Why do cats curl up in a ball when they sleep? How your cat tries to talk to you A short cat dictionary.

Among pets, cats are considered the most capable weather forecasters. By observing their behavior, you can accurately determine the weather for the next day or two. Of course, you shouldn’t expect your cat to predict the air temperature outside with an accuracy of a degree on the Celsius scale, but it’s quite possible to find out about warming or cooling, an impending thunderstorm or a snowstorm! Read more in this article on “Lady. Mail.ru".

Which cats predict the weather?

Knowledgeable people claim that especially accurate weather forecasts are given by cats that roam freely on the street and only come home to sleep. And it is the position of a sleeping cat that can serve as the very indicator by which one can judge the ambient temperature. Of course, pragmatists may note that cats are independent and independent creatures and they sleep where they want, when they want and how they want. But it's not that simple! To prove it, it is enough for everyone to watch their pet and compare how accurate their habits are, foreshadowing, for example, warming or cooling. And scientists have long found a scientific explanation for some signs.

Towards warming: the cat sleeps with its belly up

When it warms up a little, the cat straightens up a little, its body forms an arc of approximately 270°. If sudden warming is approaching, a sleepy cat takes a semicircle position. In sunny, hot weather, the murka even stretches out, as they say, in line. In such a blissful pose, belly up, paws outstretched, she can even fall apart on the floor in the middle of the room. There is a saying in Russian folklore: if a cat rolls on the floorboards, the warmth is knocking on the house. In addition, the cat “notifies” warm, clear weather when it sits on the windowsill and looks out the window, when it washes itself by smoothing the hair on its head with its paw, and when it lifts its hind paw.

Scientific explanation. Cats detect fluctuations in atmospheric pressure and changes in humidity much earlier than people, and therefore react to them. In the heat, the activity of thermoregulatory mechanisms in animals increases, which prevent overheating of the body and maintain a relative constancy of body temperature. And when cats lie down on their backs, stretch out, throw their paws and tail to the side, and lie motionless for a long time, then in this way they increase the heat transfer area.

The cat “fell apart” with its belly up - to warming

When it gets colder: the cat curls up into a ball and covers its nose with its paw

Before the onset of frost, a “living barometer” with a mustache begins to look for a higher and warmer place in the house: near a hot radiator (a cat can easily sit on it) or near a burning fireplace (by the way, she sits with her back to the heat source), on a soft sofa among pillows and woolen blankets, on the hands or knees of the owner. It may be cold if in a dream the cat curls up into a tight ball, presses its head and paws to its stomach, covering its muzzle with its tail and its nose with its paw.

Scientific explanation. Sensing the onset of cold weather, the cat prepares for it in advance: by curling up into a ball, it retains its body heat.

The cat covered its nose with its paw - it might be cold

To the wind and blizzard: the cat spins in its sleep, cannot find a place for itself

Often, Murka owners notice that their pet cannot find the “right” position in a dream, either lying on one side or the other. It turns out that the cat spins in its sleep in anticipation of weather changes. The cat begins to actively scratch its claws on the carpet, floor or wall for a reason. She feels that there will be a strong wind and a blizzard. And if the cat raised and fluffed its tail or licked it for a long time, then a snowstorm definitely cannot be avoided. They even say that turning a cat's head while washing shows the direction from which the wind will blow. Before an approaching snowstorm and snowfall, a cat may begin to restlessly run around the apartment and jump on furniture.

Scientific explanation. Experts explain this phenological ability by the increased sensitivity of the inner ear and eardrums of cats to even minor changes in atmospheric pressure. Just as a person sitting in the cabin of an airplane taking off or taking an elevator to the top floor of a skyscraper feels “congestion” and sound distortion in his ears, so a cat in bad weather experiences discomfort, showing it with all its appearance.

For rain: the cat drinks more than usual

“An attentive observer,” wrote Jonathan Swift, “can predict the hour when one is afraid of a downpour: before the rain, the cat becomes thoughtful, stops its pranks and no longer chases its tail.” Before bad weather, a cat that is used to constantly walking will not rush outside. And this is not surprising: with wet fur, a cat will feel defenseless. Staying at home, she will more often approach a bowl of water or drink more than usual, and will not refuse to “pinch” the grown grass at such times. Sensing the approach of rain, Murka can also actively lick its tail, thoroughly wash and rub its ears with its paws. And if a cat sneezed in dry weather, cat lovers in Germany assure you, then, after wishing her health, you should definitely take an umbrella with you when leaving home.

