Cats / Behaviour
Adult cats retain a surprising number of behaviours from kittenhood, particularly around the people they trust most. These habits, often called kitten-like or infantile behaviours, are one of the clea
Adult cats retain a surprising number of behaviours from kittenhood, particularly around the people they trust most. These habits, often called kitten-like or infantile behaviours, are one of the clearest signs a cat sees its home as safe and its people as genuinely close.
That rhythmic paw-pressing motion started as a nursing reflex to stimulate milk flow from a mother cat, and most adult cats never fully outgrow it, especially when deeply relaxed on a lap or blanket.
Some cats, particularly those weaned too early, gently suck or chew on a blanket, jumper or soft toy well into adulthood, a soothing behaviour directly linked to the nursing instinct. It is usually harmless, though fabric should be checked occasionally for damage that could be swallowed.
These soft, upbeat sounds are strikingly similar to the noises a mother cat makes to call her kittens, and many adult cats use the same sound as a warm greeting to trusted people.
A cat that goes limp and content when picked up, rather than struggling, is echoing the same stillness kittens show when carried by their mother, though this instinct fades in many cats as they mature, making the ones who keep it especially endearing.
Much like a kitten shadowing its mother for safety and guidance, an adult cat that follows a trusted person from room to room is showing the same attachment behaviour, just redirected towards you instead.
Kittens huddle together with their mother and littermates for warmth and safety. An adult cat choosing to sleep pressed against a person, rather than alone somewhere else entirely available, is extending that same instinct to someone it considers family.
None of these behaviours need to be discouraged. They are, in effect, a cat's way of saying that home still feels as safe as it did in the very first weeks of its life.
Article content © Ravi Teja. All rights reserved.
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