Although felines have a reputation for being graceful and dignified, have you ever wondered if he or she experiences an uncomfortable feeling? Even though cats can feel a wide variety of emotions, the idea of discomfiture presents obstacles. This article will go into the topic of “Do cats get embarrassed?” and provide some explanations for their actions and feelings.
Do Cats Feel Embarrassed?
Further investigation into the emotional lives of cats has shown that although they may experience emotional aspects. Thus, it’s essential to understand whether a lack of communication complicates cats’ experience of ashamed.
Cats have complex emotions, and how they respond to things depends on the other cat and the circumstances. However, they may not deal with sadness in the same manner that humans do. When considering this topic, you should make an effort to avoid those conflating feelings with pet emotions.
Situations That May Make a Cat Feel Embarrassed
Since we can’t speak the animal language, we can only guess what they think based on their body language and other signs. Understanding the feeling of shame and embarrassment in certain situations helps humans to better understand feline behavior.
Do Cats Feel Embarrassment When You Laugh at Them?
Some pet owners claim that their felines show signs of embarrassment once they are criticized. Picture yourself laughing as you imagine a cat falling from a high place. When you make that noise, it could glance over and hiss at you.
Feeling criticized or mocked by others is a main factor in social embarrassment. Some behaviors you like doing while you’re with your pals may make you feel uncomfortable when you’re with strangers. It’s reasonable to assume that cats reflect your primary emotions.
However, there is no evidence that confirms this idea in the case of cats. The cat has no idea what you’re saying because of the noise you’re producing. The main explanation is probably because cats don’t even know what laughing is because few animals have been seen making sounds similar to human laughter.
Thus, the laughing sounds will signify nothing to the cat. That’s why felines watch you curiously when you joke or even hiss at them.
Do Cats Get Embarrassed When They Fall?
The energy level of our furballs is high. They seem to be able to climb to new heights when they experience a sudden race of energy at night. All cat parents have seen their kids take a big accident at least once, even if they feel unstoppable.
When ashamed, these animals tend to respond with extreme shyness. Cats have heightened self awareness and consciousness when they fall. When a cat notices the same behavior occurring often, it may begin to worry that something is horribly wrong. Your pet will learn to feel stressed and embarrassed as a result of this. You may notice that when they fall, they slink away or fail to make eye contact with you.
Do Cats Get Embarrassed When They Puke?
It makes evolutionary sense for a kitten to feel embarrassed after vomiting. If you’ve ever been near your cat while it threw up, you may have noticed that it glanced at you curiously afterward. Perhaps it was wearing an unexpected cat’s facial expression that we would interpret as shame on its face.
The cat might very well be feeling embarrassed, but we are left to wonder. An embarrassed animal will try to avoid attention at all times and, if necessary, will act secretly.
It is not good for either pet if one vomits near another. One cat might infect another with parasites or illness. Therefore, the second cat would have a better chance of survival if the kitty developed to feel embarrassed and vomit in private.
When a cat is approaching a possible mate, this situation is most clear. Its potential partner could become ill if it conveys its sickness. However, if it does so covertly, it may not spread illnesses as well. This is inconclusive evidence that cats experience unpleasant emotions when they throw up, but it supports the hypothesis.
Do Cats Get Embarrassment When They Poop?
Cats are known to cover their waste with litter from their litter box once they have finished pooping. If the cat has to relieve itself outdoors, it will find another material, such as dirt or sand, on which to do so. A possible explanation is that the cat is feeling ashamed in front of its owner. However, there is a simple reason for this behavior that has nothing to do with humiliation.
When living in the wild, animals must continually explore their surroundings for danger. They have to stay hidden so as not to be found. This helps the animal’s survival; hence these habits are evolutionary.
An animal’s scent, such as pee or feces, may let a predator locate it. When a cat recently goes to the bathroom, the predator may tell how close the prey is by the scent. It can also learn what sort of prey it is.
So, a cat hiding its feces is just another way of hiding its trail. It’s hard to say whether the cat is acting this way out of guilt or curiosity.
