Why do cats do that? They're cute, they're lovable, and judging by the 26 billions views of over 2 million YouTube videos of them pouncing, bouncing, climbing, cramming, stalking, clawing, chattering, and purring, one thing is certain: cats are very entertaining. These somewhat strange feline behaviors, both amusing and baffling, leave many of us asking, "Why do cats do that?"
為什麼貓咪會那麼做? 牠們很可愛、討人喜歡 根據 Youtube 超過兩百萬部影片, 總計兩百六十億的觀看次數 是關於貓咪......猛撲 跳躍 攀爬 擠進小空間 偷偷摸摸 抓撓 喵喵叫 以及咕嚕作響 我們可以確定: 貓咪非常有趣 這些貓科動物的奇怪行為 既有趣又讓人感到困惑 讓我們不禁納悶: 「為什麼貓咪要那麼做?」
Throughout time, cats were simultaneously solitary predators of smaller animals and prey for larger carnivores. As both predator and prey, survival of their species depended on crucial instinctual behaviors which we still observe in wild and domestic cats today. While the feline actions of your house cat Grizmo might seem perplexing, in the wild, these same behaviors, naturally bred into cats for millions of years, would make Grizmo a super cat.
長久以來, 貓咪既是小動物的獨行掠食者 卻也是大型肉食動物的獵物 由於同時為掠食者與獵物 貓咪物種的生存 取決於其關鍵的本能行為 這些至今我們仍可在 野貓或家貓身上看到 或許你家養的 Grizmo 有些令人費解的行為 然而在野外,這些相同的行為 經過數百萬年自然的演化 可以讓 Grizmo 成為一隻超級貓
Enabled by their unique muscular structure and keen balancing abilities, cats climbed to high vantage points to survey their territory and spot prey in the wild. Grizmo doesn't need these particular skills to find and hunt down dinner in her food bowl today, but instinctually, viewing the living room from the top of the bookcase is exactly what she has evolved to do.
由於牠們獨特的肌肉構造與絕佳的平衡感 貓咪可以爬到高處有利點 瞭望牠們的領土 和找到野外的獵物 Grizmo 無須用到這些特殊技巧 去搜尋及追捕今天餐盤裡的晚餐 然而本能地從書架上瞭望整個客廳 這正是牠演化獲得的能力
As wild predators, cats are opportunistic and hunt whenever prey is available. Since most cat prey are small, cats in the wild needed to eat many times each day, and use a stalk, pounce, kill, eat strategy to stay fed. This is why Grizmo prefers to chase and pounce on little toys and eat small meals over the course of the day and night. Also, small prey tend to hide in tiny spaces in their natural environments, so one explanation for Grizmo's propensity to reach into containers and openings is that she is compelled by the same curiosity that helped ensure the continuation of her species for millions of years before.
作為野外掠食者 只要有機會貓咪隨時準備獵捕食物 由於大部分的獵物都很小 野貓每天都要進食很多次 並使用潛近、猛撲、獵殺、吃掉 的策略以獲得食物 這就是為什麼 Grizmo 喜歡追逐、猛撲小玩具 每天少量多餐的原因 同時,野外獵物喜歡躲藏在狹小的空間內 因而一種解釋關於 Grizmo 躲在容器及空隙裡的習性 是被相同的好奇心所驅使 這好奇心使貓咪得以延續幾百萬年
In the wild, cats needed sharp claws for climbing, hunting, and self-defense. Sharpening their claws on nearby surfaces kept them conditioned and ready, helped stretch their back and leg muscles, and relieve some stress, too. So, it's not that Grizmo hates your couch, chair, ottoman, pillows, curtains, and everything else you put in her environment. She's ripping these things to shreds and keeping her claws in tip-top shape because this is exactly what her ancestors did in order to survive.
在野外,貓咪需要磨利爪子 以便攀爬、獵捕和自我防衛 在附近物體表面上磨利爪子 讓自己隨時準備就緒、 協助伸展牠們背部與腿部的肌肉 同時也釋放壓力 所以,Grizmo 並不是討厭你的沙發 椅子 軟墊座椅 枕頭 窗簾 以及在牠四周所放的任何物品 牠把那些東西抓成碎屑 只是為了維持爪子鋒利 因為這正是其祖先為了生存而做的事
As animals that were preyed upon, cats evolved to not get caught, and in the wild, the cats that were the best at avoiding predators thrived. So at your house today, Grizmo is an expert at squeezing into small spaces and seeking out and hiding in unconventional spots. It also explains why she prefers a clean and odor-free litter box. That's less likely to give away her location to any predators that may be sniffing around nearby.
身為在野外被獵捕的動物 貓咪演化出不易被捕捉的技能 在野外, 最善於躲避天敵的貓咪 才能茁壯成長 所以現在在你家裡 Grizmo 是擠進狹小空間的能手 並擅長找出及藏匿在不尋常的地點 這也解釋為何牠偏好乾淨、 無異味的小盒子 這樣比較不會向天敵暴露牠的地點 這些天敵可能正在附近嗅探
Considering everything we do know about cats, it seems that one of their most predominate behaviors is still one of the most mysterious. Cats may purr for any number of reasons, such as happiness, stress, and hunger. But curiously, the frequency of their purrs, between 25 and 150 hertz, is within a range that can promote tissue regeneration. So while her purring makes Grizmo an excellent nap companion, it is also possible that her purr is healing her muscles and bones, and maybe even yours, too.
考量所有我們對於貓咪的了解 似乎牠們最常見的行為 ── 咕嚕聲 仍是最神秘的其中一種 貓咪可因為許多原因而發出咕嚕聲 例如開心 壓力 及飢餓時 但奇怪的是,貓咪咕嚕的頻率 介於 25~150 赫茲之間 是一個可以促進組織再生的頻率範圍 所以 Grizmo 的咕嚕聲 不只使牠成為絕佳的午覺夥伴 同時也能治療牠的肌肉與骨骼 甚至是你的
They developed through time as both solitary predators that hunted and killed to eat, and stealthy prey that hid and escaped to survive. So cats today retain many of the same instincts that allowed them to thrive in the wild for millions of years. This explains some of their seemingly strange behaviors. To them, our homes are their jungles. But if this is the case, in our own cat's eyes, who are we? Big, dumb, hairless cats competing with them for resources? Terribly stupid predators they're able to outsmart every day? Or maybe they think we're the prey.
貓咪不斷的進化 既是獵殺進食的獨行掠食者 也是藏匿逃脫以求生存的隱秘獵物 所以至今貓咪仍保留許多本能 讓牠們能持續在野外生存幾百萬年 這能解釋部分牠們令人困惑的行為 對貓咪而言,我們的家就像牠們的叢林 但如果是這樣,在我們貓咪的眼裡 我們是什麼呢? 是與牠們競爭資源的 巨大、愚蠢、無毛怪貓? 每天可以輕鬆應對的愚蠢天敵? 或也許牠們覺得我們是獵物