When we humans eat meals we (typically) chew quite a reasonable amount with our teeth before we swallow. Among a number of beneficial purposes, the act of chewing helps break larger food into smaller pieces so that, once we finally do swallow, it's a lot easier for our esophagus to carry our food down to our stomachs, and easier for our stomachs to …
Cat Behaviour
Interesting facts about cat behaviours. Like reading about cat facts? Check out all cat fact posts, or our biology and history sections.
Cat Barbering: Why Cats Excessively Lick & Over-Groom ‘Til They Bald
Here's a frustrating behaviour to witness as a pet parent if I ever saw one: cat barbering. It's when your cat bites, licks, sucks, or scratches - basically excessively over-grooming to the point where he or she will begin to lose hair, end up with bald spots, or even worse, have little scabs on his or her skin due to the compulsive …
Cat Meows & Cries at Night? Troubleshoot Guide, Solutions, & How I Fixed This
While living a life without cats is no longer something I can imagine doing, there are aspects to pet ownership that are anything but pleasant. Up very high on that list? Dealing with sleep deprivation because my cat spends what feels like the whole night whining and crying, either directly at me, or outside my bedroom door. It's not a problem …
Are Cats Nocturnal? Do Indoor/Outdoor Cats Have Different Sleep Rhythms?
We've likely all heard at one point or another that cats are nocturnal animals. While this is an absolute within the realm of common knowledge, heresay often gets things wrong, or spits out half-truths that sound right, but under a microscope, just don't cut it in terms of accuracy. Is that true of the statement that cats are nocturnal? Is it a …
Can Cats Cry? Do Cats Ever Cry Tears Like Humans? What Are Cat Tears?
If you've ever lived with a cat before, you're likely to already be aware of how very similar they can be behaviourally to humans at times. Cats yawn, cats snore; like many of us - they enjoy routines, enjoy snoozing one heck of a lot, and when they want something, they even somehow manage to sound like they're crying when they meow. But can …
Can Cats Swim? Do Many Know How? Can Cats Enjoy Swimming?
While I expected this would be a topic frequently discussed by vets and other pet experts on the net, there don't seem to be all that many quality resources online referring to cats and their ability (or inability) to swim. I'm not a fan of using hearsay as a reference, because even with the best intentions, common knowledge still sometimes gets …
Why Do Cats Lick & Groom Each Other? Affection, Hygiene, Aggression?
If you've ever had more than one cat under your roof, you may have noticed a feline behaviour crop up where - every so often - one cat will begin to lick and groom another. At this point, either the first cat will continue to groom the second on his or her own, or the second cat will join in, grooming the first cat back until the two begin licking …