Do Cats Feel Embarrassed When They Fart?
Cats probably won’t feel uncomfortable about farting in public.
This is the case because farting is often seen as a socially unacceptable human activity. One main reason is being laughed at in public. Almost anybody can recall being made fun of for a fart they made in school when they were kids. The way you feel as an adult may be influenced by events like those. You can still feel shame even if you don’t think about the exact incident.
If this were not the case, many adults, especially those of older generations, might correct their children if they were seen farting in public. This may have similar results.
Since pets have never been in these situations, they have no reason to see it as an embarrassing thing like human emotions.
There’s also the fact that farts have a foul odor, and people hate to smell awful. While cats prefer a clean environment, they don’t seem to mind if they get dirty or their fur gets untidy. So, it’s rare that a cat would be embarrassed by a bad-smelling fart.
Do Cats Feel Embarrassed When Playing?
It is not uncommon for a cat to be seen having fun in a room all by itself. Your kitten may not immediately recognize you when you walk through the door. However, once it does, it immediately stops playing and rolls off the floor.
Your cat may start grooming itself in the same way when it falls. It’s because the cat is pretending it isn’t playing. It’s difficult to explain that behavior without thinking of shame, but it’s probable that it came to a halt to check for nearby predators.
How Long Will a Cat Feel Embarrassed?
The good news is that even if your cat is capable of feeling shame, and even if they sometimes feel uncomfortable around you, that sensation won’t endure forever.
Cats have a far longer short-term memory (about 16 hours) than dogs, but they are more selective in what they recall, so they probably won’t spend time on that gaffe for the whole 16 hours. But even if they do, the timeframe is less than a day at most.
Signs of Embarrassment for Little Feline Friends
Like all other pets, cats have innate survival instincts created to help them in the wild. Some of their behavior is easy to understand, while the other more complex emotion is confusing. Pay attention to body language to know the basic emotions that kitties may feel ashamed of.
However, we can say that the following behaviors are indicative of a cat that feels embarrassed or threatened:
- Hissing
- Tucking their tail between their legs
- Preening
- Scratching
- Twitching ears
- Running away
- Hiding after
- Preening
When a cat starts preening, it might be because it’s feeling self-conscious about something. According to Deseret News’ Robert B. Thomas’s reporting, some veterinarians and cat psychologists refer to preening in cats as “displacement grooming.”
This phenomenon occurs when a cat (or any other animal) channels its sentiments into a different form of expression.
We humans are just as prone to act in a misguided manner as any other species.
Robert B. Thomas says, for instance, that if a child is sucking their thumb or twirling their hair, it’s a sign that they’re feeling worried. When we are anxious or ashamed, we may also exhibit alternative behavior, such as avoiding eye contact.
Like grooming, several feline species use preening to relax and unwind. Some of them may begin grooming when they are frustrated, anxious, or unsure of what to do. So, don’t worry; they are physical activity routines.
You need to keep a careful eye on your cat’s behavior if you want to know what it’s thinking or how it feels about anything.
To avoid further embarrassment, cats may display the following displacement behavior.
- Tucking their tail between their legs, an expression of submissiveness or shyness
- Ear twitching might be a sign of nervousness.
Cats have a reputation for being cool and unfeeling animals. According to studies and many stories, cats feel a wide range of emotional aspects and may develop deep connections with their human owners. But it’s not always simple to figure out what those feelings actually are. You may feel foolish for not understanding what your kitty is thinking, but your pets don’t share your feelings.
>>> Further reading:
- How to Leash Train a Cat in 5 Brilliant Steps?
- How to Train a Cat to Stay Off Counters with the 6 Easiest Methods?
While it’s difficult to say do cats get embarrassed or not the same way humans do, it’s clear that they have the complex emotion and a strong sense of pride. It’s our responsibility as cat owners to pay attention to their habits and offer them a place where they may feel safe and secure yet able to show their distinct personalities. Although it’s unclear whether cats feel shame, that shouldn’t stop us from appreciating them for all that makes them special.
