People have brought all sorts of animals into their homes in pets, but there are none that are quite so beloved as cats and dogs. It’s such a pity that we don’t speak the same language as them, so we sometimes don’t understand exactly why they do what they do. But, if we look at their history, when they were in the wild, we may be able to uncover some answers.
Dogs are the result of domesticating wolves, so looking at the pack behaviors of wolves may explain a good deal of their behavior. On the other hand, cats come from lone hunters, and they carry many traits from this ancestry. You won’t believe the real reasons behind some of your pet’s behaviors! Keep reading to learn the true meaning behind cats purring and dogs wagging their tails.
1. The Muzzle Bite
When two dogs play together and one seems to bite the other’s muzzle, people can sometimes be startled by this behavior. However, you really don’t need to worry about this. It is a social interaction that was passed down from their wolf lineage. The pups are merely affirming their friendship; the one being bitten is feeling a bit insecure, so this is a way for the dogs to communicate the solidity of their relationship.
We usually see this behavior from two dogs that know each other well, but we sometimes observe insecure dogs asking their people to do it as well. If you see your pooch come up to you and puff up its nose, just gentry grasp it around the muzzle to let it know that you care about it. They’ll be delighted by the gesture.
2. Cats Love Boxes
Do you ever wonder why cats love to get inside cardboard boxes? From the littlest house cat to the largest and most ferocious tiger, all felines seem to love boxes. Even if the box is so small that they can barely fit, these cats will find a way. It appears that, at least for house cats, the box makes them feel safe and secure in a little enclosed place.
Cats prefer to sit in places where they can observe while hidden away. This lets them hide from both predators and prey, and boxes simulate this experience. They may not actually be hidden, but at least they feel like they are. It’s also possible that boxes help to keep them warm, and they also might just be curious about the new things in their environment. It’s hard to really say.
3. Tilting Their Head
Do you notice your dog tilting their head to the side when you talk to them? No doubt it’s cute, but what is the purpose? There hasn’t been a lot of research into this question, so scientists don’t have any definitive conclusions. Still, there are some possible explanations.
We’ve come up with those hypotheses. First, dogs may tilt their heads so that they can better see your facial expression, as their long muzzle tends to get in the way. Or, they may be trying to hear what you’re saying better by moving around their floppy ears.
4. Flehmen Response
If you’ve observed your feline friend with a really silly look on their face, they may be exhibiting a “flehmen.” This characteristic look involves opening the jaws and drawing back the lips—often, they look disgusted or scowling. Don’t worry, as these expressions mean something very different for them than for us.
According to scientists, the flehmen response is used to aid in smell. Rather than relying just on their nose, the cat will suck air into an organ that sits on the roof of its mouth called the vomeronasal organ. This unique part of their anatomy can pick up different odors than the nose. We also observe similar behavior in other animals like tigers and horses.
5. Yawning
When a human yawns, we generally ascribe boredom or tiredness to them but yawning has a very different interpretation for dogs. Rather, it shows the dog’s pacification. A yawn signals friendship or goodwill to either you or another canine.
Although yawning may have originally had a more physical purpose, it gradually turned into a way for dogs to communicate with each other. Just like many doggy behaviors, it’s designed for the wolfpack. In the pack, establishing a hierarchy and dominant individuals is crucial, so they’ve developed communication methods to meet these needs. By yawning back, you can reassure your dog of your love.
6. Face Licking
Some people love it, some people hate it, and lots of us find it gross, but either way, dogs will keep on licking our faces. There are even reports of wolves licking humans faces! Why all this face-licking? It all boils down to a display of friendship and repression of aggressive or dominant tendencies.
Licking your face is your canine friend’s way of telling you that they love you, so the best way for you to reciprocate is to close your eyes, turn away your head, and let out a big yawn. Your dog will understand that you are on the same page as them. And don’t worry—germs in a dog’s mouth aren’t any worse they in a human’s.
7. Catnip
Everyone knows that cats love catnip. They go crazy rubbing their bodies all over it, and some will even try to eat it up. This is because of chemical response to a compound known as nepetalactone that is in the catnip. The plant produces it to deter insect pests, but it has a much different effect on cats.
Science tells us that nepetalactone is much like the pheromones found in cats, which are the chemicals that these animals use to nonverbally communicate. The nepetalactone molecule enters into the cat’s sinuses and then binds to the same receptors that pheromones do, thus telling the cat that something great is about to happen.
