Youssef Elhakri
Your cat may be relaxed on the couch until the doorbell rings. Seconds later, they are under the bed, behind the couch, or in another room—and they may not come out again until the house is quiet. If your cat hides when guests come over, that does not automatically mean something is wrong. For many … Read more
You walk past the couch, and your cat suddenly launches at your ankle, grabs your leg, bites, then releases and disappears around the corner. Later, it happens again in almost the same place. If you are thinking, “my cat attacks my feet when I walk,” movement-triggered play or a predatory-style sequence is one strong possibility. … Read more
It is 4:30 a.m. Your cat is standing on your chest, meowing beside your face, pawing at you, walking across the bed, attacking your moving feet under the blanket, or knocking something off the dresser. You finally get up—and your cat immediately heads toward the food bowl, a closed door, or somewhere else they want … Read more
The scratching post is only a few feet away, but your cat walks past it, stretches against the arm of the couch, and scratches there again. Cat scratches couch even with scratching post? The problem may not be a lack of scratching options. The couch may simply provide a better match for where, how, and … Read more
You crack the front door open, and your cat is already there—waiting, vocalizing, or trying to squeeze between your legs. If your indoor cat keeps trying to get outside, the behavior tells you something important: getting through that door has become valuable to your cat. What it does not tell you, by itself, is why. … Read more
Your cat comes over, settles beside you or on your lap, accepts a few strokes, and may even seem completely relaxed. Then they suddenly turn and bite your hand. If you searched “cat bites me when I pet them,” start with the simplest useful response: stop touching your cat when the bite happens. Then look … Read more
If one cat came home from the veterinarian and your other cat suddenly started hissing, growling, avoiding, staring at, or swatting them, do not force a reunion. If your cat is hissing at your other cat after a vet visit, several temporary changes may be involved. The returning cat may smell different, move differently, behave … Read more
If your cat is chasing your other cat, the chase itself does not tell you whether the interaction is mutually chosen play or a problem. Some cats willingly chase each other and switch roles. In other cases, one cat keeps pursuing after the other has tried to stop, hide, or move away. The most useful … Read more
When a cat plays too rough with other cats, the interaction can still be play—but that doesn’t mean both cats want the same intensity or want the play to continue for the same amount of time. Don’t judge the interaction only by wrestling, chasing, pouncing, swatting, mouthing, or one hiss. Instead, watch what happens when … Read more
Two cats can chase each other down a hallway, wrestle on the floor, bite, swat, pounce, and then get up as if nothing happened. That can make a normal social interaction look much more alarming than it is. So if you are asking, “Are my cats playing or fighting?”, do not judge the interaction by … Read more