Image this. Strolling in your entrance door after a protracted, grueling day at work. The home is quiet, however you then hear it within the distance: a candy chirrup that says your cat’s presence. They arrive across the nook, stretching towards you and meowing their approval of your return. It’s a very heartwarming sight, however why does your cat stretch every time they see you?
Learn on to seek out 5 frequent causes behind your cat’s stretching behaviors.
The 5 Frequent Causes Cats Stretch When They See You
1. They’re Attempting to Talk With You
Maybe the almost certainly motive your cat is stretching once they see you is as a result of they’re making an attempt to speak with you. This delicate type of communication permits your cat to announce their presence whereas additionally greeting you whenever you come house. It tells you that they’re able to work together with you and obtain your consideration.
Your cat might also stretch once they see you as a manner of inviting you to play with them, so seize their favourite feather wand and get to it!
2. They Want Extra Mobility
It’s definitely no secret that cats get pleasure from their naps; they spend as much as 16 hours of their day asleep, in spite of everything. Whenever you get house from work or operating errands, you’re in all probability interrupting one in every of your cat’s many day by day naps. After they come to welcome you house of their nonetheless sleepy stupor, they’ll have to get well some muscle flexibility from their prolonged snoozefest. Stretching permits them to get their blood circulating once more and regain management of their our bodies.
3. They’re Getting ready to Play
You already know that cats typically stretch to arrange their our bodies for mobility, however they could be doing in order a technique to put together themselves for play. Your cat could interpret your presence as an opportunity for play, so once they’re stretching once they see you, it’s their manner of priming their physique and getting their muscular tissues prepared for the play that’s about to happen.
4. They Really feel Safe Round You
When your cat does a very huge stretch, they let their guard down, making them unprepared for incoming assaults and unable to flee on a dime if a predator had been to indicate up. So when your kitty stretches out in entrance of you to indicate, they’re displaying you simply how safe and comfy they’re in your presence.
5. They’re Marking Their Territory
Don’t let the home cat’s small dimension idiot you; they’re very territorial beings. Your cat has some ways of marking their territory. You’re in all probability acquainted with a number of the most typical territorial behaviors, reminiscent of head bunting, kneading, and face rubbing, however stretching is one other approach cats make use of to mark objects (and other people) as their property. They’ve scent glands of their paws, so once they stretch, they’re leaving their scent behind and establishing their territory.
Why Are Cats So Versatile?
For those who’ve ever watched your cat stretch, you’ve in all probability seen them contort themselves in weird, seemingly inconceivable methods. Cats typically twist their our bodies in instructions that shouldn’t be attainable, given the truth that they’ve spines. How can their backs twist into pretzel-esque shapes? It’s really the design of their spines (properly, their vertebrae, extra exactly) that gives them this flexibility.
A cat’s vertebrae are related flexibly with elastic cushioning disks between every. This limber backbone is what permits them to carry out the swish acrobatic feats they’re so well-known for.
Moreover, their shoulder blades connect to the remainder of their physique by muscular tissues and never bone, permitting for unparalleled freedom to maneuver.
Closing Ideas
Cats have interaction in lots of enigmatic behaviors, including stretching. Stretching towards you is most frequently an indication of openness to play, safety in your presence, and a technique to greet you whenever you arrive house after work. Nevertheless, some cats could merely be stretching in your course as they get up from a nap and attempt to get their blood flowing once more, or it could possibly be your pet’s manner of marking their territory.
Featured Picture Credit score: svetkor, Shutterstock