Yana, hello!

I have a cat question that I can’t really find the answer to anywhere. Perhaps you or your readers have encountered this. I have a Devon Rex cat, 9 months old - an absolutely wonderful cat-beast with a wonderful character, not without its problems, of course, but wildly loved.

And from the moment I took her, she has a behavioral feature that begins to intensify with age - she touches/digs everything with her paw. It started harmlessly - she tried to “unearth” her blanket or my pillow when she went to bed - I hugged her, squeezed her and she calmed down. Then she began, sitting on the windowsill, “digging” the glass with her paw (the sound of the claws is like foam on glass), now this is daily “digging” of the washing machine door, all glass surfaces, bed/blankets, in the morning she wakes up at 6-7 and starts digging at the wooden bed right next to me, during the day (I work at home on the sofa) - he often comes up and scrapes the sofa with his paw in a certain place.

And so I kind of understand that it’s some kind of way of interacting with the world, and a way to attract attention/get somewhere (in a typewriter, a glass cabinet), but is it possible to somehow wean one off this? Moreover, it feels like sometimes she does this out of spite, because there is food/water, treats were given out, she is cuddled, played, and then either sits and looks me in the eyes, “digs out” the sofa, or does not let me sleep in the morning and has to be sent to a bath as punishment, which she doesn’t want to do, and it doesn’t seem like she understands why. How to deal with this?

Hello!
I’ll write from the very beginning that she definitely doesn’t do this out of harm. Cats are not harmful in the sense that we understand it. she wants something, something is bothering her, or she is just communicating. But cats don’t know how to do something “to spite” a person; they don’t think like that. And to punish in any way is also completely useless. Through this you only spoil your relationship with the cat, which always makes everything worse.

And I don't know exactly why she does this. I guess he's trying to get attention this way. And yes, a cat may want attention, even after it has eaten and been played with. One of my cats always comes screaming wildly after feeding. It would seem - what is she asking? They gave her everything! But you definitely have to come and pester me for about 15.20 minutes. And sooooo loud: MEOW! I didn't figure out what she wanted. Sometimes you help him play and pet him. and sometimes it doesn't help.

By the way, they say that if, for example, cats suddenly start yelling or getting anxious at some time of the day, this may be a symptom of a malfunction of the thyroid gland. This can be checked by a veterinarian. It is also obvious that some things are added to animal food (almost any food) that affect behavior. With many types of food, you can see directly with the naked eye that the cat has eaten, and then she has a short-term attack of euphoria. It’s literally as if she snorted something or ate something invigorating. It’s like if a person suddenly drinks a caffeinated drink. They mix it all into food so that the animals get used to it and ask for more of it. And I can well imagine that this particular cat also has such an anxiety attack just from eating, and she expresses it in this way. Still, they worry in different ways.

Things to try:
1 - Take him to the veterinarian to check his thyroid function, it may be causing increased anxiety.
2 - Buy a feliway sprayer (this is the kind that plugs into an outlet and spreads a certain smell throughout the apartment that calms cats), it helps some. Turn it on and see if it becomes calmer.
3 - I don’t know if you have a cat tree or some place at home. specially for the cat, on which she can lie, and which is located high. Those. at least at your shoulder level, or higher. Because 80% of cat aggressive behavior is significantly reduced if the cat has such a place. They often become stressed or anxious about something. And their anxiety and fears are best treated by the opportunity to climb somewhere high, where they have the feeling that they will not be reached there. Ideally, cats should have one such loophole in any enclosed space. Study your interior and see how you are doing with such places. If there is no place for a cat tree, or there is one, but not everywhere, you can show your imagination. Make room for the cat on the shelf, on the closet, on the refrigerator. But at the same time, think through how it will get there, so as not to knock down a lot of things along the way, and so that it won’t be too difficult to get there. You may need to nail a piece of rug somewhere, or attach a pipe wrapped with rope. Or something like that. And start such a place. Then play with the cat and lure it there with a toy. So that she understands that this place is for her.

I know this advice sounds rude. But over many years of communicating with cats, I have learned that this is very often the solution to all problems with aggression, fears and anxiety.

4 - Observe how the cat behaves after eating. Does the food cause very noticeable bouts of activity and nervousness? If you notice this, try changing the food.

Well, the best and most effective advice! Although I don't know how to follow it. But - cultivate your Jen! I know for sure that this works. Just sleep. Tell yourself that nothing is happening - well, she scrapes, let her continue to scrape, she doesn’t break or spoil anything there (I hope). If it spoils, think about how to cover it up or what to do to prevent it from spoiling. But when you are sleeping, and the cat is rustling around, learn to roll over to the other side and continue sleeping.
By the way, if a cat is trying to attract attention in this way, she will also understand over time that this is not working. There will be less and less scratching, and after a while he will go to bed and wait. Previously, cats persistently tried to wake me up around 7-8 in the morning. Then they learned that it didn't work and stopped. They try at 9, sometimes at 10. And if they see that there is no reaction, they sit next to you on the bed and wait.

And yet, if you carefully observe cats, you will see that the vast majority of such attacks of activity are very short-term episodes. They literally play around for a couple of minutes, and then it goes away. Especially if you don't pay attention. My point is that with such thoughts, maybe it will be easier to ignore it. Well, I scratched it a dozen times and calmed down, there’s no need to get irritated about this.

It dawned on me that if I dropped the rack, I wouldn’t get up at night. :-)
I wish you to find your own way to fix this. And write to us later, which solution helped? :-)

Why do cats lightly bite your skin and hold you for a few seconds?

Some cats, when they feel great, pinch a fold of human skin between their teeth and hold it for a short time. This is a kind of cat kiss.

Why does a cat turn his back to you if you don’t pay attention to him for a long time or leave?

Cats, like other animals, recognize visual signals from your body, and in the case when you do not show obvious signs of aggression or calmly move away from its field of view, the cat loses interest in you and turns away.

Why do cats spend so much time licking their fur?

For cats, licking, in addition to being a means of hygiene, is a way to maintain mental balance. Grooming calms and neutralizes incipient aggressiveness. By licking, a cat licks a certain amount of a substance containing vitamin B from its fur, which is necessary to regulate mental balance. If you deprive a cat of this opportunity, he will become nervous and may even die.

Why does a cat sometimes try to lick your face or hair?

The first impression a kitten receives from its mother is care in the form of licking and washing. For him, this is an act of care and attention, so if the cat (or cat) tries to lick you, take it as an attempt to take care of you in a motherly way.

Why do cats sometimes lick and bite woolen clothes, balls, scarves?

There are several theories, but scientists generally believe that the reason is the same as in the previous question.

Why are some people allergic to cat hair?

Strictly speaking, the allergy is not caused by fur, but by the FEL D1 protein contained in cat saliva. When a cat washes itself and licks itself, it transfers saliva to its fur, after which it can end up on furniture and carpets. Different individuals have different amounts of protein secreted, but in general, cats are less allergenic than cats. There are two ways to prevent such an allergy - bathe the cat, rinsing the substances from the fur (which is not recommended to do often), or wipe the cat's fur with a special soft cloth.

Why does a cat, lying in your arms, move its paws, “beating” something?

The reason again lies in childhood. A kitten feeding on mother's milk, massaging the cat's belly with its paws, stimulates the “supply” of milk. An adult animal uses this technique to show extreme comfort and satisfaction.

Why do cats usually go into the arms or lay on the legs of those who don’t like them?

When one cat tries to scare another, it arches its back, raises its fur, and lets out a menacing hiss. If a person does not like cats, he tries to sit quietly so as not to attract the attention of the animal. And the cat sees this as a sign of favor. Doesn't hiss, doesn't move - that means he's a friend.

Why does a cat try to hit its head on a person?

It turns out that this is a way of expressing affection, and they can express this behavior in relation to other members of their tribe, not just people.

Why do cats scratch furniture and wallpaper?

It is generally accepted that this is how cats sharpen their claws. But even if you offer your cat a convenient nail sharpener, he will still be happy to sharpen his claws on the corner of the wall or sofa (in your absence). This happens, among other things, because between the cat’s paws, between the toes, there are special glands with which the cat marks its territory.

Why do cats rub against furniture, table legs, legs?

Cats have special glands on the tail, on the sides of the head, on the lips, on the tongue, near the genitals and between the front legs. They use them to mark their territory. When a cat rubs against your leg, he is marking you, indicating that you are “his.” For the same reason, cats rub against furniture and corners of rooms.

Why immediately after you pet your cat does he begin to lick himself?

There are two theories, according to one, the cat is trying to get rid of your smell, according to the second, on the contrary, he tastes it with his tongue in order to “continue the pleasure.”

Why can a cat, if petted for a long time, suddenly scratch or bite?

If a person accidentally touches sensitive areas for a cat - the ears, nose, tail, the cat may make a sound that “enough is enough!”, but if the person does not stop, then the cat may bite or scratch. He just gets tired of affection.

Why does a cat, when passing another cat, slow down and move slowly?

All cats are territorial animals. They distribute territory among themselves depending on the level of the internal hierarchy. Any encroachment leads to open conflict. Therefore, if a cat just wants to pass by, he tries to slow down and not look at the owner of the adjacent territory at all.

Why does a cat, when burying the “results” of its life activity, dig outside the box and not inside?

This is due to the innate tendency of cats to cleanliness. The cat tries not to get his paws dirty. To do this, clean the cat litter area more often.

Why does a cat sometimes scratch the floor or “bury” a bowl of food?

This can happen for two reasons - either the cat is trying to bury food “in reserve”, or by this action he shows that he does not like the food.

Why do cats bite and lunge?

Kitten games always include sitting in ambush, surprise attacks and throws. Therefore, cats at any age love such children's games. Draw their attention to laces with a bow, balloons and more.

Why do cats bring you dead mice?

There are at least 4 theories:
1. The cat gives you a gift as a sign of his friendship or because you feed him.
2. The cat considers you a mediocre hunter and is trying to teach you to hunt.
3. The cat takes the victim to a safe, warm place, where it can later eat it.
4. The cat is trying to save you from hunger in his own way.

Why does a cat play with a half-dead mouse?

Cats are attracted to movement and if the prey continues to show signs of life and moves, the cat attacks, playing, again and again, until it ceases to be interested in it.

Why does a cat crouch when he sees a bird?

When a cat catches prey, it squats several times. These movements indicate that the cat is about to attack. Another point of view is a gesture of dissatisfaction. When a cat hunts a bird in nature, it is quiet and unnoticeable. If the prey is unattainable, the cat makes such false movements. It’s something like “well, what is this?!” in people.

Why does a cat's jaw sometimes tremble and its teeth chatter when it sees its prey?

This only happens if production is unattainable.

Why do cats often “hide” their toys in a bowl of food or water?

Cats consider the territory in which they feed to be theirs. Therefore, they try to move all their toys to a place that is safe from their point of view, to their territory. Often this ends up being their bowl.

Why don't cats like to swim?

In fact, most cats are comfortable with water and will fish if possible. But when a cat is held tightly by hand and dipped into a bowl of water, from his point of view this does not look very much like voluntary fishing, which causes legitimate indignation.

Why do cats love to drink water dripping from the tap?

Cats, like other animals, prefer fresh food and water. From their point of view, running water looks fresher, so water coming out of a tap is more attractive to them than water sitting in a bowl. For the same reason, cats love to drink from large containers (my cat likes to drink exclusively from a bucket, and is very reluctant to drink from a bowl).

Why do cats lick photographs and plastic bags?

In this way, cats “taste” a smell that humans do not notice, but animals can clearly distinguish.

Why do some cats love valerian and others not?

Scientists say it's a matter of a special gene. Some cats love to roll on valerian leaves, licking themselves, some quickly eat it, some are absolutely indifferent. Another possible reason is that the smell of valerian is similar to the smell of a cat during certain periods.

Why does a cat “wince” when it smells something particularly interesting?

Cats smell 14 times more powerfully than humans! In addition to the nose, cats can detect odors using the so-called Jacobson tube, located on the upper palate behind the front incisors. The cat uses it when she is completely focused on some particularly interesting smell, sucking in air, slightly raising her upper lip and nose.

Why does a cat wag its tail?

Cats wag their tails when faced with a choice, with one desire blocking another. For example, if a cat is standing in a doorway and wants to go out, and it is raining outside, the tail will wag due to internal conflict. The cat wants to go out, but doesn't want to get wet. As soon as she makes a decision (stay at home or go out into the rain), the tail will immediately stop swinging.
If a cat is near you and its tail is shaking, this is the greatest feeling of love that it can express. When the tail starts to droop, it means the mood has changed - you can move away, she won’t be offended.

Why do cats often “interject” into conversations on the phone?

When a cat hears that you are talking to someone and does not see the other person, he believes that you are talking to him, so he begins to answer you. The more you talk to cats, the more they talk to you.

Why do cats purr?

Cats make purring sounds for many reasons. Many experts believe that cats purr when experiencing intense emotion (pleasure or pain). Cats use more than a hundred different sounds when communicating, surpassing dogs, chimpanzees and gorilla in this.

Why doesn’t a cat like to eat from a bowl, but drags food onto the floor?

Most cats do not like food to come into close contact with dishes. In addition, in a narrow container, some of the food may be inaccessible to the tongue. That’s why cats love to eat from a wide, low container, or even better, from the floor.

Why don't cats like sweets?

It turns out that it's all about a defective taste receptor gene. Cats simply do not know what sweet is; they cannot taste it. Molecular analysis shows that big cats also have this defective gene, and it is likely that it helped shape the development of their carnivorous behavior.

Why don't cats hurt themselves when they fall even from a great height?

Having studied the circumstances of many successful animal falls, scientists have found that cats are helped by the so-called “parachute effect”: their legs lengthen and their bodies expand, reducing the speed of their fall. At a minimum height, cats use, first of all, the elasticity of their paws.
Another explanation: when falling from a great height, a cat presses its paws and tail to its body and flies, spinning - thereby slowing down its fall. And before landing he straightens his paws.

Why does a cat shake its paws?

To show disgust for something, a cat raises its paws and shakes them. This may be due to the instinctive action of shaking off water, which is unpleasant for most cats.

Why do cats hide when they are sick?

Instinct tells the cat that when he is weak, he is easy prey for a predator, so during periods of illness, cats try to hide from possible dangers.

Facts about cat vision.

Cats need 1/6th the amount of light needed by humans to see. In the dark, a cat's eye even uses light reflected from the retina. Cats, unlike dogs, cannot focus their gaze on nearby objects, that is, cats are farsighted, and dogs are nearsighted. Cats can see up to 60 meters away. Their peripheral vision is approximately 285 degrees. In fact, a cat sees best at a distance of 75 cm to 2-6 meters. If the pupils are dilated despite bright lighting, the cat is very interested in something or is in a playful mood. Cats have round, slanted and almond-shaped eyes. A kitten's eye color may change as it ages.

Facts about cat hearing.

Cats perceive sound frequencies in the range from 50 to 60 kHz. The dog reacts to a sound with a frequency of about 40 kHz. A person is able to detect sounds with a frequency of 20 kHz. A cat's sensitivity to sound volume is 3 times higher than that of a human. The cat's ear rotates 180 degrees. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear, and they use twelve or more muscles to control the ear.

Facts about cat whiskers (vibrissae).

Vibrissae (lat. vibrissae, from vibro - oscillate, wriggle), large, protruding above the surface of the coat, sensitive (tactile) hair in mammals. A cat has an average of 12 movable whiskers on each side of its face. At the base of the whiskers there is a large number of nerve endings, so the cat uses them to receive information about everything that surrounds it - about objects, about wind, about temperature, etc. If a cat's whiskers are removed, it may have poor spatial orientation, for example, difficulty hunting and generally feel insecure. The whiskers help the cat determine whether it will fit through the hole. If a cat's whiskers point forward, it is very interested in something. Or in skirmishes he wants to scare his opponent. If the whiskers point back, the cat is scared and avoids touching. When the cat is calm, the whiskers are directed to the sides.

How old is your cat by human standards?

If your cat is 3 years old, that's the equivalent of a human being 21 years old. If 8 years, then in human terms - 40. If 14, then 70 human years. The average lifespan of a domestic cat is 15 years, while for wild cats it is from 3 to 5 years.

Source: woman-dreams.livejournal.com

Cat owners often notice that their pets like to hide their food. They can be seen scratching the floor around the bowl with their front paw as they try to bury. Sometimes they even push the bowl with their nose towards a secluded place. Such actions sometimes seem funny. The most common reason is that animals do this when they don't like their food. To answer the question of why cats bury food, we must consider other explanations for what is happening.

The main reasons for burying food

The act of carefully wanting to hide food comes from the historical characteristics of cats. Cat food may smell the same to humans, but cats are great at distinguishing their own waste from that of others thanks to unique chemical odor markers called pheromones.

The situation with instilling tasty treats for cats is very typical.

Lack of food

One of the common reasons is the pet's malnutrition and lack of food for it. The survival instinct forces him to stockpile. The implementation of instinct by burying indicates the animal’s desire to ensure its safety in the future.

This behavior is especially common for cats that have had experience of long periods of starvation, for example, for those who were previously homeless.

Important! Digging on the floor may indicate that the animal is not getting enough to eat. You should pay attention when the animal is digging on the floor near an empty bowl.

The cause can be not only a lack of food, but also an excess of food. This is how the pet tries to hide excess food in reserve.

Unpleasant smell

Another reason is that the food offered is of poor quality and has an unpleasant smell. The pet deals with such food simply as with waste, disposing of it - burying it.

This fulfills the animal’s need to maintain cleanliness, since its food must always be fresh and smell delicious.

A smell they don’t like allows the animal to conclude that it is unsuitable for consumption. The cat is trying to get rid of foul-smelling food.

Important! Smells can be individual characteristics of a particular pet. Some individuals do not like certain aromas, which for others will, on the contrary, be attractive. It all depends on subjective preferences.

An unpleasant odor can be off-putting for your pet.

Bad food

Trying to bury or hide food is an innate behavior of cats. The most obvious explanation for why a cat buries his food bowl is that he simply doesn't like the food. Each feline sniffs food before consuming it. The answer is clear: if he wants to rake the floor near the bowl, the pet simply does not like what the owner has prepared for him.

The food that the owner has prepared for his pet may not be appetizing enough for him. Or he just doesn't like the way she smells. In any case, the mustachioed person shows by his behavior that his nutrition is not good enough for him.

Burying is a way of expressing disapproval of a change in diet. This is not surprising, because cats are often picky about their food and fuss about it. Changes in diet and diet can upset their appetite and make them want to get rid of the diet they don't like.

Bad food can make you want to get rid of it

Stress

We should not forget about such an important reason as the pet’s health condition. If an animal is stressed or not feeling well, then there will be a poor appetite. It is quite possible that this can lead to the animal not being interested in food and trying to bury it. If the owner suspects that the cat is sick or stressed, it is worth scheduling a visit to the veterinarian.

Instincts

Instincts are genetically determined forms of animal behavior that are carried out under the influence of biological needs.

One popular explanation for cat burying behavior is that cats instinctively try to hoard food for future use. This natural animal behavior is also observed in other members of the cat family, such as lynxes and leopards.

For your information! Burying half-eaten food was first documented by the English writer D. D. Wood, who wrote a book called An Illustrated Natural History in 1853. In this book, he described the behavior of his cat named Pret. He wrote that his cat covered the remains with a piece of paper or tablecloth.

This habit of storing food for future use is thought to be common even in indoor-bred cats. Although pets are not scavengers like their big wild cousins, they still try to hide their food from others with the intention of returning and finishing the meal later.

This behavior is especially true for cats that live in multi-pet households. Experts explain that cats that are part of a household will hide their food in order to preserve it for future consumption from strangers.

The most common reason for this behavior is related to the instinct of ensuring security in the future.

And others

Another reason may be the desire to avoid paying attention to your diet. In the wild, felines bury their food to prevent predators from smelling it. Consequently, they avoid surveillance from their enemies. The scent can give larger animals such as coyotes, foxes and mountain lions a chance to find them. By hiding their food, cats try to eliminate this possibility.

Hiding waste is one way for cats to avoid attracting the attention of predators, which also protects kittens from unwanted attention from enemies.

The next reason is that you don’t like the bowl. Cats are clean creatures who don't like being around anything dirty. They hate dirt when they feed from a bowl that is poorly cleaned or smells bad.

If a cat constantly hides his food, this may be due to a lack of cleanliness in the place where food is eaten and where dishes are placed. Perhaps the animal is disgusted that the bowl is not clean enough. Therefore, you should make sure that the dish is washed well, and then the cat will calm down and begin to behave normally.

Pay attention! If the bowl is never washed, then this fact becomes the only reason why the cat buries the bowl of food.

Options for how to wean a cat from burying a bowl of food

There are many options for weaning an animal from burying. You should understand the possible reasons for this behavior, and then follow the basic tips:

• give food often, but in smaller portions, you need to monitor what and how much your pet eats;
• you can distract your pet with a game if the owner sees that he is starting to hide his treat;
• You should not leave the bowl when the animal has eaten. It is better to remove the cup, clean the floor and simply refresh the cup of water;
• It is important to regularly wash and scrub the bowl itself to remove any residue;
• you need to check whether the cat likes the selected brand of food;
• Do not place the eating area near the pet’s toilet.

To wean an animal from a bad habit, you need to understand the reasons

Improve your cat's nutrition

Cats are very picky about what they eat. To wean the habit of burying food, you should adjust your diet. Basic tips:

• choose one good and high-quality brand of cat food manufacturer and stick to it in the future;
• organize meals several times a day at set times in small doses so that there is no waste left;
• reheat if necessary to increase appetite;
• you can pour chicken broth over the food to make it more attractive to your pet;
• It doesn't hurt to add a little strong-smelling cheese to pique your pet's interest.

For your information! If all else fails, you should switch to wet food. Sudden changes in diet without warning can cause stomach upset.

Washing the bowl

Washing the bowl is an important part of keeping your pet's dining area clean. Cats are very picky about the order around them, especially when eating.

A dirty bowl with leftovers from your last meal can be a source of disgust. The cat recognizes such food as garbage, which it will not eat. In an attempt to get rid of garbage, the animal will bury the bowl.

Important! You should not wash the bowl with strong-smelling chemicals (household products), which can also discourage your pet from eating food. It is better to use regular laundry soap for these purposes.

It is preferable to use stainless steel utensils, since food debris can be easily removed from its walls. Plastic utensils absorb odors, and scratched surfaces can trap food residue.

Washing the bowl is the key to keeping your cat clean.

Comfortable place to eat

If your pet doesn't like the place where the food bowl is located, this fact will cause him discomfort when eating. The animal does not feel safe. The factor that is negative should be identified and eliminated. This may be: foreign or unpleasant odor, uncomfortable temperature. You should also make adjustments to the environment, for example, changing the location of the bowl.

Finally, why do pets bury their food? This is a survival instinct. Wild animals hunt and kill prey, eat food and hide the leftovers. According to the pet, food served in a bowl is no different from the fresh version. If he is not hungry enough to finish his meal, he will hide the evidence and hide it. Hiding food is a common cat behavior and is usually harmless. If the owner is interested in weaning his pet from such a habit, then it is enough to use the advice from this article.

1. Why does a cat sometimes try to lick your face or hair?
The first impression that a kitten receives from its mother is care in the form of licking and washing. For him, this is an act of care and attention, so if the cat (or cat) tries to lick you, take it as an attempt to take care of you in a motherly way.

2. Why does a cat, lying in your arms, move its paws, “beating” something?
The reason again lies in childhood. A kitten feeding on mother's milk, massaging the cat's belly with its paws, stimulates the “supply” of milk. An adult animal uses this technique to show extreme comfort and satisfaction.

3. Why do cats usually go to the arms or legs of someone who doesn’t like them?
When one cat tries to scare another, it arches its back, raises its fur, and lets out a menacing hiss. If a person does not like cats, he tries to sit quietly so as not to attract the attention of the animal. And the cat considers this a sign of favor. Doesn't hiss, doesn't move - that means he's a friend.

4. Why does a cat try to hit its head on a person?
Sometimes a house cat will come up and lightly bump its head against the legs of family members. It turns out that this is a way of expressing affection, and they can express this behavior in relation to other members of their tribe, not just people.

5. Why do cats rub against furniture, table legs, legs?
Cats have special glands on the tail, on the sides of the head, on the lips, on the tongue, near the genitals and between the front legs. They use them to mark their territory. When a cat rubs against your leg, he is marking you, indicating that you are “his.” For the same reason, cats rub against furniture and corners of rooms.

7. Why does a cat, when passing another cat, slow down and move slowly?
All cats are territorial animals. They distribute territory among themselves depending on the level of the internal hierarchy. Any encroachment leads to open conflict. Therefore, if a cat just wants to pass by, he tries to slow down and not look at the owner of the adjacent territory at all.

8. Why does a cat, when burying the “results” of its life activity, dig outside the box and not inside?
This is due to the innate tendency of cats to cleanliness. The cat is just trying not to get his paws dirty. The thought that his actions are ineffective does not occur to him.

9. Why do cats purr?
Cats make purring sounds for many reasons. A mother cat purrs to her kittens to show that she is nearby. The kittens respond in kind, indicating that everything is fine. Young cats purr to each other, inviting them to play. An adult cat purrs, indicating that he is in a good mood and is not encroaching on another cat's territory. By the way, the method of purring has not yet been studied, that is, how cats make such sounds.

10. Why does a cat sometimes scratch the floor or “bury” a bowl of food?
This can happen for two reasons - either the cat is trying to bury food “in reserve”, or by such an action he shows that he does not like the food.

11. Why do cats bite and lunge?
Kitten games always include sitting in ambush, surprise attacks and throws. Therefore, cats at any age love such children's games. Draw their attention to laces with a bow, balloons and more.

12. Why are some people allergic to cat hair?
Strictly speaking, the allergy is not caused by fur, but by the FEL D1 protein contained in cat saliva. When a cat washes itself and licks itself, it transfers saliva to its fur, after which it can end up on furniture and carpets. Different individuals have different amounts of protein secreted, but in general, cats are less allergenic than cats. There are two ways to prevent such allergies - bathe the cat, rinsing the substances from the fur (which is not recommended to do often), or wipe the cat's fur with a special soft cloth.

13. Why does the cat turn his back to you if you don’t pay attention to him for a long time or leave?
Cats, like other animals, recognize visual signals from your body, and in the case when you do not show obvious signs of aggression or calmly move away from its field of view, the cat loses interest in you and turns away.

14. Why do cats bring you dead mice?
There are at least 4 theories:
The cat gives you a gift as a sign of his friendship or because you feed him.
The cat considers you a mediocre hunter, and is trying to teach you.
The cat carries the victim to a safe, warm place, where it can later eat it.
The cat is trying to save you from hunger in his own way.

15. Why do cats often “hide” their toys in a bowl of food or water?
Cats consider the territory in which they feed to be theirs. Therefore, they try to move all their toys to a place that is safe from their point of view, to their territory. Often this ends up being their bowl.

16. Why do cats bite lightly on the skin and hold it for a few seconds?
Some cats, when they feel great, pinch a fold of human skin between their teeth and hold it for a short time. This is a kind of cat kiss.

17. Why do cats lick photographs and plastic bags?
In this way, cats “taste” a smell that humans do not notice, but animals can clearly distinguish.

18. Why does a cat “wince” when it smells something particularly interesting?
If a cat raises his upper lip and “winces,” this means that he is trying to inhale more deeply the aroma that interests him so that it reaches the so-called Jacobson’s organ, located in the cat’s mouth.

19. Why do cats scratch window frames?
They check whether the glass barrier exists or no longer exists.

20. Why don’t cats like to swim?
In fact, most cats are comfortable with water and will fish if possible. But when a cat is held tightly by hand and dipped into a bowl of water, from his point of view this does not look very much like voluntary fishing, which causes legitimate indignation.

21. Why do cats like to drink water dripping from the tap?
Cats, like other animals, prefer fresh food and water. To them, flowing water looks fresher, so water coming out of a tap is more attractive to them than water in a bowl. For the same reason, cats love to drink from large containers.

22. Why do cats hide when they are sick?
Instinct tells the cat that when he is weak, he is easy prey for a predator, so during periods of illness, cats try to hide from possible dangers.

23. Why do cats spend so much time licking their fur?
For cats, licking, in addition to being a means of hygiene, is a way to maintain mental balance. Even if a cat falls, for example, from a chair, he first of all begins to lick himself, and not to examine himself for damage.

24. Why do cats often “interject” into conversations on the phone?
When a cat hears that you are talking to someone and does not see the other person, he believes that you are talking to him, so he begins to answer you.

25. Why do cats scratch furniture and wallpaper?
It is generally accepted that this is how cats sharpen their claws. But, even if you offer your cat a super-duper convenient nail sharpener, he will still be happy to sharpen his claws on the corner of the wall or the sofa. This happens, among other things, because on the cat’s paws, between the toes, there are special glands with which the cat marks its territory.

26. Why can a cat, if you pet it for a long time, suddenly scratch or bite?
If a person accidentally touches sensitive areas for a cat - ears, nose, tail, the cat may make a sound that “enough is enough!”, but if the person does not stop, then the cat may bite or scratch. He just gets tired of affection.

27. Why doesn’t the cat like to eat from a bowl, but pulls food onto the floor?
Most cats do not like food to come into close contact with dishes. In addition, in a narrow container, some of the food may be inaccessible to the tongue. That’s why cats love to eat from a wide, low container, or even better, from the floor.

28. Why does a cat crouch when he sees a bird?
When a cat catches prey, it squats several times. These movements indicate that the cat is about to attack. Another point of view is a gesture of dissatisfaction. When a cat hunts a bird in nature, it is quiet and unnoticeable. If the prey is unattainable, the cat makes such false movements. It’s something like “well, what is this?!” in people.

The feeding behavior of domestic cats is based on the ancient instincts of their wild ancestors, ensuring their survival in the harsh conditions of the wild. That is why, when deciphering the signals given by a furry pet in “body language,” you need to turn to the behavioral stereotypes of feline predators. So why does a cat bury food? And what meaning does she put into this action?

If a Murka has eaten this or that amount of food and makes digging movements near a bowl with half-eaten contents, it means that it is, first of all, guided by the ancient instinct of a meat-eating animal after a successful hunt. It is he who tells her to hide the remains of the loot farther and deeper in order to:

Having inherited the above algorithm from their ancestors, pets can bury leftover food in a bowl for several reasons:

Read also:

Cat buries food without touching it

Sometimes it happens that the cat does not want to touch the food offered and buries it after only sniffing it. This behavior can be due to a number of reasons, for example:

1. The food bowl is always full. The mustachioed tabby, whose bowl is never empty, does not know hunger, but can sit for a long time at its feeder, guarding it, or makes digging movements with its paws, trying to hide what it cannot eat.
2. Food is unusual for a pet. Animals get used to the type of food they are fed since childhood, so a cat that grew up on “natural” food may refuse to eat dry food, not perceiving it as food. On the contrary, purebred kittens from a nursery, whose first feeding consisted exclusively of industrial diets, do not understand what to do with raw meat.
3. The animal does not like the food. The food offered may not satisfy the pet’s tastes, which he will eloquently declare by snorting contemptuously and making a dissatisfied grimace. So, a cat may “reject” slightly spoiled and weathered food, or express rejection of new dry food or canned food. It is believed that active paddling with paws in this case symbolizes the attitude towards inappropriate, tasteless food as the contents of a dirty tray.
4. The animal is unwell. During illness, an aversion to food often occurs, which is what a sick cat tries to communicate by burying a filled feeder.

Also watch the video why cats bury food: