cat - Barky.com.au

January 27, 2023

Why Do Cats Like to Knock Things Over? (The Scientific Reason)

If you own a cat, it will inevitably knock things over once in a while. Sometimes that can be amusing, but the sight of a valuable item lying in pieces on the floor is not a laughing matter.

But why do cats do this? Are they deliberately trying to annoy you? There is not enough scientific research on this issue. But that has not stopped cat experts from fronting their theories.

According to veterinarian Evelyn Kass, DVM, knocking things over is among several normal cat behaviors. Experts offer three reasons for this: Hunting instincts, attention-seeking, and playfulness. Read on to learn more about each.

The Scientific Reasons Why Cats Like to Knock Things Over

1. Hunting Instinct

Cats have natural predatory instincts. That means they are always hunting for something, and anything could be potential prey, mouse or not.

Part of the hunting process involves investigating. The cat must first make sure the object of interest is alive. It also needs to know whether it is harmless or potentially dangerous.

Your cat will sniff at the object and use its paw to bait it around, looking for movement. After all, the thing could be playing dead (a trick popular with mice). Sadly, these items eventually end up on the floor.

person working on laptop with a black cat on the table — Image Credit: Kari Shea, Unsplash

2. Getting Your Attention

It’s hard to believe, but sometimes the cat could deliberately knock things off the countertop. Yes, your suspicions could have been right all along.

Your cat can knock things off on purpose to get your attention. They will even look at you while doing it.

Cats love attention, some more than others. So, if your cat notices you have not acknowledged them lately, they will do anything to get you to notice them. That includes knocking that expensive vase off the shelf.

It may not be entirely the cat’s fault, though. Remember how you acted the last time it knocked something over? Perhaps you reacted positively by trying to offer it food or negatively by scolding it. Either way, the cat interpreted that as attention, and now it wants more.

3. They Want to Have Fun

Cats are naturally playful and are always looking for ways to have fun. If you are not playing with them or offering exciting toys and puzzles, they will find other ways to stimulate their mind.

In particular, house cats can get bored fast, especially when you leave by themselves most of the time. Sooner or later, the boredom will get to them, and they will turn your valuable items into toys.

Cats are also naturally curious and want to explore new changes in their surroundings. For instance, the new box of pens you placed on the table will pique its interest more than the toys it always has around.

Even if all you have done is rearrange items in your living room, the cat will still want to check things out. It will pick up on the subtlest of changes and proceed to investigate.

How to Deter the Behavior

Trying to tame behavior that comes as an instinct can be challenging. So, the most obvious solution is removing items that might pique your cat’s interest from view. But knowing cats, that can be almost everything.

Fortunately, there are several things you can try to keep that destructive behavior in control. Understanding the motivation behind the behavior can help you know which method to use in your case.

tabby cat with green eyes lying on the table — Image Credit: driesel, Pixabay

Schedule Play Time

Playtime is the perfect way to give your cat the attention it craves. It will also provide adequate mental and physical stimulation, ensuring your cat doesn’t need to knock things over.

Set aside at least 20 minutes every day and incorporate games and toys that play into your cat’s predatory instincts. Kick sticks and wand toys are perfect examples.

Redirect their Attention

You can also redirect your cat’s attention every time they want to engage in destructive behavior. So, the next time your cat jumps on the countertop to knock things over, offer it some toys or invite it for a play session.

Rotate Toys

Toys can be the perfect distraction. However, your cat can get bored with them quickly and switch its interest to the new items on the table or shelf.

Having a variety of toys is the answer. But don’t let it play with them all at once. Keep some of them hidden and rotate whenever it gets too familiar with some.

If your cat loves knocking things off your countertops just for the sake, buy toys it can knock over. A puzzle feeder is a great example, especially the one where the kibble falls out when the cat knocks it around.

Don’t React

Ignore your cat the next time it knocks something over. The worst thing you can do when it tries to get your attention by doing something naughty is to react. That will only serve to reinforce the behavior.

Reacting on the spot will only give the cat what it craves. It will remember that experience the next time it feels ignored, thus creating a cycle that will be hard to break.

So, remember to stop yourself whenever you feel the urge to scream at the cat or rush in to clean the mess. Instead, wait a little longer and only clean up when the cat forgets about it.

Use Positive Reinforcement

You can use treats and playtime to reinforce your cat’s good behavior. Reward it when it falls for your distractions and abandons its destructive ways.

