Understanding the mind of a cat...

This came up on another thread. We have a great dog whisperer, with a show on the Nat Geo. Hey... where is the cat whisperer? Does anyone have any insights on the mind of a cat?

My four cats have a dog. The dog protects them when they go outside. It is still dangerous for any cat outside! When the dog is inside and a cat wants in... he lets us know. The cats get most of their affection from their dog. Sometimes they will let me pet them.

Cats have their own ideas about the social order. Sometimes my cats disagree.

Any light you can shed on the subject of understanding how cats think???
Joe

My late cat Sebastian was diagnosed with lymphoma and I was told that he would live about 6 more weeks.  He went about his usual routine until about 5 weeks after the verdict, when he lay around and I knew the end was near.  He liked to curl up with me when I took my Sunday afternoon nap.  He was really snuggling up with me and purring and I was telling him how much he  meant to me and I was so lucky that he chose me the day he walked out from under my car and into my heart. He touched my face, licked my cheek, and then looked intently in my eyes, then it was almost like he was looking through me.  He jumped down, ran downstairs and when I opened the door ran outside like he usually did when he went outside. He was an indoor/outdoor cat.  I never saw him again, guess he went off to die alone.  I was going to take him to the vet the next day to be euthanized, as I had called him on Saturday to discuss Sebastian's decline.  There is no way I would have been able to watch him die, so he took care of it for me.

Humans don't have cats as pets.  Cats have humans as slaves.
I would not have it any other way.  :)  Many years ago, one of my beloved Siamese said goodbye in a very special way.  To this day that has changed my life.  I may share some of that revelation later.

I recently heard someone say that the difference between cats and dogs is that "Dogs have family; cats have staff." 

My cat operates in her own little world and sometimes visits mine.

Peach, you are the inspiration for this thread. Now I am having trouble typing through the tears. My words can't say how touching that story is. Yes, cats want to die on their own. I have seen this many times.

Adj, I always knew there was some unknown reason why I like you so much. I only hope you will share later.

Ruby, well put! WOW...
Joe

You have to understand that unlike dogs, who have masters, cats have staff.

Dog thoughts----Jee--they feed me --they pet me--they take of my every need---they must be God!!!!

Cat thoughts---Jee--they feed me --they pet me--they take of my every need---I must be God!!!!

Most cats have the same genetically programmed "moves" but they all have different personallities.  Some demand to be held, some cant stand it.  Others love attention and getting petted while some demand to be left alone. 
We are blessed with a variety of personalities with our brood.  They were all rescued from wthe wild as babies.  AS a rule they are definitely "people cats".  2 were found new born in a pile of of wood just minutes before the trash truck came.  We saved them and the mother.  Even tho they were newborns when we brought them in, they never tamed.  There still mostly feral and want little to do with us.  They do tolerate brushing and thats about it.

Something must be wrong here.  I have not heard growling or fighting yet this morning.....However, Simon did chew on my fingers this morning as usual, wanted to kick my hand and arm with his back feet as if it was an animal, and attach himself to my feet  and ankles. Anyone have snakeboots (size 6 1/2) they can loan me?

What is it with cats that they are required to grab your leg when you step over then?  Either that or almost knock you over to get in front of you when you head to the kitchen, then slow down to a crawl.
Do you ever fill the food dish up before leaving and when you get home its still full, then when we get home they race to gobble it all down.  Its like they conserve just in case you dont come back.  I know mine freak out when they can see the bottom of the dish.  Sometimes I awake with 2-3 of them standing on my chest because the dish isnt full.
I think a cat will tolerate anything as long as they arent disturbed.
 

My cat's hunt snakes. They bring them to the front door from time to time.
Joe

Supposedly, when a cat brings you what he has killed or what he is trying to kill that means he really loves you.  Sebastian used to bring me dead mice, chipmunks, squirrels, etc. at least 2 or 3 times a  week.  He was quite a hunter.  I too have noticed that cats seem to eat their food within minutes after I return home...maybe it is a security thing or a comfort thing to them.....with me maybe it is as if they are thinking  "My meowmy is home, all is right with the world now I can relax and do my favorite things, eat and then sleep?....if only they could all be like Aslan and speak....