Scientific explanation. Atmospheric physicist at the University of Minnesota and Minneapolis, Dr. George Freier, explains this “fad” by saying that licking the tail, drinking water and eating grass reduces the tension in the stomach caused by changes in atmospheric pressure.

Feeling the approach of rain, the cat begins to carefully lick its tail and rub its ears with its paws.

Towards natural disasters: cats act very excited

It is known that many animals, with their restless behavior, can warn people about an upcoming earthquake, volcanic eruption or tornado. And in the list of seventy such animals, the cat takes first place (and this is good, because it is always next to a person). Residents of earthquake-prone regions have long noticed that before a strong earthquake, cats behave very excitedly, their fur stands on end, and they press their ears tightly to their heads. Feeling the approach of a catastrophe, cats begin to meow loudly and for no reason, warning the owner about the danger, hide, tremble and ask to go outside. Cats, especially sensitive to seismic warnings, leave home several days before an earthquake.

Scientific explanation. Scientists explain the unusual perspicacity of cats by the fact that, most likely, they sense earth vibrations that even instruments cannot detect. According to another version, cats react to a sharp increase in static electricity, which always precedes an earthquake.

Who believes in cat predictions?

Japanese sailors, who are kind to cats, believe that they can not only prevent the approach of a storm, but even pacify the elements; in particular, they attribute unique abilities to tortoiseshell and white cats. Finland also takes the phenological abilities of cats very seriously and respectfully. In the town of Lappeenranta, in the east of the country, the Norwegian forest cat Rilly has been playing the role of a living barometer for several years now. She is a multiple winner of the Finnish Meteorology Championship and has beaten frog, sheep and perch in her predictions. These victories allowed her to take the position of full-time weather forecaster at the newspaper Etela-Saimaa.!

Cats are creatures that need a sense of security. It is vital for them to understand that they always have an escape route, rear and protection. Therefore, if a box or drawer appears in our house, sooner or later we will find our pet there, curled up in a ball. But why do cats climb into this small, uncomfortable box, in which it is impossible to fit completely, and curl up into a ball?

It is known that our woolen friends are very heat-loving creatures. When a cat curls up into a ball, and even more so hides its nose in its paws, it’s worth waiting for the cold weather. Our pets have an invariable feeling about this. It's rare to see a hairball in hot summer weather. In this case, cats usually stretch out to keep them cooler. And this is understandable. But the question is, why do our pets tend to climb into some hard-to-reach narrow places where there is little space? How often have you noticed your cat on the clothes shelf when you forgot to close the closet? And it doesn’t matter how labor-intensive the process of entering the coveted zone may be. The cat, following a difficult, careful path, reaches its goal and goes to the kingdom of sleep. What is the joy of being in our pets' small spaces?

The thing is that cats have a complex character constitution. They are very willful. A cat is always on its own; it is impossible to establish power over it. Wherever the cat is, she considers herself the owner of the room. Especially at that moment when the owners go to work and she is left alone. All space belongs only to her. She has no doubts about who is in charge. A cat needs a box, drawer or other shelter for self-defense. If there is another pet in the house, a cat or a dog, in case of conflict, the cat will climb into the box and wait out the bad period there. It must be said that furry animals do not know how to resolve conflicts at all. It’s much easier for them to escape, leave, wait it out. This is why they need a safe place. This is their zone of comfort and calm.

Cats often withdraw into themselves

They need this in order to restore their peace of mind. Unlike people, they are completely alone. Most often, there is only one cat in the house. She does not feel contact with similar creatures and is very lonely. She simply has no one to share her sadness with. Despite the fact that the relationship between man and furry animal is quite good, he does not feel complete satisfaction. Therefore, from time to time he needs his own little corner where he can be completely alone. Surely, you have noticed how soundly a cat sleeps in a cozy place. This is her way of recovering from stressful situations.

Scientists' experiment

Scientists conducted an experiment that determined how important it is for cats to feel safe. Several mature individuals were taken to an animal shelter. Changing a place of residence is always a big stress for animals. They were divided into two groups. Some were placed in a room containing boxes, cozy corners, and places to hide. The other group was in an open space without shelter. During the experiment, it was found that the first group behaved more calmly and adapted to the new living conditions much faster. Animals from the second group were in a state of constant stress, had no contact with people and were looking for a way to escape.

New place

When transporting your pet to a new place of residence, you probably noticed how uncomfortable he feels. He tries to hide in a secluded place, crawl behind a closet, under a sofa, regardless of how comfortable it is for him there. The main thing is to feel safe. The cat is ready to sit there for hours just to wait out the critical moment. Despite her complete indifference, she really needs our support and attention. There is no need to leave your pet alone. In any case, contact is necessary. Find the animal, carefully remove it from its shelter (if it has been sitting there for too long) and pet it. The cat should not withdraw into itself, feeling lonely. Despite her pride, she is very defenseless and needs attention.

