What should I note about normal behavior in cats?

Multiple short sleeps a day; crepuscular activity; the complete hunting sequence = search → stalk → pounce → killing bite → eat (whatever part is missing will be taken out on human hands and feet); grooming; scratch marking (visual + scent); head rubbing (bunting) to mark; kneading; chasing and food-burying motions. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.

What should I note about stress signals (early → late) in cats?

More hiding / reduced appetite / airplane ears, dilated pupils, whiskers pulled back / feigned sleep (lying down but with tense muscles) / over-grooming or no grooming / eliminating outside the litter box, urine spraying / hissing, swatting, aggression. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.

What should I note about pain signals in cats?

See C-3; structured scoring tools such as the Feline Grimace Scale (✅ existence verified: the same C-3 Evangelista et al 2019, PMID 31836868, verified 2026-07-30). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.

🏛 Part of the "vet" topic shelf →

Cats | Behavior and Welfare

Jane2026-08-13About 3 min read

#獸醫百科 #貓 #行為 #動物福利 #動物照護

The full content of the "behavior and welfare" column in the 12-column knowledge tree for cats. Where the original text could not obtain an authoritative figure for a field, it leaves the field blank and states why; this site preserves that as-is and does not fill in numbers on its behalf. The disease column has been published separately as vet/cat-common-diseases and is not duplicated here.

Cats | Behavior and Welfare

This article is compiled from the cat section of the veterinary encyclopedia. The same symptom calls for different handling in different species, and following another species' approach can be harmful — first confirm which animal you are dealing with.

Category	Content
Normal behavior	Multiple short sleeps a day; crepuscular activity; the complete hunting sequence = search → stalk → pounce → killing bite → eat (whatever part is missing will be taken out on human hands and feet); grooming; scratch marking (visual + scent); head rubbing (bunting) to mark; kneading; chasing and food-burying motions
Stress signals (early → late)	More hiding / reduced appetite / airplane ears, dilated pupils, whiskers pulled back / feigned sleep (lying down but with tense muscles) / over-grooming or no grooming / eliminating outside the litter box, urine spraying / hissing, swatting, aggression
Pain signals	See C-3; structured scoring tools such as the Feline Grimace Scale (✅ existence verified: the same C-3 Evangelista et al 2019, PMID 31836868, verified 2026-07-30)
The five welfare needs	① a suitable environment ② a suitable diet ③ the ability to exhibit normal behavior ④ its need for company (or for solitude) being respected ⑤ freedom from pain, injury and disease
Handling principles for the three main behavioral complaints	① Inappropriate elimination: rule out medical causes first (FIC, kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, arthritis, constipation) — a veterinary visit is required before any behavioral training; then check litter box number / location / litter type ② Inter-cat conflict: this is fundamentally resource competition, and the solution is to add resources and space, not to "let them sort it out themselves" ③ Aggression toward people: distinguish play-related (no outlet for hunting), fear-related (cornered) and petting-induced (over-stimulation) — the solutions are completely different
Prohibited methods	Spraying water, shouting, flicking the nose, lifting by the scruff, shock collars, punishment by confinement — all raise stress and worsen FIC and aggression; declawing is prohibited as an option
Understanding social structure	Cats are not necessarily social animals; whether they can live together depends on whether resources are sufficient + whether they grew up together as youngsters + individual temperament. "Get another one to keep it company" is not a universal solution

The content above is transcribed cell by cell from the encyclopedia chapter text, without rewriting or condensing; treatment direction is given by category only, with no drug names or dosages, and medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Limits of this content

The content of this article comes from the cat section of the veterinary encyclopedia (see the evidence chain for the original location and content hash). The sources listed at the end are the authoritative references cited by that chapter; the correspondence is at the chapter level. This content is for educational purposes and cannot replace diagnosis and prescriptions from a practicing veterinarian; seek veterinary care immediately in an emergency. This text has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.

FAQ

What should I note about normal behavior in cats?: Multiple short sleeps a day; crepuscular activity; the complete hunting sequence = search → stalk → pounce → killing bite → eat (whatever part is missing will be taken out on human hands and feet); grooming; scratch marking (visual + scent); head rubbing (bunting) to mark; kneading; chasing and food-burying motions. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.; 猫の正常な行動について何に注意すべきですか？ — 1日に何度も短く眠る；薄明薄暮性（crepuscular）；完全な狩猟シークエンス＝探索→忍び寄り→飛びかかり→とどめ噛み→採食（欠けた部分は人の手足で補おうとします）；グルーミング；爪とぎによるマーキング（視覚＋におい）；頭をこすりつけるマーキング（bunting）；ふみふみ（kneading）；追いかけと食べ物を埋める動作。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。; What should I note about normal behavior in cats? — Multiple short sleeps a day; crepuscular activity; the complete hunting sequence = search → stalk → pounce → killing bite → eat (whatever part is missing will be taken out on human hands and feet); grooming; scratch marking (visual + scent); head rubbing (bunting) to mark; kneading; chasing and food-burying motions. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
What should I note about stress signals (early → late) in cats?: More hiding / reduced appetite / airplane ears, dilated pupils, whiskers pulled back / feigned sleep (lying down but with tense muscles) / over-grooming or no grooming / eliminating outside the litter box, urine spraying / hissing, swatting, aggression. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.; 猫のストレスのサイン（早期→後期）について何に注意すべきですか？ — 隠れることが増える／食欲低下／イカ耳、瞳孔散大、ひげが後ろに引かれる／寝たふり（伏せているが筋肉は緊張）／過剰グルーミングまたはグルーミングをしない／トイレ以外での排泄、スプレー行動／シャー威嚇、猫パンチ、攻撃。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。; What should I note about stress signals (early → late) in cats? — More hiding / reduced appetite / airplane ears, dilated pupils, whiskers pulled back / feigned sleep (lying down but with tense muscles) / over-grooming or no grooming / eliminating outside the litter box, urine spraying / hissing, swatting, aggression. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
What should I note about pain signals in cats?: See C-3; structured scoring tools such as the Feline Grimace Scale (✅ existence verified: the same C-3 Evangelista et al 2019, PMID 31836868, verified 2026-07-30). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.; 猫の疼痛のサインについて何に注意すべきですか？ — C-3 を参照；Feline Grimace Scale のような構造化された評価ツール（✅存在確認済み：同じ C-3 Evangelista et al 2019、PMID 31836868、確認 2026-07-30）。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。; What should I note about pain signals in cats? — See C-3; structured scoring tools such as the Feline Grimace Scale (✅ existence verified: the same C-3 Evangelista et al 2019, PMID 31836868, verified 2026-07-30). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.

Source anchors

Cite this article

Jane・《Cats | Behavior and Welfare》・IDAEO 知識庫・2026-08-13・https://km.idaeo.ai/post/vet/cat-behaviour-welfare

Updated 2026-08-15

更新 2026-08-15T15:41:02.273Z · server-rendered · four-language · IDAEO 知識庫

Cats | Behavior and Welfare

Cats | Behavior and Welfare

Limits of this content

FAQ

Source anchors

Cite this article

Related articles