Living Large: Nine Outstanding Expanding Animals!” WebEcoist, 8 Nov. 2016, https://webecoist.momtastic.com/2010/01/05/living-large-nine-outstanding-expanding-animals/. I’ve been a cat owner for quite some time now, and I can say I’ve seen cats do a lot of different things, but the cat sideways walk is most probably my favorite of all the strange little things cats do.

Lents, Nathan H. “Why Play Is Important | Psychology Today.” Why Play Is Important. Animal Behavior Helps Illuminate Why We Play., Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/beastly-behavior/201705/why-play-is-important. Another possible answer to Why do cats run sideways is that they simply have a case of the zoomies! Unlike humans, cats don’t rely on sound to communicate with each other or people. While people speak with words and occasionally roll their eyes or furrow brows, cats use body language to communicate with each other or humans.Play is an essential part of development for many young animals, including, obviously, humans. Many animals, including cats, learn social etiquette and practice motor skills through play. Play is often a dress rehearsal for real adult behaviors, like hunting, and a way to promote bonding in a group, or relieve tension. [7] Many cats continue play behavior well into adulthood. Gaining a cat’s trust is rarely simple and often relates to previous experiences. It can be harder to gain the trust of cats who didn’t have good experiences with humans in the past, such as abandoned or shelter cats. Not all cats will include a sideways run in their zoomies “routine” but if they do it’s generally nothing to worry about. Reason 4: Your Cat Wants Attention We’ve almost all witnessed a cat with zoomies and have been entertained by our cats sprinting around one side of the house to another while mixing in frantic climb on the cat tree and of course the occasional crabwalk!

The most common cause of the feline zoomies is excess energy, so make sure your kitty has enough daily mental and physical stimulation! Reason No 6: It’s Your Cats Way Of Saying “Hey, Hey – Look At Me” Petting them against the grain feels painful and cats are too posh to allow any sort of discomfort in their life. Harlan, Ron. “10 Weird Self-Inflating Animal Species.” Listverse, 21 June 2014, https://listverse.com/2014/01/03/10-weird-self-inflating-animal-species/.However, if the threat continues charging, your cat may try to make itself look smaller by crouching down as a sign of surrender. 5. Your Cat Is Playing Your feline friend doing the crab walk is absolutely nothing to be concerned about! As you can see, the reasons your cat is doing it are harmless. Cats display their bottoms to each other as a sign of friendly greeting, and they tend to do this to humans to ask for more pets. It’s an indication that they feel comfortable and happy around you. 6. Your Cat is in Heat Your feline companion can be a very amusing little creature. When they get thrilled and something sets off their instinctive need to play, they may engage in this excited movement. This description is very similar to cats doing the crab walk, and that’s why this body movement is considered as one potential sign of vestibular disease in cats.

Feline vestibular disease is a disease that affects a cat’s balance and makes it hard for a cat to walk properly. Most cases of this disease are said to be caused by middle or inner ear infections, or by tumors within the vestibular apparatus. Look for a specific target that your cat is focused on during their crabwalk silliness. It could be another cat, a toy, or even you! If the target isn’ta potential threat to your cat then it’s probably playtime-related side hops! However, if you see your cat walking weirdly for any other reason – that might be something you need to pay attention to. No two cats are the same and might only display less obvious signs of aggression or irritability. The best bet is to leave the cat alone as soon as they show any of these behaviors. Avoid approaching or touching your cat when they are frightened or distressed since you’ll exacerbate their anxiety level. 3. They Are Happy or ExcitedEnsure that your cat is not in immediate danger. If there are potential hazards in the environment, remove them to prevent further stress or injury to your cat. We don’t completely understand what caused vestibular disease in some cases but ear infections of the inner or middle ear are a common culprit.