As shown in this classic cartoon, it’s funny when we observe cat quirks with understanding. But for many people, cats are neurotic bundles of bizarre, untrustworthy, behavior.
Then, it’s not funny.
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Cat appreciators laugh at this because we have a clue about why cats act this way. The Cat-Unenlightened do not. Ironically, cats and the people who dislike them actually have a lot in common:
Expecting the worst. People who dislike cats view all of their actions through the lens of trust. Cats do, too.
Thinking that a purring cat will put up with anything, presuming any cat will understand their friendship gestures no matter how ambiguous, and becoming angry when the cat does not respond the way they want; cat dislikers always have plenty of reasons to approach a cat with trepidation.
Then they get the suspicious, even hostile, response they expected to get. See, they say. I knew there was no point in trying to be friendly.
Cat caution is a response to their wild, hostile, environment.
Misinterpreting the signals. People who have difficulties with cats get tripped by one overwhelming expectation; that cats should act like dogs. When cats don’t, it’s somehow the cat’s fault.
The cat shows their belly, the person rubs it like they’re waxing a Porsche. The cat is relaxing on their end of the couch, the person comes in and act like they own the place. The cat decides to leave the room, the person chases them.
At each point, a person operating under a “dog delusion” blames the cat for not conforming to their unreasonable expectations. Not only are dogs eager for attention, they will shrug off rejection and come back for more; the burden on the human is nearly nonexistent. Not engaging with a cat in the way a cat prefers is simply laziness on the part of the human.
If such people would make the mental shift from “frat party” to “tea party” when interacting with cats, everyone would be much happier.
Cat are solitary hunters with social skills, not social hunters with an inability to be alone.
Trouble adjusting their focus. A lot of a cat’s “obsessional” behavior springs from a quite amazing ability to concentrate and consider. These are good things.
But a human subject of such study can become nervous. Being observed, seemingly without emotion, by a being with vague motivations creates a lot of suppressed anxiety. Which is something a cat focuses on with increased intensity. Then we have a feedback loop people are not aware they are experiencing; except to complain that they “don’t like cats.”
Because cats have the ability to observe small differences, act with confidence and quickness, and contemplate with intensity, people might not be aware that they could be intimidated by these small, furry, contradictory creatures.
But they might be.
Cat concentration is how cats manage to ambush and outwit their prey.
These are all marvelous qualities we celebrate in people.
We should celebrate them in our cats.
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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.
Understanding cat behavior quirks is well and good. When I got my first cat, also my current pet, I researched cat behavior thoroughly, and so went into caring for my cat with an open mind and a considerate attitude. But nowhere did I read that my cat would, for some inexplicable reason, simply start dashing around the house as if he saw a ghost! It’s just odd. Almost every evening, he becomes hypersensitive towards regular househould sounds (people walking up and down stairs, etc.) and becomes a bit suspicious of our presence. He will dash from one room to the next, then rest a while and stare into space with his eye spread open, only to resume his frantic run again. It’s too intense to pass off as natural play, it seems my cat is scared/bothered by something I cannot detect. I don’t know if my cat is just scared or sensing things I am not, but it has me a bit worried. Fortunately, the excitement tends to wear off shortly, but for the life of me I simply cannot figure out what causes this sudden bout of weird antics from my cat. I don’t care for him any less for it, in fact, coming from a shelter as a surrendered cat I can only presume he was severely neglected by his previous owner. Other times, he is a wonderfully well-mannered and mellow cat who is very approachable and friendly even with strangers. But, to stay on-topic, I would say that to the cat-wary or even cat-skeptics, such behavior has the potential to strike as more than simply unlikable, it’s just strange.
I used to call that the “11 o’clock crazies”. My first cat would do that at that excact time – run down the hall, stop, look about wildly and run back.
My guess is that its a way to release tension built up by inactivity. Normally would be released in a real hunt for food. Since that’s easy, the cat pretends to chase, catch, and win. Its kitty areobics.
My cat does this every evening as well. He races round and round the house at lightning speed, wide eyed and pretending to be afraid of us. Weird as it seems, it is just a mechanism for letting off steam and nothing to worry about.
One of my cats does that too. Come evening she races around, practically bouncing off the walls, and any time someone approaches or she hears a sound she’ll pretend she’s afraid and zoom away, sometimes meowing. I don’t worry about it and actually I find it kind of amusing. She’s just releasing pent up energy; there’s still a wild beast inside the cute kitty after all
Mariko´s last [type] ..Finished Wall Hanging
The “Cat Crazies” are there in every cat. Some do it more than others, but it’s nothing to worry about.
Oh dear, just the mere mention of that horrendous robot-the vacuum cleaner has me all in a tizzy…