15 qualities of cats

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 15 February 2021
Update Date: 28 June 2024
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At cat characteristics place them among the most popular pets out there. There are several benefits to adopting one, as these cats are full of qualities and virtues that make them good companions. Some people even believe that there are mystical qualities in cats, although we can't be sure.

Are you able to list some of your cat's quirks? At PeritoAnimal, we have prepared this list with the cat qualities most notorious. Find out below!

What are cats like?

Domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) belong to a species of cats that have been part of human life since ancient times. Over time, different breeds were developed as a result of crossings and genetic modifications, causing the appearance of coat varieties and sizes.


While each cat develops a different personality depending on its breeding, there are some characteristics they all share. Among them, it is possible to mention your great independence, the agility they have to make big leaps and the level of development of their auditory and olfactory senses, in addition to vision.

Want to know more about what cats are like? Discover the 15 qualities of cats.

Qualities and Virtues of Cats

The benefits of having a cat at home go far beyond its pleasant company. Cats are animals full of virtues and qualities that can make life with them an experience. At most outstanding qualities of cats and which we will discuss in detail in the following sections are:

  1. are clean
  2. are family members
  3. are independent
  4. are skilled and curious
  5. are excellent hunters
  6. are sentimental
  7. are smart
  8. are alerts
  9. Have excellent night vision
  10. They are good tightrope walkers
  11. are sociable
  12. are easy to care
  13. have a great sense of hearing
  14. are dreamers
  15. Have a very developed sense of smell.

1. Cats are clean

Among the virtues of cats is the fact that they are very clean. For you daily bath, they use their own tongue, as their roughness allows them to remove dirt. This is due to the anatomy of the tongue, which has rows of cuticles that trap any kind of dirt that is found among its coat. See "Why Do Cats Have a Rough Tongue?" for more details.


Also, cats usually urinating and defecating in established places, like a sandbox or the garden. If your cat starts to take care of other places in the house, we recommend that you go to the vet to rule out illnesses such as cystitis or stress.

2. They consider you part of their family

Many people find cats hostile, but that's only because they don't know their ways of showing affection. One of the peculiarities of cats is that they rub their head and body against people of the House. In addition, they can take small bites, lick their hair or face, among other behaviors. These are ways to identify family members and show your love, meaning if these things are happening, your cat loves you!


3. Cats are independent

The character of cats is distinguished by being independent. they like to have your own space and they hate being forced to do something they don't want to.

This independence also allows them to enjoy their time playing or exploring the house on their own. This does not mean, however, that you should leave him alone for a long time, as cats require interaction to avoid behavioral and stress problems. In this way, just because cats are more independent animals than others does not mean that they are not affectionate or that they do not need to receive attention from their owners, quite the opposite! As we saw in the previous section, one of the qualities of cats is that they are familiar and therefore always need some attention from us. Obviously, as we said, always respecting your rhythm, time and space.

4. Cats are skillful and curious

Curiosity goes hand in hand with feline skill. A curious cat tests its ability to sneak almost anywhere whatever he wants. While fun, this can be dangerous if you don't watch their movements.

Despite its great agility, do not allow the cat to climb too high or enter too narrow holes. Some cats can be successful in these activities, but others will have accidents.Although agility is one of the 15 qualities of cats, as a responsible caregiver, you must ensure their safety.

5. Cats are great hunters

Many people consider that among the benefits of owning a cat is its hunting character. Even in the wild, they attack many small animals and hunt for fun. Also, some domestic cats surprise their human caregivers by leaving prey hunted at their feet.

Although this hunting may seem cruel, you should never punish your cat for it, because it is an impossible characteristic of cats to eradicate, since it's part of your instinct as a species. If you prefer to leave the animals at home, provide flashy toys that make sounds and simulate hunting.

6. Cats have feelings too

It is not recommended to humanize domestic animals, much less attribute feelings such as guilt or shame to them. However, both cats and dogs are able to express sadness, happiness orirritation, among other emotions.

For example, when another animal has died or a family member changes, your cat may be melancholy in the first few days. Plus, he'll probably be excited to see you arrive at the end of the day. Reactions of this type demonstrate your ability to experience feelings.

7. Cats are smart

Among the qualities of domestic cats, it is possible to add that they are intelligent animals. In addition to the behaviors they adopt by instinct, they are able to learn by trial and error, which leads them to avoid certain situations when they relate them to a negative result. In this sense, it is possible to educate a cat to teach coexistence rules, orders, etc., always using positive reinforcement.

In addition, cats have learned to communicate with humans through meowing, since to send messages to other cats they use different body signals, such as the position of the tail and ears. Discover the body language of cats in this comprehensive article: "Body Language of Cats".

