Cat Behavior Meaning?

While some cat behavior meaning is obvious, there are different reasons for cat behaviors. Some behaviors are instinctual or genetically influenced while other behaviors are environmental. Whether cat behavior 'meaning' is classified as negative or positive, it is always relative to the individual cat and the environment it inhabits.

What personality type does your cat have?

Just think about the amazing diversity of behavioral patterns in cats. They may not be human, but they definitely have their own personalities and unique abilities just as people do.

Scientist have been studying and classifying cat behaviors unique to various breeds since 1758 when life science expert Carl Linnaeus, Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, is alleged to have named the domestic cat Felis Catus. Cat behavior meaning data indicates that purebred animals display certain behavioral traits more predictably than non-purebred cats.

How does this help us as cat owners?

Well, for one thing, we don't want to expect our cats to conform to what we think they should be. What we want our cat to be, and what personality traits they exhibit may be two totally different things.

Maybe you think your pet has bad cat behavior... meaning you are not entirely pleased.

Let's say you've been dreaming of a playful and frisky feline, but yours turns out to be a couch potato instead. Or maybe you were hoping for a loving and friendly cat behaviors like rubbing on your leg, but instead your pet enjoys his own company most of the time. What does that mean?

Trying to find solutions to cat behavior meaning is one thing, but trying to change his stripes (change his nature) is another thing. This will just lead to more stress in your life as well as your pets and may lead to even worse behavioral problems.

Variations in Cat Behavior Attributed to Breeding
In an article entitled "Cat Personalities and Their Origins" by John Bradshaw, he says: " A small number of controlled breeding experiments have been carried out in which the behaviour of the sire has been related to the behaviour of its offspring. This is not to say that kittens do not inherit behavioural traits equally from mother and father; it is simply experimentally expedient to examine paternal genetics, since the sire can be excluded from having any direct contact with his kittens, whereas the mother cannot."

He writes further: "Other effects of genetics on behaviour are less well understood; even breed-specific behaviour has not been studied systematically. Within breeds, there may be links between behaviour and other inherited characteristics; for example, in one study of British Shorthairs it was found that possession of the gene for red coat colour was associated with difficulties in handling by unfamiliar people." This is an excellent article for information about the many personality variables of cats and what is being studied to classify cat behavior meaning in pedigree and non-pedigree cats.

Good Cat Behavior
Joy is having my cat curl up on my lap and purr herself to sleep. It's at these moments when I love my furry animal the most!

How about when they chase the Da Bird feather wand cat toy? This is a very exciting game for both owner and cat. Not only does it give much pleasure and excitement to your pet, it gives him a little exercise in the process.

And of course, it makes the owner laugh and giggle with delight. Really, it's a blast! But you don't have to take my word for it. Below are a couple of really fun videos where the cats are actively engaged with Da Bird!

Da Bird in action with Tonkinese cats

Savannah Cats Jumping High for Da Bird

When cat behaviors are cute, cuddly, affectionate, funny, charming, adorable, and sweet we just can't get enough of our cats. These are all loving and fun cat behaviors that make owning a cat wonderful and present clear cat behavior meaning to us.

Good cat behaviors are easy to deal with, but what about the negative issues that arise from time to time? There can be multiple problems with more than one cat in the house, for example. Not everyone is nice all the time and our feline friends do come from wildcats!

Cat Behavior 101

Video Above From CBS News, January 27, 2010

"Cats are as social, active and expressive as dogs if you know how to read their signs. Debbye Turner Bell spoke to Erica Hill about decoding a cat's behavior to understand their needs."

Aggressive Cat Behavior
Negative cat behaviors show up from time to time when multiple cats are present, including cat fights. Sometimes having more than one cat in the house can lead to problems such as cat fights. This is especially true for the males as they want to exercise their territorial rights. Certainly this kind of cat behavior meaning is pretty clear.

If more than one cat is in your home, usually only one is considered "king of the roost". He may demand to be the first one fed or shown attention. He also has priority over certain comfy chairs or sleeping quarters in the house. If another gets in his spot, watch out!

Claiming their territory rights by spraying their scent mark (urine) around the home is one of the worst things that happen with male cats. This frequently occurs around 6 months of age. It's at this time that you may want to consider neutering your pet to solve the spraying problem. Scolding and punishing does NOT work for cats ...and it can make your cat even harder to train!

Cat Scratching Problems
This is one of the most frequent cat behavior problems that people experience. Many people are at a loss as to how to deal with this problem and in many cases will put their pets outdoors in exasperation.

First off we need to keep in mind that scratching is a natural instinct for cats. Their instinct tells them to sharpen their claws. This removes the dead outer layer of the claw in the process and again marks their territory by leaving a mark and scent behind.

Because scratching is a normal instinct for cats we can't expect them to change. What we can do is change what they are scratching on. You must provide acceptable objects that they are allowed to scratch on. It could be a scratching post, a log, or cardboard depending on what type of objects your cat prefers. Check out what she is now scratching on and try to mimic the texture with an acceptable scratching substitute and reward good behavior.

You could also cover objects cats are currently scratching on (where it is not 'allowed') and cover things like furniture with items of unappealing textures such as double-sided sticky tape, sandpaper or aluminum foil. Once your cat is trained to use the acceptable scratching objects for a month or more you can remove the tape, sandpaper or aluminum foil. (Of course you may want to do that before company comes too!)

It's important not to punish your cat for doing what is only natural. Some techniques that work well for warnings are: spray bottle of water, noises, or whistle. I personally use the water spray bottle to curb cat behaviors before problems arise and it works wonders!

Fraidy Cat
Have you seen your cat hiss and puff up it's fur, especially it's tail?

This can only mean one thing: your cat feels threatened. Whether it is an animal or person that you know and trust, your cat may not feel the same way.

Cats can show different behaviors when afraid such as fleeing, hiding, hissing, growling, puffing fur and tail, arching back, scratching and even biting.

To reduce your cat's anxiety and help her overcome being fearful it is best to slowly introduce the new object, person, or animal from a distance. Slowly over time he/she will become accustomed to the new addition to her environment.

If your cat has gone off hiding due to being frightened, do not bother her. Just be patient and let her come out from her hiding on her own when she is ready. The important thing at this point is to keep her routine as consistent as possible; feeding, playing and cuddling.

"Discover How To End Cat Behavior Problems Fast"


Cat Biting
We cat owners sometimes have difficulty understanding why our cats that are friendly and content one minute, may suddenly turn around and scratch or bite the next. You must understand that aggressive cat behaviors are part of normal behavioral patterns found in nearly all animals.

If biting and scratching has gone beyond the playful stage and has become a major problem in your home you may want to consult a professional who is knowledgeable in aggressive pet behaviors.

Remember, if your cat bites during playtime, it may be her way of playing. That being said, you don't want to encourage excessive biting. It's up to you to say how much is too much. If you do not want biting at all then direct your cat's attention to play objects which they know that they can scratch, bite and swat at.

So no matter what personality your cat displays, be there for them to love, cuddle and train. You may not be able to change some things that are instinctual in nature, but by training them in the way you want them to behave, you and your cat will be much happier together.

Interview with Feline Behaviorist, Alana Stevenson

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