Understanding Your Cat's Behavior: Insights from the Experts at North Houston's Premier Cattery

The most mysterious of household creatures is the cat. Your cat has a variety of natural instincts and traits that give it a distinctive personality, and sometimes that can be a challenge to understand. Knowing what your cat’s different behaviors mean can save time and stress, so Prestonwood Kennels (a Houston pet boarding establishment that recently opened their own cattery) wants to help you understand what your cat is telling you. Follow along to learn a few new cat tricks!

Postures

Your cat’s body language is the most important piece of the puzzle to figure out. The areas of the body that will be your indicators are the eyes, ears, body, and tail. Cats often point these areas in the direction they plan to go/act. Each of these need to be placed in context, though, to really make sense. Here’s an example: a vertical tail. This could mean your cat is feeling confident and open to interacting, but in a different context it could mean they may attack in defense of their territory. Let’s look at some other posture examples:

• Arched back, flicking tail: Your cat is trying to make itself look big and scary. This may mean it’s feeling angry or scared.
• Crouched in a ball, tail tucked: Your cat may be feeling anxious. This position makes it a smaller target, while still giving the flexibility to spring and run.
• Laying around, tummy exposed: This is typically a sign of trust. Your cat feels comfortable enough around you to be vulnerable. Just don’t get caught by the tummy trap; not all cats like belly rubs.

Related Blog:

The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Cat-Friendly Home: Tips from Prestonwood Kennels' New Cattery

Actions

Your cat’s actions will also tell you what they’re feeling, if you know how to read them. Let’s take a look at some prime examples of these actions and their meanings:

• Head bumping: This is a sign of affection, in which a cat is rubbing its face on yours to leave its scent on you. You are “their” human.
• Ignoring: Cats can often be very independent, seeming to ignore people. If your cat is ignoring you, they probably just need a little alone time to recharge. They’ll be back for snuggles when they’re ready.
• Knocking things over: No, cats don’t do revenge. That’s a human trait. But they will associate you reacting to them doing this as you “playing” with them. This is a likely sign that they’re looking for a little more attention.

Sounds

Did you know that cats don’t usually meow with other cats? Yeah, that’s something they came up with for us humans. Aside from that, cats make plenty of other noises that show how they feel. They’ll chatter (the “ek-ek-ek” sound) when they’re looking at prey they can’t get to, they’ll hiss and growl to show displeasure, and they’ll purr when they’re relaxed. Cat noises are one of the easier bits of behavior to decipher.

This is just a small sampling of ways to understand you cat’s behaviors, but with a little research and a helping hand from the pros at Prestonwood Kennels, you can become a cat whisperer in no time!