If you do that enough times, the cat will realize engaging in safe play is the only way to get your attention. That will make it refrain from knocking things over.

How to Keep Your Cat Safe

Sometimes you can worry too much about your valuable items and forget your cat’s health and life are at stake too. The cat could knock down heavy unsteady objects on itself or step on sharp objects such as broken glass or a knife.

Controlling the cat’s behavior is essential, but some items should not be lying around for your pet to find. These include:

Sharp Objects

Keep sharp objects like knives, razors, and scissors away from your cat. But if they have to be close by, don’t place them near the edge of shelves, countertops, or tables.

Breakable Items

Keep breakable items such as glasses out of your cat’s reach. A slight push with the paw is enough to knock them off to the floor, so you better tuck them away in your cabinet.

black brown cat in the coffee table — Image Credit: Madalyn Cox, Unsplash

Heavy Objects

Don’t put heavy unsteady objects close by since they can fall on your cat. Be sure to anchor items like TVs and keep your house plants in sturdy containers.

Household Cleaners

Some household cleaners like bleach are poisonous to your cat. Therefore, avoid leaving them around where your cat can knock them over. Instead, keep them in secure containers and lock them in a cabinet.

Poisonous Plants

Some plants and flowers are toxic to cats. Examples include sago palms, irises, and lilies. Keeping vases of such flowers where your cat can knock them over easily is not safe.

Conclusion

It is not unusual for your cat to knock things over. Eliminating this destructive behavior may be impossible. But you can certainly manage it using the methods we outlined above.

Understanding the motivation behind your cat’s actions will allow you to know which method can work in your specific case. But remember to avoid any reaction that would serve to reinforce the behavior.

Most importantly, don’t forget your cat’s life is also at stake. Some objects can be dangerous to your feline friend, and it is better to keep them away if possible.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Martin Haas, Shutterstock

The post Why Do Cats Like to Knock Things Over? (The Scientific Reason) appeared first on Pet Keen.

January 26, 2023

7 Interesting Superstitions About Pets (Is There Any Truth To Them?)

Pets are beloved parts of human life and society. Throughout the years, pets such as cats and dogs have become the subject of numerous and varying superstitions. Superstitions arise out of myth, observation, experience, and close proximity over time. Many superstitions are silly, but some are harrowing and hair-raising. Do these superstitions have any truth to them? Where did these beliefs come from?

Here are 7 interesting superstitions about pets that are still talked about today.

The 7 Interesting Superstitions About Pets

1. Cats Have Nine Lives

One of the biggest superstitions about pets concerns cats. Many people like to claim that cats have nine lives. Cats seem to escape dangerous situations all the time. Some people even say that cats always land on their feet, but that is also untrue. Whether cats are spotted falling from trees or escaping dangerous outdoor predators, they seem to always emerge unscathed. This illusion of invincibility often follows cats into their old age. It may seem obvious, but it must be said that cats have only one life.

2. One Dog Year Is Worth Seven Human Years

dog with party hat and birthday cake — Image Credit: Ruth Black, Shutterstock

Another superstition that frequently comes up involves dogs. Many people say that one dog year is worth seven human years. This has led to people asking how old dogs are in human years and simply multiplying their age by seven. This is an incorrect assumption. Dogs live to be an average of 10 years old. That would equal 70 in human years, which is what makes people think that a dog’s life follows a linear 1:7 trajectory that mirrors humans. However, experts say that is not the case.

Dogs do not age and mature the same way that people do. Dogs tend to mature faster than people and reach maturity between 1 and 2 years old. That would put them at 7 to 14 in human years. Some dogs also live longer and age faster than other dogs, which also skews the conception about one dog year equaling seven human years.

3. Dogs & Cats Can See Ghosts & Spirits

Dogs and cats often seem to be reacting to things that people cannot see. Some people have claimed to see their dogs barking at an empty corner with nothing in sight. Other pet owners have observed cats seeming to follow something unseen around the house. These seemingly odd behaviors have led people to believe that dogs and cats can sense and see spirits or ghosts. There is no evidence to support that superstition.

It is more likely that the animals are either reacting to something completely natural that people cannot discern or are simply acting goofy. Dogs and cats have different sensory aptitudes than people. They have better hearing and better senses of smell. That means that your pet could simply be reacting to something they are hearing or smelling that you cannot detect at the moment. No ghosts are required. Sometimes, cats and dogs also have the urge to burn off energy by running around and playing on their own. This is especially true of younger animals. Your pet is likely not seeing spirits at all but just trying to get some exercise after laying around all day.

