Whenever I’m cleaning my house, my kitty usually follows me around. That’s mostly because she likes to play with all the things I find. However, this time, she suddenly disappeared and you’ll never guess what she was doing. I found my cat praying in the bedroom!
Yes, you read that right, she was literally in my bedroom praying (or at least, she really looked as if she was!) What on earth could she be praying for? It must be something really important since I’d never seen her do that before. Or maybe she’s been doing it all along, but hiding it well?
Wait, maybe that’s why I always get the sudden urge to buy her the fluffiest and most expensive bed, the best food, and the most interesting toys. She must’ve been praying for all this stuff!
Wow! That would actually be brilliant, but in all seriousness, I needed to check whether there are any other possible explanations for her weird pose.
So I did some research and I found out that my cat might not be religious (that would be weird, right?!) but that she could be doing something entirely different like stretching or telling me she’s not in a good mood. I have to admit that those other explanations sound a bit more realistic.
And since you’re here, I want to share them with you. So let’s see what your cat could be doing when she looks like she’s sending up prayers to her kitty god.
Is your cat praying, or is there something else going on?
Okay, we know your cat isn’t praying, but what is she doing then? Is it some kind of a secret move like a dance we can do to summon rain? Or actually something that doesn’t hold such a deep meaning behind it? Are you scared that she might even be conjuring something? Been there, done that!
No, don’t get me wrong, I haven’t conjured anything, but I worried about my kitty’s behavior, and when you’re overthinking, you get many crazy ideas.
So before you go down the rabbit hole like I did, here’s a list of 10 things your kitty might be doing in case she’s not really into religion (and you have to admit that it’s more likely she isn’t).
1) She’s just stretching
The first thing your cat might be doing when “praying” is in fact stretching. To be honest, all of us enjoy a good stretch after doing something for a while. You just feel like you need it to continue with whatever activity you need to do. And afterward, you’re ready to take on the world again.
So don’t be surprised when I tell you that kitties enjoy stretching too. It’s possible that she was exploring your house, playing, or even sleeping, and then she felt like a good stretch is what she needed to relax a bit.
And at that moment, you came into the room and saw her in a weird praying cat pose. You jumped to conclusions, when all she actually wanted was to feel good and relaxed.
2) She wants your attention
Most unusual things cats do are done for the same reason. So which one is it? To get your attention! Felines generally spend lots of time alone and they are very independent animals, but that’s only if their lives usually look like that. So those are mostly stray cats or their big cousins living in the wild.
However, if you and your kitty have been roomies ever since she was a kitten, then she probably prefers having you at home most of the time. And when you’re together, she will do anything to grab your attention. Why? Probably because she misses you and wants to cuddle a bit.
Yes, it’s very cute, but there are also a few other possibilities that aren’t so sweet. It’s also very likely that she’s trying to get your attention because there is something she needs or wants. It could be food, getting picked up, cleaning her litter box, or taking her out (if she likes going for walks).
So, her unusual pose is probably just one of her ways to make you notice her. And since you’re here, I’d say she did a pretty good job.
3) Your kitty has her own happy dance
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands… Remember how much you enjoyed dancing to this song when you were a kid? The good old times, right? Yes, but you can’t tell me that you don’t still do a little happy dance when something good happens in your life.
It’s like in all the romcoms when a potential couple agrees to go on their first date and they both get home, turn on the music, and dance joyously all over the house. I’m definitely the kind who does that every time there’s something amazing going on in my life.
It feels like I have all those positive emotions that I need to share with the world (even though the world is my empty room). Although, I have to admit that my furbaby is sometimes there too, and I don’t think she’s impressed with my dancing skills.
But what does this have to do with your cat praying? Well, your kitty also has feelings and it’s very likely that she’s just showing her excitement.
4) She is balancing herself
One of the most logical reasons is probably that she’s just trying to balance herself. It’s not uncommon to see a cat trying to stand on her hind limbs. However, if you see a cat standing like that but also placing her paws so it looks like she’s praying, it’s likely that she is just using her paws to balance herself.
It’s very similar to what we do. We often extend our arms when we’re trying to balance ourselves better in order not to fall. Therefore, it’s not surprising that cats do this for the same reason. They are highly intelligent animals who know how to take care of themselves well.
