01/19/2023
Cats get a reputation for being cold and aloof, but that's all just an act. Cats are social creatures just like dogs. They just don't show it as much. This may have to do with the fact that cats are much closer evolutionarily to their ancestors than dogs are. Those ancestors were both predator and prey in the wild, and prey animals know not to show weakness and to monitor their environment constantly.
So really, they're just vigilant and careful.
But they have a limbic system very similar to ours. This is the part of the brain that regulates our behavioral and emotional responses, so it stands to reason that cats are feeling a lot of the same things we are.
Sadly, there's not nearly as much research on cat emotions as there is on dog emotions. But scientists have classified their emotional mechanisms into eight systems. Three of the systems are responsible for a lot of "problem" behaviors: 1) The frustration system, 2) the fear-anxiety system, and 3) the social play system. In each of these systems a "problem" behavior arises because they are reacting to something or some behavior in the environment.
To put it plainly: there's always a reason for what cats do. Swatting, hissing, biting, and clawing are always responses to some kind of stimulus or change in the environment. Figuring out what's going on with your cat may require putting on your detective hat (you do have one of those, right?). When their natural behaviors (ie sharpening claws on furniture) are prohibited, they will get frustrated. That's why redirecting "destructive" behaviors is important (like getting them to sharpen their claws on a scratching post instead). Punishment doesn't work, just like in dogs, because it is rarely associated with the behavior in question and can lead to a further behavioral problems if they start to view the person doing the punishing as a threat in the environment.
But cats very similar to dogs in one way: body language can often tell you at a glance what kind of mood your kitty is in. This illustration by Lili Chin (Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin) does a great job of illustrating different postures that indicate an emotional state.
