What do cats mean when they

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DSLiverpool

Original Poster:

14,671 posts

201 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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I have two things puzzling me about our much loved 9 month kittens can anyone advise

If you enter a room they will saunter into the middle of the room and throw themselves down, not throw as such but lye on the floor stretched out. We assume they want some foot tickle action ?

If you go to the loo or to fill the kettle they jump into the bidet or jump on the worktop as they love to drink from the cold water tap set as a trickle - they don't overdoing and they always have fresh cold water - odd?

The kits love my mrs and follow her around the house, as she is in most of the time they do spend loads of time together I'm sure they think she is a big cat

R8VXF

6,788 posts

114 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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Yep they want a tickle.

Cats seem to prefer to drink from a running water source, though one of ours now demands water from a glass....


BigJonMcQuimm

975 posts

211 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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Everything you have described above sounds like our 1.5 year old!

blueg33

35,576 posts

223 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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R8VXF said:
Yep they want a tickle.

Cats seem to prefer to drink from a running water source, though one of ours now demands water from a glass....
One of ours will only drink water from a mug smile

The rolling on the floor thing is about submission

Shaw Tarse

31,543 posts

202 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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blueg33 said:
The rolling on the floor thing is about submission
A cat submitting to a puny human?

BigJonMcQuimm

975 posts

211 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
quotequote all
R8VXF said:
Yep they want a tickle.

Cats seem to prefer to drink from a running water source, though one of ours now demands water from a glass....
Snap - has never drunk from a bowl - does not like her whiskers getting wet!

Negative Creep

24,942 posts

226 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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Shaw Tarse said:
blueg33 said:
The rolling on the floor thing is about submission
A cat submitting to a puny human?
They're rolling over to show you their vulnerable belly, which is there way of saying they trust you and aren't a threat

dmitsi

3,583 posts

219 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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Shaw Tarse said:
blueg33 said:
The rolling on the floor thing is about submission
A cat submitting to a puny human?
No it's the cat seeing if you submit to their will and move yourself to give them some pleasure.

blueg33

35,576 posts

223 months

Tuesday 9th February 2016
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We have 3 cats one a recent incomer. He does the same rolling thing to the dominant cat in the house.


spitfire-ian

3,829 posts

227 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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When our cat does the rolling over thing it's nothing but a trap...

Go to touch him and his front legs and mouth come together like a venus flytrap to trap your hand whilst he bats it with his hind legs.

smile

ali_kat

31,988 posts

220 months

Wednesday 10th February 2016
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Pictures please biggrin

DSLiverpool said:
If you enter a room they will saunter into the middle of the room and throw themselves down, not throw as such but lye on the floor stretched out. We assume they want some foot tickle action ?
They are showing submission.

You may be lucky enough that at some point they like tummy rubs and it stops being a trap; but for most cats, it's a trap. They will stand for 3.2 seconds or rubs and attack your hand.

DSLiverpool said:
If you go to the loo or to fill the kettle they jump into the bidet or jump on the worktop as they love to drink from the cold water tap set as a trickle - they don't overdoing and they always have fresh cold water - odd?
Mine do that, they also drink it out of the bath (with me in it), bottom of the shower, my glass, the sink (I can't bleach it and leave!), everywhere else they can get it.

Civpilot

6,235 posts

239 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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The running water thing is a genetic/automatic instinct that running/moving water is fresher than still (stagnant) water. Most cat's will do this if given the choice between a bowl or a running tap.

Mine used to gently tap your leg (her standard polite "Excuse me, I want something), then jump up to the sink and put her paw on the tap while looking at you. Put the tap on a trickle and she would be happy.

steelbreeze

136 posts

133 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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That's a great example of cat communication. There was a programme on last night about whether cats or dogs were more trainable or communicated better. I don't think cats won overall but they did surprisingly well at showing how they have adapted the sounds they make to us in order to express their needs. It was interesting that each cat has an individual vocabulary, and they adapt it to their owner, so a way of communicating is a developing thing between individual owner and cat.

