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can learn to enjoy belly rubs. Of course a lot of cats don’t, but if you start out doing this when they’re young kittens, they can learn to enjoy it,” adds Dr. Miller.
On the other hand the belly is a vulnerable area to your cat, and she’s probably protective of it. A cat that is upset or feels feisty, for example, might roll onto her back so she can unleash her most powerful weapon – her back claws. So if it’s playful fighting your cat is after when she exposes her stomach to you, the second you approach her with your hand you can expect the claws to come out.
Sleeping in Boxes, Bags…and Most Anything Else. Cats are natural born ambushers, and they love wedging themselves into tiny spaces to observe what’s happening from a distance. Being in a small, enclosed space probably also gives them a sense of security, and it’s
also good for retaining heat.
Getting the Midnight Crazies. As many cat owners know, there is such a thing as the cat witching hour. It usually happens at night – maybe as you’re getting ready to go to sleep or perhaps while asleep – when your cat is raring to play. “There are two things here,” says Dr. Miller. “The first is that cats naturally have a different wake pattern. They sleep multiple times throughout the day and night, not only during the night. They can cycle through sleep and wake throughout the 24-hour period, and so they are naturally awake at different times.”
Also, many cats recognize daytime hours as idle “quiet” time, when human family members aren’t home. In the evenings, however, the entire brood may be home, energizing your well-rested cat. It doesn’t help that cats are fast learners, too. That means that every time you get