Animal behavior, explained
CritterWhy looks inside the habit — with what published research actually says, original 2.5D drawings, and a clear line between evidence and guesswork.
Cats form attachment bonds with their people. In a 2019 secure-base test, about two-thirds of kittens and of adult cats were securely attached — a share close to the one seen in human infants. That is not the same as a greeting a dog would give, and it is not ‘just for the food.’
A purr can mean contentment, a request for food, or a cat trying to settle itself. In 2009, researchers found a cry hidden inside some purrs. In 2023, isolated voice boxes still produced a purr-like sound.
A cat’s view of you is softer and built from a smaller palette than yours, with a third eyelid and a set of whiskers doing work the eyes cannot. Motion matters; a dead-end laser pointer has a cost.
Not in black and white, and not as sharply as you do. A typical dog’s world is built from blues and yellows, is a little soft at the edges, and lights up for motion — while the version of you it knows best is made of scent.
Face-licking starts as a puppy signal in wolves. It still works as a greeting, it finds the salt on your skin, and it is not a reliable stand-in for ‘I love you’ — especially when the licking never stops.
There is no useful ‘dog IQ,’ and a sock thief can still be brilliant at the things dogs were shaped to do: following a point, learning words with practice, and looking back at you when a problem stalls.
Dogs can time short intervals and they learn the shape of a day. That is not the same as counting the hours you were out. Scent, routine, and a familiar shirt tell us more than a hidden inner clock.
Cats are crepuscular, not strictly nocturnal, and indoor cats often shift toward the household’s day. Dawn can still be a busy hour. Sleep takes up a large share of the day, and a typical room is cooler than a cat’s comfort range.
The person in the house. Hoodie, glasses, and a lot of questions.
A compact, charcoal, basenji-type dog with a mustard tag and a curled tail.
A slate-grey cat with a white bib, mustard eyes, and her own schedule.
Short letters on what the research actually says — and what it means at home. Free, occasional, and easy to leave.
