3 Widespread Misconceptions About Cats

Lots of people misunderstand cats—even individuals who love them. In my new guide, Purr: The Science of Making Your Cat Glad, I delve into what science tells us about cats and the way we will use it to assist in giving them even happier lives. Listed here are three widespread misconceptions that individuals usually ask me about. Understanding these concepts will aid you to be a greater cat individual—in addition to aid you not annoy your cat.

Cats don’t wish to be petted on the stomach

Many individuals, particularly if they’re already canine folks, assume that if a cat rolls over and reveals their tummy, they wish to be petted. Then they’re stunned when the cat scratches, bites, or runs away.

Cats’ tummies are very delicate. (If you concentrate on it, yours in all probability is just too). Most cats don’t wish to be petted on the stomach.

When a cat is feeling contented and relaxed, they’ll usually lie on their aspect with their stomach displaying. It’s not an invite to the touch it—it’s an indication that they’re feeling protected.

And typically in an interplay with you, a cat will roll over on their aspect and present their tummy. Once more, it’s not an invite—the cat is feeling protected and relaxed with you.

For those who attain out and contact their stomach, it’s going to damage the temper.

Each cat is a person and that implies that some cats will let sure folks pet them on the stomach. However most cats choose to be petted across the face and head.

Cats don’t wish to be cuddled

Many individuals additionally like to select their cat up and cuddle them, even perhaps holding them like a child. And once more they could be stunned when the cat wriggles, squirms, digs their claws in, and escapes as quickly as they will.

Being cuddled may be very intense and the cat doesn’t have the selection to get away (a minimum of, not with out all that squirming, wriggling, and clawing to make it occur).

It’s all the time finest to provide cats a selection when petting them. If a cat doesn’t wish to be petted (or petted anymore), there’s a danger they’ll chew or scratch.

As a substitute of scooping the cat up, strive getting right down to the cat’s degree and seeing if they’ll come to you. For those who let issues be on the cat’s phrases, you’ll get alongside a lot better.

For those who’re petting them and also you’re undecided if they need you to proceed, you may strive a consent check.

You’ll be able to’t count on cats to not scratch

One other widespread query that I get is whether or not you may prepare a cat to not scratch the furnishings.

The brief reply isn’t any, however you may prepare them to scratch their scratching publish as a substitute.

The reason being that scratching is a pure behaviour for cats that serves a number of functions together with maintaining their claws in good situation. So you may’t count on a cat to not scratch; they should do it.

Meaning it’s as much as you to supply appropriate scratching posts to your cat. Sadly, many individuals present posts which can be too brief or flimsy. Purpose for one thing good and tall and durable. You may also wish to place it strategically near surfaces they’ve been scratching as a substitute. Some cats wish to have a horizontal scratching floor too.

You’ll be able to enhance the probability of your cat utilizing their scratching publish by rewarding them (equivalent to with a small deal with) once they use it. That’s the place coaching can are available.

For those who’re an actual cat individual, you would possibly already know the following tips, however for many individuals, they nonetheless come as a shock. Seeing issues from the cat’s perspective could make a giant distinction, and understanding these three factors will make cats somewhat simpler to know.