Why do cats…?

-Why do cats go to the one person in the room who doesn’t like cats?

 When a cat enters a room full of people who are staring at him, he becomes very uncomfortable. Then he notices one person is totally ignoring them, the person who dislikes cats.

The cat goes to that person to seek a safe haven from those who are fawning over him or intimidating him.

-Why do cats rub against your leg?

When a cat rubs his head or the side of his chin against you, the furniture, or any object, he is marking his territory. 

He uses his glands on his forehead and around his mouth and chin. These glands produce chemicals called pheromones, which he transfers by rubbing against objects. Cats can tell how long ago a scent was left and how much attention they need to pay to the warning.

-What does it mean when my cat exposes its stomach?

A rare form of greeting and the ultimate compliment a cat can pay to a human. This body language shows how much he cares for you and how comfortable he is around you. 

Totally exposing the stomach reveals how secure he feels, because the stomach area is the most vulnerable part of the cat. He can be asking for a caress, inviting you to play, or may want the stomach area stroked. If he sleeps on his back this way, his trust in you is in the stratosphere.

-Why does my cat knead?

Loud purring followed by the sharpening of claws on some soft spot of your body is called milk-treading. When you relax and sit quietly, you’re giving your cat the same signal he got from his mother when he was a kitten. 

A nursing kitten instinctively uses his paws to draw out the milk, gently pushing on his mother’s stomach to increase the milk flow. When older cats behave this way, it’s a good sign that they’re happy and content.

-Why do cats get stuck in trees?

Their claws are constructed for climbing up. When they attempt to climb down headfirst (normally this is what they will try to do first), it’s impossible because the claws are curved the wrong way. 

Eventually, a cat will figure out how to go down the correct way, shimmying down backward so the claws will cling to the bark of the tree.