It’s inevitable for cat parents to see their cat standing at some point in their lives. It may seem unusual at first, but you may notice them standing on their hind legs from time to time. Cat lovers may even find it endearing for cats to stand on their legs, like a meerkat. Why do you think cats do this? Is it something that should bother you?
Is Your Cat Standing All The Time? Here Are The Reasons Why
If you’re looking for the reason for your cat standing on legs, the following are the possible reasons why:
1. They Want Some Head Petting And Attention
Being cuddly is one of the best qualities in most cats, regardless of the cats’ gender. They love to be head petted. Standing up may be a strategic move for cats to get your attention and head petting. They might stand up to get you to pet them if you’re not providing them enough affection.
2. Your Feline Friend Is Reaching For Food
Standing up to reach for food may be done by cats out of training them to do so. When you dangle the treat in your hand, your cat will surely reach the treat.
At times, your cat will stand up on its legs voluntarily to ask for some treats. They may even pop up on their legs to get some food around your house, like on your living room table or your cupboard. Make sure to keep that food away from them, especially if it’s not meant for them!
3. They Are Excited And Playful
While cats are low maintenance, one of the things they like to do is play- may it be alone, with their owners, or with fellow cats. If your cats are running around in your house, one of the things they are likely to do out of excitement is to stand on their legs.
4. Your Cat Is Curious
A cat standing may mean that it is curious about what’s going on. Cats would do this if something gets their attention. Cats are very nosy animals, and they will try to stand up to get a view of what is happening.
5. They Want To Intimidate In A Fight
The first few reasons above for cat standing make your cats make them look cute. But one reason why your cat may pop up on its hind legs is to look intimidating in a fight or when in danger. This is one of their survival tactics to scare off predators.
Cats stand up to look bigger and more intimidating to their predator. Have you watched cats fight before? Their tails would suddenly grow bigger and puffy, right? Similar to when a cat is standing, a cat’s tail becomes puffy in a fight to look bigger.
6. Your Cat May Be Afraid
It’s a well-known fact that cats are scared of loud sounds. They tend to stand up out of fear in response to a sudden loud sound.
7. Your Pet Is A Munchkin Cat
If your cat is a munchkin cat, chances are you frequently see them standing on its hind legs. The reason for this is that they are born with short legs because of a genetic mutation. Because of this, they usually stand up out of habit to have a view around them.
8. Some Special-Needs Cats Need To Stand On Their Legs
Some cats stand up not for the above reasons, but because they are special-needs cats. Take for example a cat that is born without legs, or what people call a kangaroo cat. Without front legs, they use their hind legs to move around. They become dependent on their hind legs to walk and hop around.
Is Standing Up Bad For Your Cat?
Worrying about your cat standing all the time? If your cat is doing it on its own, perhaps because they like doing it or they’re curious about something, your cat should be fine. If your cat is standing up for a longer time, it may be bad for its hips. Moreover, if you feel like something is wrong with your cat’s posture or notice any illness, you should take your cat to your vet.
How To Encourage Your Cat To Stand Up
Step 1. Use a tasty treat to call your cat’s attention
The first step in getting your cat to stand up is to call its attention. To do this, you can use treats or other positive reinforcements.
Get some treats and hold them in front of the nose of your feline friend. Allow your cat to smell it and bring the treats up, out of your cat’s reach. By doing so, your cat’s attention is 100% on you.
Step 2. Encourage your cat to stand
Use a signal like saying “stand.” Whenever your cat stands up after saying the command, reward your cat with treats. Hold the treat in front of your cat’s nose and bring it up while allowing your cat to reach for it. Repeat this, while pulling the treat higher each time, until your cat learns the pattern.
Step 3. Reward Your Cat
Your cat will eventually learn to stand up whenever you use your command during the training. Whenever your cat stands, give out the command and reward your cat with a treat immediately. Your cat will begin to associate the command and the act of standing up.
Conclusion
Cats display a lot of unusual behavior that people may find odd. One of which is standing on their hind legs, or what others refer to as “cat meerkating.” There are many reasons why your cat is standing, most of which you don’t have to worry about. But if you observe any illness along with their standing, bring your cat to the vet.