4. Stepping in Dog Poop Can Determine Your Fate

In an odd superstition originating in France, stepping in dog poop can either be good luck or portend certain doom. It is all about what foot you step in the poop with. Stepping in dog poop with your left foot results in good luck. Stepping in dog poop with your right foot means bad luck, possibly for life.

The average person will likely say that stepping in any dog poop is always bad luck. However, in Europe, you might find someone checking their shoes to see which foot they stepped in poop with. Science says that dog poop is dog poop. It is all gross, and it will likely cause a smelly mess when you step into it. No luck included.

5. A Dog’s Howl Portends Death

For centuries, a dog howling was connected to ill omens. Some people believed that if a dog was caught howling outside of a house, it was a sign of coming illness or death. If a dog was found howling outside the home of a sick person, that person was pegged as a lost cause. If the dogs were chased off and then returned, the omen was reinforced. Two howls close together often meant certain death.

The dog howling superstition has roots in cultures all over the world. The Egyptian god of death was Anubis, who had the head of a dog. Some people believe that howling dogs are calling for Anubis. In Europe, howling dogs were supposedly calling out to their spectral pack or the invisible spirits of the dead (see #3). Even American Protestants got in on the act, and the myth of the howling dog invaded the American south before the Civil War.

Dogs howl naturally, and there is nothing that points to a dog’s howl being anything but a natural behavior. In medieval times there used to be a lot more stray and wild dogs roaming about and, frankly, a lot more death, but the two are not necessarily connected.

6. Black Cats Are Bad Luck

close up of black cat with yellow eyes — Image Credit: Virvoreanu-Laurentiu, Pixabay

Like the superstition about the howling dogs, the idea that black cats are bad luck also has its roots in medieval lore. Starting sometime after the fall of the Roman Empire, black cats started becoming equated with witchcraft, the devil, and black magic. Spotting a black cat was quickly tied to the presence of evil or magic. This caused black cats to be targeted for hunting and extermination. Ironically, killing black cats actually caused more problems than solutions. Fewer cats during medieval times meant more pests like mice which then went on to spread disease, eat stored food, and cause misery among people. That is because black cats are not actually bad luck or are associated with evil. They are just cats, and cats have always been useful at hunting rodents and keeping small pest populations to reasonable levels.

7. Cats Listen & Spread Gossip

In an odd superstition originating in the Netherlands, some people believe that cats listen and spread gossip. The Dutch have a saying that claims if you speak freely around a cat, it will spread your words and cause gossip to spread. For these reasons, some superstitious people will refuse to have intimate or damning conversations in the presence of a cat. It is far more likely that the person you are talking to might not be as trustworthy as you believe. Science gently reminds us that cats can’t talk or understand English. That means they have no physical means of spreading your dirty secrets to your neighbors. Still, that hasn’t stopped some people from thinking that these pets are connected to the local rumor mill.

Conclusion

These superstitions are as ubiquitous as they are interesting. Some of these superstitions date back centuries or even millennia. From ghosts to lucky dog poop to howling canines, superstitions have followed people and their pets for generations. Superstitions are fun to indulge in from time to time, but they are not factual or true. Many behaviors are natural and simply coincide with human activities by pure chance.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash

The post 7 Interesting Superstitions About Pets (Is There Any Truth To Them?) appeared first on Pet Keen.

January 26, 2023

How Do Cats Walk So Quietly? Everything You Need To Know!

Cats are notorious for sneaking up and pouncing on their owners without them even noticing. While this is all harmless play, it sheds light on just how stealthy these adorable creatures are. Cats can walk silently and sneak up on their prey without being detected.

Felines are born hunters, and evolution has granted them anatomy that allows for optimum stealth and streamlined movement. They boast a handful of gaits and movements that allow them to move silently and gracefully and seamlessly transition to a full-speed sprint to capture their prey.

That said, how cats can walk so silently is a question that still puzzles many cat owners and enthusiasts. If you’re one of them, keep reading to learn everything you need to know.

Fluid Movement

cat walking on fence — Image Credit: fantom_rd, Shutterstock

The fluid movement that cats exhibit is beautiful to watch. But all the beauty and majesty of your cat’s walk is far from an aesthetic gimmick. Instead, it serves a predatory purpose by allowing cats to sneak up on their prey without detection.

