{"id":36360,"date":"2024-05-02T18:50:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T16:50:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/2440a17c-b244-4ac0-9ac0-6a86442217ec"},"modified":"2024-05-02T19:39:22","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T17:39:22","slug":"how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side\/","title":{"rendered":"How wild is your cat? 5 behaviours that reveal your cat&#8217;s secret wild side."},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">Discover just how much of the untamed wilderness lurks within your cuddly companion. <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Thursday, 02 May 2024 at 16:50 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p\/><p>Domesticated cats are thought to descend from African wildcats, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pdsa.org.uk\/\">PDSA <\/a>Vet Nurse Nina Downing. The African wildcat is a small wildcat species with sandy grey fur, pale vertical stripes on the sides and around the face. It is native to Africa, West and Central Asia. <\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-wild-is-your-cat\">How wild is your cat?<\/h2><p>And many behaviours that we recognise in our domestic cats are as a direct result of this wild ancestry, and these behaviours are completely natural to them.\u00a0<\/p><p><strong>Behaviours shared between African wildcats and domesticated cats include:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p><ul><li>Maintaining a large territory but have safe core areas within this, for normal everyday activities\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"\/><ul><li>Hunting \u2013 not necessarily out of hunger, but also for the mental stimulation\u00a0<\/li><li>When faced with a stressful situation, they prefer escape, rather than to fight\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2121\" height=\"1414\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/cat-sleeping.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-183972\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><ul><li>Sleep areas are safe and elevated within the core territory\u00a0<\/li><li>Toileting \u2013 they learn to dig and bury the evidence when toileting from\u00a0a young age<\/li><\/ul><p>Cats have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/how-we-domesticated-the-cat\">domesticated <\/a>for thousands of years, and the behaviours they showcase will also depend on their individual personality. Whilst some cats often hunt and bring their \u2018finds\u2019 home with them, other cats may not ever seem to hunt.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/how-can-i-stop-my-cat-hunting-wildlife\">How can I stop my cat hunting wildlife?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/why-can-only-big-cats-roar\">Why can only big cats roar?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/savannah-cats-as-pets\">Savannah cats as pets: the alarming rise in popularity of keeping hybrid cats<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/news\/why-do-cats-purr\">Why do cats purr?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><p\/><p>We know cats are \u2018obligate carnivores\u2019 which means they need to eat meat in order to remain healthy. They also need to be able to display natural behaviours, and this is especially important for house cats. They need:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><ul><li>Encourage play; rod toys, toys to chase and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/why-do-cats-pounce\">pounce\u00a0<\/a>. Here are some ideas for\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/animal-facts\/mammals\/6-key-behaviours-that-reveal-the-wild-ancestry-of-your-cat\">homemade cat toys\u00a0<\/a>that will entertain felines for hours<\/li><li>Provide plenty to explore\u00a0<\/li><li>Natural environment wherever possible\u00a0<\/li><li>\u00a0Hunting viewpoints\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2119\" height=\"1415\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Cat-scratching-post.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-183974\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><ul><li>Scratch posts\u00a0<\/li><li>Lots of\u00a0lots of space to run, play and hunt\u00a0\u00a0<\/li><li>\u00a0Visual and mental stimulation\u00a0<\/li><li>Natural light\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2124\" height=\"1411\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2024\/05\/Cat-water-fountain.jpg?fit=1024,1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-183975\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Getty images<\/figcaption><\/figure><ul><li>Naturally cats will seek out fresh, moving water &#8211; water fountains can fulfil this need.\u00a0<\/li><li>Place food in various locations throughout your home\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Want to know <a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/cats-body-language\">what your cat is thinking? Here&#8217;s how to understand their body language<\/a><\/strong><\/p><figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Wild Is Your House Cat? | Earth Unplugged\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rHsp1OR7ugM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/><\/div><\/figure><p><strong>Love cats? Check out our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\">pets<\/a>\u00a0section for advice on cat care, from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/apple-news\/how-to-get-rid-of-fleas-on-dogs\">how to take your cat to the vet without stress<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/apple-news\/how-to-get-rid-of-fleas-on-dogs\"><strong>how to get rid of fleas<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<strong>and even<a href=\"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/animals\/pets\/stop-cats-pooping-in-garden\">\u00a0how to stop cats pooping in your garden<\/a><\/strong><\/p><hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/><p><strong>About the PDSA<\/strong><\/p><p>The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pdsa.org.uk\/\">\u00a0PDSA<\/a>\u00a0is the UK&#8217;s leading vet charity, providing free and low-cost treatment to pets in need. PDSA vets and vet nurses provide veterinary care and advice to sick and injured pets whose owners otherwise couldn\u2019t afford to pay the full cost of treatment.<\/p><p>To find out more about cats, including feeding, health and behaviour, visit\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/protect-eu.mimecast.com\/s\/GyWBC29DPc84pDVFnqfMf?domain=pdsa.org.uk\">pdsa.org.uk\/cats<\/a><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover just how much of the untamed wilderness lurks within your cuddly companion. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":36361,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side.jpg",2121,1414,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2024\/05\/how-wild-is-your-cat-5-behaviours-that-reveal-your-cats-secret-wild-side-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Discover just how much of the untamed wilderness lurks within your cuddly companion.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/36360"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36360"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36360"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}