Cats and general behavioural information....
by Unknown - 22:50 on 05 March 2012
Cats and general behaviour information…..
Play Therapy – The Cure For Playful Aggression
We can take the cat out of the jungle, but we can’t take the jungle out of the cat. There is a little tiger in every house cat, a solitary predator, that needs to exercise its hunting skills on a regular basis. We may have confined this little tiger within four walls, provided it with the finest of feline foods, but we can’t ignore its basic need to do that for which it was so perfectly designed–to hunt. Fortunately, it is not always necessary for the prey to be alive, but it must move.
Owners are often frightened by playfully aggressive cats and kittens because they look quite dangerous. They silently ambush feet and ankles as they pass by, surprising, upsetting, and sometimes, even hurting, the victim. In some cases the cat owners have inadvertently trained their cat to be a feline terrorist by playing with it as a kitten with their hands or feet. Now that the pet is bigger and stronger, those playful pounces and bites puncture the skin. The solution is to direct the cat’s playful, predatory, energies toward toys instead of body parts.
Of course, the easiest solution, and perhaps the best, is to get another cat or kitten of the same sex* and approximately the same age and activity level as a playmate for your pet. Although you will now have two mouths to feed, the wear and tear on you and your home will be greatly reduced, or eliminated. If getting another pet is not possible, then it will be your responsibility to provide your feline with scheduled sessions of controlled aerobic exercise, ie. play therapy.
Interactive Play
Schedule two or three (more, if necessary) interactive play sessions a day for times when Kitty is most productive. (Cats love routine, so try not to deviate from these times.) Depending on how athletic Kitty is, the sessions may last 10-20 minutes each. A fishing pole-type toy enables the pet owner to be stationary while controlling the cat’s activity level with a wave of the arm. The play sessions should not stop until the cat is exhausted, lying on his side and batting at the toy because he is too tired to chase after it.
During the session make the toy move as would prey – a little mouse or bird. Don’t dangle it in the cat’s face. It should hide behind objects in the house and occasionally jump into the air. Build up Kitty’s confidence and enthusiasm by allowing plenty of “captures”. Fishing pole toys should be carefully stored out of the cat’s reach after the play session as Kitty may continue to hunt for it long after you have left the room.
Solo Play
Inevitably, there are times when your cat may want to play when you are not available, and owners often leave toys out for their cat to amuse itself. In these cases, it is important to have a variety of safe, interesting toys to keep Kitty occupied. Be sure that the toys do not have parts that can be torn off and swallowed, or long strings that your cat might get tangled up in. Just like people, cats can get bored with the same toys, so be sure to rotate the toys available every few days to keep Kitty interested.
Social Aggression Between Cats Sharing A House
This type of aggression is commonly referred to as “territorial” aggression; however, it is not always territorial concerns that motivate the attacks. The aggressor may attack only one cat in a multi-cat household and, while the victim is usually a newcomer, it may occasionally be a cat with which the aggressor has previously had a good relationship. These disputes generally arise when either cat reaches maturity at about 8 – 24 months of age. The aggressor is not necessarily the first cat that was introduced into the household, nor the eldest.
This type of aggression usually develops gradually (unlike redirected or fear-induced aggression). It begins with hissing and growling; progresses to swatting and chasing; and finally involves attacking and fighting. The victim may become progressively more afraid of the aggressor and may begin to hide in remote areas of the house, coming out only when the other cat is not around. Occasionally, litterbox problems occur because the fearful cat is too afraid to leave the hiding place. It is very important to provide the victim with a safe haven in the house to protect it from injury and stress.
While many cat owners who experience this problem opt to find a new home for one of the cats, those who have a strong attachment to both cats, may prefer to try systematically desensitizing the aggressor to his victim. This is the same procedure that is recommended for introducing a new cat into the household or reintroducing two suddenly hostile cats. After desensitization and counter conditioning steps have been taken, it is essential that the owner be prepared to carefully monitor the next very important step – their interactions once they are allowed to be together.
