What Do Cats Think About?
Deborah R Fletcher Mar 26, 2023 8:55 AM
Have you ever wondered what felines contemplate? Cats spend the most of their time resting and sleeping. What do cats contemplate (or dream about) when they're snoozing in the fall sun? What about when your cat sits on your chest and stares at you with its intriguing eyes? Cats spend much of the day sleeping, wandering about the home, checking out the food bowl, and engaging in sporadic bouts of extreme activity (evening zoomies are always fun).
They must be contemplating something during the day, but what? In this post, let's address the topic "What Do Cats Think About?" alongside BestForPets (bestforpets.org).
Numerous research have investigated cat behavior and feline cognition, including memory, how cats see things, how well they grasp human social cues, attachment relationships, and more, despite the fact that there is still much to discover about how cats think. We know that our cats adore us and are at ease with us.
Cats, for example, respond better to their owner's familiar voice than to that of a stranger, and they seek to humans for comfort when they are anxious or uncertain about anything new.
As it turns out, cats may perceive us humans as awkward, large cats who may not always behave as they would anticipate. This notion was developed by John Bradshaw, author of the 2013 book Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet.
Bradshaw, who has extensively studied the history of domesticated cats as well as the connections between humans and animals, asserts in his book that cats' behavior toward humans and other cats is same.
For instance, cats approach their owners with their tails up and rub up against us in the same same manner as they would approach another cat in a warm greeting. Cats groom humans by licking them, much as they do with other cats.
Your cat perceives you as a large cat-like creature that moves on two legs, wears clothing unexpectedly, and frequently behaves strangely. Your cat could be wondering what bizarre and amusing thing you'll do next.
It may be impossible to know precisely what a cat is thinking, but learning to interpret feline facial expressions may give us a fair indication of how they are feeling. Unfortunately, a recent research indicated that most individuals have difficulty interpreting the facial emotions of cats.
Another talent you may use to attempt to enter your cat's mind is the ability to interpret cat body language. This is somewhat simpler than understanding the facial emotions of cats. Understanding the significance of particular feline postures and body movements can provide significant insight into your cat's mental state.
Among the signals that a cat is peaceful and at ease are a relaxed body, ears in a relaxed and neutral posture (not retracted), and whiskers in a relaxed position, with pupils that look as little slits. A cat's body stiffens, its head turns away, its body leans back or crouches low to the ground, its whiskers stretch forward, and its pupils are slightly dilated.
The body language of a cat that is extremely stressed, anxious, or frightened includes the following: ears turned backwards or folded flat against the head, tail low, body crouched very flat to the ground, hair standing up on the body and tail (possibly with an arched back), and extremely dilated pupils. A cat that is really frightened or hostile may also hiss, spit, snarl, and scratch with her claws.
Even if you never know for certain what your cat is contemplating, it might be entertaining to speculate on what it may be considering. Observe your cat's facial expression and body language the next time you see it and attempt to guess what it is thinking. For all you know, your cat may be contemplating how much it adores you.
