Wat does a term "Halloween Cat" stand for? a MISCHIEF MAKER

Why does my cat scratch walls? Cat Scratching as Communication

Ok, this post is meant for those who are proud owners of a cat, a scratching post and a flat full of scratched furniture. Lets assume that your cat has a scratching post and regularly uses it. Why would the cat scratch the furniture? Why would your cat scratch walls in the middle of the night? Is it laziness? Is it lack of training? While these are possible explanations, there is one other reason why a cat might do this. It is trying to communicate, to get your attention!Cats are normally nocturnal animals, and if they become bored, it is natural that they want their human to wake up and entertain them.

Cats are highly intelligent. According to some research, they can achieve the mental level of a 2-year old human. Cats are also great problem solvers and will work out ways to get what they want. The problem is, they have difficulty communicating their needs to us.

Recommended treatment: a squirt from a spray bottle, or shaking a can filled with coins. If this fails and your cat wins the mental battle, use ear plugs :-)And dont even think of Draconian measures such as declawing a cat - its barbaric and unethical

Falling Victim to a Stealing Animal - Why does my cat nick stuff?

Have you ever taken off your watch or ring while working in the yard only to find it has disappeared? Have you had door mats or clothes from the clothes line mysteriously vanish? If this has happened to you, you may be the victim of animals who steal. Animals will steal under the cover of darkness or boldly pull a daylight robbery without giving it a second thought. Why do they do it? The theory is that cats are treating the objects they're collecting as prey and are bringing it back to their "den".

Solution:

1)Talk to your cat, explain that this behaviour is just unacceptable. Sometimes they need a firm telling, you know?
2) Give your cat a new hair cut that causes her/him to resemble a squirrel. Then it really doesnt matter that he/she is so nutty.
3) Steal the stolen objects away from your cat and hide the stash in a secret place. Treat the magpie with its own medicine :-)

"Cats seem to go on the principle that it never does any harm to ask for what you want." -- Joseph Wood Krutch

Why does a cat.....

Why do some cats go crazy over catnip, but others ignore it?
The response to catnip is the result of a gene in the cat; if the cat doesn't have the gene, it cannot physically react to catnip. Some cats will react to catnip by rolling around on the floor in delight, others will just quickly eat it up and wander off, while others will ignore it completely. It's like a cat cocain.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is a plant in the mint family that grows wild as a weed and is found throughout the United States, particularly in the Midwest.

Cats under three months of age usually do not respond to catnip. Most older cats typically become excited or aroused as they smell, chew and eat catnip. They will frequently salivate, roll and rub, and sometimes run and leap in the air when responding to the catnip. It may be applied to scratching posts or used in stuffed toys.

Not all cats are stimulated by catnip to the same degree, and over a third of cats will not respond at all. Strange as it may seem, the different responses are probably due to environmental factors, genetics, and the gender of the cat (males are more likely to respond than females). If a cat who normally reacts to catnip is in a strange environment or is anxious, she may not react to the catnip. Cats in certain genetic 'lines' do not react to catnip. No one really understands the genetic trait, but it can be bred into a line through genetic selection.

The cat-active ingredient in catnip is 'nepatalactone.' This substance closely resembles a chemical found in the urine of female cats. This may be why unneutered males generally have more of a reaction to catnip than females and neutered males.

Cat in Brazil

Cat in Argentina

Cat in Rome

The cat in gloves catches no mice. Benjamin Franklin

Why does your cat.......?

Why does your cat wash your hair or face?
The first thing a kitten experiences, even before it can see, is its mother licking and washing. Grooming is a demonstration of love and caring. So, if your cat occasionally washes your hair or licks your face, he is showing you his acceptance and caring of you as a fellow feline.

Why does a cat "knead" or "make biscuits" or "make cupcakes"?
When a kitten is nursing, it typically kneads its paws against its mother, either as a sign of contentment or to encourage the milk flow. When the cat matures, it kneads to show its contentment and pleasure.

Why does a cat sometimes wash its fur immediately after being petted?
There are two theories on this behavior. One theory proposes that the cat is getting rid of the human smell. The other is that the cat is furthering the pleasure of his association with you by tasting your scent.

Why does your cat bring you dead or dying creatures?
There are at least four differing theories on this behavior:
- Your cat is bringing you a present, in appreciation for you feeding it or as a sign of affection.
- Your cat realizes you are a totally incompetent mouser and is trying to educate you.
- The cat is bringing her prey home to where it is safe, where she usually eats.
- The cat is simply trying to make sure you have fresh food

Why does your cat take a small bite on your arm or cheek and hold on for a few seconds?
Some cats, when they are very happy and feeling extremely affectionate toward the Big Unfurry Cat, will gently take a piece of human skin between their teeth and hold it for a few seconds. Think of it as the feline equivalent of kissing.

Why do some cats insist on drinking from a dripping faucet?
Cats - like most other animals - prefer their food and water fresh, and running water is most appealing for that reason. Too, the motion of water coming out of a faucet is probably appealing to their sense of hearing and sight. Some cats will even put their paw into their water dish and "swirl" it around so they can drinking "running" water

Why does a cat spend so much time grooming?
Besides the obvious purpose of hygiene and the social aspects, grooming helps cats cope with confrontation or embarassment (you may have noticed that if a cat accidentally falls off a chair, the first thing he does is nonchalantly wash himself, as though he intended to get down in the first place.)


Why does a cat frequently demand attention when you're on the telephone?
The cat, since it can't see the person you are talking to, presumes you are talking to him, and is responding to what he perceives is your conversation with him

Why do cats chew on plants?
It could be that the grass helps the cat get rid of fur swallowed while grooming, or that grass provides fiber or vitamins and minerals not found in meat. Some plants are poisonous to a cat; others are okay for nibbling.

"I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul." ~Jean Cocteau

"One cat just leads to another." -- Ernest Hemingway

A smiling cat

To bathe a cat.....

To bathe a cat takes brute force, perseverance, courage of conviction - and a cat. The last ingredient is usually hardest to come by.Stephen Baker