The most beautiful feline gesture, though, is the slow blink, also known as the “cat kiss.” A cat sending you a kiss will slowly close her eyes, leave them closed for a second, and slowly reopen them.

Try giving your cat a kiss with your eyes and see how she responds. Usually if you give an eye-kiss and your cat is paying attention, she’ll give you one in return.

When you visit a home with a cat, you can try giving the resident cat an eye-kiss. He’ll probably be quite impressed with your good behavior and may even show you some affection.

Most cats won’t respond to eye kisses when there’s a lot of noise and commotion, so it’s best to practice your new kissing skills in a calm and quiet environment.

Cat expert and animal communicator JaneA Kelley is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, a weekly cat advice column by cats, for cats and their people.

To get your cat out of the habit of charging outside at any opportunity, be sure not to greet your cats at the door. Instead, walk over to a place a few feet away from the door before you greet or pet your cat. If you keep doing this, your cat will realize that this is the official greeting location.

To prevent escape as you’re on your way out, say goodbye to your cat in a specific spot like his favorite bed or his cat tree. If your cat insists on following you to the door, toss a ping pong ball or similar toy. This will distract him.

Cat expert and animal communicator JaneA Kelley is the webmaster and chief cat slave for Paws and Effect, a weekly cat advice column by cats, for cats and their people.

Some cat owners would say it’s shameful to own a cat who does these things but those of us with such cats know differently. These cats tend to be very affectionate and trainable and have a good sense of humor. Not that there’s anything wrong with the traditional feline. The seriousness of their dignity is often good for a laugh. Among the breeds that tend to act more dog-like are the Burmese and Siamese.

If your cat acts like a dog, you are not alone. There’s even a group here at Catster for those people. But, we must ponder: how do we know it’s not actually dogs that act like cats?

Kelly is a pet writer. She lives in the Boston area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat.

If he does it when you’re in the kitchen preparing food, you may be able to discourage him by saying “no” very sharply and loudly while clapping your hands together to drive him off. Make sure you are not feeding him little snacks while you’re cooking, because that simply teaches him to jump and beg.

Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible. Click here to follow her on Twitter.

This was new behavior and I had to research it. Turns out cats sucking on cloth isn’t just annoying; it can indicate several things. First, if a cat is weaned too early, he may develop this habit. If he’s bored or stressed, that could lead to it. Or it could even signify a dietary insufficiency. Obviously, more exciting playtime could help as could a food change. Personally, I think Ed was: 1) complaining about the cutback in his food and 2) demanding an increase in adoration.

Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat.

It may seem obvious but sometimes we don’t consider the safety issues surrounding fire and cats. The fact is that cats are often drawn to flame for its warmth and flickering motions. If you have a fireplace, make sure you have a well-fitting screen in front of the opening and keep your cat out of the room when starting a fire.

If you’re a candle fiend, make certain all candles are out of reach of your cat or place your cat in another room while having a candlelight dinner. It’s also wise to keep cats off stoves – electric stoves can produce a lot of heat slowly resulting in burned noses and toes. With a little forethought, you can have your crackling fire and romantic evenings and keep your cat safe too.

Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat.

Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible. Click here to follow her on Twitter.

Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible. Click here to follow her on Twitter.

The pads also help a cat keep her balance and maintain her posture. For more on this fascinating topic, look for a book called Do Cats Hear with Their Feet? by Jake Page.

Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible. Click here to follow her on Twitter.

Although many of us have a mental image of a raccoon as being exceptionally clever using his paws, don’t underestimate your cat’s dexterity at using her paws for many functions. When she reaches out to grasp something you may notice that she prepares her paw by curling it into the right shape to best be able to grip it – and then closes her paw as she makes contact with the object, demonstrating sophisticated fine-motor skills.

Radio show host and pet expert Tracie Hotchner is the author of The Dog Bible and The Cat Bible. Click here to follow her on Twitter.