Cats and cats: gender differences, character, features

When choosing a pet, you should think carefully! A dog requires training and education, obligatory long walks, and you can’t go on vacation from it, you’ll have to look for a place to stay. There seem to be fewer problems with cats. You only need to decide on the breed and gender of the animal, and then enjoy communicating with the fluffy ball. But when choosing a gender, it is worth considering some of the pet’s characteristics.

Right choice

It is almost impossible to determine the character of a kitten at a young age. Temperament is immediately visible, because there are active and passive kids, curious and cunning. But this applies only to the properties of the breed, and gender does not affect the character of the animal in any way. Adult cats behave differently, some are distinguished by cleanliness and independence, others by laziness or affection.

Sounds and facial expressions of a cat when communicating with a person

Every cat sound carries meaning. If you know which one, your relationship with your pet will certainly become better.

Hiss

A cat's hissing is a warning. The animal seems to say: “Don’t come near me.” A cat doesn't hiss just like that - it usually happens when it is very worried or scared about something. If so, move away from your pet and give him a chance to calm down.

If a cat hisses, it warns you not to approach it.

The animal defends itself from strangers.
Even ours hissed for about 4 years on a child, they did nothing. Gradually I got used to it, now I can at least iron it. And how are you going to “put her in her place”? Will you knock? So this is not a method, it will be even worse. Toril-or-Twine
https://www.u-mama.ru/forum/family/pets/693840/

Snort

If a cat is angry, it may snort. In this case, do not disturb the animal and wait until it calms down. Snorting may also be due to the fact that the cat inhaled dust and got rid of it on its own. This is not a big deal if it happens rarely, so there is no need to do anything special.

When a cat rubs its nose with its paws while snorting, it experiences obvious discomfort. The reasons for this may be the following:

itching and burning in the nose due to the onset of a runny nose, in which there is no discharge yet or there is already one;
ingestion of irritants or particles into the nose;
sinusitis (inflammation of the paranasal sinuses);
inflammation of the tooth root, in which pain often radiates to the nose;
foreign body in the nasal passage.

Therefore, if your animal snorts, you should contact a veterinarian. After all, it’s better to make a mistake than to miss a serious problem.

I brought a cat from Germany a week ago.
And, I think, she caught a cold at the airport in Moscow. The first two days everything was fine, but on the third she almost stopped eating, slept almost all the time and seemed to snort through her nose. She didn’t sneeze, but as if something was preventing her from breathing and she was trying to blow air out of her nose (sorry, I don’t know how else to explain it) I thought it was stress and so on. But today I noticed that snot was flowing from my nose. Such a transparent liquid. I took her to the doctor. The doctor measured the temperature (for some reason he did not listen to the lungs) The temperature turned out to be 40.5. The doctor said that it was a cold and prescribed the following medications: Cefazolin (diluted with novocaine) twice a day for seven days Cycloferon once a day for three days, and then every other day five more days. Baralgin, if the temperature is above 39 Chilla
2https://forum.mau.ru/viewtopic.php?t=61187&sid=2bdef9e4df3ceb7220adc9aeb26b0eba

Purr

Purring will “tell” about the cat’s good mood, its gratitude for affection or a delicious dinner. But a pet may purr due to hunger or fear. Surely many are familiar with the situation when a cat was playing with its owner and purring, and suddenly released its claws. This means that she is tired of the game. Or affection, if she was stroked. Therefore, in such a situation, hurry to leave the animal alone.

Purring not only “tells” about a cat’s good mood, but also helps it recover

It turns out that purring at frequencies of 20 and 140 hertz contributes to:

healing of bones and tendons caused by injuries;
helps with shortness of breath;
relieves pain;
improves the condition of edema.

This conclusion was made by British scientists who published the results of the study in the journal Current Biology. Scientists have also found that purring heals not only the cats themselves, but also those around them.

Long "meow"

A loud, prolonged scream, more like a howl, will tell you that the cat is excited or angry and is ready to attack. At times of such “calls” it is better to refrain from communicating with the cat.

Mine does this all the time.
When he sees that I’m about to go out straight to the door, he wants to go out first. When I close the door behind me, I immediately start crying. And so every day twice. When I take my child to school in the morning and when I go to pick him up from school in the afternoon. Mom says that she sits near the door and meows for a long time until I return. When I return she follows me and meows. I talk to her, and she seems to be complaining. And so on until I change into home clothes. Then she calms down and goes to lie down somewhere on the windowsill. A couple of times I left on business for a longer time, about 3 hours. I returned, and she was near the door, already on the floor I heard her meowing. I go in and look, and there are wet marks under her eyes. When she worked, she would leave for the whole day, so my mother said that she would sit until lunch, meowing, and not listening to anyone. Then he goes to bed. And in the evening, just before I arrive, he runs to the door meowing, and after 2-3 minutes I return home. I can’t imagine what will happen when I go to work, because then she will be left all alone. It’s probably better not to think about a vacation abroad at all. nyuwuk
https://forum.ykt.ru/viewtopic.jsp?id=4165394

Video: cats meow protractedly in the garage

Cooing short "meow"

You come home, and the cat makes pleasant short sounds, reminiscent of cooing. This is how the animal greets you - it “says” that it is glad to see you. At these moments you can pet your pet and talk to him.