Most of the cat breeds we see today are direct descendants of the North African and Southwest Asian wild cat. Wild cats are adapted to hunting in desert and jungle environments. The cats’ agility and tactility can be summed up in one word: form. Form describes the anatomy and movement of the cat’s body parts to facilitate stealth walking.

The front and hind legs of cats are structured differently and perform different functions. Cats also have a tiny, free-floating collarbone that allows them to squeeze through tight spaces. This also allows for all legs to stay close together, giving them incredible dexterity. That’s why cats can easily transition between short and long strides, burst into speed sprints almost instantaneously, and stay flexible all the while.

A close look at the cat’s front legs will reveal that they’re hinged backward with a slight bend. They’re also straighter and a tad shorter than the front legs, and they can rotate more easily than the hind legs. The hind legs are much shorter and have a larger surface area than the front legs. They help propel the cat forward and upward.

At the base of your cat’s legs are thick, fleshy, hairless paws. The front paws have five toes, while the hind paws have four. These toes have sharp, curled claws that help the cats climb up surfaces, capture prey, and ward off threats.

Cats are digitigrade, meaning they can walk on both their toes and the balls of their feet. This allows for much faster movement, which is crucial for stealthy attacks. Cats also have flexible, elastic cushioning on their spinal disks, making them a lot more flexible. It can also extend and compress when needed to allow for short strides, huge leaps, and direct registering.

What Is Direct Registering?

Direct registering is a way of walking in animals where the hind paws place the hind paws directly on the corresponding front paws. This allows them to minimize their tracks and move as silently as possible.

With indirect registering, the chances of walking on a noisy, breaking twig are high because the feet are all over. The same chances are greatly minimized with direct registering. Cats show almost perfect direct registering, which lends a lot to their stealthy and swift movement.

bengal cat walking on a fence — Image Credit: JanineWilkins, Pixabay

Different Gaits for Different Situations

Gait is simply how someone or something walks. The anatomy of cats allows them to walk in different gaits, depending on the situation. Here are all the cat gaits and when they employ them.

Walking – This is the standard gait for cats during leisure and free roaming. It’s a four-beat gait involving all four feet, where all touch the ground at different times. All four legs move diagonally, first the front legs, then the hind legs. There are cases when two or three feet touch the ground simultaneously.
Trot – Trotting occurs when your cat advances curiously toward an object. This gait is two-beat, engaging diagonally opposite feet for one beat. One diagonal pair starts, followed by the next to complete the trot. The tail remains straight throughout the trot and helps keep the cat in balance.
Pace – Like the trot, pacing is also a two-beat gait but doesn’t involve diagonal pairs. Instead, the front pair of feet move first, followed by the hind pair. Direct registering is still maintained during this gait.
Canter – You can think of a canter as a faster-paced trot. It’s a three-beat gait, where one paw touches the ground during one phase. Sometimes three paws touch the ground simultaneously. The last paw that touches the ground goes to the front of the other paws, and the process repeats.
Run – A run, or short gallop, is the shortest and fastest gait that cats use to chase after prey or escape predators and threats. This is similar to a canter gait, except that sometimes it consists of a suspension gait. A suspension phase is where the cat’s feet are suspended in the air with no paws touching the ground. This only occurs for some nanoseconds. Think of it like a cat repeatedly leaping to cover large distances.

Are There Any Drawbacks To the Cat’s Stealthy Movements?

The stealth-ness of our feline counterparts does come at a cost. While they can easily sneak up on prey and devour them in minutes, they have to sacrifice efficiency. These slow, calculated movements require much more concentration, draining much of the cat’s energy. If they don’t catch their prey, a lot of energy goes to waste.

Siamese cat walking outdoor — Image Credit: rihaij, Pixabay

Conclusion

Cats are incredibly fascinating creatures, and silence is gold to them. Their incredible anatomy confers to them a considerable degree of advantage on hunting grounds. This, coupled with their innate predatory instincts and sharp claws and teeth, give them unmatched hunting capabilities. Thankfully, we don’t count as their prey, so we can cuddle up with them and watch them as they walk gracefully in our homes.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Alexandra Giese, Shutterstock

The post How Do Cats Walk So Quietly? Everything You Need To Know! appeared first on Pet Keen.