The Myth Of The Curiosity Of Cats
Anyone who has a feline as a pet will agree with the popular saying “curiosity killed the cat.” The curiosity of cats is a distinctive feature of this species.
Knowing the causes why our pet has certain behaviors helps to understand them better and makes it easier to provide them with a comfortable life away from possible domestic dangers.
The curiosity of cats is not a myth. Let’s see why they are so nosy and what can transform this feature into a problem for your health.
The curiosity of cats: myth or reality?
At birth, kittens are blind and deaf, but they begin to crawl into their space sniffing at every step. At three weeks of age, the little kittens show so much curiosity about the environment that surrounds them that they transform into a veritable whirlwind. They do not stop for a moment investigating every corner around them.
Cats’ curiosity is manifested by their strong survival instinct, inherited from their wild ancestors. Domestic cats express their curiosity in different ways and with certain objects.
Its sometimes strange and even funny behavior is due to the hunting impulse and the ability to escape from predators that the species has acquired throughout its evolution.
Despite being a domesticated species, cats have not lost their hunting reflexes. Not least because, unlike dogs, cats were introduced as pets relatively recently.
This hunting origin explains why the kittens spend the day examining every corner, watching carefully, observing each movement and catching small prey, bringing them home as trophies.
Why can a simple box arouse so much curiosity in the cat? The explanation lies in a natural defense mechanism that their wild ancestors had when they felt in danger.
Safety first
Finding a safe place away from predators is the reason cats are so attracted to boxes. On the other hand, there is the surprise effect; in hiding they can catch prey without their victim seeing them.
The elevated height is another thing that cats love. From a high place he has a broader perspective of his surroundings; they can observe at ease without being disturbed.
Sometimes our kitty friends even scare us by jumping on our laps from unexpected places. In the wild, the small cats stayed safe in the heights, keeping watch and jumping on their unwary victims.
Our behavior is also another factor that triggers cat curiosity. Anyone who has cats at home knows what it is like to be watched closely by them; any human behavior is interesting and worthy of being watched and analyzed by them.
There are many cats who come to imitate some of those human behaviors that are useful for their purposes; This is the case of opening doors and windows to get in and out or opening the refrigerator to look for food.
The problems caused by the curiosity of cats
For a cat to grow up healthy, it must freely express its curiosity. Failure to do so implies serious problems in their behavior that affect their health.
Keeping the animal locked up and isolated, without having contact with the outside and with other people, generates extreme distrust. Cats need their space of freedom and also of controlled independence.
In case of confinement, the cat’s curiosity is suppressed, unleashing harmful behaviors; This is the case of the obsessive cleaning of their parts that causes skin lesions and unleashes bulimia, with the consequence that they overeat and become obese.
Other behavior problems related to the dissatisfaction of their innate curiosity go through aggressiveness and excessive marking of territory. In those cases, the cat will leave its smell impregnated throughout the house.
On the other hand, the curiosity and anxiety of cats can lead them to dangerous situations both outside and inside the home. For that reason, it is necessary to provide them with suitable toys to satisfy their curiosity and not leave objects that could hurt them in sight.
Cats are wonderful companions. You just have to know how to understand their strange behaviors and give them the necessary freedom to develop all their feline instinct in a healthy and safe way.
