Many of our cat’s needs, such as playing and hunting any object that mimics prey, stem from their feline instinct and their ancestries. Others, such as their sweet tooth for resting on top of everything that provides warmth, respond to their habits and tastes.
Did you know that they need to feel safe to fall sleep? They enjoy high places and tight spaces where only they can fit. If we place a box or a bag raised off the ground, we can provide them with a safe space effortlessly.
They are curious by nature, and they like to know everything that happens around them. That’s why they prefer to feed in places that give them a broad and clear vision of their surroundings. A good idea would be to put the feeders above ground, especially if you have a dog at home that can interrupt their lunch.
Have you ever wondered why they prefer their food freshly served? Their survival instinct makes them somewhat picky and leads them to avoid still water that can make them sick. This leads to behaviors that we find charming, such as when they drink from a moving water flow, and others that are worrisome, like when we see them drinking from the least expected places.
They can show that they want affection and comfort by calming their emotional and affective needs, brushing their head against us, or delighting our ears with a soft purr. This also responds to their ability to identify people and animals that belong to their family through molecules called pheromones, which are secreted and left on things when cats rub against them. This way, they also feel safe and leave their “ownership” mark so that other cats can identify it.
They have hunting rituals that last thirty minutes a day and are independent of hunger and just seek to satisfy that natural need. We are taught that cats know how to hunt by instinct, but the truth is that it is part of a learned behavior. As kittens, they watch their mother hunt and receive the prey that she brings to teach them how to do it themselves. Their feeding habits also respond to this instinct. Since cats eat many small meals when hunting, the vast majority of them need more than one meal a day to feel full. Therefore, they tend to eat small amounts of food many times a day.
It is important to have a scratching post near the resting space for them to wear down their claws and stretch their body, or you can designate a new area so that they can jump and relieve some anxiety.
Playing helps relieve stress and provide your cat with much-needed exercise to maintain a healthy body weight. Toys with erratic movements are their favorites, and some of them can be made at home using a rod with a feather at the end, balls made from crumpled paper, among other things.
Cats’ behavior is amazing, and knowing what your cat needs will provide you with tools to help them always feel at ease.