Saw "Cats" last night. Thought it was stupid. But I'm OK with felines in general. Don't have one, but wouldn't avoid them either. Cats can be fun.

LOL - have enjoyed all the comments. I have two cats - one is a cat, one is a cat-dog. I take the cat-dog out for walks on his leash (I mention the word leash and he runs to the cabinet where it's kept). He loves fruit, and vegetables (pretty much anything - he "vacuums' up crumbs like a dog would, and plays a mean game of fetch.  My other cat is a cat, she allows petting and stroking under her terms, and has that inscrutable cat-gaze.  I've had many cats over my life, and enjoyed all the different personalities, and affection, that comes with them!

Cats the musical Mosca?

TnT, your cat dog sounds neat! Verry unusual...

Oh, cat pictures are welcome here!
Joe

speechpeach


My late cat Sebastian was diagnosed with lymphoma and I was told that he would live about 6 more weeks.  He went about his usual routine until about 5 weeks after the verdict, when he lay around and I knew the end was near.  He liked to curl up with me when I took my Sunday afternoon nap.  He was really snuggling up with me and purring and I was telling him how much he  meant to me and I was so lucky that he chose me the day he walked out from under my car and into my heart. He touched my face, licked my cheek, and then looked intently in my eyes, then it was almost like he was looking through me.  He jumped down, ran downstairs and when I opened the door ran outside like he usually did when he went outside. He was an indoor/outdoor cat.  I never saw him again, guess he went off to die alone.  I was going to take him to the vet the next day to be euthanized, as I had called him on Saturday to discuss Sebastian's decline.  There is no way I would have been able to watch him die, so he took care of it for me.

 
Beautiful story, well written!

Yeah, "Cats" the musical, at The Kirby. There were 5 of us; my dad and his gf, both in their 80s; my wife and me, in our 50s; and our 17yo daughter. We all thought it was long and uninvolving. All of us were zoning out and nodding off. Just terrible.

Our dog is also a cat-dog.

Thanks to all for making this an already great thread!

Chewing, yes... Peach's post was beautiful and well written!

Peach, yep... I kinda think they want to show off their good deeds. Maybe years ago cats were selected, that brought their catches home, for folks to see?

Britt, nicely put about cats and their unique personallities!

Mosca, is your dog a cat dog, like my dog, or... is your cat a cat dog... like TnT's?
Joe

I adore cats, but I'm terribly allergic to them, so I haven't been able to have one own me since I was still living with my parents before college.
 
My next-door neighbors, however, have a wonderful black-and-white "tuxedo" cat named Sami that they adopted from a shelter.  As they say, he's a juvenile delinquent, but he's got a wonderful personality. He's the "pet" of the neighborhood and simply assumes that he's welcome in anybody's house.  He terrorizes the neighbors' dogs (including a standard poodle), and on Thanksgiving, made the rounds and must have eaten at least five Thanksgiving dinners, coming "home" to sleep it off, stuffed.  He's a predator (despite wearing a collar with a bell), mostly catching chipmunks, but last fall he cornered a huge raccoon in the back yard of one of our other neighbors.  I called his owners and they came over and "rescued" Sami, but I'm not sure who would have gotten the best of it had they left him alone.
 
I hate the fact that he's an outdoor cat -- I live on a street that is a snow emergency route, so it is fairly heavily traveled -- but his owners say Sami pines if he's not allowed to go outside, and that his attitude is "live fast, die young."

My life purpose I guess is to be a warm pillow for our cat. We got her at the Animal Humane Society. They don't come cheap that way since they are spayed, given shots, examined and they wheedle a donation out of you. Our cat, Callie, is evidently a klutz. We have an open timber frame house with beams cats can walk on. The first week we had her she fell from the upper level to the main level and hurt her paw. She stopped eating, ran a fever, and by the time we took her to an emergency vet and followed up with a regular vet we were out another $300+. Last night over a year later she did it again and I suspect banged her left front leg coming down on the credenza. It wasn't broken but she cried for a solid two hours before settling down. She is just now coming out of it and putting pressure on the leg again this evening. She ate so the trauma was not as bad. She was back on my lap again today.

