Cats 74510
Childbirth is quite stressful for cats, as it is for absolutely any woman giving birth. Often, cat psychology, already poorly understood by people, changes significantly after the birth of offspring. You can often observe how a pet bites its babies, hits them with its hind legs or drags them by the scruff of the neck, while the kittens squeak.
The owners, alarmed by this behavior of their pet, begin to sound the alarm. However, not every mother cat nibbling on her litter is a danger signal. In this article we will try to understand when the behavior of a new mother is within the normal range, and when it is worth worrying about.
Tries to get you out of your seat
Most often this happens early in the morning, when you are still sleeping peacefully in your bed and suddenly feel the touch of a cat's paws on your face. By the way, it is no coincidence that they may seem wet to you, since cats only sweat through their paws.
Early awakening of a pet is associated with the biological clock, as well as physical activity and nutritional needs. Instill discipline in your cat by following a clear feeding schedule throughout the day.
Try to be understanding of your pet's natural nature. To do this, feed your furry friend a hearty dinner, leave food and drink bowls full in the morning, and always keep access to the litter box open.
Remembers his mother
The big question is whether grown-up kittens and adult cats remember their mother. But it has been scientifically proven that the desire of a cat to stomp on your face is associated with childhood and with pleasant memories of being fed with mother's milk.
“Milk step” is a term used by veterinarians to define the behavior of a kitten when receiving food from a nursing cat. Kittens alternately press their front paws on the mother's belly, thereby stimulating milk production. The childish reflex remains in cats for the rest of their lives - it is a special form of calming, affection, showing love and trust in their owner.
Disease
There are times when a pet suddenly begins to show excessive aggression both towards its own babies and towards its owners. It is not uncommon for cats to develop eclampsia after giving birth, and this can be a reason for sudden hostility.
Eclampsia is a disease that should only be diagnosed by a specialist. It is not recommended to make a diagnosis yourself, because the cause of aggressive behavior may be simple fatigue or pain in the mammary glands (mastopathy). And yet, given that this disease occurs quite often, let's talk about it in more detail.
Expresses his feelings
We often confuse a cat's attempts to attract our attention with hooliganism. Well, you shouldn’t take this as a manifestation of predatory instincts and a direct threat of attack. Rather, this indicates that your mustachioed friend is kindly disposed towards you and calls for reciprocal affection.
Most often this happens when we are passionate about something else. For example, a cat pokes a furry limb in your face, trying to force you to take your mind off a telephone conversation, reading your favorite book or watching a movie.
Pay attention to your pet's tail. Domestic cats show their good disposition towards their owner by raising their tail vertically upward. And if the tail and ears are pressed down, then the animal is annoyed with something and is inclined to conflict.
Asks to play with him
Cats know how to entertain themselves and never let their owners get bored. We've all at least once experienced the thrill of a sudden landing of clawed paws from somewhere above or had to save our legs and arms from scratching attacks.
You need to play with cats if you want to create comfortable living conditions for them. Playing brings out their ancient instinct of the hunter, so try to keep your cat occupied more often during the day and evening, so as not to become an “easy prey” at night.
Spend at least 10-15 minutes playing before meals, create the illusion of hunting, train your pet's flexibility and dexterity using toys on strings and throwing balls, then you will have every chance of a restful sleep.
Wants to mark the owner as his property
Cats' paws contain glands with which mustachioed owners mark their property. By touching any surface, including the owner's face, cats leave information marks and increase their level of comfort in their habitat, that is, throughout your home.
All of the above suggests that cat paws perform many important functions. With the help of their paws, cats communicate, mark their territory, groom themselves, defend themselves, calm down, and safely jump from heights.
An attentive and caring owner learns to understand his animal. If you manage to establish a tender and trusting relationship, then your mustachioed friend will give you a lot of unforgettable moments and fill your life with grateful tenderness.
3 comments
Ilya November 3, 2022 at 8:49 am
Touches often, not only on the face. The reasons are different, sometimes it’s difficult to understand
Source
Why do cats hit you with their paws?
There are many reasons why a cat might hit you with its paw. However, one of the most common times this can happen is when you pet him.
When your kitten paws, it means he doesn't know how to react. Our kittens love attention, but at the same time they are afraid of it. Most kittens love affection, especially at first. Once they feel like it's taking too long, they eventually try to escape by scratching or hitting.
But don't worry. If you think your pet hits you because he wants to hurt you, that's not true. Our felines have no intention of harming us. It is simply their reaction to the emotions they are experiencing. If your pet hits you while petting, release him and let him walk away. He will return to you as soon as he demands your attention again.
Calm down or protect from danger
The psychology of the cat family is radically different from that of humans, and yet, in some ways we are similar. These animals, just like people, have their own methods of raising and protecting babies from danger.
Where a human mother would slap a naughty fidget on the butt, a cat mother will in the same way tell her baby how not to behave by biting the scruff of the neck. She can punish the kitten if it gets too excited and runs around, ceasing to notice everything around it. And also if the baby, being in a playful mood, climbs up to her, and in the meantime she tries to take a nap and replenish her strength.
