Cats are among the most popular pets, yet the masses almost always misunderstand them. Just like any other animals, felines are creatures of complexity, and there’s substantially more to them than meets the eye.
There are many myths about cats; some are quite harmless, while some could harm them as some humans might actually believe these beliefs and treat our feline friends differently.
Here are some of the most popular myths you didn’t know about cats.
MYTH #1: When falling, cats always land on their feet
Cats are rather graceful and can land on their feet most of the time, but not always.
Felines have a ‘righting reflex,’ a built-in balancing system that helps them adjust themselves so that they’ll land on their feet. Cats also have a vestibular apparatus inside their ear for balance and orientation. It allows them to figure out which way is up instantly and pivot their head quickly, so their bodies follow suit.
Still, cats’ reflexes and special apparatus aren’t effective all the time, especially if they’re falling from a very high place.
MYTH #2: All cats despise people, and they are not into cuddles
Although some cats don’t fancy attention and cuddles, many cats do. These furbabies can be very cuddly if they want to and typically require lots of love.
This myth was perpetuated because we’re expecting cats to be like dogs. Numerous comparisons were made by people between cats’ and dogs’ behavior, which may influence them to believe that cats aren’t cuddly animals.
Cats like snuggles too, but they do it in their own way, not by crying or barking at you, and not in the way that dogs do.
MYTH #3: Cats are presumed to drink cow’s milk
Cats are drawn to dairy products, but not all are safe for them to ingest. Cow’s milk can be harmful to cats and can cause them to have an upset stomach and develop lactose intolerance when given too much. If you want to hydrate your feline friend, the best way is just to provide them with water or wet food.
MYTH #4: Cats are low-maintenance animals and don’t require substantial care
Same with all pets, cats need a substantial amount of care from their pet parents.
This myth might be wildly believed because people like to compare cats with dogs. Although dogs do require more attention than cats do, these felines also need their own share of love and care.
Having the mentality that cats are naturally, low-maintenance pets can be harmful as even though they’re not too high-maintenance, cats do have maintenance. They just don’t require being taken out at least three times in a day.
You should not, under any circumstances, leave your cats alone in your home with just some water and an automatic feeder while you travel out of town for a couple of days because you think they’re low-maintenance. These furballs also get separation anxiety as dogs do. They just don’t display it the way dogs do.
MYTH #5: Cats absolutely detest water
This myth is especially false as some cats do love to play with water. Many felines actually love to play with water and are fascinated by it, especially if it’s from a faucet. The truth to this is that generally, cats just don’t like to be submerged in water.
MYTH #6: Cats aren’t trainable
Even though it looks like cats are free to do whatever they want at any time, they are actually trainable.
However, training a cat is different from training a dog as cats won’t typically learn from discipline, and they run away from any kind of punishment. Instead, you can give cats short training sessions using a clicker and rewarding them for every small lesson learned. When time passes, you can substitute the clicker sound with saying ‘good,’ and cats will associate that with a reward.
MYTH #7: Declawing, a cat, is considerably harmless
Sometimes, cats trim their claws by using their teeth. Declawing them isn’t a harmless way of getting them to refrain from scratching your furniture. The procedure can be harmful to them.
Declawing is completely unnecessary and will only give cats lasting physical and psychological trauma. Instead of removing the claws of your feline pet that are a little too sharp, you can trim them. Some cats will even use their teeth to groom themselves and trim their claws.
MYTH #8: Cats are nocturnal animals
It’s fair to assume that cats are nocturnal as they always seem to crave your attention while you’re sleeping, but it’s actually false.
Cats are crepuscular, meaning they are most alert at dusk and dawn, especially when left to their own devices. It’s in our feline friends’ nature since their natural prey, such as critters, crickets, bugs, and the like, are awake at dusk and dawn.