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Why Does He Do That?

By Courtney 50 Comments

I’m switching things up a bit this afternoon.

Somebody was complaining that he wasn’t getting enough face time on the blog. I’m not going to mention any names…I think you’ll know who I’m talking about.

Recently, Jay was telling me how he came across an article all about cats, explaining some of the funny things that they do. I asked him to send the article to me so I could read the whole thing, and found myself chuckling on more than one occasion over the various reasons as to why cats do certain things.

You know, it ain’t no secret over here…we looooove cats! Well, one cat, specifically.

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So if you’re a fellow cat lover like I am, then you may find some of these little Q&A’s amusing. If you’re not a fellow cat lover, well then, you’re just plain crazy.

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And maybe you should come visit this little guy so he can help change your mind. Winking smile

*****

While not everything on the list applied to Cody (you can see it here), there were a few things that really stood out to me, as I could totally relate them to my little fur ball.

Why does a cat “knead” or “make biscuits”?
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.

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Why does a cat go to the visitor who doesn’t like cats?
When one cat is threatening another, it stares boldly, sometimes hisses, and frequently moves in toward the other cat. Usually, the person who doesn’t like cats avoids looking at it, doesn’t talk to it, and sits quietly, hoping to be ignored by the cat. The cat, therefore, sees the person’s behavior as “cat-friendly” and practically inviting.

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Why does your cat push its head against you?
This is called “head butts”. This is a cat’s way of showing affection. Some cats will turn their head, and push it against a human (or another cat).

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Why does a cat do a stiff-legged hop/touch against a human?
That is the cat’s body language of saying, “hey, hi there, how ya doin’?”

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Why does your cat rub up against you?
Cats have scent glands along the tail, on each side of their head, on their lips, base of their tail, chin, near their sex organs, and between their  front paws. They use these glands to scent mark their territory. When the cat rubs you, he is marking you with his scent, claiming you as “his.” Too, he is picking up your scent. Cats rub up against furniture or doorways for the same reason – to mark the item as “his”.

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Why does a cat attack human’s ankles?
Kitten play always involves mock battles, with surprise attacks, pounces, and leaps. The kitty is basically trying to play, as he would with another cat. Direct him to less painful game play – chasing balls, cords, and so on.

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Why do some cats put their toys in their water or food dish?
Cats look upon their food area as part of their territory, and that particular area of their territory usually doesn’t change from day to day – so the cats are likely putting their favorite toys away in a “safe” place. Some cats will consistently put away their toys when they’re through playing with them – you might try putting your cat’s toys in a small basket near one of his favorite spots and see if he will put them away on his own.

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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.

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Why do cats roll over on their backs?
Cats roll over on their backs for a variety of reasons: if your cat flops down in front of you and rolls over on his back for a belly scratch, it’s a sign of his complete trust in you that you won’t ever hurt him. (<—this is Cody to a T!) Other times, he wants to play. If the cat is female and in heat, it’s a form of foreplay. It’s also a part of their social standing. Domesticated cats don’t display this as much as wild ones do. Wild cats have a very similar social structure to that of wolves.

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Why does a cat hate getting wet?
Actually, many cats enjoy water and at least one breed is known to enjoy fishing and swimming. But, it has to be on their own terms – being picked up by two human hands and dunked in a sink full of water is not on the cat’s “own terms.”

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Ummm, I swear Cody did that all on his own…

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Pretty fun, right? Smile

Now I just want to know why the article didn’t include questions such as…

“Why does my cat like to raid the bar at night?”

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“Why does my cat like to get himself into any bag or box he can find”?”

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“How in the world can my cat soar through the air like a flying squirrel?”

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Now THOSE would be fun questions to have answered. Anyone want to take a stab at ‘em…?

Question for the Afternoon:

Are you more of a dog or a cat person? (I promise, we’ll all still be friends if you say dogs.) Winking smile

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Related

August 29, 2011 Filed Under: Cody Tagged With: Cody, why cats do what they do

About Courtney

I'm a working mom of two beautiful little boys, Lucas and Alex, and I began writing Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life in April 2010. I enjoy chronicling my love of food (healthy and indulgent!), baking, motherhood, fitness, fashion, and everything in between!

