Your Cat’s Weird Habits May Be Explained By Science

Nancy Parish
3 min readOct 13, 2024

Or maybe they’re just weird…

Harper Lee/ Photo Courtesy of the Author

I’ve been a cat mom for most of my life. Through the years, I’ve paid close attention to my feline companions’ daily habits and even closer attention to their many quirks. During my time with various felines, I’ve witnessed some weird things.

As I look into these weird habits, I realize many of their habits are rooted in science.

Running from the litterbox

For instance, my cat, Harper Lee occasionally runs from the laundry room after she does her business in the litterbox leaving kitty litter and little nuggets in her wake. It can get quite messy if I don’t stay on top of it.

Several theories exist about why cats do this after they use the litterbox. Some cats may have medical problems, such as a urinary tract infection or constipation.

Other theories suggest that it’s a way for them to show their independence — they no longer need their momma cat to clean them. They can do that themselves.

There’s the theory that animals in the wild do this as defecating leaves a scent and could attract predators. They run to get away from it and potential predators. The only predator in my second-floor condo that Harper may encounter is the vacuum. So, who knows if that’s…

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Nancy Parish
Nancy Parish

Written by Nancy Parish

Amateur Cat Herder. Previously, Contributing Editor for CWIM. My ebook Life with Scout: The Blind Kitty Chronicles avail. https://thesoundandfurry.com/

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