Very often, cats (and other animals, such as dogs) sleep curled up in a ball. Why do they choose this sleeping position?

There are only two reasons:

1. protection of vital organs,
2. heat preservation.

Belly protection

When a cat curls up into a ball, it the stomach is more or less protected from possible external influences, since the back and head create some kind of barrier to the internal organs. For greater safety, the cat can also lean its back against a hard surface while sleeping.

This is instinctive behavior, since the ancestors of cats did not have such a comfortable environment that humans now offer them, and could expect an attack from the outside. Even predators took such simple safety measures.

Therefore, by the way, homeless animals that have spent a long time in a dangerous environment, even if they find themselves in a loving family, will sleep in this position for a long time until they understand that nothing threatens them.

Heat preservation

Having tucked its paws under itself, surrounding itself with its tail and hiding its nose in it, the cat retains the heat generated by her body. In this position, the warm belly is covered and does not allow the heat to evaporate, and even the paws and muzzle, which are not covered with fur, are covered. Therefore, if an animal is near a strong source of heat, it is unlikely to curl up into a ball.

Thus, if a cat sleeps with its tummy open, then it is either hot, or it is absolutely confident in its safety, or both. There is another curious feature of sleep in cats (and, by the way, in dogs too).

Before going to bed they can circle in one place for some time. It's instinct. In the wild, their ancestors needed to prepare a place to sleep - to trample the grass, drive out various snakes and unpleasant insects, which is what this circling in place was intended for.

Cats can also, before going to bed, scrape the blanket or floor. This is also an instinct - in the wild, it was necessary to remove pebbles, twigs and other unwanted objects from the place where they spent the night. Of course, a modern cat cannot expect to find any of this in an apartment, but the instinct remains.

Once upon a time there was a Cat. She loved to play. Her friends were butterflies, caterpillars, and fireflies. Leaves brightened up her leisure time when her friends fell asleep for winter hibernation. So, one day in winter, when even the leaves were covered with snow, and the snowflakes melted from the hot breath and on her warm paws, the Cat became sad. She felt very lonely and sad. She went out into the clearing and began to look at the stars. They reminded her of her firefly friends. Then suddenly she felt that someone was first touching her mustache, touching her ears, and then “what unceremoniousness!” began to touch the gorgeous tail. The cat froze, listened, and then grabbed the tip of its tail.
-Who are you? - asked the cat, sniffing something elastic in her paws.
-I am Veterok.
The cat felt how this elastic thing tried to slip out of her deft paws. But that was not the case. She slightly released her claws in order to hold on to this still incomprehensible, but terribly interesting and delicious-smelling thing.
- Why don’t I see you? - asked the cat. - And don’t try to sneak out, Veterok. I might accidentally scratch you.
“And you look at me with your special cat’s vision and you will see,” answered Veterochek.
Everyone knows that cats can see things that people cannot see. The cat thought, froze and began to watch how her mother taught her and, lo and behold, a miracle, she began to see that in her paws, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, a breeze was lying comfortably, curled up in a ball.
“Oh, how beautiful you are and you smell like herbs,” said the Cat.
- Yes, I've been collecting fragrances for you all summer. “I’ve been watching you for a long time, but I didn’t dare get to know you, you were always busy or playing with someone,” said Veterochek.
The cat loosened its grip and hid its claws:
- Thanks a lot. I'm very, very pleased. Especially now that none of my friends are around. Everyone is asleep or has flown away. Only the stars speak to me.
The little breeze turned around and took the form of a cat. After all, everyone knows that it is easier to speak one language:
- They are beautiful stars, but cold. They only give light, but for some reason they don’t warm up. I also like to look at them up there, high, high, but then I freeze and sink to the ground to warm myself.
The cat thought:
- Are you cold now?
“Yes,” the wind answered her.
- Then I suggest you bask inside my ball. “I always warm my nose like this when it freezes,” suggested the Cat.
- It will be great! - the wind was happy.
The cat dug a shallow hole in the snow and curled up:
- Get in, just don't move. - suggested the Cat - my fur coat is warm when you don’t touch it.
The wind climbed into the cat's ball, and the cat covered herself with her tail to make it even warmer. Beautiful stars danced above them, and the snowflakes around them sparkled mysteriously, hiding Koshka’s secret.