Strange AnimalsPets · Cats · 20 articlesWhy do cats
Why do cats
do that?
Purring, kneading, staring and knocking things off tables: the science behind the world's most mysterious pet.
START WITH A HABIT
Decode your cat
The questions every cat owner asks.
Why do cats purr?They vibrate the larynx at 25 to 150 Hz, and not only when happy.Why do cats knead?It's a comfort habit left over from nursing as kittens.Why do cats meow at me?Adult cats meow almost only to talk to humans.Why do cats hate water?Their wildcat ancestors lived in the desert.Why do cats knock things over?It's play, attention-seeking and testing the world.Why do cats bring dead animals?Pure hunting instinct, not a thank-you gift.
Everyday superpowers
What your cat can do that you cannot.
By the numbers
32muscles in each ear, one dot each
180°each ear can swivel
Cat230You206~230bones, vs our 206
Cyprus burialNow~9,500 yrsoldest known cat burial, Cyprus
Myth or fact
Three things people get wrong, or don't believe.
MYTHCats always land on their feet.Their righting reflex helps, but falls from low heights or very high floors still injure cats.
FACTPurring may help healing.Purrs run at 25 to 150 Hz, a range linked to bone and tissue repair, though the role is unproven.
MYTHMilk is good for cats.Most adult cats are lactose intolerant and get upset stomachs from cow's milk.
All cat articles
20 articles13 min · Jan 5, 2026Why Do Cats Stare?Cats stare for a range of reasons that vary significantly depending on context: they may be assessing a potential threat, communicating interest or affection, tracking prey movement, seeking food or attention, or engaged in a dominance exchange with another animal. Unlike humans, for whom a prolonge9 min · Jan 4, 2026Why Do Cats Sleep So Much?Adult domestic cats sleep between 12 and 16 hours per day on average, with some individuals, particularly kittens and older cats, sleeping up to 20 hours. This striking figure is not the result of laziness or boredom but of fundamental feline physiology: cats are obligate carnivore ambush hunters10 min · Jan 3, 2026Why Do Cats Scratch? Unpacking Feline BehaviorCats scratch surfaces as a fundamental, multi-purpose behaviour that serves claw maintenance, scent communication, visual territory marking and full-body muscle stretching. Scratching is not destructive mischief, it is a biologically driven need that every domestic cat will express regardless of w9 min · Jan 2, 2026Why Do Cats Purr? The Science Behind Feline VibrationsCats purr by rapidly dilating and constricting the glottis, the part of the larynx surrounding the vocal cords, during both inhalation and exhalation, producing a continuous vibration with a fundamental frequency of around 25 Hz. Purring signals contentment in many situations, but cats also purr when inju9 min · Jan 1, 2026Cat Meowing: CommunicationCats meow almost exclusively to communicate with humans, not with other cats. Adult cats essentially do not meow at one another, the behavior evolved specifically as a communication channel targeted at people. Kittens meow to their mothers, but this vocalization largely disappears as they mature un13 min · Dec 31, 2025Why Do Cats Knock Things Over? The Science Behind ItCats knocking objects off tables, shelves and countertops is one of the most frequently reported and most puzzling domestic cat behaviors. A cat will walk deliberately to an object, make eye contact with its owner and then push it over the edge with one measured paw, sometimes apparently confirmi9 min · Dec 31, 2025Why Do Cats Knead?Cats knead, pushing their paws rhythmically against soft surfaces in an alternating left-right motion. The behavior is thought to derive from kittenhood nursing, when kittens knead their mother's mammary glands to stimulate milk flow, and it is usually seen when a cat feels at ease.9 min · Dec 30, 2025Why Do Cats Hate Water? The Underlying ReasonsMost domestic cats avoid water because they descend from the African wildcat (Felis lybica), a desert-dwelling species that evolved in arid environments where water immersion was rare and offered no survival advantage. Wet fur is heavy, impairs thermoregulation and takes hours to dry, practical pr9 min · Dec 29, 2025Why Cats Bring Home Dead Animals: The BehaviorCats bring dead animals home because they are hardwired hunters whose instincts do not align with the domestic arrangement in which food is provided in a bowl. The behaviour reflects predatory drive, possible social learning impulses and territory-related food caching instincts, not gratitude, spi10 min · Dec 28, 2025Signs of a Healthy Cat: Health IndicatorsA healthy cat has bright, clear eyes without discharge, pink firm gums, a glossy coat with no bald patches, palpable ribs under a thin layer of fat, a visible waist when viewed from above, formed stools and a normal energy level for its age. Recognizing these baseline signs, and the deviations tha9 min · Dec 27, 2025Key Tips for Litter Training Your KittenMost kittens learn litter box use naturally from their mothers and need only to be placed in the box at key times, after meals and after waking, to reinforce the habit. Kittens raised without a mother can be litter trained starting at 3 to 4 weeks of age using a shallow box with unscented clumping9 min · Dec 26, 2025Why Is Feline Intelligence Underestimated?Cats show object permanence, can recognize their own name from other words, discriminate small quantities and learn by observation. They are harder to test than dogs because they lack the social motivation to perform for humans.10 min · Dec 25, 2025How Long Do Cats Live? Factors Affecting LifespanDomestic cats live an average of 12 to 18 years, with indoor cats generally outliving outdoor cats. The oldest reliably documented cat in history, Creme Puff of Austin, Texas, lived 38 years and 3 days.8 min · Dec 24, 2025How High Can Cats Jump?The average domestic cat can jump approximately 5 to 6 times its own body height from a standing position, typically 1.5 to 1.8 meters (about 5 to 6 feet). The capability is driven by powerful hindlimb musculature, a flexible spine and a neuromuscular system tuned for explosive output.14 min · Dec 23, 2025How Do Cats Show Affection? Feline Love DecodedCats have a reputation for aloofness that their behavior does not entirely support. Decades of research into cat-human relationships and feline social behavior have documented a rich repertoire of affiliative signals, behaviors cats use to express trust, attachment and positive regard toward speci9 min · Dec 22, 2025How Do Cats See in the Dark? Feline Night Vision ExplainedCats can see in light levels approximately six times lower than what humans need, thanks to a rod-rich retina, a reflective layer called the tapetum lucidum, and pupils that dilate widely. They still cannot see in complete darkness.10 min · Dec 21, 2025How Cats Communicate Through SignalsCats communicate through an unusually rich and multi-channel system that includes vocalisation, body posture and movement, facial expression, scent marking and tactile behaviour. Remarkably, most of this system is directed at other species, particularly humans, rather than at other cats. Adult ca13 min · Dec 20, 2025Do Cats Dream? What Science Says About Feline SleepCats spend between 12 and 16 hours asleep each day, and research into feline sleep architecture confirms that they pass through the same two major sleep stages as humans: slow-wave sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Because dreaming in humans is most strongly associated with REM sleep, and be13 min · Dec 19, 2025Best Cats for Apartments: Breeds That Thrive in Small SpacesNot all cats are equally suited to apartment living. The right cat for a small indoor space is one whose temperament, activity level, vocalization patterns, social needs and space requirements align with what an apartment can provide. Choosing a breed or individual well-matched to apartment life si9 min · Dec 18, 2025Are Cats Nocturnal?Cats are not nocturnal, they are crepuscular, meaning their peak activity periods occur at dawn and dusk rather than through the night or the day. This distinction matters both for understanding cat behaviour and for managing the common owner complaint of cats being disruptive during sleeping hours