat person.

OK, this is driving me crazy. Is there a genetic or ancestral reason cats shake their butt before attacking something? The only thing I can come up with is it being a signal for everyone to attack together.

When I give my cat fresh food and water, the base of her tail quivers. Why is that?

My 1-year-old cat becomes distraught if I sleep past my normal waking time. She runs up and down the bed crying, walks on me, bites my fingers, and generally bothers me until I give in and get up. She is not hungry or thirsty and does not want attention once she has succeeded in waking me. Why does she do this?

Whenever I lay down on the bed, the cat jumps up and wants to be petted. After a few seconds of being petted she turns her back on me and "moons" me. Why does she do this? Is it a trust issue?

My calico cat will lay next to me on the bed with her tongue sticking halfway out her mouth. Why does she do this?

Our female cat has learned a motion similar to begging where she sits up on her hind legs and waves her front paws at us. Is she communicating something? We usually pet her whenever she does this and she seems to like it.

Why does my cat lay on what ever I am doing, like reading the paper, on my cross-stitch material, a book, or a game-boy game. She goes out of her way to do this. Even if she is doing something else, if I do something she interrupts it. I have known a lot of cats to do this, especially lay on the paper if you are reading it. Do they really want our attention all the time?

My 16-week-old kitten just loves getting into the bathroom sink and scratching the porcelain. There is no harm done but I just can't figure out why she does this. Any ideas?

Every time my kitten sees or hears anyone coming she runs and hides till they’re gone. Why does she do that?

I have 1 male and 1 female cat. I am the one who cares for them, feeding, etc. My husband doesn't pay that much attention to him but when we sit down to supper he goes directly to my husband to beg for food. Can you tell me why he goes to him and not me? He is like my shadow!

My kitten likes to growl a lot. Does this mean she’s unhappy, like if I pick her up?

Is it my imagination, or do cats of like color bond together in a unique way? We have a cat sanctuary, and presently have 20 cats and 2 kittens. I find that the black cats bond together, the white cats bond, etc. There is a special closeness with our cats of like colors. Why is this?

I have a Siamese cat whom I adopted from my local animal shelter about 5 months ago. He is about 2 years old. I have noticed lately, however, that sometimes when he crawls up on my bed for love time, he will be petted and loved for about 15 minutes, then he will lie down for about 5, and then he gets up and tries to sit on my face!!! Is there a reason he is doing this? For heat, maybe?

My 1-1/2 old neutered male cat is more on the shy and mistrusting side. However, I think he is affectionate. He darts in from the balcony the moment he hears me, coming in meowing, and he wants me to scratch his back (lifts his butt!). I give him the signal that I would be lifting him up and he stands up! Then I rub him on the side and tummy (loud purrs) he rubs his nose against mine. But every now and then he wants to bite my nose or cheek off. His ears go sideways, and he wants to be put down. That is about the one time in the day when he comes to be held willingly. Can I change that and extend those moments?

Ten weeks ago, a rather unusual stray cat beautiful Russian Blue, neutered and declawed, came to us and we really did not understand why someone had abandoned him. After a couple of weeks trying to find his owner, we decided to keep him. We took him to the vet for shots and an exam and he is perfectly healthy physically. The vet estimated his age at about a year, but seems younger. The problem is this: Early in the morning he is incredibly sweet and loving, and on rare occasions, this lasts throughout the day. However, most of the time, he attacks us without any provocation. We can just be sitting in a chair and he jumps high enough to bite and then seems totally terrified. I read many books on cat aggression toward people, and tried all the recommended methodologies - the water pistol, time-out, hissing - all sorts of things. My vet prescribed an ear rub of amitriptyline. We have had him on this for approximately 15 days and have only had 4 days total without an attack; two of those were consecutive. The vet hinted that the cat might be mentally ill, perhaps from some trauma, and he also said that we might be his last hope of a good life. In the meantime, we are being traumatized by this cat, and the unpredictable attacks. The cat also will not get on the furniture or the bed with us when he is invited, and he seems to not be able to bond with us fully. We do not want to send the cat to what will likely be his death at the animal shelter, but we would like the cat to stop attacking us, and perhaps be a bit friendlier in general.

My wonderful 18-month-old Birman has no interest in regular kitty toys, but has an insistence on bringing up lawn chair pillows (and any other items he can carry) from the basement to my living room, bedroom and/or office. Once he has them in place he seems to have no further interest until I return them to their proper place. Any clues as to his objectives or motivations, and am I hurting his feelings by returning the items and undoing all his efforts?

I have two wonderful cats that I recently got from the ASPCA. There are stray cats that live under my shed in the backyard that I have always fed. There is no sign from my kitties that they are upset about me going out there and feeding these other cats except that they become quite vocal when I come back inside. Are they upset with me?

In the middle of the night if I get up to go to the bathroom my 1-2 year old male cat will follow me back to the bed, jump up on the bed as I get back in and bite me on the arm as I lay back down. Why does he do this and how can I stop it? If I reach toward him he does it again.

