You must have come across the saying, “Curiosity killed the cat,” more than once in your life. But curiosity in cats isn’t all that bad.
Does your cat tend to rustle through bushes looking for something regularly? Does your cat like setting base in unlikely places? Why are our feline friends so curious?
We have all the answers to your queries about your cats. Read on to know more!
- Cats are Opportunists
Humans tend to underestimate the intelligence of cats. If anything, they take notice of their surroundings just like we do. If you are a cat parent, you must have seen your cat develop little routines over time or them walking the same route every other day. When presented with an opportunity to discover something, cats aren’t the type of creatures who will pass it up.
Did you know cats have a fascinating history? They used to live as predators in the wild, which equipped them with a lot of qualities.
- Survival Instincts in Cats
Survival instinct in cats is one of the main reasons behind cats being so curious all the time. At one moment, your cat could be enjoying its daily nap. However, it will be up and running behind a mouse at the very next moment.
A lot of things could lead to your cats becoming curious. But, we can all agree that these reactions are amusing and cute to watch.
- Cats React to Sounds
It is common knowledge that cats have powerful hearing abilities. As compared to humans, the hearing ability in cats is five times more powerful. If your cat is acting extra suspicious, it is probably a sound that inspired this reaction in them.
Whenever cats hear any unfamiliar sound, such as a creak or a knock at the door or a squeak of some kind, they are overcome with curiosity to find the source of the sound. They won’t be reassured until they have managed to discover the said source.
- Any Sudden Movement
If your feline pet notices a sudden movement in the corner of its eye, it will most definitely perk up and take notice. Sudden movements can disturb cats and cause anxiety in them.
While cats have a predatory background, they also have fight or flight responses which can be triggered due to some disturbances in their surroundings.
- Their Love for Unlikely Spaces
Does your cat love to sit atop a cardboard box regularly? Do you often find your cat behind your sofa or any other small spaces?
Cats use their survival instincts and curious nature to explore spaces that could be useful to them, especially when they plan to ambush their prey. But, how can a small cardboard box be of any help to our feline friends?
Well, domesticated cats do not have as many resources as wild animals have in their surroundings. Consequently, they tend to make use of whatever little they can find. At the end of the day, these habits are what makes cats so endearing!
- Hunting Skills Practice
As mentioned earlier, our feline friends have a predator background. This background in cats arms they with hunting instincts. Cats that live in the wild spend most of their time hunting for prey. Domesticated cats also have these tendencies. In fact, it isn’t easy to rid domesticated cats of these age-old habits.
- Cat Toys
If you are a cat parent, you must have realized that most cat toys tend to resemble animals, e.g., a mouse or a bird. These toys can imbibe curiosity in your pets, and they will run after these toys or play with them as they would run after real prey in the wild.
Over time, however, domesticated cats have become more mild-natured and will toss the toys around during playtime.
- Playtime for Cats
Cats love playtime! Even though they are as cute as a button, young kittens can drive you insane with how much they love to play around. They will go around knocking over bowls and climbing all over people in their homes.
If you have just bought a young kitten home, you might ruffle its fur to see its reaction. But your cat is as curious to see your next move as you are to see its reaction! These activities can be employed to train cats on how to read and understand other creatures better.
- Cats Love to Explore
Cats don’t just have a predatory or hunting background. They are also natural-born explorers. In the absence of toys, they will find some other activities to do in their free time. Maybe, they will try to figure out the reason behind the movement of human toes. Your cat might knock over a vase in trying to figure out what noise it will make when it hits the ground.
While your cat being curious is fun to watch, it can also drive you insane. After all, how much mess can one person tolerate? But remember that your cat is trying to figure out its surroundings just like we do.
It is prevalent for cats to wander around in the neighbourhood and to meet other cats and people. If your cat spends a lot of time staring out the window, the cat is trying to figure out the new surroundings. It is a healthy way to satisfy their curious nature.
However, it would be best if you took up certain precautions before you let your cat wander outside. Ensure that your cat is neutered, wormed, and tagged before it wanders out into the neighbourhood.
To Sum Up
The more curious your cat, the more closely it will want to follow you around. Even if you get up to get a glass of water, your cat might tag along. It is because cats are more similar to humans than you think. Aren’t we afraid of missing out on things all the time? Well, so are cats!
There is still a lot more to know about the curious nature of cats. But we all know and accept the fact that this nature is far from annoying. If anything, curiosity makes them all the more charming and fascinating!