Why Are Cats Always Acting So Sneaky?

If you live with a cat, I’d bet good money that these three things are true: You keep a lint brush near your front door, you’ve accidentally stepped in a puddle of vomit (probably more than once), and you’ve got a story about your cat being sneaky — like this kitty attempting to be light-footed and ever-so careful when entering a room. Or this little orange man who tries to sit, undeceted, at the dinner table every night

Cats are known for being stealthy; that’s one of the things that makes them so lovable. Mine like to leave their toy mice tucked underneath my pillow. I’ve never caught one of them actually doing the deed, but most nights, I crawl into bed and find a mouse waiting for me. (When I’ve been working overtime, the mice appear under my office chair.) It’s really very sweet — but why, exactly, do they feel the need to slink around like little spies?

So, why are they like this?

When I asked cat behavior specialist Stephen Quandt why cats are this way, he started off by sharing his own stealthy-cat story.

“On vacation, we have a screen door in the cottage we rent that opens in, and our blind-from-birth cat, Jenny, has learned to pull it open so she can go outside if the main door is left open. Sneaky girl that she is, she does this perfectly quietly,” he tells me. “We braced the screen door with a small log [to keep her from getting out], but little did we know that she had learned to pull the log away! One night we went out to dinner and braced the screen door, leaving the main door open, since it was a warm summer evening. (We left through the rear door.) When we got home, to our horror, the log was pulled away, and Jenny was nowhere to be seen.”

Yikes. Luckily, the story has a happy ending: “Calling for her got her to cry out, and she quickly appeared by the rear door. Phew!”

Quandt says that while these sorts of shenanigans may seem suspicious to us, they are, in fact, a survival mechanism. “Cats are predators who hunt quietly, so as to not scare off their prey,” he says. “When they’re in this mood in your home, they will typically move slowly and quietly to get what they want. I think a lot of people assume that cats have sneaky intent, when in fact cats are just being themselves.”

Compare this with dogs, who usually bark to get their needs met, and you may appreciate your cat’s habits a little bit more. “Cats may meow less than dogs bark when they want something,“ Quandt says. And to clarify, he adds, “I don’t think cats are sneaky exactly — or if they are, it’s in service to successful hunting techniques.”

Veterinarian Dr. Liza Cahn agrees and notes that a spy-like cat isn’t always following their hunting instincts: “In the wild, small cats are both predators and prey, so whether they’re sneaking up on a potential meal or trying to hide from a larger animal, quiet and stealthy movements are part of their natural instincts.” In other words, sometimes cats are being sneaky in order to get something, but sometimes they’re doing it in order to avoid being eaten.

But this doesn’t explain why my cats, who’ve never faced a lethal threat in their ridiculously privileged, indoor-cat lives sneak around my apartment like secret agents on covert operations. Actually, Dr. Cahn explains, these instincts are present in all cats, whether they live in the jungle, or a high-rise in the concrete jungle.

Keep a close eye on the sneakiness — it could mean something serious.

“In house cats, this translates to hunting, stalking, hiding, and play behaviors,” she says, and stresses how important it is to indulge my cats’ needs for sneaking around. “It’s important to provide your cat with plenty of enrichment and outlets for these natural instincts, such as hiding treats for them to find, and providing climbing areas, perches, and interactive toys.”

That reminds me: I’ve been meaning to order some food puzzles for my cats, one of whom has been acting particularly needy lately. (Maybe having to work a little bit for his supper will be good for him.)

Dr. Cahn also brings up an important point: Sneakiness in cats isn’t always a laughing matter. “Another way that cats can be sneaky is that they are masters at hiding signs of illness and discomfort,” she says. “While this is a survival instinct, it can pose a challenge for cat parents.” She highlights the necessity to watch for subtle changes in your cat’s behavior that might indicate health problems and to keep up with routine veterinarian visits. “It’s important to catch potential issues early, when they may be easier and less costly to treat.”

Maybe if I were as naturally sneaky as my cats, I wouldn’t have so much trouble luring them into their carriers for their next vet check-up. I’ll have to start taking notes from them — right after I check under my pillow for toy mice.