6 Odd Cat Behaviors Explained

Cats are always doing the weirdest things, from curling up in a ball to sleep, to zooming all across the house. However, most of these odd behaviors have a reason behind them. In this article I will be talking about 6 strange behaviors that most cats display.

Have you ever gone to check on your furry feline, and found them curled up in a ball or with their paws over their face? The reason cats sleep curled up in a ball is to maintain body heat. Cats prefer warmer temperatures than humans and in order to retain that heat they curl up in a ball or cover their eyes and nose with their paws. Cats also cover their face with their paws while sleeping to block out light, or simply because they fell asleep in a weird position.

Another strange cat behavior is kneading, or “making biscuits,” a behavior where cats repeatedly push their front paws against a surface. Cats typically knead on blankets, couches, beds, pillows, chairs, and even people. Kneading is a behavior that doesn’t have a fully known cause, but the leading theories are that it’s used by kittens to stimulate milk from their mothers. Another theory is that it is used to mark territory or show that your cat is content and feels safe.

Cats wink or slowly blink at their favorite people all the time, but what does it mean? When your kitty winks at you or blinks slowly while looking at you, it means that they are showing affection, kind of like a kiss. Slow blinking is used as a non-threatening signal between cats and people they feel safe and comfortable with, as well as between cats and other cats.

As Amazon and gift boxes piled up during the holidays, you may have found your cat crouching inside a box and peering out at you. This comes from the feline natural instinct to hide in small places while stalking their prey, and boxes are perfect for this. Your cat may also squeeze into a box because they like the texture of the box or because it is cool. Boxes with staples or packing peanuts can be dangerous for cats as they can injure themselves or eat the packing peanuts, so make sure to keep your cat away from those kinds of boxes.

If you let your cat outside, I’m sure you can recall a time where you found a dead mouse or bird lying around in your house. Cats love hunting, and will sometimes bring back their hunt as a gift. Having your cat leave its kill for you means that your kitty loves you and wants to make sure you are fed. Or perhaps they think you’re an inexperienced hunter and want to provide for you, like you provide for them.

All cat owners are familiar with their cats racing around the house, or the “zoomies” as many people call them. This is a normal behavior for cats, as they sleep around all day they build up a lot of energy, and what better way to let out all that energy than running around? If cats especially don’t have enough toys, the zoomies might be a regular occurrence in your household. Having more toys that don’t require humans moving them around, especially if you’re too busy to play with your feline friends every day, can help lessen the consistency of the midnight zoomies. 

These are just a few of the many odd things that our feline friends do in their lives. At the end of the day, most behaviors come down to instinct or affection. I hope you enjoyed reading my article, and next time you look at your furry friend, you’ll know the reason why they’re slowly blinking at you, so that you can do it back.