Features of cats

Males strive to take care of their own territory and protect its borders. When meeting on foreign soil, a fight cannot be avoided, and it is often fatal. Even strong cats prefer to disappear from someone else's territory as quickly as possible. Cats hunt only for themselves, they don't care about anyone.

On a note! Cats are independent and can live together in the same apartment if they are not neutered.

Changes in behavior after spaying and neutering

Character can be different and depends not only on the characteristics described above, but also on upbringing.

The physiological characteristics of cats affect the character of the pet. When animals reach sexual maturity, they want to go for a walk. If they do not get what they want, the behavior does not please the owner. The behavior of a cat in the spring - she constantly meows, scratches the sofa. The cat is also not behaving in the best way. Animal lovers claim that after castration and sterilization, the animal becomes calmer, more balanced, and more affectionate. Stop meowing constantly.

4) Cats hiss, imitating snakes, to intimidate the enemy

Anyone who has ever witnessed fierce fights between angry cats knows that these cute and furry animals can make blood-curdling sounds. In addition to demonic intrauterine screams, somewhat reminiscent of a baby’s cry, cats can hiss fiercely.

Many animals have learned to make similar hissing sounds during fights, or when they want to intimidate someone. But why does such a dull hiss have the desired effect? It turns out that when extremely angry, a cat may flatten its ears, bare its fangs, squint its eyes, and hiss to imitate another animal that usually inspires fear: a snake.

Obviously, the cat is not doing this intentionally.

Cats, like many other living things, including butterflies and birds, instinctively use the art of imitation in order to better defend themselves when attacked. Most animals know what venomous snakes are and that they should be feared, which is why cunning cats have chosen imitation tactics to intimidate the enemy.

5) Cats get rid of all foreign odors

Many people consider cats to be very clean animals; they constantly lick their fur and comb out parasites. You may notice that your pet begins to lick itself more vigorously after you pet it. Maybe you have oil on your hands that your cat definitely wants to lick off? Or is she allergic to your touch and starts licking herself to feel better? In reality, the point is different: the cat licks off the smell you left behind.

Cats have special glands that are stimulated when they lick their fur. She licks her fur to smell herself and wants to get rid of all foreign odors.

It's like your mother running to the shower every time you hug her.

You may also have noticed that your cat begins to urinate anywhere after you invite guests home, especially in those places where there is a foreign smell. This is practically the same thing, since your pet just wants to cover up the traces of the stranger’s presence, because there is already an owner here.

1) Cats can imitate small children

Cats have a large number of ways of communicating, but basically, if a cat wants something from us, it meows. For example, when she wants to say: “I’m hungry”, “Pay attention to me”

or
“I just did something, go clean it up
,” she makes peculiar sounds. Unlike dogs, who always bark the same way, cats know how to use different pitches and volume levels of their sounds, so they are better able to manipulate us to get what they want.

Recent research has shown that by listening to recordings of different cats in different situations, people can subconsciously determine when a cat's meow is expressing a request or when it is simply meowing. Participants in the experiment reported that begging sounds were faster and less pleasant to the ear than normal meows, just as a baby's cry when hungry can be unpleasant.

Interestingly, the cat's meow of a hungry cat, which requires food or attention, surprisingly resembles the sounds of a screaming baby in frequency. Apparently, this is not just a coincidence - but a real cunning of cats. Cats have become adept at using sounds at a frequency that will make their owners react faster.

And we react quickly, like well-trained animals, because these sounds not only irritate us, they awaken natural instincts in us.

Habit of climbing higher

The habit of climbing on high objects (not every cat has this feature) has 2 justifications:

Felines do this to realize the territorial feeling inherent in nature. These animals adhere to a hierarchical model of relationships. The owner of the territory climbs to a height - this way he can take in all his possessions with his gaze, which allows him to control the situation and, if necessary, descend, subjugating other relatives or entering into battle with them.
Cats climb to heights because they feel in danger, which comes, for example, from a dog.

Harmful cat habits

Not all cat habits are liked by owners; some habits create difficulties for people keeping a pet in an apartment:

Scratching furniture

Sharpening their claws is a natural need, this is how animals remove excess length and clean off the stratum corneum. It is necessary to install a scratching post and teach the cat to use it, strictly preventing attempts to tear up furniture, wallpaper, carpets, and floor coverings.