A cat is capable of biting the skin of kittens that are trying to get out of the nest if she thinks that it is too early for them to do this. She will definitely claw her by the scruff of the neck or even hiss threateningly, not letting her onto the balcony, which, in her opinion, can be dangerous for furry fidgets.
You don’t have to worry if you notice how the mother stands over the baby and then takes his scruff in her mouth, then lets go. There is a high probability that at this moment she is not trying to harm him, but, on the contrary, wants to move him to a safe place. She just can't do it for some reason. Probably, the pet cannot figure out how best to lift it so as not to harm it. This sometimes happens, however, after several attempts, as a rule, the cat copes with the task.
Why does my cat spank me with its paw?
By nature, felines are prone to overstimulation. This may be the reason why your cat is hitting you with its paws. At the same time, your pet still requires more of your attention and care.
If you pet your kitten when he hits you, it may mean that your pet wants you to stop. At the same time, your kitten may want to say that he doesn't like your petting.
However, if you are already familiar with your kitten and know how to pet him, you may be wondering why he is suddenly hitting you. In such cases, your pet may get injured or something similar.
If you think there is something wrong with your pet, it is best to contact your veterinarian for advice.
Bites as a health check and detection of weak litters
A cat bites kittens not only when raising them or in an attack of some disease. Remember the main law of animals: “survival of the fittest”? So, animals, unlike people, do not care for young animals with congenital diseases; on the contrary, they can behave very aggressively towards sick litters.
Cats, although domesticated, still have innate instincts that they cannot escape. Sick kittens will be detected by the pet just by biting. As already mentioned, by biting lightly, the cat checks the reflexes of the offspring, and if something does not suit her, she will abandon the sick baby. Be careful, there is a high probability that the mother will try to kill the baby who is unfit for life.
If you notice that one of the kittens stands out from the general heap of brothers or the mother cat is more aggressive towards one of them than towards the rest of the litter - sound the alarm, the kitten is sick. If you are going to keep him alive, take him to the vet. As a rule, after the sick baby is cured, the cat accepts him back and no longer shows hostility towards him.
It is better not to wait for your pet to attack the kittens, but to periodically examine them yourself, showing them to the doctor if necessary. The health status of furry babies can be determined “with the naked eye” by a number of signs.
Healthy kitten:
- It looks round and knocked down;
- Skin pink;
- Warm to the touch;
- If you gather the skin into a fold and let it go, it will straighten out immediately;
- On the palm of your hand, the baby stretches out and swings energetically.
Sick kitten:
- Lack of energy, barely moves, constantly lethargic;
- Hyperactive, but exhausted, falls asleep away from his brothers and mother;
- He sleeps with his limbs spread to the sides, his head tilted to the side;
- Noticeably cool to the touch;
- Skin has a bluish tint;
- When trying to eat, the nipple spits out;
- While awake, he continuously screams pitifully.
If, according to your observations, all the kittens are healthy, but the cat still shows obvious aggression towards one (or several) of them, she probably does not have enough milk. She may try to compensate for the lack of milk by weaning someone off the breast so that others can get enough. As a rule, the weakest descendant, even if not the sick one, is selected for this purpose.
Video: cat raising kitten
Why does a cat hit his face with his paw?
If a cat hits you in the face, it does not mean that your pet wants to harm you.
Again, as I said earlier, felines mean no harm, especially to their owners.
If the kitten touches your face, it means it is too close to you and you are petting it.
At the same time, you may be sleeping and the cat suddenly hits you in the face.
If you pet your kitten, it could mean he needs more attention, or it could just be your kitten's way of playing.
On the other hand, if you are sleeping and your pet hits you in the face with its paw, it could mean that it is asking for food.
Whatever the reason, try to respond as gently as possible.
Sometimes such an act can be surprising. You may end up hitting your kitten (like I did). In any case, try to be gentle and not harm your pet.
© shutterstock
What kind of meme is “The cat is holding its head and yelling.” Comical videos show hopelessness and awkward situations
A video of a small cat holding its head with its paws and screaming in a heart-rending voice has gone viral on the Internet. Memomodelers felt that an animal is a great way to show absurd helplessness in various situations, from solving examples in the mind to being ignored by a crash.
A video of a cat holding its head with its paws is gaining popularity on TikTok. The authors of the posts added to the footage the voice of a man screaming from tension. It seems that thanks to this comical combination, Internet users fell in love with the video, whose posts grew into a meme trend. Now the cat clutching its head has become a symbol of absurd helplessness. It is not known exactly who became the original author of the video, but the template began to actively spread in the Russian-language segment of the Internet in early November.
For example, a TikToker with the nickname dyxxc1d5awfi imagined that these are the feelings that overwhelm a schoolchild who was asked to solve a simple example in his head.
When I forced a student to decide how much 88+77 would be.
And a blogger under the pseudonym anonimus_mercedes illustrated the difference in gender perception with a meme of a screaming cat. For example, if the guys persevere despite all the troubles, then the girls are upset when the famous crush ignored the message.
Guys: “Damn, my girlfriend left me, I’m also quarreling with my mom, okay, everything will be ok.” Girls, when [Jeon Jong Kook] from BTS [a popular Korean group] didn't respond to their: "You're my crush, let's date."
A user of the platform with the nickname mr.kwuh decided that small children look like a cat clutching its head when they realize that their mother calls their grandmother mom.
When at the age of 6 I saw that my mother was calling, and when I picked up the phone, my grandmother was there.
According to TikToker with the nickname _mrkolya_, parents can see a screaming cat in a child who did not remember an interesting dream - they woke him up too early.
When you had a top dream, but your parents woke you up and you forgot it.
There was also a place for a screaming cat in memes about awkward situations. For example, when a person never thanked his mother for dinner, but a friend who was staying over said, “Thank you.” Version of tiktoker with the nickname ritmoon37.
When a friend told your mom, “Thanks for dinner,” and now you have to say, “Thanks,” too.
A TikToker with the pseudonym kraime49 thought that a schoolboy on an important test could also turn into a cat holding his head with his paws. He seemed to have forgotten not only the answers, but also the name of the item.
This is me on a critical test trying to remember the name of the subject.
Some children have such a rich imagination that they see magic in the most ordinary things. At least, this is what TikToker with the nickname ogerschik1 thinks, illustrating a similar situation with a meme of a screaming cat.
When I was seven years old, I ate a hematogen from a pharmacy and I think I started to turn into a ninja turtle.
Previously, Medialeaks told what the letters “k.k.i.k.r.d.r.v.l.b.b” mean in the new TikTok trend. Internet users confess their liking to each other using encrypted tracks.
People on the RuNet are wondering whether Leonardo DiCaprio really recorded a video on Red Square. In another article, Medialeaks said that commentators suspected a high-quality deepfake in the video with the actor.
Why do cats paw?
Cats use their paws for many reasons, and one of them is to express what they want. The main reasons why kittens paw are as follows:
- He's looking for attention
If you get busy and after a while your pet ends up hitting you when you walk by, he may be looking for attention.
Cats love attention and are ready for anything. These felines even consider screaming a sign of attention.
For this reason, you should spend some time playing with your pet.
- The cat is hungry
The cat jumps on your face and bites!
Why does a cat bite your face?
We want to reassure you: a cat jumps on your face and bites not because it doesn’t love you or wants to offend you, but because that’s how it… plays.
Cats have lived side by side with humans for centuries, and we have already learned to understand them. However, some features of their behavior will forever remain a mystery to us. For example, we will never know why a cat lying peacefully nearby suddenly gets the idea to attack our face. But you don’t have to know – you have to wean her off!
How to stop a cat from jumping on your face and biting?
If a cat bites the face, even the most patient owner may not be able to stand it and slap her in the face. However, this measure will not bring the expected result, but will only spoil the relationship.
Brute physical force as punishment does not teach a cat, but turns it against its owner. In addition, your pet can be seriously injured. Everyone knows that children should not be hit on the head. But what about cats? Their heads are no less sensitive. The same applies to the back. A cat has a huge number of nerve endings in this area, and with a strong slap, it will feel the same thing as a person with a blow to the solar plexus.
Therefore, we categorically do not introduce brute physical force into the educational process. We replace it with symbolic force: a click on the nose or a slap with a kitchen towel. You will be surprised to learn how sensitive cats are to such measures.
The situation is similar with the voice. Screaming is a serious irritant for a cat. He scares, but again, he doesn’t teach. A clear and strict “don’t” will be much more beneficial.
So, your actions
when a cat bites your face:
- Clearly and strictly command “No!”
- Threaten with your finger or unleash heavy artillery: click on the nose, slap with a towel or spray with water from a spray bottle. One option to choose from!
Read more about the last point. Water is perhaps the worst punishment for most cats. Arm yourself with a spray bottle and spray water into your cat's face whenever she performs unwanted actions. A few “tortures” with water will be enough for the cat to behave in an exemplary manner at the sight of a spray bottle (even if it’s standing peacefully nearby).
And the most important rule of education. The cat must be punished at the time of the offense or immediately after it. Even a minute's delay will bring the education to naught: the cat will not understand why it was punished, because... simply will not be able to correlate the punishment with his action.
Buy special toys for your cat! The more a pet is busy with an exciting game, the less time and energy it will have to play “cat and mouse” with its owner!
When weaning your cat off its habit, it is important to be consistent. If yesterday you punished a cat for its misdeed, and then ignored it, there will be no result.
Don't forget that the best teachers are demanding, strict, but always friendly. Whatever misunderstandings there are between the owner and the pet, do not let them ruin the relationship between you, it’s not worth it!