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Comments

  1. Kathryn says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:37 pm

    I love all animals. We live in an apartment, so to have a dog, unless it was a tiny one, would just be cruel. To be honest, I don't really care for small dogs...give me a big dog anyday. Lab, Great Dane...love them! We have a cat and 2 rats right now. Next animal to get will be ferrets, but that won't be until the rats are no more (they have short lives). Once we get a house, we're totally getting a dog. I just love them both! A cat in my lap and a dog next to me on the couch!
    Reply
  2. Faith @ For the Health of It says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:45 pm

    I'm a dog person - always will be! Cats are cute and all, but I've had some bad experiences with them. My roommates cats loved to pee on my bed (and she didn't love to do anything other than hand me a vinegar bottle) - so I'm definitely jaded towards the puppy side of the spectrum!
    Reply
  3. Trainer Kjirsten @ Balanced Healthy Life says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:48 pm

    I love both the same! When I was growing up we had the most amazing cat, she was seriously like my little furry best friend. I was so devasted when she passed away. My husband isn't a cat person, so we got a puppy earlier this year. I love him so much, but he isn't an snuggly as my cat was.
    Reply
  4. Cait @ Cait hates Cake says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    I am probably more of a dog person, BUT the type of dog I have, the Basenji, is often described as having many cat-like characteristics...they groom themselves like cats, they don't bark, they seek out the sunny spots to lay in, and they are very independent. My dog also drinks out of the bathtub faucet like my cats growing up used to do ;)
    Reply
  5. jen says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:51 pm

    haha, this is awesome! cats are so funny!
    Reply
  6. Paige @ Running Around Normal says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:52 pm

    Baby Cody is so cute!! I had no idea cats had scent glands in their tails! Clarabelle makes much more sense now :)
    Reply
  7. Lauren (Sugar Spice and Daisies ) says

    August 29, 2011 at 1:54 pm

    This is such a cute post! I love all the pictures of Cody :)
    Reply
  8. Danielle @ Dish'n'dash says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    I'm definitely a cat person! My cat, Lucy, loves to sniff my hair and then knead my head - I've never known another cat to do this. And to answer your three questions: because they can! I love seeing Lucy try to squeeze herself into boxes that are clearly to small and I will often leave an empty box in the kitchen for her to sit in while I'm cooking and baking. It is a 'safe space' for her, I think.
    Reply
  9. Sara says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    What a fun post! My cat has many of the same behaviors. I never knew that about grabbing on to you with their teeth, that it's actually a good thing! My cat also loves water, and insists on jumping in the shower as soon as I'm done (once she fell in during, that was an interesting experience!)
    Reply
  10. Whitney says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:12 pm

    DOGS! Cats scare me because I never know what they are going to do. I'm also allergic to them so I am biased :)
    Reply
  11. Andrea @ Onion in My Hair says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    OMG I LOVED THIS POST, COURTNEY! I especially cracked up about cats going to the one person in the room who doesn't like or want to play with the cat. That always happens to my BFF when she comes to my house...and she hates ALL pets! Nice job on the big ole post, Cody!
    Reply
  12. JN says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:17 pm

    I love all animals, but cats and I are like peas & carrots. :) I do know that cats like to curl up in smaller places, like boxes and bags, because it makes them feel safer. So, if you get a cat bed, get a smaller one that seems like it will barely fit them; they'll use it way more than a larger bed. I cracked up when they referred to humans as Big Unfurry Cat in the post. :)
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      August 29, 2011 at 2:22 pm

      Hahaha, that comment made me laugh when I first read it too :)
      Reply
  13. Halley (Blunder Construction) says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:19 pm

    I looove this post! We need more feline lovin' around the blogosphere. I'm cat lover!! My guy's name is Jelly and he has a big belly that he loves to flop over and show me. I would like to know why he howls as soon as we turn the lights off at nighttime.
    Reply
    • Courtney says

      August 29, 2011 at 2:23 pm

      OH MY GOSH! I just checked out Jelly...him and Cody could be twins!! :-D
      Reply
  14. Becky @ Fit Chick on the Fly says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    Dog person :) Only because I'm allergic to cats! I <3 all animals equally!
    Reply
  15. Cynthia (It All Changes) says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    I love cats but they love me to death...darn allergies. Hence my two little dogs. But Peanut thinks she's a cat and does so many of those cat things. She even meows when she wants to bark but knows she isn't allowed.
    Reply
  16. Shayla @ The Good Life says