5) Your cat is trying to impress you
Tell me something, but be honest, okay? When you first saw your kitty standing on her hind legs, looking like she was praying, what did you do? Did you maybe take a picture of her and make a cute face? Or is it possible that you even gave her a little treat?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be the reason why she’s suddenly a fan of this unusual pose. As I’ve said, cats are intelligent little meowers, so if you reacted positively when she did that, she will probably continue doing it just to impress you. Cute, right?
6) She saw you do it
Are you a religious person? If you are, then it’s also possible that, over time, your fluffy roommate figured out that you pray often and she remembered how you look while you’re doing it. And now she wants to be just like you, so she decided to try to do the same thing.
Cats are like little kids. They observe everything that’s going on around them and then mimic everything that seems interesting to them. If your kitty thinks your praying is fun, she may try to do it herself, too.
7) It’s soothing
This pose doesn’t seem very comfortable, but it’s actually very likely that your feline enjoys it. But how is that possible, especially if she’s barely keeping her balance? Well, I’m sure you already know that cats can get anxious and stressed just like us.
One of their tricks to calm themselves down is to repeat some action. Repetitive movements actually make them feel safe and more relaxed. And if they start doing it every day, it might be like a habit that is there to make them feel better.
8) She’s playing
We all know that there’s nothing cats like to do more than play, eat, and sleep. Although, I think they like to sleep mostly because they know they’re building up energy to explore, hunt, and play again when they wake up.
So if you see your cat standing in your room and looking like she’s praying, it’s very likely she’s just playing. Of course, it doesn’t seem like some kind of a cool game to us, but your kitty wouldn’t enjoy playing Monopoly or Poker with you, would she?
9) Or she might be meditating
Did you know that cats like to meditate? Yes! Wait – before you write me off as a nutter – it’s not for the same reasons people like to do it. Cats just like to spend some time enjoying and observing their surroundings and feeling at one with nature.
When you think about it, it’s actually completely logical, since lots of their cousins actually live somewhere in the wild.
10) She’s not in a good mood
We covered that your cat may be “praying” because she’s in a good mood. But it’s equally likely that she’s in that pose because she’s, in fact, in a bad mood.
When she’s standing on her hind legs and placing her paws toward you, it’s possible that she’s telling you to back off. It’s similar to what we do when we want to tell someone to move away from us. Test it out by leaving her alone to cool off and seeing whether or not she stops “praying.”
So is my cat really praying?
As you could just see, there are many more logical reasons to explain your cat’s weird pose than to say she’s praying. No matter how cute or fun it sounds, she’s much more likely she’s striking that pose because of one of the above plausible reasons.
Even though I know it’s impossible, I still sometimes like to think of her as a little fluffball who prays for our well-being. That said, if she truly was praying for something, it would probably be about her getting something she really likes. For example, my own pillow, since she likes to sleep there when I’m gone.
Should I worry about it?
And finally, should you worry when your cat is fake praying or not? I know that this pose looks either like she’s the sweetest and calmest angel on earth or like she’s some super-powerful karate kitty. So which one is it?
Actually, neither! It might seem like an aggressive pose, but it’s literally the opposite. When she places her paws together and moves them up and down a bit, she may look like she’s ready to fight for her life, but that’s just an illusion.
When she’s positioned like that, she’s actually placing her biggest and most powerful weapon in an inefficient spot. Or more easily said, her claws are hidden and she is far from ready to start a fight or to defend herself if someone approaches.
Therefore, there’s no reason to worry about it. She’s not showing signs of aggression and your hand won’t suffer any serious scratches!
Final words
So, after reading all of these possible explanations, what do you think? Is your cat praying or is she actually doing something completely different? Well, if you ask me, no matter how cute the thought of her being religious sounds, I don’t think my furbaby actually hides in my room to pray.
Honestly, I think she mostly does it to grab my attention because she figured out I freak out every time she does something weird, like chase her tail or rub her teeth on me. And when that happens, I get the urge to spend even more time cuddling with her.
Since cuddling is one of her favorite activities, I think she might be doing most of these endearing things on purpose. What do you reckon? Is it possible that your fluffball is the same?