8. For the Love of Nip
Research has shown that the nepetalactone molecule stimulates three areas in a cat’s brain. First, it acts on the olfactory bulb, which is responsible for processing odors. Second, it works it’s magic on the amygdala, the organ that is responsible for feeling and deciding. Finally, it affects the hypothalamus, an organ that is involved with numerous functions including sexuality.
This last reaction may be why cats roll around when they get their paws on catnip, as this is exactly what girl kitties do when they go into heat. Similarly, kittens may not react to catnip, as they have not yet come of age. Still, not all adult felines go crazy for nip since the type of reaction that they have depends on their genes. Also, the catnip crazies don’t just stop with domesticated house cats—some of our big and furry friends love it too!
9. Panting is Cool
Seeing your pepperoni panting with open mouth and swaying tongue shouldn’t surprise you, but do you know why they do this? Panting helps dogs to cool off because saliva evaporation gets rid of heat. This is the same exact reason that humans sweat. However, since canines only have sweat glands atop their paws, sweating isn’t nearly as effective for them as it for us.
If you see them breathing hard and quick, know that your dog is letting more saliva evaporate. Letting the tongue hang out also helps along with this purpose—it even cools down the blood that is inside of it. This isn’t just dogs though, as all mammals can pant under certain or extreme conditions. Keep in mind to give panting dog water, as they’re losing a lot of it from their panting.
10. Shake it Out
Have you ever stood in the splash zone next to a dog who’s shaking it out after getting out of a pool, lake, or bath? They do this for one important evolutionary reason: it helps them to stay warm. If their fur isn’t dry then it isn’t nearly as effective at keeping them warm, because wet fur can’t trap air. It’s like trying to use a wet blanket to stay warm.
As they could risk hypothermia, especially in colder climates, it is important for pups to dry off as quickly as possible. We see similar behaviors in other furry mammals, such as mice and bears. If they want to break the surface tension created by the fluid, they have to shake pretty hard, meaning that smaller animals must shake even faster. The fact that dogs have plenty of loose skin helps them to easily expel unwanted moisture.
11. Scratch Off
Most people find cats to be cute, but none can deny that they can get annoying. One of our least favorite feline behaviors is scratching EVERYTHING insight: the furniture, the carpet, the walls, you name it… Unluckily for us, this is just their natural way of being. They need to do it for their claws because it gets rid of the dead outer layer of the nails.
Furthermore, cats mark their territory by scratching things in their home. These beasts are quite possessive of their people and their territory, and they don’t often like company, so marking stuff can keep other cats at bay. Since cat paws have built-in scent glands, other cats can smell the warning.
12. Get a Scratching Post
In addition to marking their territory and trimming their nails, scratching also helps cats to stretch out their shoulders and back. Your cat might not be taking to the little post that you bought them because it doesn’t help them to get a good enough stretch. Can you blame them for wanting to get limber?
As if your furry friend didn’t have enough reasons to destroy your couch, scratching also helps to release stress and other emotions. Cats often engage in this behavior when they get nervous, excited, or mad. No matter why your cat is scratching up everything you own, do yourself a favor and get them a nice, big scratching post.
13. Rolling Grass
Whenever we let the dog out in the backyard or in the park, we often see them go straight to the grass and roll around it. Why must they do this? Perhaps it comes from their past as wolves. These animals will roll themselves in any curious smell so that they can put it on their body and bring it back for their pack to decipher.
The wolfpack will smell it off the one member and then may even track it back to the place it came from. So, it’s possible that your dog smells something interesting and wants to bring it back to its pack, aka you. Or maybe they just like feeling the grass on their back. There are many possibilities.
14. Smelly and Itching
If your dog isn’t rolling in hopes of bringing you some novel odor, they could be trying to rid themselves of an undesirable stink. You might have bathed him in something that he doesn’t like, and so this is his way of trying to get rid of it. Try bathing your dog with a bar of neutral scented soap and see if that helps.
Another possibility is that your dog is feeling really itchy and just wants to scratch his back. If this is the case, then there might be some bugs in his fur, and you should look into that. Since there are multiple explanations for the grass rolling behavior, keep looking into it to get at the truth.
15. Yummy Grass
When dogs aren’t rolling in the grass, they’re probably eating it up. But why do they enjoy eating yummy grass? If they aren’t feeling good, they might try to eat a bunch to induce a puke reflex, but this isn’t common. What other explanations are there? Like most of these behaviors, it probably goes back to their wolf ancestry.
Since they scavenged the wild, they had to eat what they could get. This means that they aren’t picky eaters. And, of course, the grass is on the menu. It also might be good for giving them fiber and minerals. Cats, on the other hand, go for grass for a very different reason.