    August 29, 2011 at 2:57 pm

    Awww love the baby Cody pics! I've owned cats all throughout my childhood so I'm a definite cat lover. And I love "head butts!" Out of all 3 of our cats, I had one that I was super close to and I'd always kneel down to her head and she'd always affectionately head butt me back, loved that! However only when she was in a good mood, sometimes she'd nip at me instead thinking I wanted to play! :)
    Reply
  17. Aine @ Something to Chew Over says

    August 29, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    I love dogs but I'm such a cat person! This post really made me smile - Cody finally get the proper amount of blog time he deserves :) I love cats so much that I actually knew of all these already!
    Reply
  18. Ruthie Hart says

    August 29, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    Cody looks so adorable soaking wet!! I think cats are so cute. I really love the way they look so sweet but I am deathly afraid of them. :-( and my husband is obsessed with cats but really allergic lol!
    Reply
  19. Nicole says

    August 29, 2011 at 3:12 pm

    I grew up with cats, and they were great. But now we have a dog, and I couldn't imagine life without her. She's a two-year old, 90 lb, long-haired German Shepherd (AKA fluffy teddy bear). Since we don't have any kids yet, she is definitely our baby :)
    Reply
  20. Melissa @ Will Work for Veggies says

    August 29, 2011 at 3:16 pm

    Hahaha omg, I loved this post!! I loved seeing the pictures of little Cody!!! How cute!! It makes me remember how my kitties used to be so little and cute... now they're just big, cute goobers. :) I wish I knew why cats love getting into boxes and bags!! My cat, Maddy, does that ALL the time!! Sometimes it drives me crazy, because she'll tear up whatever is in there too. Crazy kitties!! Also, our cats loooove getting in the bathtub/shower. It's so crazy. When they were little, the minute they heard the shower running, they would coming dashing in and hop right into the shower. They just stood there too, getting wet!!! So weird! So finally we had to kick them out of the bathroom because we couldn't even get them out... and kitties do not belong in the shower, haha. Great post!
    Reply
  21. Megan (Braise The Roof) says

    August 29, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    Haha, I love it! I am a TOTAL cat person- your pictures of Cody totally slay me. I think the bag/box thing is because they feel safer when they're in small spaces. But I could totally be making that up. ;)
    Reply
  22. Mary @ Bites and Bliss says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:01 pm

    CUTE post!! I loved this and read each other them to Michael cause he's always asking the same questions. :P
    Reply
  23. Eunice says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:10 pm

    Cute post. My boyfriend (who is not really a cat person) would always get mad because my cat would sit there and stare at him for hours at a time. Now I know she wanted to be friend with him! Aww..
    Reply
  24. Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:21 pm

    LOVE this!!! Total cat person right here. It still weirds me out when a cat kneeds at me though, especially my stomach. I love cat's more than almost anyone I know but that just gets me for some reason!! My cat will try to eat ANY piece of plastic in my house he can find.... ugh!
    Reply
  25. Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:34 pm

    I'm definitely a dog person, but I like friendly cats as well!
    Reply
  26. Whitney says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:43 pm

    I'm a cat AND dog person-- I grew up with both, and can't imagine living without either of them! Currently, we don't have a dog yet, but we have 1 two-year old cat, Nina, who does pretty much ALL of these things listed (makes me chuckle), and we just adopted a 3 month old long-haired fluffy kitten and named him Oliver. We plan on getting a dog sometime next year when we can afford to put up a fence around our yard. I have a soft spot for my kitty fur-babies, and love that you love your fur-boy so much!! He is just so stinkin' cute! My Nina used to sleep on the back of my neck like that as a little baby, too. And now Oliver likes to give kisses on my nose and lips-- he actually licks them after rubbing his head all over my face!! It always makes me giggle!
    Reply
  27. Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:48 pm

