Last updated on December 12th, 2021
It may sound weird, but cat owners are probably aware of this peculiar behavior exhibited by their furry friends. These mischievous creatures never fail to amaze us with their naughty little actions.
While we enjoy watching them perform such acts, we are often concerned about their safety, especially when cats start kicking themselves, but why do they do it?
Cats kick themselves because it’s a good way for them to stretch and exercise their muscles while grooming themselves and trying to removing dead fur.
Why Do Cats Kick With Their Back Feet?
Feline creatures kick with their back feet because they’re in a playful mood, for example, when wrestling or toying with an object.
They also do the bunny kick when acting out this behavior while displaying defensive body language, and you’ll usually see this when they’re fighting.
Moreover, felines usually roll on their backs when they’re attacked by an adult cat or other animals.
In such cases, a cat would use its four paws to defend itself.
During this defensive kick session, felines may use their hind leg claws to kick or hit at the opponent’s exposed belly or abdomen.
When cats refuse to fight for extended periods, they’ll hit their opponent or an attacker while inflicting pain at their most vulnerable areas such as the underbelly or abdomen with their claws to force the attacker to retreat.
Why Do Cats Kick The Wall?
Kicking is a natural cat behavior and most of the time when your cat kicks the wall, it means that they’re either very bored or very nervous. This is one of the ways that your cat can release stress and is also an easy way to tell if your cat is anxious or feeling a bit scared.
Cats also kick the wall as a way to strengthen the muscles in their hind leg.
On the other hand, it’s possible that cats would attack the wall because they saw a moving reflection or passing shadow and felt the need to pounce and strike.
However, cats kicking or scratching on walls may mean several other things.
It could be that they’re stressed or are experiencing some abnormal brain waves or emotional distresses.
Sometimes, a cat may scratch or kick on the walls and other objects to mark their territory.
This is a cat’s instinctive behavior to leave a mark with the unique scent glands that are present on their paws, face, and cheeks.
They also mark their territories by spraying urine over the area that they don’t want other animals to intrude on.
In this manner, cats release pheromones to warn against any attempts of intrusion by other animals, who detect such scents via their olfactory system.
If you frequently notice these aggressive behaviors, consider visiting a veterinarian to provide your feline with a complete checkup.
Why Do Cats Kick When You Rub Their Belly?
Have you ever heard of why it is that when you pick up a cat and rub or pat its belly, the back legs kick out?
This is something that is not just seen in cats, but other animals as well. It is a common behavior among animals, but why do cats kick when you rub their belly?
Cats kick when you rub their belly as a form of self-defense. This type of behavior is instinctual for them to protect their stomach area since it houses their most vital organs.
Surprisingly, your kitty may kick you at times when you are only trying to pet and show them affection.
It may seem strange because petting should be enjoyable for cats.
But in these cases, if cats kick while their owner is petting them, it may indicate that these naughty and unpredictable creatures are simply trying to play or grab your attention.
However, the kicks made during their playtime won’t have the same intensity as those performed while fighting because they won’t have the intention to hurt the other person or animal.
But during fights, your cat’s kicks look more like a defensive type of aggression.
One thing to note here is that when cats kick or paw you playfully, they may unintentionally inflict scratches on your skin.
Unless you’re wearing clothing that covers different parts of your body, you may have scratches on your arms or legs when cats indulge in playful kicking and scratching activities.
So, when you rub your furball’s soft belly, if they’re in a playful mood, you may get one of those bunny kicks.
However, if the kick is unusually hard, it may be that your kitty is not in the mood to receive any affection.
In such cases, your cat is asking for some “me time” and avoiding physical interactions with human beings or other pets.
However, if your pet is trying to roll on their back, kicking out their hindlimbs against you, while aggressively grabbing your hands with their forelegs, it may be a sign that they’re telling you to “Stop!”
You shouldn’t pet their belly when they’re displaying this type of behavior. They may want some space and time for themselves.
Another point worth noting in this regard is to not stretch your hands to pet your kitty when they’re in the mood to bite or kick you, even if it’s done in a playful mood.
Why Do Cats Kick Themselves In The Face?
I was relaxing on my couch with my kitty lying beside me. Suddenly, she started kicking herself in the face, which made me worry about possible injuries that she may inflict upon herself.
Now, you may wonder whether you should intervene and stop her from such crazy acts or let her continue with this weird feline behavior, but why do cats kick themselves in the face?
Cats will kick themselves in the face because they’re scratching an itch or trying to remove fleas or mites that may be irritating the cat in that area.
Some feline behaviors are simply incomprehensible, and we as human beings won’t always interpret the reasons behind them.
However, certain feline behavioral patterns have good explanations behind them. Some of the possible reason include –
It’s a reflex:
Reflexes are quite unpredictable and involuntary, and they occur automatically when the body responds to something.
When cats are bent towards one side in a specific position, they may suddenly have a reflex that results in kicking or even biting themselves in the face.
It’s a playful behavior:
When cats are playful, they tend to kick themselves with the hind legs right in the face.
It also happens when these mischievous creatures want to indulge in a playful fight or wrestle with you or other cats.
It’s a defense mechanism:
When a feline animal can’t get hold of a prey with their teeth, they would use their hind limbs to kick at the prey.
At the same time, the cat may bite or claw it to gain complete control over it.
Being fooled by their tails:
Another reason cats may bite or kick themselves is when their tails startle them.
Thinking that something is attacking them from behind, cats may start kicking and biting their tails until they realize there’s no danger, and it’s their tail that’s been bitten.
Our feline companions can be so funny at times!
It’s a beauty ritual:
Do know that your little furball may scratch, kick, or bite herself as a part of a grooming session. Yes, these beauty queens are concerned about their looks, and hence, they scratch or bite away any dirt, and dust from their nails or fur to stay healthy and beautiful.
Besides, scratching and kicking against objects allow cats to get rid of accumulated dead cells from their claws and nails to keep them functional.
Clean and sharp claws make it easier to defend themselves during a fight or attack.
Why Do Cats Bite Their Feet?
Cats will bite their feet or paws because they’re trying to clean off the dirt that got stuck onto them or it could be that they’re removing the outer sheath of their nails since their claws may have gotten dull and worn down which will lead to new layers of sharp nail growing underneath to be used.
This form of biting and chewing behavior in cats may occur due to several reasons, such as when the feline is suffering from anxiety disorders or is having an infection or injury.
Apart from such concerning issues, there may be some playful fight behaviors in cats.
Yes, you can never get enough of their mischievousness! Your pet will simply bite at their feet only to grab your attention, this time in a negative way!
They can be so smart and annoying at times!
