Your cat is incredibly smart. Often, when they do things it’s not just for one simple reason. These complex little fluffy beings are calculating creatures despite the daily zoomies across the room. For cats, certain behaviors catch our attention, simply because this is the main point of what they are doing. If you share your life with a cat, chances are, you’ve witnessed your kitty paw underneath the door—especially the one that’s closed to the restroom when it’s occupied. Our cats paw at the door to get our attention, but there are a few other rather interesting reasons why they do this. Keep reading to find out what they are.
Hunting Instinct
Although our feline friends might only hunt the occasional sky raisin in their homes, this doesn’t mean they aren’t hardwired to be fierce predators. Your cat’s hunting skills have been passed down from generations of cats who were forced to hunt for food if they wanted to survive. Cats are naturally drawn to crevices and areas that might appear like mouse holes in their minds. Your cat might be a true individual, but all cats are opportunistic. Therefore, if your cat sees a crack under the door, their minds tell them there might be something intriguing on the other side that they could hunt. My cat will even go as far as to use their claws to grab anything within their reach and bring it through the other side to investigate. Or… just make a mess to drive me crazy. Or likely both!
Separation Anxiety
If you are a person who works from home or can spend a lot of time at home, your cat has likely formed a strong attachment to you. Although it is more common for dogs to develop separation anxiety, cats can suffer from this condition, too. If there is a closed door and you are on the other side of it, this might trigger an alarm in your cat’s mind. Some cats can be aloof, but many cats are naturally clingy and do not like being separated from their favorite person. Despite the common misconception that cats are loners, the truth is, that cats are quite social. This is especially the case when it comes to their relationship with humans.
A Territorial Cat Might See a Closed Door as a Threat
Just as some cats are clingier than others, some cats are more territorial than others, too. If you share your home with multiple cats, there will always be a dominant cat in your home no matter what gender they are. Your dominant cat in your home might get their feathers ruffled when doors are closed because their territorial nature gets triggered. We’ve heard many stories of dogs being able to open doors, and there have been many tales of cats learning how to open doors, too. Now, it wouldn’t surprise me if these were territorial door-opening felines!
Kitty Wants to Play
Regardless of your cat’s age, a cat of any age is inquisitive and playful. If for some reason your cat pawing under the door is bothersome to you, do not give in to their demands for you to open the door. Try your best to ignore it so they aren’t conditioned to know that you’ll give in. Another way to get your cat to stop pawing under the door is to satisfy their needs before you need to close it. For example, if your cat’s food bowl is on the side of the door that you will be on, move their food bowl to a new location. Cats of all ages enjoy mental stimulation and playtime with their humans. Be sure to reserve adequate time each day to stimulate your cat’s powerful brain. It’s a simple way to show your cat you care about them that they’ll never grow tired of!
Did you learn anything new and interesting about our feline friends? We hope so. Now, share this article with another cat lover in your life so they can learn something, too.
