1. They are baby kittens

When cats suddenly arch their back,
fluff up their fur, and run sideways,
this behavior is called “side stepping.”

Overseas, such behavior is also known as the “crab walk,”
because the way cats walk sideways
looks like a crab.

Most cats start to side step
from 3 months old.

During this phase in life, cats are very curious and easily frightened,
so they may jump sideways
just from being surprised by a toy.


2. They are scared or threatened

When cats are scared or feel threatened,
they will walk or jump sideways.

When they do so, they will arch their back
and fluff their coat so that they will look bigger
and more threatening to others.

If a cat is extremely on guard,
she may also show aggressive behavior
such as hissing or hitting her front paws against the floor.

Such behavior can often be seen
in multicat households
or street cats who are involved in turf wars.

4. The owner feels unfamiliar

When the owner feels unfamiliar,
cats may be startled and walk sideways.

For instance, if the owner changed his hairstyle
or smells different from usual because of perfume,
his cat may think that the owner is a stranger.

Furthermore, if the owner’s clothes have other cats’ scent on them,
she may not only jump sideways
but also start to hiss.

4. They are being playful

Cats may side step while playing around
with their owner or close cat friends.

If a cat gently shakes her head left and right
and arches her back,
it could signal that she wants to play together.


5. They are excited

When playing with toys,
cats may become too excited
and jump sideways while arching their back.

They might lift their front paws
and jump sideways on their back legs only,
as if they are dancing around.