Bramblethorn
Sleep-deprived
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2012
- Posts
- 18,623
Partly trial and error, partly learning their body language, partly figuring out what drives them.Many cat owners report things like this, and I always wonder, how did they figure out that it’s okay to scratch Mittens on the tummy but only in front of the living room window when it rains and it’s nighttime? Like, what kind of trial and error process leads to these sacred rules? It’s difficult enough to figure out kids and they can talk.
e.g. with my older cat, a lot of her behaviours around eating fit a pattern of needing to feel safe. She likes to eat facing the doorway, preferably with her back to a wall, and she likes to have me around keeping watch while she eats. Unexpected noises can spook her very easily while eating. Understanding that, it's easier to figure out what she'll go for.