12 Weird Cat Behaviors Explained

hey guy lovers and welcome back to another video as much as we love our feline friends some of their behaviors are puzzling okay let's get real a lot of things that cats do are very weird that's why we thought it would be helpful to explain the meaning behind some of the strangest cat behaviors if you enjoy learning about cats be sure to subscribe so you never miss another cat video now without further ado here are 12 weird cat behaviors explained number one zoomies it might seem confusing when your cat randomly zooms down the hall there's actually a term for this in the cat community zoomies this unexpected running is your cat's way of burning off extra energy cats are natural hunters so all of that energy is needed to catch prey in the wild since a house cat doesn't have to hunt they need to burn that pent up energy somehow that's when the zoomies happen frantic running around the house could also mean that your cat needs more exercise most experts agree that cats need at least 30 minutes of exercise a day pet md recommends dividing up this exercise time into 10 to 15 minute play sessions this can easily be done with cat toys such as fishing poles laser pointers plush mice and others number two leaving gifts cats are known for leaving their owners gifts such as dead rodents or birds while this may seem gross you should actually feel honored by leaving a gift your cat might be thanking you or expressing their love for you what better way to show gratitude than a fine mouse another possibility is that your cat is teaching you how to hunt in the wild mother cats train their young to hunt by bringing back dead prey so in this case your cat is treating you like family by teaching you a survival skill if your cat is too generous with gifts the only sure way to stop the gift giving is to keep them indoors at all times however if a critter ever enters your home chances are you'll see another surprise but we're assuming you'd be thankful in that case number three drinking from the faucet it's not unusual for a cat to be fascinated with the faucet maybe your cat jumps next to the kitchen or bathroom sink to get some licks or maybe they insist on watching you take a shower interestingly enough it turns out that your cat's love for running water is probably instinctual it's believed that wildcats developed an aversion to still water which is more likely to cause sickness due to bacteria so in your cat's mind running water is the cleanest safest and healthiest option another theory is that cats prefer running water because it tends to be cooler if your cat is obsessed with the faucet consider getting them a pet fountain a fountain tricks your feline friend thinking they found a fresh stream it also encourages them to drink more water which is essential for optimal health number four burying poop while you may assume that cats bury their poop for cleanliness there is more to it than that this habit is thanks to a natural instinct to mark territory while all cat poof smells the same to us felines can tell each other's waste apart this is because their feces and urine contain pheromones which are unique chemical set markers in the wild cats bury their poop to avoid attracting attention for predators what's also interesting is that dominant wild cats like lions and tigers leave their poop unburied as a way of claiming a particular area on the other hand submissive wild cats do bury their poop so that the dominant cats don't feel challenged although these circumstances don't apply to domesticated cats they still have these feline instincts thanks to their ancestors no matter the reason i'm sure we all appreciate that our feline friends bury their business number five knocking stuff over contrary to popular belief cats don't knock things over to be jerks although sometimes it sure seems that way this behavior actually stems from their hunting instincts let's pretend that remote control they just knocked over was a mouse your cat would first bat the mouse around to make sure it's a worthy meal and to find out if it's safe to eat is this a dangerous animal that can fight back or a mere prey that can easily be defeated knocking it around is also your cat's way of testing if the mouse is alive or dead although your remote is obviously not a mouse your cat's curiosity and natural instinct still take over another possibility for this behavior is that your cat wants attention so if your feline friend is constantly knocking things over maybe that's a sign you need to spend more time with them finally some cats simply knock things over for fun while that remote might not look like anything special to you it could look like a cool toy to your cat number six napping in small spaces maybe you've gone above and beyond to make sure your cat has plenty of pet beds throughout the house heck even if not there's always your comfy bed or sofa but the second your cat finds an open amazon box it's like christmas morning to them drawers cabinets and closets are also well loved by cats to us humans it seems silly to lay in such a confined space when there are other options but to cats small spaces make them feel safe and secure some cats even prefer these small spaces over comfy spaces our feline friends do this because their ancestors would sleep in hidden spaces to avoid predators so if you think of it leave that little box out for your furry friend feeling safe and secure