Reading the Clues Your Cat Leaves Behind (Part 2 of 2)

Last week we conducted a bit of an investigation, deciphering the clues our cats leave behind when doing the things they do most often.

The different ‘exhibits’ we looked at were:

·      Exhibit A: The Favourite Sleeping Spot

·      Exhibit B: The Scratching

·      Exhibit C: The Abandoned Toy

This week we will cover:

·      Exhibit D: The Midnight Crime Scene

·      Exhibit E: The Food Bowl

·      Exhibit F: The Litter Box

·      Exhibit G: Body Language

Let’s jump into it!

Exhibit D: The Midnight Crime Scene

Picture this. You wake up, startled by the sound of something crashing to the floor, a massive burst of tiny footsteps, maybe even a wall jump, and possibly even panting.

You get out of bed and walk down the hallway, and there is your cat, sitting totally calm, while you look over and notice one of your floating shelves is completely destroyed.

Nothing to see here.

Cats are crepuscular animals – naturally most active around dawn and dusk (although individual cats can develop their own schedules). So, no matter what cat you have, there is a strong likelihood they will be particularly energetic at night – even more so if they spent all day sleeping inside.

Regular play and enrichment during the day can help provide outlets for their energy. Interactive play sessions, puzzle feeders and opportunities to explore can give cats something productive to do with their considerable collection of unused enthusiasm. Similarly to how dogs need to be walked, cats need to be played with to appropriately exhaust them before a night’s slumber.

Exhibit E: The Food Bowl

Food can tell us quite a bit about a cat. Changes in appetite can be especially telling.

A cat that suddenly eats significantly more or less than usual may be experiencing a health issue, stress or another change that deserves attention. Changes in drinking habits can also be significant.

Even seemingly minor changes are worth noticing because cats can be remarkably good at hiding signs that they aren't feeling well. That makes knowing your cat's normal behaviour incredibly valuable.

If you know how much your cat usually eats, drinks and uses the litter box, you have a baseline so that when something changes, you’re far more likely to notice.

Exhibit F: The Mysterious Litter Box

Few pieces of evidence are more informative than what happens in the litter box. It may sound gross, but it’s true.

Changes in frequency, appearance, odour or habits can sometimes indicate that something is wrong. A cat that suddenly begins urinating outside the litter box, for example, shouldn't simply be assumed to be misbehaving.

There can be medical, environmental or behavioural reasons behind litter-box changes, and the important thing is to investigate rather than punish.

Cats don't have accidents because they're trying to get revenge on you. If something changes, there is usually a reason – and figuring out that reason is the only way to approach it. A cat with a medical issue is not going to respond to scolding. Even a healthy cat won’t respond to scolding either; it just hurts your relationship with them because they don’t understand the correlation between their behaviour and yours.

Exhibit G: Body Language

Your cat walks into the room with their tail straight up. That's generally a pretty good sign they are in a good mood and loving life.

Let’s say your other cat walks into the room, ears back and tail puffed up. It’s safe to say that cat is agitated and possibly in fight-or-flight mode.

A cat's body language is an important communication tool, and paying attention to it can help us understand how they are feeling. Tail position, posture, ears, eyes and overall body tension can all provide information.

Learning to recognize these subtle signals can help us interact with cats in ways that make them feel more comfortable. It can also help us recognize when a cat wants space.

And this is where the investigation gets particularly important.

Sometimes the clue isn't saying, "Please pet me."

Sometimes the clue is saying, “Please stop petting me.”

Good detectives know the difference. Onward!