Your getting ready for work by doing your morning routine, a ritual you fulfill everyday. Part of this routine is in the bathroom. There you are quietly doing your business, when suddenly the door flings open as if something was gunning for you. You look up and there the terror sits-Your cat, so concerned she is missing something. It must be good, or why else would the human close the door?
For those of us living with these interesting creatures this is a daily routine. Any door closed, any bag brought into the house, anything that has never been there before must first be inspected by the gate keeper of the apartment. In fact, I would often say if I were to move everything in a room one inch in any direction, the only one who would notice would be the cat. They are nature's inspectors seeking and finding new things to smell, but why?
It comes down to territory. In the wild your cat would have his territory all mapped out, and he would know about everything within it's boundary. From every blade of grass to the alley between the buildings, a cat marks it's territory to tell other cats it belongs to him. This is a cat's nature, and the comfortable apartment you provide for your kitty does not negate this instinctual behavior. Your cat will follow this instinct by keeping careful watch of everything that goes in or out of his territory or anything that is put out of place.
They say a cat is intelligent, because you cannot make them come to you. We have all sat there calling our feline friends only to have them blink at you. However, you can manipulate them. Try throwing anything on the floor in their line of sight. Curiosity will compel them to check it out. I do this to my girls once and a while just to keep it interesting. One time I put a pencil on the floor. They did the "bob and weave" as i call it while they look at it intently. I must admit, I wasn't sure they were going to go for it at first, but nature prevailed and soon they were on their way to the pencil. It was lackluster really. I felt bad luring them over for such a disappointment, but it's a natural compulsion to which i enjoy feeding.
We have all heard the expression "curiosity killed the cat", and it has at times been a fatal flaw of this noble species. However, a cat would not be a cat without this flaw as it is a part of their survival instincts. A cat needs to know what it is that is moving under the bush or in the grass. It could be a predator, or it could be a mouse, but they cannot rest until they have solved the mystery. This goes back to having to know everything in their environment.
Cats are surprisingly simple. How many cat guardians have come home with all kinds of toys only to find the cat prefers laying on the plastic wrapper or box while you end up playing with their new toy yourself? Sometimes I feel like these toys are made so flashy and fancy for our purpose. After all, the cat supply industry is one of the most successful and profitable businesses in today's modern world. It is we who fall prey to the fancy string toy or the mouse which makes a crinkle noise. We do this even though we know that all kitty needs is a string or a box to be happy. My cat once had a cardboard box that was previously used for cans that are stacked upon one another. Everyday before he would lay in it he would pick at it like a scratch post. Eventually, there wasn't much left of the box. In fact, all that remained was a small piece of cardboard from the center of the box. Nonetheless, he would still do the usual spin around, and he would lay on his piece of cardboard happily. As an aside, this action of spinning before lying down stems from an instinct from kitten hood. It is called the snuggle target, and they use it in order to find their litter mates and mother when they find themselves lost. They spin around each time circling out a little further until they find their target. Pretty ingenious how nature takes care of it's self.
So, enjoy your cat's personality and curiosity. Stimulate their brain with puzzles and games to make them seek out their treats instead of just giving them to them. They enjoy using their instincts as it will keep them mentally sharp as they age. Most importantly it will strengthen your bond, and that is something we as cat lovers all strive to achieve.
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