Cat Behavior Advice & Guides- Page 14 of 19

Cat Behavior

From resolving problems like urinating outside of the litter box to avoiding scratches during playtime, knowledge about feline behavior is a cat care essential.

Browse our cat behavior articles for expert-written, expert-reviewed guides that will help you troubleshoot and understand your cat’s habits, motivations, and moods.

Popular Topics

Aggression

Peeing Outside the Box

Cat Language

Sleep

Vocalizations

Stress

Catnip

Kneading

Purring

Biting

Aggression

Aggression is a threatening behavior in cats, often a response to stress, pain, conflict between cats, fear of humans, territorial fights, or redirected aggression. In younger cats, play aggression is a common issue and requires teaching the kitten how to play appropriately and safely. Treating the aggression may require reducing stress, using synthetic pheromones, a medical exam by your vet, and consulting a feline behaviorist.

Learn More: 10 Causes of Aggression in Cats and How To Help

Peeing Outside the Box

Cats who do not use the litterbox may have a health or behavioral issue. They may stop using their box if it is too dirty, small, in a noisy place, or if there is a new litter substrate. Conflict between cats and underlying medical problems are also possible causes. Your vet can examine your cat and check a urine sample for signs of infection or inflammation if that is suspected.

Learn More: 6 Common Reasons Why Cats Pee Outside the Litter Box

Cat Language

Cats communicate through vocalizing, body language, and scent marking. Vocalizing involves familiar sounds such as purring, meowing, hissing, and growling. Body language focuses on ear, eye, and tail position along with body posture. Urine spraying and scratching are both examples of scent marking and can pose a problem when done in the home.

Learn More: What Your Cat’s Tail Can Tell You

Sleep

Cats sleep for 12-18 hours a day, sometimes even longer, and they’re polyphasic in their sleeping pattern; this means instead of one long sleep, they sleep multiple times per day. Cats are also crepuscular, which means that they’re most active at dawn and dusk, so they will usually sleep at other times of the day.

Learn More: 10 Tips To Train Your Cat To Sleep All Night

Vocalizations

Cats use vocalizations to communicate with us and other cats. Vocalizations may be happy sounds such as purring, chirping, and gentle meowing. If cats are scared or feeling threatened they may vocalize with hissing, growling, and howling. It’s important to interpret your cat’s vocalizations so that you know if they want to be approached or if they want to be left alone.

Learn More: 7 Common Cat Vocalizations and What They Mean

Stress

Stress is a common cause of behavioral and medical problems in cats. Many things may cause stress in cats including a change in routine, a house move, a new baby in the home, or conflict between cats. Stressed cats may hide away and act differently. Synthetic pheromone diffusers and addressing the cause of stress may help your cat feel more at ease.

Learn More: Stress in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

Catnip

Catnip is a herb, part of the mint family, that is used as a treat. Most cats love to rub, roll, and zone out around catnip. They may vocalize and act excited around a catnip plant. These effects are temporary and usually wear off within thirty minutes.

Learn More: What Is Catnip? Why Cats Like It

Kneading

Cats knead by rhythmically moving their front paws up and down, also known as “making biscuits.” They do this when they’re content and happy and will often do this on their owners. Kneading is usually a sign of contentment. Cats also sometimes do this to stretch, soothe themselves, and deposit pheromones from their paws.

Learn More: Why Do Cats Knead Their Owners?

Purring

Cats make a purring noise for several reasons, and the most well-known is when they are happy. While this is usually a sign of contentment, cats can also purr when they’re in distress or trying to communicate.

Learn More: Why Do Cats Purr?

Biting

Cats may bite in self-defense if they feel scared or threatened or as a form of inappropriate play. Biting can become a serious behavioral problem, and it’s best to seek professional help from your vet or a feline behaviorist early on if you notice frequent biting.

Learn More: Cat Love Bites: 5 Reasons Why They Do It & How To Respond

Recent Articles

Cat Behavior

How Do Cats Mark Their Territory?

To humans, cat behavior can seem strange. At times they do things that might seem annoying or cause damage. This is why, if you have a feline family member, it's essential to understand some basic...

Dr. Hannah Godfrey BVETMED MRCVS

Informative illustration depicting the natural hunting instincts of cats.

Cat Behavior

How Do Cats Hunt?

When you first bring home your new kitten, it’s hard to believe that they’re descended from an extremely successful species of predator. If left to their own devices, cats hunt many species of small mammals,...

Dr. Joanna Woodnutt, MRCVS

Cat Behavior

How Do Cats Choose Who To Sleep With

Sleep is fundamental to cats since it replenishes energy and necessitates the next short burst of high energy-consuming pursuit. As a result, domestic cats sleep between 12 to 18 hours per day and even longer...

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Cat Behavior

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If your home contains a feline family member as well as humans, you might find it’s a bit of a competition about which particular person the cat likes most. Everyone will likely believe that they’re...

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Cat Behavior

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In the image, a cat appears to be ignoring its owner, showcasing the independent and sometimes aloof nature of felines.

Behavioral Problems in Cats

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When a cat is angry, you tend to know about it. Those growls, hisses, and swipes can be pretty intimidating! But there are other, less obvious ways in which your cat might portray their emotions....

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Cat Behavior

7 Reasons Your Female Cat Is Meowing A Lot Suddenly

All cat owners will have heard their cat meow at some stage. Most cats will use their voices to communicate with both humans and other cats. Some cats are very vocal and meow a lot;...

Dr. Emma Chandley BVetMed PGCertSAS MRCVS

Cat Behavior

Does My Cat Think I’m His Mom? The Answer Might Surprise You…

Cats are an integral part of the family, and you might wonder whether your pets see you as their mom. It’s unlikely that cats see people in the same way they would their feline birth...

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Heartwarming image of a mother cat lovingly cuddling her tiny kitten.

Cat Behavior

Do Mother Cats Discipline Their Kittens? A Veterinarian Explains

Disciplining kittens and correcting bad behavior is a completely normal part of feline behavior and an essential part of the kittens' socialization. Kittens, just like human children, need to learn what behavior is appropriate and...

Dr. Holly Anne Hills BVMEDSCI MRCVS

Cat Behavior

Do Female Cats Get Along?

One of the big decisions cat owners have to make is which sex of cat to choose. If they decide they want more than one cat (which has many benefits), they then have to decide...

Dr. Emma Chandley BVetMed PGCertSAS MRCVS