Cats

By Dr. Patty Khuly, via Vetstreet

Some cats have a curious habit of licking themselves when they receive pets and gentle scratches, while others will attempt to lick the air. A small percentage of felines will even bite or scratch the people petting them.

Cats Who Love to Get Pets
Although it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what a cat may be thinking and feeling as she licks herself, it's important to note that not all felines experience the same sensation when they receive pets and scratches. Some genuinely seem to enjoy the attention, while others probably feel some measure of discomfort.

SEE ALSO: Why Does My Cat... Lick Me?

When you scratch a dog behind his ear, he may often respond to the pleasurable feeling by jiggling his hind limb in a self-scratching gesture. It's almost as if you're attending to an itch that he'd forgotten to scratch.

Feline self-licking or air licking is believed to be the same kind of reaction, particularly among cats who suffer from skin-related allergies, external parasite infestations or other itchy conditions.

Cats Who Can Do Without Getting Pets
A percentage of cats may also be responding to pets and scratches by licking or biting themselves (and sometimes even the human delivering the pets) because they find the stimulus uncomfortable or annoying.

It's believed that cats who suffer from feline hyperesthesia syndrome, a disease in which the skin becomes very sensitive to the touch, may be reacting in this way out of pain or uncomfortable hypersensitivity.

To be safe, cat owners should consult their veterinarians if their cats react to being pet and scratched by exhibiting any unusual licking, biting or scratching.

It's difficult to tell how old this dog is. One thing is for sure: He looks a lot older right now than he probably is. And we'll wager a guess that he probably feels quite a bit older than he is too. Kittens will have that effect on you. A kitten may be the cutest thing in the world, but it's also a handful. Have to deal with three kittens at once? Well, prepare to get frazzled.

These kittens are starting to wake up, but Fido looks like he'd just as soon roll over and snooze for another hour or two. Imagine if you had three 4-year-olds, and it's 5 a.m. on Christmas morning, and all three kids are trying to get you out of bed. Now imagine that's every day. Sympathize with this poor pooch yet?

Your not crazy; you've seen this video before. It's just that last time, our feline DJ was spinning some truly putrid early-'90s house-music jock jams. That was back in the fall of 2010, before dubstep became a national obsession. Now Kitty Skrillex has updated his record collection, and whether you think his new sound is putrid or not, at least it's current.

This keyboard cat is playing a cat keyboard. Your argument is invalid.

By Dr. Patty Khuly, via Vetstreet

It's no secret that cats are impressive sleepers. In fact, they typically get between 10 to 16 hours of shut-eye each day. That's more than most mammals--except for bats and opossums, who are known to slumber up to 20 hours per day.

Biologists pin this feline affinity for sleep on two things: Their typically protein-rich diet, which requires long periods of rest to aid in proper digestion, and their naturally crepuscular (dawn and dusk) predatory pattern, which means cats tend to hunt twice daily and then rest in between.

Although there's a lot of individual variation among domesticated felines, indoor cats are more likely to snooze for most of the day, while their free-roaming brethren are more likely to spend their daylight hours stalking small prey.

Bottom line: If your indoor kitty often sleeps the day away, just know that she's a perfectly normal feline. However, if your cat is lethargic--meaning that her energy levels are lower than normal--or she isn't interested in playing or eating, you should make an appointment to see your vet.