16. Cats Eating Grass
As soon as your cat goes out the door, they run into the sun and begin chowing down on the grass. Oftentimes, they’ll puke up the grass that they literally just got down. Even though cats can receive vitamins from plants, it’s actually impossible for them to digest them. Why the heck do they even try?
It’s possible that cats like eating grass so that they can… expel indigestible stuff from their gut; for instance, the bones, feathers, and fur of their victims. Even though your cat might get its nutrition from a can instead of a live animal these days, it can be tough to rid an entire species of behavior that was cultivated over millions of years.
17. The Purr Box
Every cat person loves to hear their kitty purring. We find it lovely and uplifting. While we often observe purring while cuddling with our cats, they also do it at some other, very different times, such as when they’re suffering pain or birthing kittens. Because it’s tied to various emotional situations, it’s just another form of communication.
In truth, some scientists posit that purring is a type of self-medication. Their low frequencies are proven to support bone density. Perhaps cats engage in this behavior to heal themselves and keep their bones healthy. Plus, it could be the case that your very bones could benefit from their pawsitive vibrations.
18. A Thoughtful Gift
Don’t you love coming home to a dead mouse or bird in your home? Your cat probably doesn’t understand why such a thoughtful gift would upset you. After all, they took the time and effort to hunt down this prey and bring it back home for you. This is because momma cats in the wild teach their kittens about hunting by bringing home dead little creatures for dinner.
This begins the process of switching a kitten over to eating meat instead of milk, and it also gives them something to practice hunting on. This means that, if your cat brings home a little dead thing, she probably just wants to help you learn how to hunt. However, since boy cats are also known to bring back these gifts, it may be because of the cat’s instinct to bring their prey to a safer place to enjoy their meal.
19. Following You to the Restroom
It’s hard to get privacy when you’ve got dogs around. They’ll often follow their owners into the restroom, which some find uncomfortable. It can be good to have a toilet buddy when you’re out camping in the woods, but is it really necessary when you’re in the comfort of your own home? Still, dogs just can’t shake their pack mentality, and they don’t have the same sense of privacy as you or me.
This, again, goes back to their wolf days. Since you’re a part of the wolfpack, your dog is merely showing his loyalty by following you around. He also might just be wondering what’s going on behind that closed door. If this is a recurring behavior and he follows you absolutely everywhere, it may be due to insecurity or because he thinks that he needs to guard you at every moment. This could be dangerous, and, if you’re worried, consider consulting a veterinarian.
20. Waggy Tail
We all know two things about dogs. First, they are man’s best friend. Second, they love wagging their tails. Generally speaking, we interpret a wagging tail to mean that the dog is happy and feeling friendly, but there’s actually some more complexity to it. For example, the slow wag means that your dog is feeling uneasy.
On the other hand, an energic wag has a very different meaning. In this case, your dog is joyful and excited. Wag can have a lot of meanings. Who knew that there was so much to it?
21. Wag to the Left… Wag to the Right
Another piece of wag talk that you may be missing is whether your pup wags more to the right or left. If it’s to the right, then they want you to get closer. On the other hand, a leftwards wag indicates that they want to avoid something.
For instance, this left wag can happen if your dog wants to steer clear of a more dominant pooch. To test this hypothesis, scientists showed videos of dog tail wagging to other dogs. The audience became nervous when they saw left wags but seemed serene when it came to right wags. If your dog wags right in the middle, it’s impossible to say…
22. The All-Important Tail
As we dive deeper into the wagging topic, the more complications arise. For example, if the tail is going for a wide wag, it’s a more positive gesture than little wags. And, for sure, there’s much more tail communication than mere wagging.
If you see your dog put their tail between their legs, it’s just like with the saying “running away with your tail between your legs”! It means that they’re frightened, nervous, or submissive. On the other hand, a high and triumphant tail means that they saw something cool or they want to show off their dominance. A middling height tail can indicate relaxation and happiness.
23. Cat Tails
Dog tails may be very expressive and always wagging, that’s not always the case for cattails. Still, they can communicate a bit. For instance, if your cat walks up to you with its tail raised high in the air, they’re waving hi to you. Give them a little pet, and they might rub up against you.
When a cat rubs against you or butts their head into you, they’re probably just marking you with their scent, but it can also be a way for a cat to gather information about a stranger. While this is something that cats do to each other, there is one special thing that cats only do around people.
