A cat's behavior can be aloof or very loving, eccentric to boring, and all variations in between, also size, color, and appearance differences provide the reasons there are so many cat lovers in the world.

Every cat has his or her own character and peculiarities. Growing up with thirteen of them at once can therefore be quite entertaining and amusing. Pansy was one of our first cats and she was on the quieter side. She enjoyed spending time resting on our dictionaries and reference books.

We had one cat, Eric, a short-haired marmalade, who made up for any lapse in bathroom etiquette by having the best bed side manner if you happened to be under the weather or troubled. Another of our cats, Tinker, the most clever, was able to open the trash container with little effort, and loved to pluck out a tune on my guitar should it be left lying about.

It is important for you to know what is normal about your cats behavior. If they go running crazily around the house every night at the same exact time, then that is probably one of their oddities. However, if your cat is normal restful and follows this same pattern then there may be something to be concerned about, anything from being sick to being resentful of a visit from your Aunt Tillie.

Cats have a very strong need to feel that they are safe and secure in their little world. A sudden shift in routine may cause unusual cat behavior such as missing the mark when it comes to their little box or deciding they do not care for the brand of litter you are using. Her only means of telling me this was to no longer use her box. It took quite a bit of trial and error but we eventually found that she preferred shredded newsprint. We have had no problems since we figured that out.

Basically, you have to be aware that cats behavior can be just as diverse as human behavior. It is best to be strongly aware of what is considered standard behavior for your cat, so that if there is a sudden change in behavior you can know what your cat is trying to tell you.

An individual cats behavior varies from cat to cat. You could get anything from loving to distant, oddball to boring, and numerous other behaviors as well. However, a sudden shift in routine may cause unusual cat behavior such as missing the mark when it comes to their little box or deciding they do not care for the brand of litter you are using. The more cat lovers know about what's baseline "normal" for your cat the easier it will be for you to pick up on behavioral variations that are trying to tell you something.