We hope you all enjoyed celebrating National Puppy Day, but now it is time to focus on one of our other furry friends. That is right—Respect Your Cat Day is March 28! Here at the Humane Society of Macomb, we believe that every day is a PURRfect day to respect your cat, but today is extra special. Today is a fantastic opportunity to evaluate your relationship with your feline friend and view the world from their perspective.
Respecting your cat truly begins once you learn what your cat is communicating with you. To practice, we have provided a few different scenarios!
Let’s say you go to pet your cat and they repeatedly try to avoid your hand. Should you…
A. Follow them and keep trying to pet them
B. Gently hold out your hand for them to smell
C. Give them space and try petting them again later
D. Both B and C
Answer: D, B and C are both options that respect your cat’s desire for space! In option B, by holding out your hand to the cat, you are giving them agency and the ability to choose to approach you. Just make sure you maintain this respect and do not follow them around with your hand. Option C also respects your cat by giving them space.
Your cat’s pupils are dilated, their ears are turned back, and their tail is twitching or waving. Are they…
A. Happy
B. Frightened
C. Irritated or Overstimulated
Answer: C, your cat is most likely irritated or overstimulated. Have you ever been in a noisy room with multiple conversations going on around you, music playing in the background, and you feel a constant tickle on the back of your neck from your shirt tag? This experience can be overstimulating to you, so put yourself in your cat’s paws when you have been vacuuming the house and listening to your tunes. Sometimes, we all need quiet time to decompress, and your cat is no exception.
Your cat is sitting or lying down, with eyes half closed, pupils narrowed, their tail is mostly still, and their ears are forward. Are they…
A. Playful
B. Happy/Content
C. Defensive
Answer: B, your cat is most likely happy and content! Purring and kneading with their paws are additional indicators of contentedness. Here is a bonus question: how can you tell your cat enjoys being pet? They will arch their back towards your hand or butt their head up against you. As always, respect your cat’s desire to stop being touched.
Your cat’s ears are forward, their tail is up, with their whiskers forward and pupils somewhat dilated. Are they…
A. Playful
B. Bored
C. Startled
Answer: A, your cat is feeling playful! Like dogs and other pets, Cats need interaction to stay happy and healthy. Providing your cat with an enriching environment and various toys to play with are all important, but so is spending time playing together. If your cat wants to chase that crumpled napkin around, then throw the napkin around. Playing together can also help your cat burn any excess energy, and they might even allow you to sleep through the night—that is, until half an inch of their food bowl is visible.
We hope you learned something from this little quiz and that you and your cat have a happy Respect Your Cat Day. If you are interested in more ways to respect your cat, we offer affordable and compassionate feline and canine behavior advice and training for the community. We also have a foster program if you are interested in supporting a cat (or dog!) while they wait for their FURever home.
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- These three lovable friends are all rescues
