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    Cats may be curious about a lot of things, but people are also curious about cats. These adorable animals have some pretty strange habits. Since our furry friends refuse to answer our questions, PawNation enlisted an expert.

    Still looking for answers about your pussycat's peculiar behavior? Send all your pet relationship questions to team.pawnation@aol.com.

  • PawNation
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    Ever since our older cat died, our younger kitty has been acting very strange and anti-social. Do cats grieve?

    RELATED: Learn more about cat stress

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    ANSWER:

    Yes. Pets can miss their favorite people as well as other pets in the household, especially if they had a close bond with the deceased pet. Like people, they can react in various ways. They can become depressed, lethargic and may even refuse to eat. Cats are very empathic creatures and can also pick up on their owner’s emotional state. They may mope around the house visibly looking for their departed friend.

    Veterinarians suggest engaging the surviving cat in games and giving it extra love and hands-on attention. Brushing is a great way to spend quality time together. Also consider buying new toys to engage with a grieving cat.

    How long a cat mourns is a very individual situation. Cats that are used to being with other cats may ultimately enjoy having another companion again. But give it time and don’t rush into adopting straight away. Discuss the situation with your veterinarian. Often a surviving cat may do better with a new kitten in the home than with an older cat.

  • PawNation
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    The few times my cat has found a mouse, she just meows at it, but doesn't attack. Where is my cat's hunter instinct?

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    ANSWER:

    “Although hunting is an instinctual behavior for cats, some cats are more motivated to hunt than others,” explains cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger. “The motivation to hunt and the number of successful hunts are influenced by both the individual cat’s genetics and what the cat learned as a kitten.”

    Kittens are very good at chasing moving objects, small animals and insects, but they need to be taught how to catch and kill their quarry. One of the jobs of a mother cat is to teach her kittens how to safely catch and kill prey. For reasons ranging from mother cats not teaching their kittens to kittens being separated from their mothers at an early age, some cats do not get that essential schooling.

    Genetics plays a major role too. Cats who come from lines or breeds that were feral as recently as three or four generations back or were bred for their prowess at keeping vermin away can be more motivated and skilled at hunting.

    There are exceptions, but as a general rule, it's the combination of genetics and early coaching as kittens that influences the desire to hunt.

  • PawNation
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    Whenever I leave paper towels or toilet paper out, my cat tears them to shreds and makes a mess. Why do some cats enjoy tearing this stuff apart?

    RELATED: Lose weight with your pet

  • Flickr User: Justenbaeder
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    ANSWER:

    This could simply be Newton’s Law at work: for every action there is a reaction. Pounce at the toilet roll and it releases paper. Pounce on the paper and shredding it results in confetti flying everywhere. Thus, unraveling a roll of paper towels or toilet paper can be equated with fun.

    Behaviorists often say that this is a substitute for a good scratching post. So it's a good idea to see that there are several proper scratching postings made out of sisal or recycled corrugated cardboard around the home. Mix up vertical scratchers with horizontal ones.

    Also, cats are natural hunters, and shredding and playing with their prey is part of the process and could also account for your cat's behavior.

    Try to keep bathroom doors closed and paper towels out of reach. Consider spraying inside the roll with bitter aloes or a citrus spray. Cats don't like the smell and this is works as a good feline deterrent.

    When bored, cats look for things to do and create their own games. Invest in some feline-appropriate toys too.

  • PawNation
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    My cat enjoys making a mess with the litter. He will go "play" in the box even when he doesn't use it, just to toss the litter out. Is he using the litter to mark the floor as his? We have two litter boxes and he does it with both. 

  • Flickr User: eviltomthai
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    ANSWER:

    “Although there are a number of factors that could be causing your cat to toss litter out of his litter box, it is doubtful that marking is one of them,” says cat behaviorist Marilyn Krieger. Some cats will roll in clean cat litter, scenting their fur with the litter. Often kittens go through a phase where they find it fun to play and dig in the litter box.”

    The litter boxes and the type of litter are factors too. There may be too much or too little litter in the litter box. Two or three inches of litter is an ideal depth for cat litter. Also, you may have switched to a litter which is either too appealing or not so popular with your cat.

    Or your cat may be bored. Again, bored cats often invent games which entertain them but can be annoying to the people they live with. Interactive toys and daily play sessions will mentally and physically stimulate your cat and can stop him from being creative in his litter box.

    Try a laser toy to initiate feline fun. But remember to give treats during the play session because your cat gets no satisfaction from “catching” the red dot.

  • PawNation
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    Sometimes my cat will roll over, show her belly and start purring like she wants to be rubbed, but when I go to pet her she tries to bite me. Why does she do this?

    RELATED: Read more from Sandy Robins.

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    ANSWER:

    In a catfight situation, the tummy is considered a very vulnerable area and if a cat is attacked here, it could cause considerable harm. So if a cat rolls over and exposes its belly to you, that is a sign that it trusts you and knows it is not in harm’s way.

    In his book 'Understanding Cat Behavior," renowned British behaviorist Roger Tabor says that when a cat has been playing cooperatively, and then you suddenly try to pet its belly, the movement triggers an aggressive response. This is because the cat may initially equate the stroking motion with the licking motion of its mother’s tongue as a kitten, then for no apparent reason when it sees your head above it, it suddenly feels threatened and reacts accordingly.

    “There are clearly variations between different cats and there is a suggestion of a tolerance threshold to our behavior or trust based on the kittenhood habituation period,” explains Tabor.  “So always be aware that your cat may not actually want her belly rubbed.”

    Most cats enjoy being tickled under the chin or on the top of the head. These are safe feline petting zones.

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