is a recipe for a happy cat number seven head bunting whether you call it head butting head bumping or head bunting this is another behavior that should make you feel honored according to pam johnson bennett a cat behavior expert cats butt heads with each other as a way of creating a communal scent they do so because cats first recognize each other by scent so when your cat headbutts you it's a gesture of marking you as a member of their family head bumping could also mean that your cat is asking for something like food playtime or scratches so you'll have to read the room to understand what exactly your cat is asking for for example if your cat head bunch you and then runs to the empty food bowl that's a sign that they want some grub number eight making biscuits kneading also known as making biscuits or smurgling is an instinctive trait that stems from kitten hood as much as i wish i could say our cats are pretending to make pizza dough kneading is actually a leftover weaning behavior when kittens are nursing they need at their mother's breast to get more milk because the motion helps promote their mother's milk production so naturally the kitten learns to associate that kneading motion with comfort this means that when your cat makes biscuits they might be doing so out of comfort your cat could also be kneading because they are happy or showing you affection another reason for kneading is to mark their territory cats have glands within their paws that are activated when they begin to knead which leaves their scent behind constant kneading could also mean that your cat is stressed and is seeking comfort so if you have any concerns whatsoever about your cat's behavior get them checked out by a vet as soon as possible [Music] number nine blipping if you've ever seen your cats staring into space with the tip of their tongue stuck out you've witnessed blepping in case you're unfamiliar blepping has been one of the internet's favorite cat behaviors in recent years kitties with their tongues out make adorable photos while you might think that your cat is teasing you this behavior is actually a way for them to investigate their surroundings bluffing is related to the fleming response which is when a cat appears as if they're sneering with open mouth breathing like the flamin response cats blep when analyzing a particular scent especially pheromones from other cats you could think of this behavior as a cat smelling the room with their tongue by doing this your cat collects pheromones on the tongue to determine information about other cats that's why this response is common when a cat is investigating a new environment especially one where other animals have been some cats might forget to tuck their tongue back in due to fascination over what these pheromones tell them leading to a blip number 10 showing you their butt if a cat ever sticks their butt up at you they're just being polite in fact a cat showing you their butt is their version of a handshake so no they're not doing it to annoy you or show off as you've probably gathered by now cats often communicate with scent that's why it's normal for cats to sniff each other's behinds as a way of greeting one another sniffing butts is also how they confirm a cat's identity so you can interpret a kitty butt in your face as a hi how are you doing don't worry i'm pretty sure your cat won't be butt hurt if you don't sniff let's just stick with good old-fashioned rubs and pets [Music] number eleven showing you their belly every cat owner knows that a feline's trust has to be earned so if your cat rolls over to show you their belly you should applaud yourself and here's why a cat's stomach is one of the most vulnerable spots on their body because many vital organs are underneath with that said if this area is injured it could be life-threatening to them that's why cats tend to avoid exposing such a vulnerable area so if your cat shows you their belly it means they trust you however unlike dogs an exposed belly does not automatically mean a cat wants a belly rub while there are some cats that allow belly rubs most want their bellies left alone when in doubt if your cat allows belly rubs always err on the side of caution that way you don't break their trust number 12 sitting on your things i'm sure many of you cat lovers have experienced this one before let's say you're typing on a computer then fluffy decides to jump up and lay on your keyboard by the way i hope you click save before a little paw hits the wrong key or maybe you got out a blanket for a reading session but when you come back with your tea fluffy has already claimed it cats like to be on top of our stuff because it's a way for them to mark the items with pheromones by leaving pheromones behind it's their way of saying this is my territory so i guess you can say that a cat thinks what's yours is also mine well there's no arguing that we all know who the real king of the castle is so which of these cat behaviors do you think is the weirdest let us know in the comments below also if you found this video interesting please give it a thumbs up because it helps other cat lovers find our content thank you guys for watching and we'll see you next caturday for another video

Channel: The Purring Journal

Views: 261,081

Keywords: cat kneading, cat behavior, why does my cat

Id: g_0zqKNO9I4

Length: 10min 13sec (613 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 29 2022