Things Your Cat Wants to Know 

Researchers at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine say that a cat’s brain is actually more similar to the human brain than to a dog’s brain, yet feline behavior can be baffling. Plain and simple, cats are mysterious and difficult to decode. One minute, your furry pal is purring and rubbing against you, and then suddenly, claws are out and teeth meet flesh!

In celebration of Answer Your Cat’s Question Day (yes, it is a real thing every January 22nd), take a little more time than usual to tune in and connect with your favorite cat. You may uncover a question or two she has been dying to know the answer to, and in the process, you may unlock some of her puzzling behavior.  
In our quest to determine what cat’s want to know, we discovered these topics pique feline curiosity:    

Why do Humans Keep Petting Me? 

Snowball is purring and you are enjoying the touch of her soft silky fur against your fingertips.  Suddenly, hyper-dermic-like teeth penetrate your arm!  A love-bite?  Maybe, but some behavior experts refer to this as petting-induced aggression, and Snowball’s response is simple, “I’ve been annoyed by your constant petting and you didn’t stop.”  

Although your canine pal may let you continue on and on and on with a belly rub, cats are not small dogs. They are different creatures altogether, and the non-stop pressure on their tender bodies has its limits. 

Pay attention. Your cat will give you signals:  flattened ears, whiskers pulled back, pupils dilated and a whipping tail, all mean it’s time for a break! Taking a different cue from your kitty though is understanding her head-butting or bunting, which is a form of feline affection.

Cats have scent glands at the base of their tail, between their toes, under their chin, along their temples on their ears and at the corners of their cute little feline mouths. With so many scent glands on your kitty’s noggin, her bumps are nudges of endearment as she is marking you as her territory.   
 
Why Do You Keep me off of Counters?

This is for all the cats out there. Yes, we do understand you like places with a view, as well as warm spots to rest on however, countertops are where humans place food, and cat hair is not a desirable condiment! If you must eat on the counter to keep out of Fido’s reach, perhaps we can designate a spot just for you, but the rest of the counter is off-limits. 

Listening to and Understanding your Cat

Cats and humans have much more to discuss, and I’ll bet you a felt-mouse filled with catnip, that your cat also wonders why you meow back at her. Although it may seem the polite thing to do, and is our feeble attempt at conversation, to a cat’s ear, most of what we say is similar to how humans are depicted in Charlie Brown cartoons, “Blah, blah, blah!”  

Be sure you know what messages you are sending to your cat, to keep life copacetic, and do your best to tune in to your cat each day to make sure you are not getting wires crossed but rather…enjoying precious moments together.