Cats can be strange and mystifying creatures.  You can get to know your can better by understanding why he does some of the things he does. 

For example, when a cat is content, he purrs.  No one really knows how the cat purrs.  We just know that he does it when he is content.  He learned that from kittenhood.  His mother purred to let him know she was nearby.  He purred in response to her grooming.  Some adult cats will purr to let a nearby cat know he is non-threatening.  Be careful with purring though – some cats will purr when frightened or in pain.

Another thing a cat will do when content is “knead” with his paws on some soft surface, like a cushion, or you!  This behavior started when he was a kitten drinking his mother’s milk.  “Kneading” her belly with his paws would encourage the milk flow.  This made him happy.  He continued the kneading behavior to show his contentment and pleasure.  Purring and kneading often happen simultaneously.

A cat shows affection, some say, by “head butting” and forcefully “bumping” his body against yours.  These actions are often done to other cats, as well.  This is just their way of getting your attention.

However, if it’s a more gentle rubbing of his face or tail against you, he could be “scenting you up.”  Cats have scent glands along the sides of their faces, their lips, and the base of their tails.  They distribute these scents on door jams, corners, furniture and you to tell other cats to stay away.  Your cat is claiming you as belonging to him and no other cat.  He’s also picking up your scent at the same time.  These scents, although obvious to the cat, are generally unnoticeable to humans.

Another way the cat passes on it’s scent is by scratching.  Another place for these scent glands is in between the pads of your cat’s paws.  Therefore, when he’s scratching up your furniture, he’s probably not sharpening his claws as many people think.  He’s “scenting” the furniture and making sure all other cats know it’s already taken.  Another reason he’s scratching is to get rid of the outer, unneeded layer of his claws.  It’s his manicure.

Some cat owners get confused or disturbed by another common sign of cat affection.  When especially happy and comfortable, your can may take some of your skin somewhat gently between his teeth and hold it there for a time.  This is a little love nip and means he's really feeling affectionate.  Think of it as a little cat kiss.

One of the first things new-born kittens experience is the licking and washing from his mother.  To a cat, grooming is a demonstration of love and caring.  You’ll often see one cat grooming another.  This shows that these cats have accepted each other and have a certain mutual affection.  Cats will also do this with their favorite people.  If your cat occasionally licks your hair or face, it just shows he accepts you as a fellow feline.

But what if he licks himself right after you’ve been petting him?  Well, there are two theories – pick which one you like best.  1)  The cat is washing off the human smell you pet into him.  2)  The cat is extending the pleasure of the pet session by “tasting” you on his fur.

If you’ve ever had a kitten, you know you don’t really have to teach it how to use the cat box.  Once he knows where it is, he’ll use it automatically.  This is because in the wild, cats will bury their feces to avoid detection by predators.  This habit has remained ingrained in house cats today.

Has your cat ever brought you a dead mouse or other prey?  My cat has.  In fact, once while out of town, he put a dead mouse in one of my shoes for me to find by surprise when I next readied myself for work.  There are at least four differing theories on this behavior:

- Your cat is bringing you a present as a thanks for feeding it or a sign of affection.

- Your cat realizes how incompetent you are as a mouser and is trying to teach you.
- He is bringing his prey home where he eats, where it’s safe.
- Your cat is trying to make sure you have fresh food.

Cats will often play with their prey.  This is because a cat’s eyes are attracted to movement.  If the prey continues to move even after it’s been killed, the cat will continue to be attracted to it.  The cat may have become so stimulated during the chase that he continues to bat it around for a short time after it stops moving.

Some cats respond to catnip and some cats don’t.  The response to catnip is hereditary.  If the cat doesn’t have the “catnip gene,” he won’t physically react to catnip.  Some cats roll around the catnip in pure joy, others eat it, and yet others ignore it altogether.

Most cats and other animals prefer their food and water fresh.  That’s why your cat will prefer to drink from a faucet or other source of running water.  And since cats eyes are attracted to movement, the motion of running water is also pleasing to your cat.  Some cats will even swirl the water in their stationery dish with their paw in order to drink moving water.

A cat will often curl back its upper lip in something resembling a sneer when they smell an interesting and intense odor.  What it’s really doing is called “flehming,” or getting a better whiff.  The cat has an organ called Jacobson’s organ in the roof of it’s mouth.  This motion is actually drawing the odors up into this organ in order to smell it more deeply.

Often cats will express their affection at an inconvenient time, like when you’re on the telephone.  Human children will often do the same.  Why?  It’s because they can’t see or hear who you are talking to, so they assume you’re talking to them.  They are merely responding.

You may have noticed the health and appearance of some of your plants has gone severely down hill since you got your cat.  Yes, a common problem with cat ownership is houseplant deterioration.  Cat eat plants out of instinct.  Grass provides fiber or vitamins and minerals not found in the meat that is generally most of their diet.  It also helps them get rid of fur swallowed while grooming.  Be careful about the types of plants you keep around a cat, because some are poisonous to them.

 Cats are loving, playful and always fascinating pets.  Understanding why your cat behaves the way he does will keep you, he and your entire household happy and purring!