All Catnip Aside, Cats Just Like to Get High

You’ve probably noticed that cats like high vantage points, and until we talked with Jessica Gilbert from the Humane Society of South Central Michigan this week, I never realized that it’s often a cat competition to see who can get the highest.    No, not on catnip, but actually the highest spot in the room.

“Cats have a hierarchy where the ‘Top Cat’ is the one who is literally the highest up,” said Gilbert.

We put shelves in our living room to allow the cats to roost high above the annoying dogs that might be lurking below and even built a cornice over the picture window that serves as a “cat superhighway”, allowing them to traverse the span of the picture window to get from one spot to the next.   But there’s always trouble.   Earl and Lenny, the perpetually fighting cat-brothers, were constantly at odds over the preferred perches.    Now I see the problem.  They’re the same height.  Lenny, his royal “highness”, is not happy to have Earl at the same elevation.   Earl, not one to accept defeat, looks at Lenny as his “underling.”

“Cats are really funny with their social structure, “said Gilbert.  “So when you look at their environment, you’re really looking at it from a 3-D perspective with multiple levels for them to get to so they can figure out their pecking order.”

Even a solo cat will seek out the best vantage point to sleep or just hang out. It comes from their instinct to protect themselves, and a high position for sleeping or resting gives them an aerial advantage for spotting any potential dangers around them and allows them to relax.  And then there’s the hunting thing.  It’s a lot like my brother sitting in a tree stand with his deer rifle every fall.   Only with cats, it’s mice instead of deer.

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Are you ready to adopt a new cat?   The Humane Society of South Central Michigan has plenty, like “Sprout”, our special guest on Wiggly Tail Wednesday.   Sprout is a “tuxedo kitten”.  Just check out his picture and you can see why.

He was born last March 3^rd and is still quite young.  Jessica says he loves to cuddle and he loves to run and play……a typical kitten.   He loves other cats and came to the shelter with brothers and sisters, so you might even adopt more than one!

Jessica says the first step is to go online and get an adoption form.  After that, you can arrange a 1 on 1 appointment at the shelter, which is still closed to the public except by appointment.   By the way…..the outdoor dog park is open to all!