The question “why is my cat running away from me?” This should be one of the most frequently asked questions from tutors who talk for the first time. The tendency to see the animal as a small dog, or some of the mistakes of beginners that we usually make, even when we are already veterans, can lead our animal to reject us every time we try to show our affection with affection.
This article by Animal Expert will try to explain something else about the special character of cats and the consequences this can have on the interaction between humans and felines.
- We know that they are carnivores.
- That they are the second most common pet in our homes.
- Who welcome us when they return home.
- Make us feel special and that everyone in their own way appreciates our company.
- But cats are not small dogs.
- An obvious problem that we often forget.
- Just as we insist that children do not disturb animals.
- Manipulate them without warning or insistently.
- We must understand that having a cat is like having a demanding boss: he will decide almost everything about the interaction between him and his human.
For cats, our home is their home, and they are the ones who allow them to live together. They mark people as their territory every day, rubbing their legs, what we understand as a sign of affection, and in their world it is really … but a particular affection that clearly shows who’s in charge. For him, and as far as affection is concerned, it is necessary to understand that it is the cat that decides how and when it will be allowed to embrace and /or manipulate, showing its dissatisfaction or its conformity to multiple signs of feline body language. (ear position, cat movements) tail, pupils, sounds …) tell us when to end or continue the session.
Com certeza, mas isso não significa que existam muitos gatos que sejam autênticos sacos de mimo peludos que se comportem como o mais calmo dos cachorros. O caráter varia muito segundo o tipo de gato predominante e existem já muitos estudos que diferenciam o gato europeu do gato americano neste sentido.
Years of breeding have resulted in smaller domestic cats with a more dog-like character in some parts of the world. However, the so-called Roman cat (the most common in Europe), is not so different from those who jumped into barns a few centuries ago, and its personality is not similar to that of the sweet and huge felines of North America.
We have a great tendency to try to reassure our cat fondly when we see it in a stressful situation, but this can cause even more anxiety, make him avoid us and therefore scare away our cat.
We are all aware of the image of our cat looking out the window, chewing the air while looking at a pigeon. At this point, it is possible to see that your tail moves anxiously. Our attempt to hug can eventually end in a bite, because in this transient (or similar) situation, the poor kitten is a little frustrated and focused and the last thing he needs is a hand that rests on his back or head.
If you’ve just been through a very traumatic situation (a visit to the vet, for example), it makes sense for us to forgive our betrayal a few hours, to avoid or ignore us, just as when we have to give you several days of medication, eventually you’ll change your home every time you enter.
Cats are very receptive to caresses in some areas and quite reluctant in other parts of the body. The most accepted areas are:
As a rule, cats hate to caress them in the belly, it is a posture of helplessness, which does not give them much peace of mind. So, if you’re trying to do it and wonder why your cat won’t let you, here’s the answer.
The sides are also delicate areas and it is not customary for cats to love affection in these areas. So, for our feline to let us share their space, we must begin to calmly identify the areas that hinder it when touching.
Surely there are lucky tutors with cats who let them hug at will while snoring for a minute and we are all very jealous! But almost everyone, ordinary mortals, have airplanes or have a “normal” cat, who left us several messages in the form of bites the day or week when we were not in the mood to caress.
Like every dog, every human being or every animal in general, each cat has its own character, defined by the genetics and environment in which it was raised (son of a fearful mother, living with other cats and people in times of socialization), stressful situations in its critical stage of development …)
Thus, we will find very sociable cats and always willing to interact with caresses and others that will simply keep us company a few meters away, but without giving us much confidence. These cases are usually associated with an uncertain and traumatic past, in the case of bastard cats, but this type of shy and tortuous personality is found in cats that have shared their lives with humans from the first minute of life and who have siblings. in the same relatively sociable area.
Our attempts to accustom the cat to manipulation can aggravate its mistrust, acting exactly against what we want, and in the end, our cat will end up going out under the bed to eat, to use sand and nothing else.
There are behavioral changes that can be solved with the help of ethologists and/or medications, but if our cat is elusive and shy we cannot change it, we can simply help you by promoting the moments when you approach us and adapting to them. In other words, instead of trying to change our cat, we can help him adapt, and if that fails, we adapt to the situation.
For example, many cats love to sit on their owner’s lap when in front of the TV, but they will get up immediately if they start stroking it. Of course, what you have to do in these cases is to take advantage of this passive interaction, just as comforting, and not insist on what you don’t like, even if you never know why.
If our cat is not sterilized, and it is time for heat, it can go from whimsical cats that become super sweet, to very sociable cats that begin to attack every human being on the move. And honey, not to mention!
Male cats can escape in our caresses when they are not sterilized and the crash season arrives because they are usually busier to mark the territory, chase the competition, escape through the window (with tragic results several times) and follow their instincts. , to socialize with people.
If your cat has always been treated without problem, with its best and worst days, but now it is fleeing caresses or is violent when trying to touch it (i.e., we observe an obvious change of character), this can be a clear clinical sign of pain and therefore the answer to the question “why is my cat escaping from me?” is among the following causes?” :
In this case it will be necessary to visit the veterinarian, which will rule out the physical causes and seek, once these possibilities are eliminated, the psychological causes, using the information you provide us. We recommend that you read Animal Expert’s article on the 10 pain signs in cats to supplement this information.
Dementia in cats is not as well documented as in dogs, but it is also possible that over the years cats will change their habits just like dogs. Even if they continue to recognize us, the passage of years can make them a little more special and he decides to end the affection, or choose to avoid it, without any evidence of physical pain or psychological suffering … simply because he has become more grumpy, like some humans. However, it is necessary to demonstrate that the origin of this behavior is not a physical or mental illness.