Skip to main content
N I Direct government services

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
  • Contacts
  • Help
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Family, home and community
  3. Animal welfare and pets
  4. Cats

Welfare of cats: normal behaviour patterns

The way a cat behaves is individual and depends on its age, breed or type and past experience. Most cats are playful, sociable animals and they enjoy playing together with toys, people and other cats. Changes in behaviour may suggest that something is wrong with a cat's health.

What your cat needs

How a cat behaves depends on its age, personality and past experiences.

Most cats are playful animals and enjoy socialising with people. Cats like to play with toys and those that do not go outside often play at hunting indoors. Some cats, especially those that live outdoors, may be less sociable with people and other animals.

Cats sleep for many hours each day. When they are awake they need opportunities to exercise and play. Additionally, all cats need a suitable scratching place, high enough to allow them to stretch out fully, to mark their territory and condition their claws.

Any change in behaviour may suggest that your cat is distressed and needs help.

Scratching or 'claw conditioning' is part of normal cat behaviour. Cats condition their claws for various reasons, and regular scratching removes the frayed and worn outer claws, exposing the new and sharper claws growing underneath. It also exercises and strengthens the muscles used when the claws move in and out of the paw, which is essential for a cat's normal behaviour of climbing and catching prey.

What your cat needs to behave normally

You should:

  • make sure your cat receives enough mental, social and physical stimulation to satisfy its individual behavioural needs
  • provide your cat with safe toys and regular opportunities to play with friendly people and by itself
  • make sure that your cat can rest undisturbed when it wants to
  • make sure your cat has opportunities to exercise each day to stay fit, happy and healthy
  • provide suitable indoor activities to keep your cat active, if it does not go outside
  • take advice from a vet or other suitably qualified cat care specialist. if you are unsure how much exercise your cat needs
  • make sure that your cat can reach all the things that it needs (for example bed, food, water, litter or outdoors) without having to get too close to things, people or other animals that may scare it
  • know how your cat behaves when fit, happy and healthy
  • seek advice from a vet or other suitably qualified cat care specialist if its behaviour changes or becomes a problem it could be distressed, bored, ill or injured
  • never shout at, or punish, your cat - it will not understand and will just become more nervous or scared
  • only use positive reward-based training, and avoid harsh, potentially painful, training methods
  • make sure children allow cats to exhibit normal behaviours

More useful links

  • Cats 
  • Search for a veterinary practice 
  • Animal welfare and pets
Share this page Share on Facebook (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share on Twitter (external link opens in a new window / tab) Share by email (external link opens in a new window / tab)

Cats

  • Welfare of cats: an introduction
  • Welfare of cats: getting on with other animals
  • Welfare of cats: normal behaviour patterns
  • Welfare of cats: protection from pain and disease
  • Welfare of cats: the need for a suitable diet
  • Welfare of cats: the need for a suitable environment

Translation help

How to translate this page

Help improve this page - send your feedback

What do you want to do?
Report a problem
Which problem did you find on this page? (Tick all that apply)

Messages

You will not receive a reply. We will consider your feedback to help improve the site.

Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers.

What is your question about?

What to do next

Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

  • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
  • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
  • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

For queries about:

  • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
  • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
    contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

 

For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

Related sites

  • gov.uk
  • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

Links to supporting information

  • Accessibility statement
  • Crown copyright
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy
  • Cookies
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • RSS