Cats can be baffling at the best of times but sometimes their behaviour can seem erratic or just plain strange. Pam Jonathon-Bennett, cat behavioural expert, gives cat owners an insight into what cats really mean by their actions. 

A few listeners had some things to say on the text line about cats:

• I'd definitely see it as a warning sign if the cat suddenly started hiding under my bed. Cos i don't have a cat.

• She is right. My cat shows tremendous love - for himself.

• Sean if cats were so intelligent they could tell the owner to stop petting. Hah! Chris

• Sean, my cat is on Lipitor and gave serious body language to the pharmacist when he tried to give a generic version. The pharmacist ended up hiding under the bed.

• In tests dogs are smarter. Look at all the dead cats on the road. The dog is cleverer.

• Can't believe you didn't tell the cat woman your usual cat story, "if you died at home your pet cat would eat you" I would eat you too! Lol John

• Sean please tell us why you have a dislike of cats? I'm going to send a kitten to the Newstalk studios unless you tell us. Working until half four are you? Jimbo

• That cat lady just reminded me it's been a while since I gave my cat monsters which is their treat-dispensing toy. They throw themselves down the stairs when they hear the treats, but the look of disappointment when they realise they have to work for them is priceless. Lazy feck!

• Hi Sean, that cat lady is so right. I went through a relationship that utterly broke my heart, during which I spent most of my time crying and throwing things. When it ended and the man was gone, my cats reappeared, and we all breathed a sigh of relief! 

Have a listen to Pam's tips and tricks with Sean below and because we can, here is a cat acting very strangely in the kitchen...

Pam's website is catbehaviourassociates.com and below is a break down of the main cat behavioural traits.

1. The Jekyll and Hyde

You start petting him, he purrs with delight and then after a few minutes he hauls off and swats you. What gives? Has your cat turned into a Jekyll and Hyde? Although this sudden change in attitude seems to come out of nowhere, it’s a relatively common behaviour in some cats who reach their tolerance threshold when it comes to being petted. The behaviour, known as petting-induced aggression, happens when a cat gets too stimulated from the constant petting or his body language signals have gone unnoticed. He feels the only way to get you to stop is for him to scratch or bite. To avoid this behaviour in the future, pay attention to signals your cat is giving off that indicate he may be reaching his limit. Typical signs include skin twitching, tail lashing, cessation of purring, shifting body position, ears pointing backward, meowing

2. The Nibble and Puke
This happens to some cats who are allowed outdoors. Many cats enjoy eating grass and will sit in the grass, doing their best sheep impersonation. After a few minutes of munching the greenery, you hear that familiar sound of a cat about to vomit. So just why do cats like to eat something that almost always causes them to puke? One theory is that a cat uses the grass as a way to address an upset stomach. Some cats may also munch on grass to help them vomit up hairballs that aren’t passing through the stomach

3. The Paw Dip
Why does your cat dip his paw into the water bowl and then lick the water off instead of just drinking the normal way? In some cases, the cat chooses the paw method if the water bowl is too deep or too narrow. Cats have long whiskers and they don’t like getting them squished. A cat in a multiple cat household may resort to paw dipping as a matter of safety if there’s tension in the home. He may not feel comfortable enough to lower his head into the bowl which will obstruct his view. Finally, if you don’t keep the water level consistent, your cat may develop the habit of paw dipping if he has trouble determining where the water line

4. The Rear View
It may seem that wherever kitty decides to sit, whether it’s on the coffee table in front of you or on your desk as you check your email, you always get the backside view. He’s not being insulting, he’s actually displaying immense trust. Since a cat is an animal that is both predator and prey, he wants to position himself in the safest place. If he turns his back on you as he settles down, he’s showing that he trusts you and maybe even that he’s going to watch the environment for both of you. 

5. The Crazy Cat Dance
Your cat suddenly, and without any obvious reason, decides to bolt through the house as if chasing some imaginary mouse. He dances around, he pounces, he may even take a flying leap onto his cat tree. You look all around but can’t find evidence of any mouse, spider or even a dust bunny. What gets into some cats where they get the “cat crazies” and almost slam into the walls? Chances are, your cat is either shadow or light-chasing or he has simply had such a build-up of energy and needs to get it out. Cats are hunters and they’re built for movement. If your cat has been sleeping too much and hasn’t been offered adequate playtime to work off some of that energy, he may just take it upon himself to chase some dancing light. Keep in mind as well that cats have finely-tuned senses so your kitty may hear, smell or see something that goes totally undetected by you

6. The Paper Weight
If there’s a piece of paper on the floor, your cat may opt to plant himself right on top of it instead of all the other more comfortable spots in the room. There’s a cosy cat bed sitting nearby but kitty ignores that in favor of the thin white sheet of paper. It doesn’t make sense, right? When it comes to sitting on papers or magazines that you’re reading, your smart cat knows exactly where your focus is and if he wants attention, the obvious place to be is right where your eyes are directed – the paper. As for a piece of paper on the floor or desk that no one is paying attention to, it may have to do with the cat’s natural desire to be on something elevated. If he wants to be on floor level or on a desk but also wants to be just a bit elevated, he may feel that the paper, because it’s different from the rest of the surface, gives him a little lift

7. The Cover Up
You put a dish of food down for your cat and he takes a few nibbles and then paws at the floor in front of the dish in the same way he does when covering his waste in the litter box. It’s a normal behaviour and is based on a cat’s survival instinct as both a predator and prey animal. If your cat doesn’t finish his meal, his behaviour of pawing at the floor is an attempt to cover the food so as not to attract any predators. It also prevents potential prey from being alerted to the fact that a predator is in the vicinity. Even indoor cats who never go outside to hunt retain those survival instincts