    Haha-- you can tell that Cody loves being in the spotlight. He's practically striking a pose for each picture! That's really interesting about the whole kneading thing! I used to have a cat named Bear who would always sleep right above my head on my pillow and he would knead for LITERALLY 20 minutes before he would finally lay down. THEN in the middle of the night he would get up and knead some more. At least now I know he was enjoying himself? :D
    Reply
  28. Stephanie @ A Hungry Bookworm says

    August 29, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    Love the pictures of baby Cody! We have a dog, so technically I guess I'm a dog person, but I'm really starting to think I may have to get a cat one day.
    Reply
  29. Meg says

    August 29, 2011 at 5:07 pm

    How cute! Unfortunately, I'm terribly allergic to cats, so I'm a dog person by default. But I can appreciate anyone who believes their pet talks! ;)
    Reply
  30. Girl In The Pink says

    August 29, 2011 at 5:41 pm

    Cute post! I am an animal lover in general, but I definitely am more of a dog person! My dog is so needy and lovey, I can't help but play favorites!
    Reply
  31. Tracy @ Tracy's Treats says

    August 29, 2011 at 5:49 pm

    I'm definitely a dog person, but I like cats too! Yours looks so friendly, it practically reminds me of a dog!
    Reply
  32. Claire says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:01 pm

    I have always had doggies so naturally I am dog-person. I am only a cat person (because I think they are so sweet and cute) if someone else shows me that it's ok to pet them or pick them up...they have a little "wild" side that I cannot read. I think if I owned one, I would feel better about them!! :-)
    Reply
  33. erica says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:09 pm

    i'm a total dog person...but i do love me a cody-post!
    Reply
  34. Jessamy @ The Rambling Asian says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    CAT!!!!!!!!! :)
    Reply
  35. Socal Rachel says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:23 pm

    Aww...little kitty Cody is so cute. I had an Orange cat I got when he was a kitten, he passed about 2 years ago. I still miss him.
    Reply
  36. nicole @ simply-nicole says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:31 pm

    Sorry Courtney, I'm a dog lover. Cat's scare me! lol. I think it's their claws! hah
    Reply
  37. Elizabeth @TheBareMidriff says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    Oh my goodness, this was great! I love love LOVE my two cats, and I love that you love them!
    Reply
  38. Kristen @ notsodomesticated says

    August 29, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    I used to have a cat, so I enjoyed reading those facts!! At the moment, I would love a cat OR a dog ... I wouldn't be picky! But because my husband and I like to travel so much, it doesn't really make sense to get a pet right now. But you better believe that I keep nagging about the issue! ;)
    Reply
  39. mary says

    August 29, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    Hi Courtney- Just curious if you have gotten a job recently. You haven't mentioned it in awhile, so I wasn't sure if you were now blogging full time.
    Reply
  40. Mallory @ It's Only Life says

    August 29, 2011 at 7:50 pm

    Oh my, Courtney, I loved this post. I am such a cat lover. I always wondered why my cat kind of "kneads" his paws into my arm when I hold him sometimes. Aww.
    Reply
  41. Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean says

    August 29, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    haha loved this. my cat totally does the head butt!
    Reply
  42. Abby @ Abz 'n' Oats says

    August 29, 2011 at 9:40 pm

    I'm definitely a dog person. I am allergic to cats so I just can't handle being around them!
    Reply
  43. Sarah S says

    August 29, 2011 at 10:49 pm

    love this article! my cat sounds just like cody... she's orange and soo soo playful! she's a pro at fetch and is always laying belly up! heart cats <3
    Reply
  44. Khushboo says

    August 30, 2011 at 12:42 am

    Dont hate me but I really don't like cats- it's more to do with the fact that they terrify me! Maybe I had a bad experience when I was younger but even the smallest kitties make me jump!
    Reply
  45. Laura @ Unchartered 20s says

    August 30, 2011 at 2:41 pm

    Hahahah Cody is so cute! This was interesting! I learned a lot about my Peach including why she is constantly knocking her water dish over. Now i feel bad and totally need to get a new wider bowl for her!
    Reply
  46. Lynn says

    May 2, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    I love this post. Cody could be a brother to my pair of orange male cats. And they have many of the same behaviours.
    Reply

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Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Court Profile CircleI'm Courtney, a 30-something wife and working mom living in upstate NY. I'm a food lover, fitness enthusiast, baker extraordinaire and lover of all things sweet.
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