Why does my pet....?

Lollymcd

In the last year I have become the personal slave to two wonderful cats. I have never had a cat before and before they arrived I read many books and websites trying to get as much information on how to care for them as possible. I know all about feeding and playing and litter box duties but the longer they have been sharing the apartment the less I seem to understand them, hence this thread, can anyone explain what goes on in my furry felines brain's? Maybe there are some people out their with canny canine’s they don't fully understand???

I'll get the ball rolling...

Why does my cat sit and stare at me for hours?

Why does my cat wake me up 5 minutes before my alarm goes off?

Why does my cat seem to be able to see something four feet up a white wall and I can't?

This is just the start....

Whispered

Lollymcd wrote: »

In the last year I have become the personal slave to two wonderful cats. I have never had a cat before and before they arrived I read many books and websites trying to get as much information on how to care for them as possible. I know all about feeding and playing and litter box duties but the longer they have been sharing the apartment the less I seem to understand them, hence this thread, can anyone explain what goes on in my furry felines brain's? Maybe there are some people out their with canny canine’s they don't fully understand???

I'll get the ball rolling...

Why does my cat sit and stare at me for hours?

Why does my cat wake me up 5 minutes before my alarm goes off?

Why does my cat seem to be able to see something four feet up a white wall and I can't?

This is just the start....

1. Because he thinks you are beautiful :P I don't really know, mine do the same, it can be a bit disconcerting at times. I heard somewhere that cats have such good auditory perception that at times they almost overload and thats why they seem to sit and stare into space. They are sorting through sounds. I don't know how true it is, but it's a nice thought that he's sitting there listening to the world go by.

2. For cuddles? Or maybe he's in a routine and he knows it's around now you usually get up so he's giving you a nice friendly face to wake up to.

3. I hate that, it's so creepy. I'd like to think that it's something to do with the staring into space thing but I often wonder if they can see things we can't. :eek:

Lollymcd

Thank you for your replies helena.ryan. You hit the nail on the head there, it's my outstanding beauty that has her staring at me.... NOT!!! It's a bit freaky though, it's like she's telepathically trying to communicate with me and I'm failing miserably to get the message!

I'd love if she was waking me in the morning for cuddles but this isn't the case, she runs from the hallway, talons extended and hurtles under the duvet aiming for soft fleshy bits (she usually suceeds!) She reminds me of my mother, "get out of bed now and stop lying around" Sometimes I even get the impression that she's herding me to bed at night too... especially if it's after 1am.

Has anyone ever noticed their cats' back shivering?

Milly33

It is because they are cats and they are highly intelligent animals...Love your cat and she will love you back for life

Lollymcd

Milly33 wrote: »

It is because they are cats and they are highly intelligent animals...Love your cat and she will love you back for life

Very true! I am definitely beginning to realise that I am the lesser species in this relationship!!!

At the moment I am trying to figure out why my cats are totally sleepy until my head hits the pillow!?!? I don't even go to bed that early, between 1am and 2am!!! Not that it makes a difference, they are the same regardless of the time I go to bed!!! It's a plot I tell you!!!

seamus

Lollymcd wrote: »

At the moment I am trying to figure out why my cats are totally sleepy until my head hits the pillow!?!? I don't even go to bed that early, between 1am and 2am!!! Not that it makes a difference, they are the same regardless of the time I go to bed!!! It's a plot I tell you!!!

Cats are naturally nocturnal, so they'll sleep during the day and stalk at night. If they're kept indoors, then try and keep them awake and active for at least eight hours during the day (doesn't have to be all at once!). If you can keep them active while you are, then they'll sleep when you do.

Alun

seamus wrote: »

Cats are naturally nocturnal, so they'll sleep during the day and stalk at night.

Wrong, they're crepuscular, i.e. active at dawn and dusk but sleep during day and night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular

Lollymcd

Alun wrote: »

Wrong, they're crepuscular, i.e. active at dawn and dusk but sleep during day and night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular

I hate to disagree, but my cats are only active as I try to fall asleep, I'll be spending the evening keeping them awake... see how you like that kitty hahaha..... Seriously though, have a few games lined up, lasar pointer and string to hand, let's see if I can tire them out!!!

mymo

Why does my cat love to walk around the edge of the bath catching bubbles while you're in it? (and often falling in)
Why do my dogs bring me socks when they're happy to see me?
Why does the other cat think he can hide in the grass when stalking birds(he never catches!) when he's bright orange and the grass is green?
Why does the older dog always jump into the drivers seat in the car and put my wipers on when I get out?
ooohhh theres so many more.....

mymo

Lolly...They're thinking "hey, lets wind up the monkey lady!" or they're trying out mind control? Do you get the urge to do things for them when they're staring?

lily4

Alun wrote: »

Wrong, they're crepuscular, i.e. active at dawn and dusk but sleep during day and night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crepuscular

My cat is definitely most active at dusk and dawn especially during the summer. Since winter set it, she goes out and about during the day, then settles down to sleep once it gets dark until the morning :rolleyes:

Lollymcd

mymo wrote: »

Lolly...They're thinking "hey, lets wind up the monkey lady!" or they're trying out mind control? Do you get the urge to do things for them when they're staring?