I have three cats. My two girls I have had for ten years. I also acquired a two-year-old boy, according to the vet, whom somebody dumped. My one girl Tiff, is an ankle rubber, as is my new boy cat, Brendan. However, my other girl Jasmine is quite the opposite - 100% lap cat. She will stay curled up on my lap for hours. Sometimes, she will lay her back against me with her head tucked under my chin, paws spread wide open, purring like mad. One behavior is kind of unique, I believe. Sometimes, she will stare deeply into my eyes and begin stroking with the pads of her paws, my cheeks, mouth and chin. I was wondering if you have ever heard of this and what it means. It seems almost like a human gesture, if you ask me.

Since my brother came home in August my one-year-old female cat Misty, follows him everywhere. Does this mean she likes him better than me? She knew me for 11 months.

My Siamese cat gets in my face when I am sleeping. What can I do and what is the reason for this type of behavior? Could there be a separation problem with my cat?

My cat and I love each other. But she seems to jump when I lean over her or pick her up. Other than that her and me are inseparable. What should I do?

I have always been told that cats are very protective of their underbellies and will not leave it exposed. I have two male, neutered cats one 3 yrs old and the other about 1.5 yrs old. Both of these cats seem to prefer sleeping on their backs, belly pointed straight up and unprotected. I have owned cats in the past and have talked to other cat owners. We all find this behavior to be very unusual. Is there something wrong my cats?

Sometimes I wake up to find my cat licking my clothes that I have on. Why does he do that?

We have 3 cats one 4 yrs, one 1.5 yrs and our newest addition 9 months. We've noticed that when my boyfriend whistles, the younger two go absolutely crazy over him. The older cat isn't very social, but the other two will meow and rub against his legs. The middle one will actually paw at his head and hair, sometimes getting right in his face meowing and pawing at his mouth, too! They love it, and when he stops, you can almost see their disappointment! They are all loveable cats...especially with me, but can you tell me why they are so fascinated with my boyfriend's whistling?

I've got a 4-year-old female cat and a 2-year-old male cat. They seem to be getting along well. About 3 to 4 months ago, the male cat started going into the bathroom and closing the door! Sometimes, he'll sleep in the bathroom with the door closed, and he'll also close the door while we are using the bathroom. Not that his behavior is anything detrimental, but I am just curious as to why he does that.

Why is my cat so upset with my new couch? He is howling meowing sniffing and "crying." The couch is used but was not in a house that had animals.

When I am in my bed at night my 10 old male tabby cat named Snowball likes to grasp part of my skin on the back of my hand and hold it in his mouth while stomping his back feet. I know this behavior sounds a bit weird but I ask my vet about it and she was stumped with trying to come up with an answer. Also, he tends to show his anatomy at me and he has been neutered since I have had him. Why would my cat be doing this?

My kitten on full moons hides for hours and on a new moon she goes totally wild through the night. Is this normal?

I often find my kitten sleeping all stretched out on her back with her legs up in the air...is this a normal sleeping position for cats?

Four months ago, we took in a one-year old female stray to keep our two-year old neutered male company. They get along famously, but she won't stop licking him. If we pet him, she races from wherever she is to lick him as well. If he's sleeping, she'll stand over him and start grooming him. He puts up with it for a couple of minutes but then starts biting. Is this normal?

Why do cats climb on your lap?

My indoor/outdoor neutered male cat, Ninja, always rolls in the dirt when I come home from work. I try to get out of my car quickly to get him in the house before he does this, but often I'm not fast enough. He gets very dirty. I've tried ignoring him but that doesn't seem to matter. How can I get him to stop doing this? He does it at other times also.

My cat is about 7 years old - male and neutered. I am basically the only mother he knows. When he jumps up to sit with me, he is always doing the pawing thing with the blanket like they do to get milk from their mother. The strange thing he does is sometimes when he jumps up and starts pawing, he will hiss just one time and snuggle up in my arms. Why does he do this?

I recently got Quincy at two months old. I noticed that she loves to curl up under my chin to sleep. One of her predominant behaviors is sitting on my chest and looking into my eyes and ever so gentle caressing my face and licking my eyes. Is it because she may see her reflection or maybe she is intrigued by the color (very) green? Also she is going to the vet for the first time. Is it appropriate to be present through out the examination? Being a first time kitten owner, this website is phenomenal!

My kitten loves to play tag. He especially likes to be chased during this game. Aren't they supposed to play hunting-related types of activities? How can this be hunting?

Why do cats like me, when I've always considered myself more of a 'dog person'? Both my Father-in-law’s cat and my neighbor’s cat (Max must be ours now: he hasn't left our yard in over a year!) will barely let me sit down before they are in my lap, when they don't seem to have much use for other humans.

I know a lot of cats do this but I just don't understand it. Why does my cat immediately sleep on anything that's new or freshly cleaned stuff? e.g. just vacuumed carpet, clean sheets or a newly bought cushion?

Our kitten Sugar likes to follow our feet and rub his head on our feet and it seems like he loves our feet. Is this wrong cause it’s funny?

I have an adorable 7-month-old Siamese that has an unusual way of behaving. It seems that every time my family holds him and/or hugs him...he always puts his paw on our chin or cheek. Does that mean anything or does it not? Is he telling us not to hug him? I would like to know what it is that he is doing.

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

Many of the bargain pet foods claim to have the same percentage of protein as the higher quality foods. While this may be the case, the protein is likely not of the same quality. Pet food manufacturers are not required to state the percentage of protein that is digestible. If the protein is not digestible, it is of no benefit to the pet.

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