Catwatching

Description

A short FAQ on cat behaviour etc. Introduction. Why does a cat purr? Why does a cat like being stroked? Why does a cat tear at the fabric of your favourite chair? Why does a cat roll over to lie on its back when it sees you? Why does a cat rub up against your leg when it greets you? Why do some cats hop up on their hind legs when greeting you? Why does a cat trample on your lap with its front paws? Why does a cat bury its faeces? Why does a cat spend so much time grooming its fur? Why does a cat wag its tail? Why does a tom-cat spray urine on the garden wall? How large is a cat’s territory? How sociable are cats? Why do cats keep crying to be let out and then cry to be let in again? What does a cat signal with its ears? How do cats fight? Why does a cat arch its back when it sees a strange dog? Why does a cat hiss? Why does a cat wag its tail when it is hunting a bird on a lawn? Why does a cat chatter its teeth when it sees a bird through the window? Why does a cat sway its head from side to side when staring at its prey? Why does a cat sometimes play with its prey before killing it? How does a cat prepare its food? How efficient is the cat as a pest-killer? Why do cats present freshly caught prey to their human owners? Why do cats eat grass? How does a cat use its whiskers? Why do cats’ eyes glow in the dark? Why do cats’ eyes contract to a vertical slit? Can cats see colours? How does a female cat deal with her new-born kittens? How do kittens avoid squabbling when feeding from the mother? At what rate do kittens develop? Why does a cat move its kittens to a new nest? How do kittens learn to kill? Why does a kitten sometimes throw a toy into the air when playing? When do cats become sexually mature? How fast do cats breed? How do cats perform their courtship? Why does the tom grab the female by the scruff of the neck when mating? Why does the female scream during the mating act? Why do cats sneer? How does a cat manage to fall on its feet? How do cats behave when they become elderly? Why does a cat lick its face when it is not dirty? Why do cats react so strongly to catnip? How does a cat find its way home? Can cats predict earthquakes? Why do we talk about catnaps? Why are cat-owners healthier than other people? Why is a female cat called a queen? Why is a male cat called a tom? Why is a brothel called a cathouse? Why do we say ‘he let the cat out of the bag’? Why do we speak of not having a ‘cat-in-hell’s’chance? Why do we speak of someone ‘having kittens’? Why does a cat have nine lives? Why do we say ‘there is no room to swing a cat’? Why do we say ‘it is raining cats and dogs’?