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If you cannot locate your cat, chances are that it is sitting high up on a shelf. You may catch it observing you or the scenery out of the window. It could also be enjoying itself in a self-grooming session. There could be multiple evolutionary and behavioral reasons behind such cat behavior.

Evolution

According to animal behavior consultants, felines have an instinctual requirement to view things from above. It stems from the evolutionary view of the cat being both predators and prey. Your kitty could observe potential threats from high vantage points. Higher elevations could also function as a refuge from bigger animals.

Sitting high also establishes hierarchy. Cats like to be on the top of the pecking order in the social scene. This is particularly noticeable to owners having multiple cats. Each cat wants to sit on the highest position in the room. The more the height, the higher the cat in its social order among its peers. It also helps that sitting high gives them space. Unlike dogs, your cat loves to spend time by itself. It does not like disturbance. This is the reason kitties like to sit on refrigerators and on top of bookcases. It is quite common for a mother cat to escape her kittens at weaning time.

Enjoyment and dominance

Your cat will enjoy if it sits on an elevated height. This is specifically true among indoor cats which suffer from a mental and physical simulation. The cat trees and shelves offer felines a play outlet. This permits them to climb and jump and also view things from a new perspective. Higher sitting positions also keep your kitty warm. It loves to cozy up and instinctively knows that sleeping higher up makes an easy way to achieve this. Your kitty instinctively understands that heat rises and prefers to sit where it can get warm. This is especially true for the cold winter months.

It is important you provide multiple climbing options to your cat. You can either build or buy a cat tree. A better quality cat tree permits a kitty to both jumps or climbs to the top. Since it is a tree, it will come with multiple perches at different heights. If you have multiple cats, then a cat tree can effortlessly share a space and maintain their established status. More territorial cats can make space their own so that other cats do not invade their space. Other than cat trees, you can install window perches and shelves.

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