Why Are Cats So Weird?

Have you ever looked at your little fluffball and wondered to yourself: why are cats so weird?

You are not the only one.

Cats are peculiar little creatures and they always do seem to be up to something. They love to play around and can get up to all sorts of shenanigans if you look away from them for just a second.

Having a cat in the house can be like having a little dragon of sorts, as they can constantly bring mischief and sticky situations if you let them.

Why Do Cats Act So Weird?

To begin with, let’s take a look at what it means to be “weird”.

What is socially acceptable for a human, is very much unlike what is considered “normal”, or socially appropriate for a cat.

Cats have a wide variety of peculiar behaviors that we have all grown accustomed to, and even enjoy because it is so cute seeing them act like that.

They bolt around the house at night, sleep at weird places, attack small harmless objects, and much more than that.

Cats are considered to be “weird”, because they have all these strange little behaviors and ways of life that a human would never consider acting upon.

But, despite cats being like that, it is considered normal for them to act like that, and being weird is relative after all when you think about it.

While it is normal for a cat to rub against you, imagine a human trying to do the same…

Now that would be strange.

Cats are believed to have been domesticated around 12.000 years ago by us humans(1.), but they do still have a lot of their wild hunting instincts very present within themselves to this day.

Cats have learned to adapt to living with us humans, in our homes and in the environment we created for ourselves, but most of the behaviors we consider “strange” in cats are remnants of their wild nature and how they have evolved.

Felines are small enough to have, evolutionary speaking, been the prey to larger and more aggressive predators. But, they were also large enough at the same time to become predators themselves to smaller creatures such as mice or birds.

Cats have both predator like qualities, and some prey like behaviors as well, such as hiding and being startled easily.

So, cats evolved to behave in peculiar ways, that are related to them having been both the predator and the prey.

What Are Some Weird Things That Cats Do?

You can’t just claim that these animals are weird, without backing it up by some evidence of their peculiar behaviors.

So, here are some strange cat behaviors:

Loving Boxes

We all know cat’s can’t resist boxes.

Whenever we order something online, or some expensive cat toy, the cat actually appears to be more interested in the cardboard box itself more than whatever we just ordered for them.

It does not matter if we spent hundreds of dollars on a new scratching post for them, the delivery box is what truly catches their attention.

This is actually because the box makes the cat feel safe to be in, and it is an enclosed secure “safe space” for the little animal.

The four sides of the box mean that nobody can sneak up on the cat from behind, and they have more control of their surroundings when inside a box.

It is the perfect place to hide in from dangers and predators, but cat’s do still have a bit of a wild side to them as we are all aware of.

Cats get overwhelmed easily and they need these safe secure spots to retreat into, to calm their nerves and feel less anxious.

So, cats like boxes because they make them feel secure and safe inside from any potential dangers.

Being Afraid Of Cucumbers

It is a well known phenomenon on social media, cats fearing cucumbers or being suddenly startled just by seeing them.

Them being afraid of cucumbers actually makes a lot of sense when you know why exactly why that is.

Also, when you know why they fear them so much, you will also understand why you should never use cucumbers to “prank” or scare your cat as it is incredibly cruel to do so and to play upon their fear just for laughs.

Cats are afraid of cucumbers because they remind them of snakes, and it is hardwired into their genes to be fearful of the sight.

Not only that, but the cucumber suddenly being placed either behind or beside the cat is sure to startle it, solely because it is a sudden unexpected object suddenly appearing in their vision.

Nobody likes being startled, and especially not cats.

In the wild, if a predator were to sneak up behind them, it would mean certain death. This is why they react so strongly to being startled like this and they do not like snake like objects suddenly appearing close to them.

So, never try to startle a cat with a cucumber, it is not funny.

Also read: why are cats so scared of cucumbers?

Liking High Places

Cats love to look down on the world, literally.

If there is a high place in the house or apartment, a cat is sure to find it and make it it’s new favorite spot to hang out in.

This is because a high place makes them feel safe and secure from any dangers or harm, and they have a perfect view of their surroundings from high above.

Cats evolved like this in the wild, to both avoid dangerous predators that might wish harm upon them, and also to see any potential prey they could catch.

Being in a tall place gives you a great view of everything and nobody can sneak up on you like that.

Sleeping In Strange Places

These animals love to sleep, it is probably their favorite thing of all time.

Before cats were domesticated, and in the wild, they would need to find safe and secure places to sleep in, where nobody could sneak up on them or try to attack them in their sleep.

Places such as boxes, or high places are perfect for this as they would be safe from any potential predators, in theory.

This is why cats like to nap in various hard to reach places such as in drawers, or under the sofa. They feel safe there, and no predators should be able to reach them there while they are peacefully sleeping.

Clawing At Furniture

Cats like to scratch and claw at furniture to keep their claws in a good condition, and you should always make sure your cat has some good place or a scratching post preferably to sharpen it’s claws.

In nature, these little predators need their claws to catch prey and survive so it is perfectly natural for them to want to sharpen them and scratch things. Doing so keeps their claws healthy and sharp after all.

Also, it is a nice stretching exercise for cats to do this, they like to stretch as well while trimming their claws.

Also read: Best cat scratching post.

Do Cats Think Humans Are Weird?

Now that we have answered the question of why cats are so weird or strange, the true question remains…

Do they think the same about us humans?

According to science, cats do not exactly think we are weird but they do think something else about entirely.

It turns out that that these beloved animals actually may see us as being similar to a big, clumsy cat without hair. (2.)

They treat us similarly like they would another cat in their family.

They rub against us like they trust us, lick us and groom us, and behave around us like they would with their own family of cats.

Cats do though, think that we are exceptionally clumsy beings, as we sometimes tend to trip around them like the clumsy oafs that we are.

We can’t blame them.