Editing Cat (section)

==Behaviour==

[[File:Don't mess with me mum!.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The cat in the middle is angry at the cat on the bottom. It is displaying a warning.]]
[[File:Cat November 2010-1a.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The stripes on this standard tabby cat help it hide in long grass and bushes. It's a kind of [[camouflage]].]]

Cats are active [[carnivore]]s, meaning that in the wild they hunt live animals. They mostly hunt small [[mammal]]s (like [[mice]]). They will also sometimes hunt [[bird]]s. Cats eat a wide variety of animals, including [[insect]]s such as flies and grasshoppers.<ref>Pond G. & Dineen J. ''The family library of cats''. London: Octopus, p47.</ref> Their main method of hunting is ''stalk and pounce''. 

The basic cat coat colouring, [[tabby]] (see top photo), makes it easy for the cat to hide in [[grass]] and [[woodland]]. The cat moves towards the animal it wants to hunt, keeping its body flat and near the ground so that it cannot be seen easily. When it is close enough, it runs towards the animal it is hunting and tries to jump on it. Cats, especially kittens, practice these [[instinct]]ive behaviours in play with each other or on small toys.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cat Coat Colours And Patterns {{!}} Choosing The Right Cat For You {{!}} Cats|url=https://www.omlet.co.uk/guide/cats/choosing_the_right_cat_for_you/cat_coat_colours_and_patterns|access-date=2025-05-04|website=www.omlet.co.uk|language=en-gb}}</ref>

Cats can catch fish. They try to flip the fish out of the water and over the cat's shoulders using their front paw. Research showed this to be an [[innate]] (inherited) behaviour pattern which developed early and without the mother teaching it.<ref>Morris D. 1986. ''Catwatching: the essential guide to cat behaviour.'' London: Cape, p72/3.</ref>

Cats are quiet and mostly well-behaved animals, making them popular pets. Young kittens are playful. They can easily entertain themselves with a variety of store-bought or homemade toys. House cats have also been known to teach themselves to use lever-type doorknobs and toilet handles.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WofFb_eOxxA|title=Gizmo Flushes|last=Nick Sayer|date=19 April 2006|via=YouTube}}</ref> However, cats are naturally curious, so some domesticated cats may get into some mischief.

Cats are [[wikt:independent|independent]] animals. They can look after themselves and do not need as much attention as dogs do.

===Communication===
{{Anchor|Purr}}

Cats use a wide range of vocal and non-vocal signals for [[communication]]. Vocalizations include [[meow]]ing, [[purr|purring]], trilling, hissing, growling, squeaking, [[chirp]]ing, [[click]]ing, and grunting.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030804205624/http://www.channel3000.com/news/1472741/detail.html |title=Meows mean more to cat lovers |publisher=Channel3000.com |access-date=14 June 2006}}</ref> Adult cats rarely meow at one another but frequently use meowing to communicate with humans, often modifying their vocalizations based on context and response.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McComb |first1=K. |last2=Taylor |first2=A. M. |last3=Wilson |first3=C. |last4=Charlton |first4=B. D. |date=2015 |title=The Meows of Domestic Cats (''Felis catus''): Honest Signals or Vocal Deception? |journal=Current Biology |volume=25 |issue=17 |pages=2264–2268 |doi=10.1016/j.cub.2015.07.048 |pmid=26235649}}</ref>

Purring is most commonly associated with positive states such as relaxation or social contact, but it also occurs during stress, pain, or illness, suggesting a self-soothing or physiological function.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zambelli |first1=D. |last2=Torri |first2=R. |last3=Prato-Previde |first3=E. |date=2016 |title=The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour |journal=Animal Cognition |volume=19 |issue=6 |pages=1041–1051 |doi=10.1007/s10071-016-1007-8}}</ref> Trilling and chirping are often used in friendly interactions, particularly between mothers and kittens or during hunting-related excitement.

Feral cats are generally silent toward humans and rely more heavily on body language and scent-based communication than vocal signals.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jensen |first=P. |title=The Ethology of Domestic Animals |publisher=CABI |year=2009 |isbn=9781845935368 |location=Wallingford, England}}</ref>{{rp|208}}

Cats also communicate through [[Body language|body posture]] and facial expressions. Tail position and ear orientation are especially important. An upright tail usually signals friendliness and confidence, while flattened ears indicate fear or aggression.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Cafazzo |first1=S. |last2=Natoli |first2=E. |date=2009 |title=The Social Function of Tail Up in the Domestic Cat (''Felis silvestris catus'') |journal=Behavioural Processes |volume=80 |issue=1 |pages=60–66 |doi=10.1016/j.beproc.2008.09.008 |pmid=18930121}}</ref> Cats may also perform slow blinking, a behavior interpreted as a friendly or affiliative signal toward humans and other cats.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Harper |first1=R. |date=2019 |title=Cats slow blink: A triadic social interaction |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=156 |pages=13–19 |doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.07.014}}</ref>

Tactile communication includes nose-touching during greetings, head rubbing (bunting), and allogrooming, which help reinforce social bonds and group cohesion.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Crowell-Davis |first1=S. L. |last2=Curtis |first2=T. M. |last3=Knowles |first3=R. J. |date=2004 |title=Social Organization in the Cat: A Modern Understanding |journal=Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=19–28 |doi=10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.013 |pmid=15123163}}</ref>