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Weird Cat Behavior and What It Means

January 14, 2020
Editor

Cats are one of the most common house pets. While once wild animals, DNA shows that they domesticated themselves thousands of years ago. Since then, they have been living near or with humans. Even though they have been around humans for so long, there is still a lot of people who don't know much about them. Here is some weird cat behavior and what it means.

Rolling around like a dog

Cats roll around like dogs for several reasons. However, their reasons are not necessarily similar to dogs. One of the main reasons they roll onto their backs is for attention. When a cat trusts you, they will show you their belly. It is important, however, to not rub their belly. Give them a few scratches on the face or head instead.

Suddenly going crazy

Have you ever seen a cat suddenly go crazy like they’re running from some invisible threat? This is known as the zoomies. Most of the time, the zoomies are bursts of energy that a cat needs to release. When a cat is left alone all day or does not get enough playtime, it results in the zoomies. Indoor cats are more likely to experience the zoomies. Scheduling more playtime with your cat is the best solution. For ideas on keeping them active, read our article, "Keeping An Indoor Pet Active". The zoomies, however, can also be a sign of other issues. Anxiety, fleas, skin irritation, problems from old age, or a dirty litter box are all common culprits.

Kneading with paws

Sometimes when cats do this it can end up being. This is an instinct they have had since they were kittens and will continue to do throughout their lives. Sometimes they will knead a blanket or even your leg. They knead while they are nursing as kittens, but no one knows why they continue this behavior as adults. Some theories suggest it is the comfort of the memory and others suggest it is a way to mark their territory. Whatever it means, it is usually a good sign that your cat likes you if they knead you. Even if it does hurt.

Bringing you dead animals

If you have outdoor cats, chances are they have brought dead animals into the house or even the front porch. Cats have an instinct to hunt. In the wild, female cats bring food to their families and their young. They do this to teach them how to hunt. Although they have been domesticated for thousands of years, these instincts still exist. It just means they consider you their family.

Eating grass

Did you know that cats cannot digest plant matter very well? This makes their habit of nibbling on plants like grass especially bizarre. Especially since they usually end up throwing it all up. They do this, however, to get rid of the contents in their stomachs. Cat stomachs are usually full of things that don’t digest like hair and bones. To get rid of these things, they need to throw them up. Other theories suggest that cats nibble on plants for nutritional value.

Hiding in small spaces

Another weird thing cats will do is hide in the smallest spaces. Sometimes even if they don’t fit. If you have seen a cat try and crawl into a cardboard box half it’s size, you know what we mean. In the wild, cats hide in small spaces as well. They do this for the comfort of feeling both warm and secure.