# Why do cats paw at windows and mirrors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 26, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984 "2005-02-26T06:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GlennM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b4bc9f/32.png) [@GlennM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GlennM)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/1 "2005-02-26T06:48:05Z")
I have had cats that will go up to a mirror or window, they will sit in front of it, get onto their hind legs and with their front paws start pawing at the glass…right paw-left paw-right-left-right-left-right-left-right-left. What are they doing?!? ---
**Author:** ![thewombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@thewombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thewombat)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/2 "2005-02-26T07:24:33Z")
Hey, my guy has been doing this too. I notice it more in the winter and spring, when he’s wiping the fog off the windows to see outside. However, we’ve had mostly frost-free mornings lately and he’ll still doing it. Dear sweet Pete that sound is annoying! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2005, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/3 "2005-02-26T08:00:13Z")
I believe they are playing paddy-wack with their reflection. Do you here them chanting simple rhymes as well? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/4 "2005-02-27T19:03:46Z")
My WAG is that my cat Sara – who does this not only to mirrors and windows, but to other surfaces as well – is that she’s either (a) trying to get through the barrier or (b) trying to remove a reflection she sees. It is incredibly cute, though. When you’re on the outside of our glass storm door she is paddling away form the inside, she has the most intensely serious look on her little face, and then there’s the fluffy belly… ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/5 "2005-02-27T19:07:22Z")
My WAG is that they are trying to figure out what it (the reflection) is. They can see an animal, and it appears to mimic their movements, but it has no scent and is essentially two-dimensional. They think it’s an animal but things don’t add up. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/6 "2005-02-27T23:01:27Z")
> [@](#): > > and is essentially two-dimensional. Not true. A reflection of a three-dimensional object is itself three dimensional. An image in a mirror is indistinguishable from an object on the other side of a window. Well, aside from the whole bit about looking just like you and parroting your movements. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/7 "2005-02-28T00:17:55Z")
I knew someone would challenge that. My thinking is that it’s more akin to looking at a photograph, but perhaps you are right. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/8 "2005-02-28T00:19:08Z")
I always assumed it was a textural thing, because our cat is just as likely to jump in the bathtub and do it against the side of the tub as she is to do it to a window or a mirror. Also, she does it to windows when no reflection is present. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/9 "2005-02-28T00:30:56Z")
Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Cats see special things to which humans are blind. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/10 "2005-02-28T00:31:06Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > I knew someone would challenge that. My thinking is that it’s more akin to looking at a photograph, but perhaps you are right. Chronos is right. Hold a mirror at an angle a few inches in front of your eyes, so you see the reflected view of something much further away. If you focus your eyes on the reflection, the mirror frame will become fuzzy (out of focus). And vice versa. That said, a reflection is less substantial than the real thing because it has no scent or sound. I’m sure dogs and cats can tell the difference, but perhaps not always. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cats-paw-at-windows-and-mirrors/291984/11 "2005-02-28T02:26:36Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Chronos is right. Hold a mirror at an angle a few inches in front of your eyes, so you see the reflected view of something much further away. If you focus your eyes on the reflection, the mirror frame will become fuzzy (out of focus). And vice versa. Good point. I stand corrected. Thank you.