Why do my cats act like there is a secret universe behind the bookshelf?

Question

They do this to all the bookshelves, the closets, under the sofa and under the bathroom radiator.. Its like there are little nomes who are pulling their wiskers... can you tell me why they dig and cry all the time in these places...

let me add that by crying I mean they sound as if a genocide is happening just out of their reach, there is nothing there to get their attention in fact... and they do this at all hours, especially when I am working on my thesis papers......

Answer 1

Because there is.

My cat has become kind of sad lately - she's growing rapidly (she's between 4 and 5 months) and cries when she can't fit somewhere that she used to.

Answer 2

Curiosity killed the cat, is not just an expression! Cats are the most inquisitive and nosey creatures and they also have an extraordinary sense of smell. If any other creature has been on their territory they want to know who and what, they can `sniff out` a spider a mouse even a carpet beetle. They will go crazy scratching at the floor, when you move the carpet for them, it will probably be a matchstick or similar wedged between the floorboards, they just love to play.

Answer 3

I swear they sometimes truly imagine things-my brother's cat would jump up at the walls of his room as if there was something there, but upon closer inspection, there never was. She was hilarious, that cat, an absolute clown, and would do anything to make us laugh. Your cats might really be imagining gnomes in these places. :)
Really, though: cats have a natural curiousity about hidden dark places-in the wild, it is a possible source of food (a mouse might be hiding there!), so they feel compelled to explore and check it out. My cat always has to go and explore any new dark corner (for example, if I open my closet she has to go inside to investigate) and if left with access to this dark corner, she will come back to check on it regularly. How old are your cats? The younger they are, the more fascinated they are by any tight dark space where something could hide.
As to why they are crying when they try to get into these dark places: there could be bugs (like the cockroaches someone else suggested-cats will chase any small visitors unknown to you into these tight hidden spaces) or you could have little forgotten odds and ends in there that they could be curious about (crumpled pieces of paper, for example) or even dust bunnies. My cat used to live under the bed for a while, and would chase the clumps of dust about, making a mess of my room. It stopped when I started vacuuming regularly.
They also like to GET INTO tight dark places when it's hot outside. My cat used to LOVE sleeping in my closet on hot summer days, because it would remain cool.
I don't think it's a big deal, though. It sounds like your cats are young and this is the way they've picked to play; it might just be a game between them. Just enjoy it. You could get them toys (like those little plastic balls with the bells inside, or some little plush mice) and hide them in these places-it would make their day to actually be able to find something in there!
Good luck. Have fun with your kitties. ^_^

Answer 4

Some cats seem to be particularly offended if there is some nook or cranny that they don't have access to. My cats do that too, but only if they can't fit there and explore all its wonderful mysteries of under the couch or behind the book shelf. You know the expression curiosity killed the cat! Also I noticed my cats doing that and 9 out of 10 times I would put my hand in there and pull out one of their toys they had gotten stuck! Have you noticed them going through their toys like water?

Answer 5

Don't suppose there's mice in the walls are there? Old property? Our older cat did that for weeks, we were convinced he was crackers until an enormous spider eventually walked out from behind a cupboard & he had it! Yuk! He knew it was around somewhere & wouldn't rest until he'd got it. Then he settled down, duty done.

Then the kitten managed to wedge one of her toys under a shelf and went on and on about it until we found it & got it out, after one sniff she walked away, satisfied!

You can't win, not in the weird world of cats.

Answer 6

I had a professor once who had a theory that animals, particularly cats, have an ability to see gaps in the time and space continuum. And since animals have heightened senses of sight, but are slower to process information then a human brain; he theorized that they were actually looking at events in the past that we can not see because our brains work too fast. I am not sure if this is true, but he made a very compelling argument and I have two cats that work to prove it to me daily! Especially very late at night...

Answer 7

Its the secret of spirituality. Early cavemen hid in caves, high on hallucinogenic drugs to paint the spirits from the other side. Cats have been represented as such beings. half man, half cat, the secret of the after life lays hidden the the most sacred of places. Do not disturb the changelings, for they have come to envelope the ready......the pure.....the mystical being in you....do not fight it.....don't be afraid.....go with them to this special place.........

Answer 8

That's because there is a secret universe behind there...
And they dig and cry in order to make you, their servant, pull away the closet, shelves, etc so they can have a better look at it!
Or maybe it's because you have mice...

Answer 9

One of our cats is the same, she doesn't make any noise, just stares at imaginary things and will suddenly jump and run as if being chased.

We have considered that she can't really see us or her surroundings, she lives in a parrallel universe and she is the only part of it that we can see!

Answer 10

Hi, Have your cat's sprayed and are trying to cover it over? and that's why they are digging and scratching. They are funny animals cats, i am sure they are always planning things just to get our attention, but as you know and i know cat's are cat's and only do what they want to do and when they want to do it. Hope you find out what mysteries are hidden in your home.