Absolutely!!! I always get the feeling that I should be doing something for them! I usually check their water to make sure they have some or something like that! I definitely think its mind control.

Lollymcd

mymo wrote: »

Why does the older dog always jump into the drivers seat in the car and put my wipers on when I get out?
ooohhh theres so many more.....

That's so cute.

Selfheal

Hi there,
Why don't you check out Animal Communication? It's a lot of fun and can be very surprising. I've done some courses with James French in the UK - and he has a CD too to tell you how to do it. His website is www.animalcommunicationtraining.co.uk. Can highly recommend it for deepening your relationship with your cats!

Lollymcd

Selfheal wrote: »

Hi there,
Why don't you check out Animal Communication? It's a lot of fun and can be very surprising. I've done some courses with James French in the UK - and he has a CD too to tell you how to do it. His website is www.animalcommunicationtraining.co.uk. Can highly recommend it for deepening your relationship with your cats!

That sounds like a brilliant idea Selfheal, thank you so much for that, I will look into it.

Mink

My cat's do the exact same thing as the 3 points in the first post.

I've always thought cats were on some sort of permanent LSD trip and/or are reincarnated mentally disturbed Vietnam veterans.

The 3 points especially apply to kittens/young cats. I'm waiting for mine to grow up as she freaks me out.

Their oddness is one of the things I love most about cats!

Rockiemalt

Why does one of my cats eat everything?! He likes scones with jam, bread of any sort, rice crackers, the lid off my Chinese vegetable curry, pasta in tomato sauce, meringues, melon....
He constantly plagues me for food if you open any cupboard and I usually crack and give him a bit of something to prove to him he won't like it, but he does! I'm veggie but that doesn't put him off at all.
He gets plenty of Iams cat food but will eat all his little sisters food too if she so much as stops chewing for 20 seconds

Rozabeez

Why does my dog seem to lose all control once he sees his lead? He appears to go completely deaf and unable to calm down no matter what until he gets outside the front door. I'd describe him as going hysterical.

Whispered

Why does my dog insist on sitting on you or leaning against you. It can be very sweet, if you sit on the couch beside him he will shuffle over with a big sleepy head to put his head on you. Or if you are standing chatting in the kitchen, he will come sit beside you and lean into your legs.

On the other ad, there are times that he will try to get as much of his body on top of you as he can when you're sitting. He's heavy and bony so it's not very comfortable. Also if you're cooking he will lie right behind your legs, so you trip when you go to move.

He also sits up like a person on the couch and leans against whoever is there with his little pot belly hanging out. Very cute, but guests find it a bit weird.

He leans his head against your shoulder when you sit on the couch and sits there looking at you while you watch tv.

A lot of the time it is just a lean, but there have been times when he would actually push his hardest into you.

Is it just affection or is there a dominance theory about it?

seamus

helena.ryan wrote: »

Is it just affection or is there a dominance theory about it?

I don't think there's any dominance in it specifically, I think it's just security/affection. If you watch packs of dogs going to sleep, or very often siblings just sitting around, you'll see the dogs leaning against eachother or lying on or across eachother.
My parents two JRTs (brothers) rarely give eachother any personal space, and will squeeze into some tiny spots for the sake of sitting close to eachother.

My staffie will do it too when I sit down, she'll come over and put her upper body on my lap, or sometimes try to climb onto my lap (though she's too bloody big).

Lollymcd

helena.ryan wrote: »

Is it just affection or is there a dominance theory about it?

Sounds like your dog just loves you. My parents dog does the same thing with my mother, she is the alpha in the house according to the dog! When I visit he sits on her lap and stares into her face as if he is trying to get all the attention for himself!

(Is he was trying to dominate you he'd steal your food, growl at you or try and hump you... )

Sounds like a real cutie!

Magenta

Lollymcd wrote: »

Why does my cat sit and stare at me for hours?
Why does my cat wake me up 5 minutes before my alarm goes off?
Why does my cat seem to be able to see something four feet up a white wall and I can't?

1. They just do. They're really nosey and like to know what you're doing.
2. She knows it's time for you to get up! They are amazing at telling the time.
3. I guarantee you she's spotted a tiny tiny insect. My cat can spot an ant on tarmac a mile off!

Whispered

seamus wrote: »

My staffie will do it too when I sit down, she'll come over and put her upper body on my lap, or sometimes try to climb onto my lap (though she's too bloody big).

Harley is a staffie cross, weighs about 3 stone so it can be annoying at times. What you said about personal space is spot on. They have no concept of it at all!

Lollymcd wrote: »

Sounds like your dog just loves you. My parents dog does the same thing with my mother, she is the alpha in the house according to the dog! When I visit he sits on her lap and stares into her face as if he is trying to get all the attention for himself!

(Is he was trying to dominate you he'd steal your food, growl at you or try and hump you... )

Sounds like a real cutie!

thats good to know, I didn't think they express affection like that. He's not dominant in the house at all at all, will spit food out if you ask him to (not that I ever do unless he's robbing something he shouldn't). I'm not sure if it's a dominance/submission thing though, I think he just knows that if he spits something out when told he gets something nice in return.

Thanks for answering my questions!