To learn more about cats, their behavior and why we are so attracted to them, Bored Panda got in touch with clinical animal behaviorist and cat specialist Sally Chamberlain. She offers cat training and preventive advice, along with coaching and education in cat behavior. Scroll down to get to know our furballs a bit better!

How many times have you caught yourself scrolling through cat videos or images on the internet? Keeping in mind that you clicked on this article, we assume a lot! But what do our feline friends have that attracts us so much? According to Sally Chamberlain, cats are very alluring because of their cute faces, large eyes, quirky behavior and the sleek and nimble way in which they move. “Much of their behavior comes from their ancestry as solitary hunters of small prey. Because of this, their behavior can often seem mysterious and funny to humans because we are a very different species, even when they are exhibiting normal feline behavior such as wiggling their bottom when they are about to pounce on a toy or climbing up the curtains, it can be amusing.”

As we can see in these tweets, cats can be pretty weird at times. They squeeze into the tightest box, jump onto the highest cupboard, or stare out the window for hours. When asked whether it is common for all cats and why they behave like that, the clinical animal behaviorist replied that cats have strong hunting instincts. “Much of their behavior relates to being a hunter and survivor. Squeezing into a tight box could be a good hiding spot for a cat trying to avoid predators or it might make an excellent place to hide when they are hunting, ready to pounce on nearby rodents. Of course, in the case of a domestic cat, hiding in a box may simply be fun, but the above scenarios are deeply ingrained in such behavior because they form part of their natural instincts.”

“Jumping up onto high cupboards gives a cat a good vantage point from which to survey their ‘cat-dom’. Their wild ancestors would have got up high to look around for predators and competitors for their territory, and to also lie in wait for prey, such as small birds. Much of the hunting sequence for a cat is spent waiting. They can wait for many hours for the right opportunity to pounce on a mouse or catch a bird, so staring out of the window can satisfy this need for a cat, especially if they can see birds outside. Similar behavior is common in all domestic cats, which is why play is important for their daily routine, along with enriching their environment with high and low resting places, such as cat trees and cardboard boxes.”

While we might think that a lot of things cats do are random and not really thought out, maybe it’s more complex than that. According to Sally Chamberlain, “cats will take advantage of anything they can to ensure that they have everything they need for survival and feel safe in their living environment, including behaving in persuasive ways with their humans, especially when it comes to obtaining food or a warm seat!”

“The way a cat behaves has to be taken into context. A cat that is always seeking out high places to rest may simply like to sleep up high but it could also be the case they are stressed about something at a lower level, such as another pet in the household or small children. Cats are instinctive but they are also intelligent, so their behavior is unlikely to be random. Most feline behavior is purposeful, to ensure that they get what they want and need, such as food, water and shelter. Cats are usually at their funniest when they are playing and have ‘mad half-hours’ when they run around like crazy. This is the best time to offer a cat some play, ideally with a wand toy so that human hands and feet don’t become a target,” the clinical animal behaviorist added.

While there’s an abundance of cat videos and images on the internet, there are also lots of myths about them. One of the most problematic ones, according to Sally Chamberlain, is that cats do things out of spite, “such as urinating on clothes or on the bed, which is totally incorrect.” The clinical animal behaviorist explained that cats carry out such behavior because they have a medical problem or are stressed, or both. “What a cat really needs is a veterinary check-up in the first instance. Another myth about cats is that they are evil or bad luck. This is incredibly outdated and untrue. As I’m sure any cat lover will tell you, cats can be very loving and affectionate. When they’re not, we need to try to understand what they are telling us and provide them with appropriate care, resources and enrichment to ensure that their needs are being met.”

As previously mentioned, some people think that felines are evil or selfish, so we asked Chamberlain whether cats can be attached to their owners (just like dogs are for example). She answered that cats can form very strong bonds with their humans. “It is true that some cats are more aloof than others but they all need some sort of company and the opportunity to form social bonds if they so choose. Cats can suffer from separation anxiety when they are not with their humans in the same way that dogs do. The main difference between the social bond between dogs and cats and their humans is that dogs have been purposefully bred to look to humans for guidance and attention, especially in breeds designed to work with humans, such as gun dogs, guard dogs and sight hounds, whereas cats are only partially domesticated, having almost domesticated themselves in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East thousands of years ago.”

Chamberlain continued, “cats chose to live near and around humans because of the rodent supply in human grain stores that became their food source, with some kittens being taken into human homes and tamed. Humans may have succeeded in creating pedigree breeds of cat, but this still doesn’t mean that the domestic cat is truly domesticated. It is in their nature to have an independent streak but still retain the ability to form social bonds. Many cats do seem to feel affection and love towards their humans but may have difficulty expressing it. One cat’s way of showing love may be very different from another. One cat might cuddle up in their human’s lap, whereas another might show affection by sitting on the sofa a couple of feet away. Some cats like physical affection, some don’t. This article examines the sociality of cats and how many of them choose interaction with humans over toys and food.

It is important to remember that every cat is different and we should respect what our cats tell us. Some like to be close to us and others don’t but we can still enjoy watching their antics and marvel at the many mysteries of feline behavior!”