8 Tell-tail Signs of a Happy, Healthy Cat
Deciphering our kitty’s mood can sometimes feel like an attempt to crack the Da Vinci Code -- They are naturally mysterious creatures plus, paired with an unpredictable temper, makes our meowmy to kitty understanding job and responsibility a big challenge.
So, how can we make certain that we have a happy and healthy kitty on hand? (Because what matters more than the well-being of our little furry ones?)
Fear not, as we delve into the art of feline language to introduce to you the 8 tell-tail signs of a happy healthy cat! Keep a lookout for these physical and verbal cues displayed by your cats if any and you will be able to get a rough idea of their current state of wellbeing.
Now, drum rolls please!
- Robust appetite
By having a good, healthy appetite means a good feline mood. Healthy kitties with a hearty appetite will like to eat and show their eagerness by rubbing against you while you prepare their meals. Also, ensure that there is no sudden drop or increase in appetite.
- Good grooming habits
A contented cat will keep himself looking dapper in their clean and neat coat. Cats will actually skip grooming if they are not in their best emotional state or health/condition.
This good grooming behaviour can sometimes extend to other household pets as well as favourite humans around. (Psst, such licks from your kitty is actually a strong sign of trust your cat has in you.)
- Furry little chatterbox
In most instances, purring represents a sign of happiness and contentment in a healthy cat. It can happen when he is cosying up to you on the sofa or when they are enjoying a good scratch.
Happy cats may also vocalise more than often with high-pitched sounds to exhibit their happiness.
- Forever kitten-like
No matter the age, cats have retained their playful kitten spirit with them and a playful cat is a happy cat! By this we mean that a cat whom is willing to participate in any kind of play is almost evidently happy.
This is due to the reason that scientists believe cat’s playing is a self-indulgence behaviour that is only partaken when other essential needs are met!
- Curiosity never killed the cat
Happy cats show great interest and are curious of their surroundings! They remain curious little furballs and love to inspect their environment or investigate new things.
- Using the litter box
Cats that are healthy and happy tend to use their litter box properly!
When they stop using their litter box, it would usually indicate that their litter box is not cleaned well enough or there are underlying reasons like stress or diseases like UTI and/or kidney stones.
- The right amount of sleepy
Observe your cat’s everyday sleeping habits and keep a look out for any changes. An excess amount of cat naps can indicate an unhappy cat because, similar to humans, it can be a coping mechanism to deal with emotional issues like boredom, sadness, depression and more.
On the other hand, too little cat naps can also mean that something emotional or physical is bothering your kitty and causing discomfort to him!
Thus, a happy and healthy cat sleeps an appropriate amount for his age and activity level. (the amount differs for individual cats, hence, the importance of monitoring his sleeping habits regularly)
- Tail signs
Cats similar to dogs, use their tail to help project their feelings and mood to pawrents and fellow four-legged pals.
A cat with his tail held high in the air reveals that he is happy and confident in his home. It is a bonus if the tip of his tail is twitching as it is an indication of exceptional happiness around the hoomans with him! (In feline words: Hooray, my favourite human slave is back!)
So, on a scale of 0 to 8, how happy and healthy is your cat? Our office kitties gets a score of around 5 – 6 !