Vet's Guide to Viral Dog and Cat Behaviours: What They Really Mean

3 Dec 2025

Ever wondered why your dog tilts its head when you speak, or why your cat obsessively kneads your lap? These are just two viral social media behaviours that leave pet owners asking: Is it a harmless quirk or a sign of something more?

It's a key question, especially with a new report finding 86% of Aussie pet owners credit their animal with improving their mental and physical health, making the bond we share, and our ability to understand it, more vital than ever.

Hill's Pet Nutrition Australia has analysed the science and psychology behind the social media's most popular cat & dog behaviour trends to help pet parents understand the real meaning behind these actions.To help owners bridge the understanding and communication gap, I have timely guidance from Hill’s Pet Nutrition Australia and their veterinary expert:

The goal is to empower owners to know the difference between a harmless quirk and the sign of a more serious issue that needs veterinary attention.

Top Viral Dog Behaviour Themes and Their Meanings

The Head Tilt: Isn't just cute; research suggests it may help dogs better localise sounds by adjusting the position of their ear canals. Dogs with longer muzzles might tilt their heads to see around their snouts and get a better view of our facial expressions. Mostly perfectly normal and simply demonstrates your dog's attempt to understand you better.
Puppy Eyes & Tail Wags: An evolutionary advantage; dogs have developed specific facial muscles, developing the ability to raise their inner eyebrows, creating those irresistible "puppy dog eyes" that wolves physically cannot replicate. Tail wagging is another sophisticated communication tool often misunderstood, with veterinary behavioural studies showing that direction, speed, and height of a tail wag all convey different messages. A broad, sweeping wag generally indicates happiness, whilst a high, stiff wag might signal arousal or potential aggression.
The Door Vigil: For most dogs, this is a touching expression of your dog's bond with you, driven by a surprisingly accurate internal clock that anticipates your return to the ‘pack.’
The Pre-Poop Ritual: More than just sniffing & circling; dogs gather information about who else has been in the area before they settle, establishing or reinforcing territory through their remarkably sensitive noses. Research also suggests that dogs often align themselves with the Earth's north-south magnetic axis. Whilst scientists are still investigating why these matter to dogs, it suggests they can detect Earth's magnetic field - a sense called magnetoreception.
Rescuers at Heart (The Hero Instinct): Reveals a profound canine empathy, as studies suggest dogs can 'catch' emotions from others (a trait known as emotional contagion). When they perceive distress, many dogs instinctively respond with helping behaviours. What's particularly interesting is that this behaviour appears across breeds and isn't limited to traditional "working" or "service" breeds.
Licking Everything: Dogs are naturally grooming creatures, and the difference between what's normal grooming and a problem depends on frequency, intensity and what your dog is licking. Licking paws after walks, occasional face and body grooming, brief attention to minor scrapes or cuts and mutual grooming with other dogs in the household is normal. Excessive paw licking, private area licking, and ear grooming may be problematic and a potential red flag for underlying issues like allergies, anxiety, or pain.
Tail Chasing & Tail Chewing: Tail chasing in young puppies is often simple play and is perfectly normal developmental behaviour. Compulsive tail chasing in older dogs who become fixated on their tail and spin repeatedly without easily redirecting or doing so until they become exhausted, which may indicate OCD or anxiety. Tail chewing is almost always problematic, and warrants investigation, and dogs may chew their tails due to allergies, fleas or parasites, anxiety or stress or tail injuries.
Big Dogs, Small Fears: The surprising psychology revealing why size and confidence aren't correlated in the dog world, often stemming from early socialisation experiences - dogs who weren't properly socialised during their critical developmental period (roughly 3-14 weeks of age) may find unfamiliar presentations intimidating. A dog who grew up only around similar-sized breeds might genuinely be confused or concerned by a tiny dog behaving assertively.

Top Viral Cat Behaviour Themes and Their Meanings

The "If I Fits, I Sits" Phenomenon (Love of confined space): A small, enclosed space serves as both hunting blinds and safe havens, a cat in a box has the tactical advantage of being able to observe potential prey while remaining hidden from larger predators. The enclosed space also helps cats retain body heat and reduce stress. If your cat is spending excessive time hiding in boxes or other enclosed spaces, refusing to come out for meals or social interaction, it could indicate stress, illness, or anxiety.
"Making Biscuits" (Kneading): This rhythmic pushing motion with alternating paws, often accompanied by purring and sometimes even drooling, is one of the most misunderstood feline behaviours. An instinct from kittenhood used to stimulate milk flow. In adult cats, it’s a sign of deep contentment and a way to mark their territory (and you) as safe using the scent glands in their paws. If your cat suddenly starts kneading excessively in unusual places or compulsively kneads without the usual signs of contentment (purring, relaxed body language), it could indicate stress or discomfort.
Plant Fascination (Drawn to Greenery): Plant play is largely about exploration and hunting practice. Moving leaves provide sensory stimulation that young cats crave. Many cats instinctively seek out grass and certain plants for digestive purposes. In the wild, cats consume small amounts of grass to help with digestion and potentially to obtain trace nutrients not found in their carnivorous diet. However, owners must be cautious, as many common houseplants are highly toxic to cats.
Sound Sensitivity (Reacting to Certain Music): Cats hear a much wider range of high-frequency sounds than humans, with range extending from 48 Hz to 85 kHz, compared to humans' 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Earlier this year, TikTok was flooded with videos of cats having seemingly supernatural reactions to Egyptian music – yet certain tones, can mimic the sounds of prey and trigger their heightened senses.
Common Fear Response (Foil, Cucumbers & Sudden Startle Reflex): Cats are ambush predators, but they're also potential prey for larger animals, which means they're hardwired to be vigilant about potential threats in their environment. When a cat is eating or drinking, they're in a vulnerable position and temporarily less alert to their surroundings. Discovering an unexpected object, any object, suddenly appearing in what should be a safe space, triggers their startle reflex.
Boredom in Cats: Recognition and Solutions: Recognising boredom in cats requires understanding that cat’s express frustration differently than dogs (no barking or digging) cat's symptoms can be more subtle: excessive sleeping (beyond the already impressive 12-16 hours daily), increased grooming (sometimes to the point of creating bald patches), attention-seeking behaviour, or conversely, seeming withdrawn and uninterested in their environment.

The full guides can be found here: