If you Google the phrase “Cats are…” you will see dozens of pages saying that cats are idiots and antisocial. But cats are not idiots, and in fact they might even be sociable or cooperative.
If you’ve lived with a cat, or hang out with people with cats, you’ve probably found yourself staring at them after they’ve knocked over a plant, swept a cup off the table, walked on your computer during a call, or some other behavior that’s inconceivable and makes you think: “But why do they do just that?”
Cats are not stupid. We just don’t understand them
A precise answer to cat behaviors is not easy to find. Some recent studies have made progress in calming more self-conscious human anxieties about cat ownership (they are said to know their names and become emotionally attached to us). But in general, research addressing the behavior, genetics, and psychology of domestic cats remains fairly embryonic, especially compared to what is available regarding dogs.
There are historical reasons that can explain this gap in our knowledge of cats and dogs: humans, long ago, developed an interactive and symbiotic relationship with dogs, carrying out tasks together that required a certain form of companionship, understanding and collaboration. Our cats’ ancestors, in contrast, hunted and existed in solitude. We had less reason to understand what was going on inside their heads.
Cats live on the fringes of society
Until a few decades ago the cat was regarded as an animal that lives around people’s homes and farms and keeps the mouse population low, a legacy of being neither exactly a wild animal nor a domestic animal, but an animal that lives on the margins, so to speak, of society.
Even though cats have now moved into homes and become humans’ pets, the idea that they are antisocial and aloof persists. And beyond providing fodder for angry cat memes, their behaviors can send owners into a tailspin whether they want to correct problematic behaviors or simply maintain a happier home.
Antisocial, spiteful, detached
There are so many misconceptions that cats are antisocial, mischievous, aloof. In reality, cats are trying to communicate with us all the time, only we are the ones who have a hard time understanding it.
1. Cats are not antisocial
Cats are indeed descended from solitary creatures, but that doesn’t mean they are hermits. In feral or feral colonies – which form the basis of most feline social research – cats develop dynamic relationships with their peers, selecting a few “preferred associates” to spend time with.
Some of this also depends on different personalities and social preferences. Each cat is individual, and just like people, they choose to spend time with different cats or participate in different activities.
Research on feral colonies shows that cats tend to form matriarchal social bonds; females attach more closely to each other (typically in a community of mothers, aunts, and sisters). Males, once they are about a year old, are more inclined to move nomadically. Although existing research focuses primarily on feral cats, anyone who has lived with more than one feline can confirm that domestic ones also form bonds with each other if they so choose.
What’s more, like humans, cats actually have a “flexible” social structure, meaning they can succeed alone or in groups, depending on early life experiences (such as being exposed to humans as babies) and the environment in which they find themselves.
And then just like humans don’t always want to be in the company of others, which is why they distance themselves from an uncomfortable or unpleasant situation as a protection mechanism. And unfortunately if there is limited possibility of movement in our home then conflicting behavior can occur.
READ ALSO: 10 foods that are forbidden for cats that you may not know about
2. Dominant or submissive?
In a multi-cat home, what might be perceived as a display of “dominance” by one cat towards another is often just the grumpier cat’s way of reporting a problem in their environment.
In fact, cats do not form dominance hierarchies in the sense that there is someone at the top, and then cats existing in ranks below them. Indeed, while today’s domestic cats have evolved socially to coexist with humans and other animals, much of their behavior remains motivated by the survival instinct, and invasion of their space can trigger conflicts. This means that individualization of resources – having their own food, water, bathroom and space remains incredibly important to them.
“Territorial” is probably a more accurate way to describe the discordant behavior that can arise in multi-cat homes. A cat may obstruct access to the litter box or block food bowls around mealtimes, indications that these resources should be increased and spread further out so that each animal has its own territory. While multiple cats can harmoniously share a bathroom, it is important to have a box for each. The same goes for food bowls, water and seating areas.
Again: some cats will not become friends with each other, or show affection towards us. Differences in age, energy level and life experience can affect their behavior. They are simply compatible.
READ ALSO: The nicest cats that become aggressive: that’s when they are dangerous
3. They’re not destroying your couch out of spite
Cat owners may assume that their pets are using the furniture as a scratching post or the carpet as a toilet to inflict some sort of revenge, but this is rarely the case.
Instead, unusual or annoying (to us) behaviors are more likely your cat’s way of communicating that something is wrong, either emotionally or medically. Signs that something is wrong might include growling and other forms of aggression such as biting, litter box aversion, and constant scratching or other destructive acts.
Sometimes, the underlying cause is clear; Maybe you need to move the scratching post to a more accessible spot, or clean the litter box more frequently.
Other reasons may be more difficult to pinpoint, requiring more careful observation. For example, an older cat forced to live with a lively sibling may withdraw, hiss or growl when they can’t be left alone; on the contrary, a young cat that spends most of the day alone could cause problems due to boredom.
Much of the so-called mischievous behavior of cats is simply an attempt to get the owners’ attention, or it may even stem from past trauma. An adopted cat who was always hungry in a previous life might be defensive or agitated around meals, just as a cat who was mistreated by previous owners might be anxious around people.
READ ALSO:
Angry cat: how to recognize the signs and how to calm him down
How do cats see the world?
Photo by Manja Vitolic / Lloyd Henneman / Tran Mau Tri Tam / Kate Stone Matheson / Dietmar Ludmann
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2024-03-21 15:53:57
#Cats #stupid #dont #understand