Eating out

Cats walking outside on their own can eat offerings from compassionate passers-by and food waste. Stale food causes poisoning, infectious diseases, indigestion, and vomiting. Particularly dangerous are the linings of “cathunters” stuffed with crushed glass and the points of fishing hooks.

Be sure to read:

How to scare cats away so that they don’t shit, mark and damage furniture, what smell they can’t stand

Utility companies leave out poisonous food to kill rats, but cats can also fall prey to coumarin. It is necessary to feed your pet well before leaving, and it is better to prevent self-walking.

Talkativeness

Intrusive meowing can be irritating for some owners. In this way, the cat signals hunger, fear, anxiety, and pain. Increased talkativeness is unusual for cats; once you figure out the reason, the animal immediately stops talking.

Keeping cats is a fascinating process; intelligent animals adopt the atmosphere of the house and their owners. It's funny to watch them play, fuss with children or other pets, and develop their character as they grow older. Some cat habits have become an inexhaustible source of memes, jokes, and funny videos. Share in the comments which pet habits you like and which you don’t?

Crushes the owner or upholstered furniture with his paws

Cats mash their owners with their paws because:

they feel completely safe, just like in childhood, when, as kittens, while feeding, they kneaded their mother’s breasts with their front paws to increase the flow of milk to her nipples;
they experience true pleasure, and the only way to express gratitude and love to the owner is to sit on his lap and look into his eyes, touching his paws;
they want to protect a loved one from invisible enemies, leaving odorous marks on him with the help of sweat glands located on the paw pads;
do therapeutic massage.

These animals crush furniture with their paws to:

prepare her for bed;
relieve stress (rhythmic, monotonous movements help them quickly calm down);
realize sexual instinct during the mating season;
mark the object of trampling.

Places itself to rest in the most inappropriate places (aisles, on the keyboard, etc.)

Pets sometimes disturb the inhabitants of the home, resting in the passages, occupying the space near interior doors and computer keyboards. Is there any special meaning to this behavior? The tendency of cats to settle in inappropriate places can be explained by the desire to mark boundaries.

Representatives of this family consider the territory on which they live, as well as everything that is on it, to be theirs. By being located in doorways, they demonstrate to the inhabitants of the home, including other animals, that it belongs to them. In addition, by staying in the passages, cats try to cool themselves, since it is in such places that air circulates best in the house. They usually behave this way in the warm season or if the home is too hot.

Perhaps this behavior is also due to the fact that the pet, clearly disturbing the inhabitants of the house, is trying to attract attention to itself in such a simple way. Indeed, it’s hard not to notice the cat, which is sitting imposingly on the keyboard. You shouldn't chase him away. It is better to take your four-legged pet in your arms and spend some time with it.

How can you understand your cat by gestures?

Love for animals is a better means of understanding behavioral reactions. I do all of them automatically:

Nervous twitching or sharp wagging of the tail expresses dissatisfaction;
raised tail (slightly curved) – good mood and trust in others;
when frightened or confused, the tail is tucked or fluffed, if the animal is ready to attack another cat or dog (in this regard they are more ferocious), it also hisses with its ears tucked back;
if the tips of the ears are apart, she is perplexed, raised to the top of the head - a decision has been made, directed forward - interest or recognition of signals.

Sometimes cats scare their owners with their behavior. For example, in complete darkness, when the light comes only from a monitor or gadget, the animal peers at one point with sharply dilating pupils. This does not mean that the cat saw a brownie there (although it is possible); most likely, a spider is descending, the cat is “sharpening.”

Animals are no less emotional than people; they suffer from loneliness in a closed apartment and entertain themselves as best they can. Sometimes they stare at one point for a long time, “freeze”, withdrawing into themselves - the consequences of the stress they have suffered.

Some mark their territory endlessly, others don’t; perhaps they don’t like the smell of a smoky apartment. There are many signs and interpretations of their behavior, so you should not punish the animal. Just try to understand it - look at the world through the eyes of cats.

6) The cat brings dead prey into the house to teach you how to hunt

Cats love to kill. Many owners who let their cats go for a walk are surprised to find that their pets bring their prey into the house and show it off to their owner. Do you think that the cat wants to share what it caught with you?

Many cat owners will say that cats are instinctive hunters, and even when they've had their fill of canned tuna, they won't mind hunting a flying sparrow just for fun if the opportunity arises. After a successful hunt, the proud animal presents the prey to the dominant leader of the group (usually the owner) as a gift.

Although this is quite logical, this assumption is a little wrong, and this is only half the story.

In fact, a gift in the form of a dead bird or mouse is not a gift for the owner at all, it is more like a training exercise. Cats teach their kittens and other dependent family members how to hunt and catch prey by following gradual steps. When your cat drops prey at your feet, this is lesson number one in his training program. The cat notices that you have almost no hunting skills and are unable to catch your own food, so she tries to train you, as she does with her kittens.

Cats and cats: one species, but completely different natures