What’s behind my cat’s curious behaviour?

It really doesn’t seem to matter how many times I explain to my cat, Buster, that he doesn’t want to eat my yoghurt. In the moment, he is 100 per cent convinced he will find it delicious. He gets this look on his adorable little face that is nine parts curiosity, one part serious indignation.

As I raise the spoon towards my lips, he studies its path from the tub to my mouth with the kind of intensity I usually reserve for a Jake Gyllenhall movie (or maybe Henry Cavill pre-Superman). I find myself explaining to him that yoghurt is not a cat food. Again.

He meows.

He is so intrigued and just has to know what the heck I am eating. So (and I am not kidding I am a total sucker and this happens every time) I relent and dab a small spot on my finger and stick it out to him. He sniffs it, takes a very tentative lick and then wrinkles his shiny wet nose and turns tail and walks away.

Sometimes, he runs.

And I am left, once again, with cat-aminated yogurt on my finger.

He can’t help it though. He’s just your typical, super curious little ball of fur. Cats just love to know what their human friends are up to. All. The. Damn. Time. Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, the cat owner who can’t take two steps without being followed fell down the stairs and landed on it.

Well, this is what I tell myself, but maybe it’s not normal? I’m no expert, so I decided to ask someone who was about some of Buster’s peculiar habits (and also a longstanding mystery about my childhood bestie Joe).

"He’s just your typical, super curious little ball of fur." Image: iStock.

Why do they follow you around so much?

When I got Buster I lived with a boyfriend, and we didn’t often need to close doors, so Buster would follow me into the bathroom when I was having a shower and just watch intently while I shampooed my hair.

One day, it rained. He went to go outside and saw the water falling hard on the deck. He looked at me, looked at the sky, looked at me, and then let out a long, displeased meow.

I didn’t understand what he expected of me, but then I went and jumped in the shower and as I turned on the taps I saw him watching my every move once more.  When I turned them off again, he ran out to the nearest vantage point to see if the rain had stopped. Then he came back and meowed at me again.

Sorry buddy, I just don’t have that kind of power.

He is always doing stuff like that. He wants to know exactly what is going on everywhere in the house at all times. If there is a closed door, he’ll bang his head against it until it’s opened up for him, then usually he’ll stick his head in, make sure he’s not missing out on some giant pile of cat food, and then leave immediately.  This is my number one question about him. What gives?

Cats are considered independent creatures and that’s part of why we love them. Some people even think cats are aloof but cat owners realise that their cats are anything but. Cats like to get our attention in any way they work out how. Meowing at doorways, pouncing on your feet – whatever works to get your attention, they’ll try. Luckily their slaves owners oblige and respond to their cat’s demands, thus reinforcing their feline foibles.

If you enjoy your cat’s behaviour, continue to respond to it. Reward desirable behaviours with your attention and they will be repeated.

"He wants to know exactly what is going on everywhere in the house at all times." Image: iStock.

Do they really hunt for fun?

Growing up I had a beautiful Burmese cat called Joe. He was amazing and gorgeous and audacious. Every time the phone rang while my Nan was making breakfast he would jump up on the kitchen counter and lick the vegemite off her toast before she could get back.

He also had a very dangerous habit.

He hunted snakes.

Not to kill them. He never killed them. Instead, he would stalk them in the long grass and when he found one sunning itself, he would gently bat at its face with his paw (claws in, not out) until it got annoyed and rose up, hissing.

He would jump backwards out of its reach and watch. Then, when it settled down he’d do it again. And again. And again.

Luckily, where we lived, the snakes were carpet snakes and largely harmless. I don’t think he ever got bitten. But he just couldn’t help himself.

My Nan and I used to watch him from the back patio, and she would shake her head and say to me “if you are wondering where the phrase ‘curiosity killed the cat’ comes from, look no further”.

But what was really going on here? Surely no cat is so foolhardy?

Cats have evolved as the perfect hunter. The only hunting we encourage them to do these days, however, is their toys at home. Squeaky toys will satisfy their ultrasonic hearing abilities. Toys on strings will mimic the movements of small creatures. Encourage your cat to ‘hunt’ at home, as this keeps your feline friend healthy and safe and will build the bond between you.

"Squeaky toys will satisfy their ultrasonic hearing abilities." Image: iStock.

Are they really as ice cold as they appear?

When my boyfriend and I broke up, the one Buster had grown up with, lived with, given many cuddles to for almost five years, he got cut off.  Not by me, mind you. By Buster.

He would come over and try and see the cat, and as soon as Buster heard his footsteps on the stairs, he was under the bed or out the back door.

He did not want to know him. (It was strangely satisfying TBH.) But I have never understood why. Why? HOW DID HE KNOW?

It’s called Catitude!

When a person leaves home, they may smell different and behave unusually (from a feline viewpoint). Cats are experts at picking up these changes and reacting to them.

Cats are not doggedly-devoted creatures. They don’t welcome guests into THEIR home the same way that a canine companion would. If it is important for your cat to be friends with your guest, then try enticements like food and pats. If your cat is scared, then give them high areas like bookshelves and window sills to sit and watch the intruder.
In the end, Joe lived a very long life. Hopefully, Buster (who is nine now) will too. Their weird quirks are definitely part of the fun of having a cat and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What curious things does your cat do?

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