What Your Cat Wishes You Knew About Taking Care of Them

Cats are mysterious creatures. One minute, they are chasing light beams in the living and the next, they are cuddled up next to you purring to their heart’s content. Cat owners often wonder what’s going on inside their heads. Sometimes it feels like they have cat ADHD and multiple personalities. But if these sweet cuddlers could talk, they would probably have a lot to say about everything from the food you serve to the kinds of litter you put in the box. Here’s what your cat probably wishes you knew.

Treats are More Than Just Snacks

You might think of treats like the crackers you have in the cabinet for yourself, but to a cat, it’s so much more. They are experiencing the textures, smells, and tastes, not to mention how the food hits their guts. The more closely their treats feel like prey, the more likely they are to enjoy them. Nowadays, you can get options like freeze dried minnows for cats that contain only one ingredient: minnows.

Cats love treats like this because they aren’t trying to sniff through 20 ingredients and take a moment to decide whether it’s really food or not. These kinds of treats just smell right. And to them, that matters a whole lot.

Their Bathroom Habits are Trying to Tell you Something

Have you ever noticed that when the litter box gets too full, that your cat won’t use it, or they will try and find somewhere else to go? It’s important to recognize that your cat probably isn’t trying to be difficult when they have an accident on your pillow. Odds are they’ve been holding their poop as long as possible, but you didn’t tidy up the litter box in time. They are telling you that they need something from you.

Additionally, if they are going more frequently, they may have something else going on. Their gut could be irritated because they got into people food they shouldn’t have. Or, they could have a urinary tract infection and that’s why they seem to be peeing all the time. Bathroom habits are communication.

Your Cat Loves Routine

Your coming and going habits happen like clockwork, and they love the routine of knowing when you’ll be home, when you’ll fill their bowl, and when they are going to get a good head scratch. These little routine things help cats feel safe and secure. If they could talk, their words would tell you that they like the routine, probably more than you do.

When you play with them consistently. Or you feed them at the same time, it builds up trust. And cats who trust are more at ease, more friendly, and become more like family. This also impacts their health and can be seen in their mood and how often they use the litterbox. Their eating habits become predictable, too, which can benefit your wallet when you know when to buy food and treats.

Cats Mask Their Weaknesses

Paying attention to subtle cues with your cats can give you good insight into how they are feeling. If a cat is starting to feel unwell, it can be harder to tell because they do mask their weaknesses. This defense mechanism serves them well in the wild, because pretending they are okay can help them survive better. But in domestic homes, this can make it hard to seek out treatment for your sick cat early enough. They want you to know that if you notice they aren’t feeling well, they are feeling really bad.

Play is a Necessity, and the More Vertical Space the Better

Taking time to play with your cats everyday is essential for their mental health. They love being able to interact with you on a daily basis. Playful moments help to ease boredom as well, which can keep them from doing too many crazy things. To them, play helps them feel good. Cat behaviorists also know that play helps their mental health, which is extremely important.

You might see your cat run from room to room, but the truth is they love vertical space. Climbing up cat towers helps them see the world from a different perspective and this kind of play is often a favorite. If you have multiple kitties, this vertical play space is especially important and helps to reduce conflicts between cats.

If your cats could talk, they would tell you all sorts of things. These are just some of the important ones that they would communicate when it comes to food, fun, and play.