As kittens grow and begin to explore their environment, they express their inherent instincts and characteristics that can be difficult for some owners to handle. It is normal for them to leave visual and olfactory marks to signal others of their presence.
They do this by scratching trees or driftwood outdoors and scraping furniture, kitchen cabinets, or door frames indoors. Scratching also removes the outer layers of skin from the claws to release sharper claws underneath. Keeping the scratch tree or post in the center of your living area will help with this situation. Cats leave scent marks to say, “I’m here!” Males spray their urine in certain areas of the house and on furniture.
This is a very unpleasant experience for the owners. Spaying the cat may help reduce the problem. Cats rub their owners’ hands and faces with their bodies, heads, and cheeks, and lick their hands and faces. These signs of affection that owners appreciate are actually scent marks.
Cats are very good at keeping clean and perform a daily grooming ritual. This helps maintain a healthy coat and skin. Cats have a very rough tongue, and by licking their hair, they clean and untangle matted hair and remove pests and loose hair. They can reach most of your body except the head. For this area, they first lick their paw and then wipe their face, ears, and head with it.
This does a pretty efficient job. The claws grow continuously. By scratching various objects with the front claws, it helps to keep them healthy. To keep their hind claws healthy, they use their teeth to brush them.
All kittens to adult cats spend most of the day sleeping, although it is not done at the same time. Happens all day for cat naps. Cats have periods of quiet sleep and also periods of rapid eye movement, just like humans. In REM periods, their eyes, ears, tails, and whiskers twitch even though they are sound asleep. Cats are fascinating to watch during these and all the different activities they do every day.
A very unusual trait of cats is their reaction to catnip. Cats are the only species that shows this behavior. Catnip is a herb that grows wild in temperate climates. For an unknown reason, cats are attracted to her. They smell it, lick it, chew it, and roll in it. It does not appear to harm them in any way. A loving gesture would be to give your pet a special catnip treat from time to time. They will love it!
By patiently understanding these characteristic instincts and habits of your pet, you will be able to build a close and happy relationship with each other. If you overlook your flaws, the whole family can benefit and really enjoy each other’s company. Remember they are guided by instinct! You are not.