Of course we know cats hunt and eat mice and other small animals. But we don’t always give this fact the proper weight when evaluating their behavior.

Cats go full out, even in the house, because they need to know how full out they can go, and how long.

Cats watch almost anything, studying it and making plans.

Cats think about what they would do in many different possible scenarios.

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They are predators.

In general, predators are intelligent, because they need to be, and because the extra protein in their diet can support more brain room, and more thinking. They are interested in their environment, to the point of rearranging it themselves, because they adjust their hunting territory to their liking. They watch and learn routines, because learning the routines of their prey is important for good hunting.

If they get the chance, they will catch something and eat it.

This can be good or bad. Would we prefer the something still in the house? This is what we must remember.

So kittens can run through lampshades, climb blinds, or leap off the back of the couch. What’s more, they need to do that. Adult cats can be taught what not to be rowdy with. But they need something to be rowdy with. Cats should have times and places that lets them exercise and be ready for the next mission.

They should have missions. Some of them can be playing with their toys, and some of them should be routines with us. We are the most interesting thing in the house. Any cat will want interaction.

Cats can look fierce and frightening because they need to be intimidating to be a successful predator. But we should rarely see this when we have a close relationship with our cat. If they get frightened by a noise outside we should not approach them; they might be too tense to recognize us right away. Talk to them, let them calm down, before we rush to reassure them.

Cats are cranked higher than we are. Their nerves run at 120 nanoseconds, while ours are only 100 nanoseconds. So we will never beat a cat to anything. They will always get there first. They will notice small details we do not. So when a cat exhibits superior sensory abilities, we should admire it, not assume the cat is reacting to nothing.

Mealtimes are always a happy time for any pet, but cats love having some drama to it. This lets them relive the thrill of the hunt, as when we make their toys into smarter and smarter prey.

Don’t be afraid to make these cat moments out of anything we do with the cat. It will be more fun for both of us.

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There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.