8. Stay alert

A known characteristic of cats is how sleepy they are. They can devote up to 16 hours a day to this activity, which alternate between deep dreams and naps. However, that is not why one should think that they are abstracting from what is happening around them. Thanks to their whiskers, known as vibrisas, they perceive the vibrations of the air around you. Through this mechanism, they detect changes that occur while they sleep, such as those that occur when a person approaches.

9. Cats have night vision

One of the virtues of cats is their acute night vision. The feline eye has three types of cones, which are able to perceive the color yellow, green and blue. Although they don't see the other shades, cats feature a 200 degree view, better than the 180 of the human being.

Also, feline vision is sharper at night, which is why its iris dilates so much in the dark. Through this mechanism, it lets in even the smallest light rays present in the environment. Also, in the cat's eye there is a tissue called tapetum lucidum which allows light to be absorbed to improve vision at night.

10. They are good tightrope walkers

It's no secret that cats have an enviable ability to maintain their balance, as they are able to navigate high, narrow areas with the same elegance they would on dry land. This skill is possible thanks to your inner ear, which is covered with small hairs that allow you to synchronize your steps and thus keep your balance.

11. Cats are sociable

In ideal conditions, with their own space and enough food, cats can live with other cats or animals of different species no problem. They are able to interact well with other pets, playing and resting.

Likewise, after overcoming the initial distrust, they can get along well with the people who visit the house. Obviously, to get to this point, it is recommended that you have socialized the cat from a puppy or an adult, if you have already adopted it when it is a few years old. Likewise, just because they are sociable doesn't mean it's appropriate to introduce new animals all of a sudden. Cats are very susceptible to changes and therefore it is essential to introduce them gradually.

12. Are easy to care for

Thanks to cats' independence of character, they tend to be easier animals to care for than others. This does not mean, however, that you should forget to give him quality food, adequate games and toys, as well as space at home, and to follow a schedule of vaccinations and deworming.

In general, domestic cats, especially crossbred ones, enjoy good health. However, this does not replace the annual veterinary visit or office visit when you notice a change in behavior in your feline companion.

13. Have an extraordinary sense of hearing.

cats have a sense of hearing more developed than human beings. A healthy young person's ear can pick up frequencies up to 20 KHz, while cats perceive between 48 KHz and 85 KHz.

Does your cat suddenly lift its head and stare at nothing? It is possible that you heard a sound that you cannot make out.

14. Cats are capable of dreaming

Another characteristic of cats is their ability to dream while they sleep. This was proof because they enter the REM phase (Rapid Eye Movement) of sleep, in which a movement of the eyes occurs that can be noticed through the eyelids.

15. Have a good sense of smell

The last of these 15 qualities of cats is their good sense of smell. Although there is not much information about your nose, it is known to have around 200 million odor-sensitive cells, which allows them to capture all kinds of aromas. This amount is considerable when compared to the sense of smell of human beings, as we have only 5 million olfactory cells.

In addition to these, there are other qualities of domestic cats, and we will detail them below.

Qualities of cats according to their color

Did you know that it is possible to attribute certain qualities, virtues and characteristics to cats according to their coat color? It is true! These are the qualities of cats according to their color:

  • Tricolor, calico or carey cats are usually female, as they can present X chromosomes for the colors black and orange at the same time, whereas in most males this mixture is not possible.
  • Two-colored cats tend to be more independent.
  • Orange cats, especially when they are male, are very affectionate and loving.
  • Male calico cats are usually sterile.
  • Most black cats have a shy but affectionate personality.
  • The white coat is not associated with the sex of the cat and may appear in males and females.

Mystical Qualities of Cats

Some people consider that there are mystical qualities in cats, virtues or characteristics that could be of an esoteric character. Likewise, since ancient times they have been attributed some magical powers, such as the ability to protect houses, cause bad luck, detect spirits or the ability to absorb negative energy. However, none of these features have been proven by scientific studies that corroborate them. For this reason, it is not possible to say that there are paranormal qualities in cats.

Benefits of having a cat at home

After seeing the different qualities of cats, there are many benefits that these animals offer. Thus, when adopting a cat, you will enjoy a very familiar, affectionate but independent animal, very clean and with a great intelligence that allows it to learn very quickly. Of course, it is very important to keep in mind that for all of this to happen and the animal to live happily by your side, you must commit to making sure all its needs are met and to giving it all your love.

The benefits of having a cat in the house only occur if the animal is really happy, and that is entirely up to you.

If you want to read more articles similar to 15 qualities of cats, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.