R8VXF

6,788 posts

114 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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steelbreeze said:
That's a great example of cat communication. There was a programme on last night about whether cats or dogs were more trainable or communicated better. I don't think cats won overall but they did surprisingly well at showing how they have adapted the sounds they make to us in order to express their needs. It was interesting that each cat has an individual vocabulary, and they adapt it to their owner, so a way of communicating is a developing thing between individual owner and cat.
Me and SWMBO can definitely tell the difference between our two and can pretty much tell what they are up to by the sounds they make. Down to the point we know when one of them come through the cat flap with a "present".

Civpilot

6,235 posts

239 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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I actually watched that show and it was pretty good. The cat results on types of meow were quite predictable. Mine wasn't that vocal but she did have a 'vocabulary' when she wanted to although mainly she was tactile with lots of gentle taps followed by moving towards where she wanted your attention. The food thing made me laugh though, yeah, that's just normal cat.

Mind you mine was also pretty trained though, she would stay, come, sit, and 'go get your toy then' on command. Although to be honest if she wanted to play she would often bring the toy, drop it at your feet and then tap you on the leg. She had me trained well too.
If she was sprawled out on my bed sleeping when I went up she would move to a chest of draws while I got in then jump back on once I was settled.

okgo

37,857 posts

197 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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We have bengals and one does the falling over thing, on the bed, on the floor, anywhere really, and he likes to be scratched or pampered quite vigorously, like you would a dog, its quite amusing, he loves it, but I can imagine if you did that to most cats they would have your hand off!

One thing I've never quite understood with that same cat is that he will jump on the bed, or sofa, then fall over right near the edge, then roll around until he falls off and then claw the st out of the bed or sofa, I don't get why he does this RIGHT by the end of whatever he is on, why not go further on as then falling off will not happen?

The things they do are amusing, and they really are very different, we have one that I swear you could say his name to him 10 times and he would meow back every single time. Despite being in the deepest sleep not with us, if you called their name they would wake from their slumber, jump over the sofa and sit on your lap, anything to be with you, its really incredible vs cats as I knew them before.

spitfire-ian

3,829 posts

227 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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okgo said:
Despite being in the deepest sleep not with us, if you called their name they would wake from their slumber, jump over the sofa and sit on your lap, anything to be with you, its really incredible vs cats as I knew them before.
I think I heard somewhere that a cat's hearing doesn't shut off like our hearing does when asleep.

okgo

37,857 posts

197 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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spitfire-ian said:
I think I heard somewhere that a cat's hearing doesn't shut off like our hearing does when asleep.
No for sure, but no other cat I've known would even bother to look up, these ones will wake and come at your call. It also snores!

blueg33

35,576 posts

223 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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okgo said:
We have bengals and one does the falling over thing, on the bed, on the floor, anywhere really, and he likes to be scratched or pampered quite vigorously, like you would a dog, its quite amusing, he loves it, but I can imagine if you did that to most cats they would have your hand off!

One thing I've never quite understood with that same cat is that he will jump on the bed, or sofa, then fall over right near the edge, then roll around until he falls off and then claw the st out of the bed or sofa, I don't get why he does this RIGHT by the end of whatever he is on, why not go further on as then falling off will not happen?
Is my cat living with you. You have just described Verty to a tee!

Exactly like tickling a dog. Our other Bengal is less tolerant.

zarjaz1991

3,471 posts

122 months

Friday 12th February 2016
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steelbreeze said:
That's a great example of cat communication. There was a programme on last night about whether cats or dogs were more trainable or communicated better. I don't think cats won overall but they did surprisingly well at showing how they have adapted the sounds they make to us in order to express their needs. It was interesting that each cat has an individual vocabulary, and they adapt it to their owner, so a way of communicating is a developing thing between individual owner and cat.
This is true.

My cat died last year, but before then I knew every little meow he made and what it meant. Different sounds for wanting food, wanting to go out, and notably a special to warn me that he was going to use the litter tray if I didn't let him out in the next 30 seconds.

I knew what every sound meant. I'm not entirely sure how cats do that.