Curiosity is a distinctive cat trait, with the popular saying “curiosity killed the cat”, but have you ever asked yourself “why are cats so curious?”.
This is isn’t just a saying or a myth, cats genuinely are very curious creatures. Even from birth, kittens are deaf and blind and begin sniffing everywhere and everything as they begin to start crawling around.
A cats curiosity does come natural instincts and a number of other things which we will cover inside of this article.
Why Are Cats So Curious?
Lets’ take a look at the reasons why cats are so curious.
#1 Cats’ Are Built For Curiosity
One of the reasons cats are so curious is because of the way they are built. The way a cat sees in the dark, along with their whiskers and senses means they are designed to be curious and aware of everything in their surroundings.
They way they are built means they have a great understanding of the world around them, even in the dark. Even a cats whiskers act as a built-in measuring tape, sense vibration in the air, and help with close up vision.
Cats ears are so sensitive that they react to the slightest sound and can even pinpoint where the sound is coming from. As sound is so magnified, they naturally want to investigate what the sound is as it could be potential prey.
#2 Survival Mode And Safety From Predators
Have you ever wondered why cats are so curious and fascinated with boxes? Out in the wild, cats would use small compact spaces for two reasons.
First is to evade predators, and second is when they catch food themselves and use the space as an element of surprise. If you happen to have a tall cat tree or cat shelves on the wall, you may notice your cat sitting their observing everything with curiosity.
Cats love to be at a high vantage point for both safety from predators and spotting potential prey.
#3 Protecting Their Territory
As you may know, cats are very territorial creatures who like to claim everything as their own. Any kind of changes in your home environment will spark your cats curiosity, as they are suspicious of everything. This type of curiosity is them protecting their territory.
#4 Your Cat Is Very Smart
Dogs are always well known as being the clever ones, but cats are a lot smarter than what you think. Cats understand “object performance” which means if you place an object under a box, your cat will remember it’s there.
If you do this with a dog, when they can no longer see the object, they will quickly forget that the object is there. You’ll find that your cats curiosity cannot let this go and will stare at the box for long periods because they just have to know what happened to the object.
#5 Hunting Instincts
Although cats are now very much domesticated, their natural hunting instincts seem to stay with them. You’ve probably noticed that cats love to sit by the window looking out at nature.
Although they cannot physically get to the birds, their curiosity is more of a hunting instinct that makes them aware of potential prey.
Are cats naturally curious?
As you can see from all of the points we covered, cats are naturally curious creatures. This curiosity stems from there natural predatory behavior and they love to pounce, stalk, and play.
This is why it is important to have a setup in your home that allows your cat to explore their natural behavior and provide both physical and mental stimulation. Here are some of the important things you will need:
- Tall cat trees
- Cat shelves
- Other cat furniture
- Horizontal and vertical scratching posts
- A large variety of cat toys
- Interactive cat toys
The Problems With A Cats Curiosity
Although curiosity my seem harmless, if you do not allow a cat to explore it’s curiosity, it can lead to problems. Keeping them isolated away can lead to behavioral problems such as obsessively cleaning themselves.
They may even become obese as they eat too much due to boredom. Other problems that may develop include excessive marking of territory, aggressiveness, and anxiety.
As stated in the previous section, it’s important to have a setup in your home that is going to provide plenty of stimulation to your kitty.
Time Out From Curiosity
Curiosity is a major part of a who a cat is and they are always on alert due to their survival instincts, but do they ever take a break from being curious? Cats do indeed let their guard down from time to time.
If you’ve had your cat a while and the pair of you have a great bond, you’ll notice that when they snuggle up by you and go to sleep, they are completely relaxed. This is a great sign that they are comfortable around you and that they trust you.
Conclusion
So know you know why cats are so curious and why they want to know absolutely everything your doing. Just to remind you as it’s so important, remember to have plenty of cat toys, scratching posts and cat furniture in different locations around your home.
This is great for the health of your cat as it provides both physical and mental stimulation. Each cat is also very unique with a different personality. Some cats are naturally more curious than other.