Thanks for the compliments Re: my last day with Sebastian.  I enjoy writing, and spend my work days writing about
speech/language disorders and educational plans to remediate them.  Writing about other topics such as cats, food, and restaurants is therapeutic and fun to me.  (A little therapy for the speech therapist).   The cat in the basket is precious.  Is he/she black and white or a Calico?  Sebastian used to eat at home, then roam around my apartment complex looking and receiving various tasty morsels.  He was the master manipulator when it came to getting his din din.  My Simon is also somewhat of a juvenile delinquent, maybe he will calm down when he is neutered.  He can be very sweet and loving, then turn rambunctious within seconds.  Bella often acts like Greta Garbo.....She looks as if she could be saying "I want to be alone".  I am going to let Simon do his thing tonight downstairs and let Bella hang out with me upstairs, seems as if she needs some attention since she has had to share me with the juvenile delinquent as of late. 

Lol Peach. Hey.., we are lucky to have you here! Your writing skills are an inspiration to me, and others I'm sure. Don't  let us stop you from relaxing and unwinding here though!

Ohhh, it's dinner time for my cats, gotta go, later gaters....

Shoot, what to fix... maybe a nice smoked salmon? Naa, maybe just some canned cat food.
Joe

Britt, great picture! Not sure I know the answers to your questions? that's what this thread is about.m Ohhhh, to understand the mind of a cat.

Ramaki, cats have three kinds of hair. Most folks who are allergic to cats are allergic to the dander that grows around the guard hairs. I was a pioneer breeder of Cornish Rex cats in the US. They are missing guard hairs, and the dander that grows around them. I sold hundreds of Rex cats to folks who were allergic to cats, My guarantee was that if you became allergic... bring my kitten back. Hey... I wanted my kittens to be loved. I never had one returned. Could be worth a try Remaki. They are also real neat cats. Oh, they are not cheep though. I sold my pet quality kittens, back in the 70s, for $500 bucks, Not sure what the go for now?
Joe

My dog is a cat-dog like TnT's. She rolls on her back and bats at string, curls up on you when you lay on the couch, rubs up against you when she wants her ears scratched, and even rumbles under her breath when you scratch them, like she's purring!

My sister does cat rescue in Chicago. She has 3 cats that she owns, and at any one time she'll have between 2 and 5 more that she's foster caring. Her oldest (and biggest), Toby, is one of the finest and smartest domestic animals I've ever known; he's got the personality of a primate.

Peach, I think your cats were very fortunate to have found a human such as yourself to call their very own.

The cat in the basket is Boopsie.  She's actually a piebald.  When we first found her she was so small she could fit in a teacup.  She got her name from her "mask".. When she was little it looked like Betty Boops hair. 

I am owned by 2 cat sisters out of the same litter.  My girls are 12 and a 1/2 but when Roxy runs around with her catnip mousie you'd think she was still a kitten.  Her sister Chica is more sedate, but she has her running around hysterically moments as well.  Since they are black cats it's hard to get a good photo of them, but I surely love them.  What goes on in their little kitty minds, I'll never claim to know.

We rescued Bitsy from the shelter 12 years ago. She's an indoor/outdoor cat with her own cat door and all claws. Other than my wife and I she does not like people, and when outside not even us.

Callie is strictly an indoor cat.

Bitsy and Callie are both beautiful.. My Bella was named Callie when I adopted her at 6 months of age.  I hope she does not suffer from an identify crisis, as I changed her name to Elsa Isabella.  Simon did not have a name, he came to live with me when he was 10 weeks old, and is now 6 months old.  I wanted something befitting of his tuxedo wearing appearance, and think that Simon Frederic sounds distinguished.  St. Simons Island and Fort Frederica being  favorite childhood memories as far as vacations go also had something to do with my choice.