Why does my cat chase its tail?

Interesting

The behavior of cats can be extremely funny for people on many occasions. Having a small ball of hair that is able to entertain with any object that finds its way unleashes very funny situations for the human eye.

See a cat that chases the tail is one of these activities that can be very entertaining, however, is it a normal behavior? Is it positive for them to perform this behavior? Keep reading this article so you know what it means and what we should do if our cat does it:

In puppies, an exploratory behavior

As you may have noticed, cats are able to distract themselves with almost anything. A shadow that has crossed the window, something that fell to the ground, the loose thread of a cushion or curtain and a great etcetera, for the felines the fun hides in every corner.

The cat is an animal hunter by nature, instinct that conserves still in domestic state. That’s why the game of chasing your tail is very usual in puppies, who try to discover their environment. The kitten is calm, when suddenly “realizes” that it has the tip of the tail at his side, so he starts to go try it, trying to catch it and even nibble a bit.

If you notice that you do not hurt yourself, there is no reason to worry. The feline simply entertains himself with this innocent game, while free some energy that has accumulated by the large number of hours spent sleeping. It is very common, also, in cats that do not have access to the outside, because their life is much more leisurely and carefree, so this game gives them a bit of action.

In adults, a compulsive behavior?

There are several reasons why your cat can get to chase the tail, however and unlike what happens with puppies, this it is not normal behavior in adult cats, so we must see if it is a compulsive behavior, also known as stereotyping. Some factors that can cause this disorder are:

Lack of socialization
Changes in the life of the cat
Little stimulation
Traumas
Fear and stress

How to enrich your cat’s daily life

It may happen that your cat is bored, receiving little stimulation (in the environment, for example) as well as a lack of socialization with the people of the home. In this case your cat will need to spend more time with you and feel that it is important to you, so when an element appears that distracts you, causing him to stop being the center of attention, this can lead to somewhat irritating behaviors.

In this case it is advisable to make new toys and actively participate in the game with our cat, that is, it is not useful to buy a toy which we leave on the ground, we must be present in this fun moment to enrich your day to day.

In elderly cats or those with little mobility, playing time is not the best option. In this case giving prizes (tasty food) or offering a long relaxing massage can be an option.

How changes affect cats

It can also happen that, after the arrival of a baby to the home, for example, or another mascot, our cat feels isolated, sad or scared. We must know that cats are animals of routines and that, what to us may seem a small variation, for him can be a whole world. This type of change generates jealousy and stress in your cat, which can drain trying to get your attention by chasing its tail or alleviate by this movement.

In this case, it is convenient to assess what was the origin of the behavior and what could have produced it. Help our cat to overcome this situation is not easy, however, with patience, affection and environmental stimulation that we mentioned in the previous point, we can move towards animal welfare.

What should we do? When should we worry?

Pursuing the queue can become a problem if it becomes compulsive behavior for your cat. We could define a stereotype as “a repetitive and ritualized movement without an apparent end” It is important to assess why it happens and what is the triggering factor, since without it we will not be able to help our feline.

Serious cases

When your cat chases its tail, pay attention in case it catches it too. If you perceive areas without hair, blood or scabs, it means that your cat self-mutilates, situation that requires immediate veterinary assistance.

When chasing the tail becomes self-mutilation, there are several reasons: stress, lack of attention and boredom, already mentioned, can make a simple behavior dedicated to distracting or recovering the place you had in your life become something that put the feline’s health at risk.

It would be ideal to consult with a veterinarian specialized in ethology, as well as feline behavior professionals. While, try avoid stressful stimuli that cause the initiation of behavior in the cat, enriches your day to day with the previous proposals and make your routine is totally predictable.

Parasites and diseases

In addition, the presence of fleas It can also cause your cat to chase its tail and, due to itching, bite it. Other problems, such as feline arthrosis, generate discomfort in this area of the body, so in the face of repetitive and destructive behavior it will be necessary to evaluate what is happening to find the best way to solve it.

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