Who needs television when you have a cat? They are as unique as we
are and endlessly entertaining. Some of the strange behaviors we see in our
domestic cats are related to wild felid behaviors.
My cat plays fetch
with pompom balls. Isn't this behavior typical of dogs, not cats?
Cats love to pretend to hunt small furry items and young cats are
especially playful. In the wild, a
mother cat brings food home to her kittens, so retrieving is also instinctual. Not
all cats play fetch, but if your cat has figured out this game of hunting and
retrieving it’s a great way for her to play and exercise.
Why does my
cat suddenly start racing from room to room at night?
Cats are hunters and have bursts of energy to catch their food. Indoor
cats have an abundance of energy after napping all day and expend it by zipping
around, hunting imaginary things or chasing shadows. Cats in the wild are
nocturnal so this behavior is most often seen at night. Some cats also do it after
using their litter box.
Why does my
cat suckle on my wool blanket?
Kittens knead and suckle on their mother when nursing to stimulate
lactation. You can imagine this is a very pleasant experience. Many cats retain
these behaviors and continue to knead or suckle when they are content. Some
cats also knead or suckle to self-soothe.
What is my
cat doing when he rubs his face on me?
When a cat rubs his face on you he or she is marking you as part
of his territory. As they rub their face on you they leave trace amounts of
(harmless) chemicals called pheromones. Pheromones are produced by scent glands
located on their face, tail and feet. Other methods of marking are scratching,
spraying urine or deliberately placing their feces. If you own a cat, you know
that it is actually the cat that owns you.
Why does my
cat eat weird things?
I’ve had several clients tell me that their cat chews adhesive
materials, plastic, or ribbon among other things. Perhaps they find the texture
or smell appealing. Perhaps it feels
like chewing on parts of their prey. Or perhaps there is something missing in
their diet. Ingesting large chunks of material can lead to an intestinal
blockage. Ribbon is extremely concerning because it's life threatening if it
gets caught in the stomach and cuts through the intestinal walls. Keep your
cats safe and put away whatever they might fancy eating.
Hopefully
this sheds some light on the wacky kitty behaviors going on in your household. Cats definitely have some very mysterious behavior,
but let’s face it – that’s part of why we love them so much!
Dr.
Kristel Weaver is a graduate of the Veterinary School at the University of
California, Davis where she received both a DVM and a Master’s of Preventative
Veterinary Medicine (MPVM). She has been at Bishop Ranch Veterinary
Center & Urgent Care in San Ramon since 2007. She currently lives in
Oakland with her husband and their daughter, Hayley.
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