As cat owners know, these furry felines sometimes act strangely. Nobody exactly knows what goes on inside a cat's brain, but it's not uncommon to have pets that display strange behavior and body language from time to time. The odd strange behavior is typically ok.
Cats change, try new things, and learn from watching people and other cats. However, if you're noticing any persistent weird cat behaviors - especially those that make your cat not seem like themselves anymore - you'll typically want to have those looked at by a vet.
Here are the top four behaviors that you need to know (and what to do about them)!
One of the More Serious Weird Cat Behaviors: Hiding All the Time
Every feline will hide from time to time. Your pet will find a nice, warm, cozy spot that is out of sight of everyone and will decide to snuggle up there for a long sleep. Some cats will hide and be skittish more often because they are less social, while others will want to be around people and other pets as much as possible. Like humans, every pet is different.
However, pets seldomly want to hide all the time. If the only time your cat comes out is to get some food or water, and they seem to be trying to avoid everyone, that's often a sign of illness.
In the wild, being sick is a huge problem. It makes cats slower and unable to get away from predators. To avoid being eaten, cats have an instinct to hide until their illness goes away.
While this makes sense in the wild, it doesn't help very much in your home or apartment. Still, your pet doesn't know who or what is lurking around the corner. As such, he or she will go back to what their instinct tells them and find a place in your dwelling that is away from everyone and everything.
If your cat has suddenly started hiding all the time, it's almost always a good idea to book a vet appointment as soon as possible. It could be indicative of a sick cat!
Headbutting
Have you ever noticed that your cat will head bump you occasionally? This body language might seem strange at first, but it's entirely normal, and it's a behavior that's indicative of a good relationship!
Your cat head bumps you to tell you, "I love you!" The reason why this behavior is saying that is because cats have pheromones in their cheek areas. When your furry friend's head bumps you, they're marking you with these pheromones that you cannot see or smell.
Other cats can, though, and that scent lets them know that the cat has marked you as their possession.
It's effectively your cat's way of marking you as their human!
Chewing
Sometimes cats like to chew weird things. You might find that your cat wants to chew on blankets, bags, rubber bands, or pretty much anything else that you have lying around the house. These things clearly won't taste yummy, so why is your pet chewing on all these things?
There's usually not one single answer to that question. Your pet might be bored. Your cat might have some tooth issues happening, and the chewing makes their mouth feel better. Chewing is also sometimes due to anxiety, much like people will tap their fingers or bite their nails when they are nervous.
Chewing is one of those weird cat behaviors that you will need to pay close attention to your furry friend to figure out what compels them to chew. Try more stimulation like walking your cat at first to see if that will give them something to do other than gnawing at your favorite sweater.
You can also give your cat different toys that will help keep them from being bored.
Another One of the Weird Cat Behaviors: Giving Gifts
One of the cat things that all cats do is to leave gifts for their owners. You might find dead mice and birds lying around as if your cat is sharing them with you.
Even though it seems weird to us, it's not bad behavior. When your cat does this, your pet is simply trying to thank you and tell you how valuable you are. In essence, your cat is trying to share its "work" or "spoils" with you. It's pretty complimentary!
However, you also probably should not praise your pet or scold them. It's not fair to reprimand your cat for wanting to thank you, but at the same time, if you make a big deal of it, your feline friend might want to do that more often. Simple dispose of the creature (safely) or keep your pet indoors.
Weird Cat Behaviors: Even Though They Seem Strange, Many Are Normal
Most of the time, people think that they have unique cats or something is wrong with them, but these behaviors wind up being routine more often than not. The above four are some of the most common behaviors, and of them, only the hiding behavior potentially causes concern.
If you ever notice your cat behaving differently than usual, observe your cat and bring them to the vet to rule out any possible health issues. Now that you know about some of the most common strange cat behaviors, you can better understand your feline companion.
Are you also looking into your cat's purrs and meows? Check out these guides to learn more about them!
How to tell if your cat is sick?
What does it mean when a cat winks at you?
Why is my cat acting weird?
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