24. Meow
Think back to your childhood. You were probably taught that dogs say bark and cats say meow. But what does a meow actually mean? Well, of course, it depends on the situation and the cat. But did you know that cats don’t meow to each other? They only meow to people.
Ok, kittens sometimes meow to their mothers when they’re afraid, hungry, or cold, but adult felines never meow to communicate. Instead, they prefer to use scents or hisses and growls. What this amounts to is the fact that, if your cat is meowing to you, then they want to tell you something that they would tell their mother. Pet me! Feed me!
25. The Soft Belly
It’s an old truism of cats that they’ll roll on their back, show you their soft belly, and then attack you when you try to rub it. Most cats don’t like belly rubs, so why do they bother tempting us with such joy? Well, cats do this to show that they trust you.
Going in for the belly rub is a breach of that trust. Since their tummy is the most vulnerable part of the cat, as its where all their important organs are, exposing this could be dangerous if they thought you were a threat. So, rather than trying to touch their stomach, pet your cat on the head. There are some cats that do enjoy a good belly rub, but you might get scratched trying to figure it out.
26. Buried in the Back Yard
It may aggravate you when your doggo digs up the garden to bury toys and food, but your dog just can’t resist years of instinctual behavior. In the wild, it’s much harder to come by food than when it comes out of a bag or a can.
Wolves often bury food so that they can retrieve it later if they need it. If they got more food than they can eat, they take a doggy hole and put it in the ground. Instead of thinking of your garden as a garden, adjust your thinking to look at it as your dog’s fridge.
27. Regurgitating
You may be aware of mama birding, but have you ever heard of mama dogging? Mother dogs occasionally vomit their food up near their puppies. No, she’s not sick—that’s her way of feeding them! Of course, in the home, puppies can just go eat from the bowl, but this trait comes from a time way back before the ever-plentiful bowl of chow.
In the wild, wolves can’t hunt when they’re so young, so parents do this to keep them fed. You might think that this is disgusting, but the mother dog is just trying to make sure her puppies are happy and healthy. So now you understand if you see your dog puke up her guts near her pups.
28. Kneading Biscuits
One mysterious and adorable behavior that we often see is cats is known as kneading or making biscuits. They knead their paws on anything from the couch to a blanket to your stomach. Even if it can hurt a little, it’s so cute that we often don’t mind. Scientists think that this happens as a ‘neotenic behavior’ or something that they learned as kittens and keep doing as adults.
Kittens knead their mama’s tummies to get her to make milk. This makes a lot of sense, considering that we also often see adult cats suckling while kneading. Still, nobody has ever seen a wild cat knead, so why do house cats do it? Though cats are pretty similar to wild felines, there are some crucial differences.
29. Needing to Knead
Kittens need to knead because it gets them milk, but wild cats don’t. But domestic adult kitties still knead, so what’s the deal? These neotenic behaviors, such as kneading, are pretty much only found in domestic animals, not wild ones. Cats may have not changed that much when domesticated, this is certainly one transformation.
Neotenic behaviors may stick around with house cats because humans artificially selected more sociable and less aggressive cats to keep as pets. These, in turn, make them more like kittens than ferocious hunters. Wild cats tend to be loners, but most house cats are loving pets. Because of this, kneading has turned into a way for adult cats to show trust and love.
30. Circling Prior to Sleeping
When the sun sets, both us and our furry friends get ready for bed. You brush your teeth, and your dog circles around a few times before plopping down. Why the circling? Well, in the wild, dogs had to make sure that they had found a good spot to rest.
Grass and dirt certainly aren’t as nice as a good doggy bed, but they managed somehow. If they were in a grassy area, they had to feel out the area for rocks and other hazards, so circling around it was their way of checking. Plus, this could also get rid of pests and reptiles that could be dangerous, especially to puppies.
31. The Cat Nap
Do you ever think about how good cats’ lives are? They just eat, get love, and sleep ALL DAY. It sounds nice, but why in the world do cats need to sleep so dang much?
It probably comes down to their hunting past. It takes a lot of energy to hunt, and so taking a nap can recharge those batteries. Furthermore, their prey is often out at both dawn and dusk, and these are the times that kitties are generally most awake. During the 12 or so hours a day that they sleep, they generally just lightly snooze so that they can be alert at a moment’s notice.
32. Kitty Licks
It’s definitely adorable getting little kitty licks, as it makes us feel like our furry friends really like us. Still, it can only last for so long, since cat tongues are notoriously like sandpaper. Well, they have this rough texture because cats use their tongues for cleaning.
