Is Your Cat Normal?

[David Baxter PhD]

Is Your Cat Normal?
By TARA PARKER-POPE, New York Times
May 12, 2010

Does your cat eat wool, meow a lot or have a passion for toilet water?

My cats do all of the above, so of course I was interested in a new slideshow about cat behavior posted by WebMD. Pamela Reid, vice president of the ASPCA?s Animal Behavior Center, offers her insights into 13 strange cat behaviors, including:

• Cats like toilet water, but no one knows why. It may be that frequent flushing keeps toilet water tasting fresher than the stagnant water in the cat bowl. ?Don?t worry about it unless you keep chemical cleaners in the tank,? Dr. Reid advises.
• Cats like to nibble on grass, but too much can cause vomiting or act as a laxative. Make sure cats don?t nibble on a toxic plant like aloe, philodendron or Easter lilies.
• Some cats suck on wool fabrics or even eat them. ?They eat large holes out of sweaters,? Dr. Reid says. Try to discourage the behavior by providing a tasty alternative like catnip or discuss behavior modification with the vet.
• Chatty cats who meow often may just like to talk. But if your quiet cat suddenly starts vocalizing it could signal a medical condition such as hyperthyroidism.

To learn more about cat behavior, see the full slideshow, Is My Cat Normal?

 

[Murray]

My cat is definitely NOT normal and that is just the way I like her. Normal is boring, right?

 

[luminous veil]

My cat (well, she's technically my roommate's) is healthy but also not normal. She has many eccentricities that we love. She is definitely an introvert, though. Not much noise from her unless she wants something specifically. She also doesn't eat fabric, but she loves cat grass.