We don’t ever need to give cats a bath because they clean themselves with their bumpy tongue. Sometimes, cats will lick other cats clean, especially other members of their family. So, if your cat licks you, they may be grooming you and showing their affection. But there are some other reasons that it could be too…
33. Scratchy Kisses
Another reason that a cat might lick or bite you is to get your attention. Maybe they are hungry or maybe they just want some love. On the other hand, if the licking becomes excessive, they might be feeling stressed out. Another possibility is that you taste interesting. Did you spill something on yourself? Or maybe the cat just likes the salty flavor.
Of course, your cat may just lick you to show their love for you. They do this to each other, so it only stands to reason that they would do it to people that they love as well, looking for a little affection in return. When a cat licks, they’re generally in a calm mood, but, since there are multiple possibilities, look at the context to determine just what’s going on with your cat.
34. Rolling Over During Play
Another behavior that comes from the old wolfpack days, dogs roll over while playing for a few reasons. The first one is that it is a submissive behavior that shows respect to the pack Alpha. In this case, it’s probably you or the other dog that they are playing with.
The other reason is that this a defensive maneuver that helps to guard them against unwanted aggression. If they are feeling a little uneasy, then they may roll over instinctively.
35. Barking–a lot
Wolves hardly bark at all, especially compared to some of their other noises. But domesticated dogs have a tendency to bark—a lot. Why is this? Sometimes it can be so much that you wish you had chosen a different dog to adopt in the first place.
There’s no simple answer, as different barks can mean different things. Barking at a stranger has a different sound then barking alone or bark during play. It appears that this barking tendency was a result of their domestication and becoming less aggressive. Unlike the cat’s meow, however, dogs do bark at each other to communicate.
36. Lovely to See You Again!
Everyone loves coming home to their dog. They get so happy and excited, and they act like it’s been years, even if it’s only been a few hours since you left. Why is this necessary? Scientists tried to get to the bottom of it by studying canine brains. Smelling their favorite person seemed to trigger the brain’s reward button more than anything else.
The scientists also concluded that a reunion between pooch and owner is not unlike the reunion between human mother and child after an extended absence from each other. Since dogs are such social creatures, they can’t handle a lot of alone time. They think it’s lovely to see you again!
37. House Training
Dogs may need a lot of training to convince them to wait to go outside to use the toilet, but it’s quite easy to train cats to use a litter box. Indeed, oftentimes when we first adopt a cat or kitten, they already are trained to use the box. It’s notoriously hard to train cats to do just about anything else, so why is box training such a breeze?
Well, cats have a natural instinct to hide their poo so that the smell doesn’t attract predators or other cats. Soft dirt, sand, and litter make it easy for cats to cover up their #2. Nonetheless, we sometimes observe dominant cats in a group refuse to cover their feces to send a message.
38. Cats Love Climbing
Cats seem to love climbing on anything, they want to get as high as possible, and they are indifferent to the destruction of screen doors or the fact that fur is all over the place. They like to observe their whole domain from up high, and climbing is also an instinct that they developed to avoid predators.
Not only does climbing up high give them a good vantage point from which to survey, but it also increases the overall area of their territory. Just picture your cat on top of the fridge, thinking, “yes, this is all my kingdom!”
39. Butt Sniffing
One behavior that is simultaneously disgusting and endearing is the classic butt sniff. Why do dogs have to put their faces in each other’s butts? From their perspective, it’s really not that gross. It’s like shaking hands; they’re just introducing each other. On either side of the doggy anus are glands that secret some special chemicals.
These glands clue the sniffer in on the gender and reproductive status of the sniffed dog, as well as other info like their diet, health, and emotions. Dogs have a sense of smell that is 10,000 to 100,000 times more powerful than that found in humans, so they can use smell as a potent method of communications. Dogs even have a special organ in their nose that is designed specifically to smell this type of chemical communication.
40. Chewing and Destroying
Chewing can certainly lead to some unwanted consequences, but dogs have their reasons. For puppies, chewing helps them to relieve the pain that they get as their adult teeth start to emerge. For adults, chewing assists them in cleaning their teeth and strengthening their jaws. However, if you only find your pooch chewing when you’re not around, they might be having some separation anxiety.
If your dog has a proclivity for chewing on and licking fabrics, she may have been weaned off breastmilk a bit too early. It’s also possible that your dog likes to chew because they are still hungry and needs more food. Wild dogs always chew on bones for fun, stimulation, and to relieve stress, so you should give your pet plenty of things to chew on.