Any sign that an aggressive encounter may be brewing should be heeded and the cats should be separated immediately. Further altercations will only cement their hostility toward each other. Have a large squirt bottle handy to douse the aggressor if he/she makes a threatening advance. (Do not shout or scold, as this will frighten the victim as well.) If your timing is perfect, he/she will eventually get the message.
Manifestations of Stress
When a friendly, extroverted cat suddenly becomes nervous and reactive, it is generally obvious to the owners that the cat is stressed. Stress may not be as easily detected in the shy, introverted cat who may be manifesting stress by sitting in a fixed posture, immobile for long periods of time. Cats handle stress in different ways depending on their personalities. Eysenck (1960) who did research on the human manifestations of stress, suggested that the position of neurotic individuals on the introversion/extroversion scale determined the type of the neurotic behaviours they exhibited. He found that introverts tend to suffer from phobias or obsessional symptoms, while extroverts are more likely to engage in hysterical, antisocial, or self-destructive behaviour. The same may apply to cats.
Common manifestations of stress in cats:
Inappropriate elimination (litterbox problems)
Territorial marking behaviours, including spraying
Excessive grooming and self-mutilation
Immobility (depression) and hiding
Redirected aggression (toward people or other pets)
Excessive vocalization
Loss of appetite
Restlessness
All of these behaviours can also be symptoms of illness, so it is important to take the cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible to rule out health problems as being the cause for the aberrant behaviour.
Stress-related House soiling Problems
One of the most common feline responses to stress is inappropriate elimination. The bladder is the cat’s stress target. If the source of stress is the litter or the litterbox itself (too dirty, too perfumed, too confining) then the stool or urine is often deposited right next to the litterbox. If the cat is experiencing territorial anxiety over the sight of cats, dogs, or wildlife outside, then the cat may spray windows, doors, drapes or prominent objects in the room where the windows are located. Blocking the cat’s view of the outside may help to eliminate these marking problems.
It may be that the cat is stressed by another cat in the household. Perhaps he is ambushed on his way to the litterbox or he is afraid to pass through the other cat’s territory to get to his litterbox. A systematic program of desensitization and counter conditioning is essential to reconcile the cats to each other.
When the cat urinates in front of the owner or on beds, furniture, or clothing, the message is clearly that the cat has a severe health problem, or that he is severely stressed by something in the environment. If he selects a particular person’s clothing or bedding for his toilet area, it generally means that this person is the source of his anxiety. It can be a positive or negative message. Most likely, the cat is exhibiting separation anxiety, or a status conflict. Having this person give the cat food treats as well as extra attention may solve the problem. It is also necessary to keep clothes and other previous targets away from the cat for awhile.
Some stress-related behaviour problems yield more readily to behaviour modification strategies when the cat is treated with an anti-anxiety medication. A non-sedative drug which relaxes the cat, but unlike Valium, it enables the cat to continue learning so that retraining can steadily proceed.
Treating the Stressed Out Cat
If your cat shows persistent or significant behaviour changes, take the cat to the veterinarian. Illness may be the stressor that is producing the behaviour changes and it should be ruled out first. If the cat has a clean bill of health, then it is up to the owner to determine what may be stressing the cat. If the stressor can be removed, the solution is simple. For example, if the stressor is the neighbour’s cat who likes to sit outside the window, the shades can be pulled during the time of day that the cat is most likely to appear or maybe the neighbour can be convinced to keep their cat inside which is unlikely but worth a try. Other stressors, such as a change in the owner’s work schedule or the daughter’s sudden absence from the home when she leaves for college, can often be compensated for by giving the cat more attention when the owner is home. Gentle grooming or massage combined with an interactive play session a couple times a day has solved many stress-related behaviour problems.
Cats find consistent routines and predictable environments very comforting, so try to keep your cat’s activities on a schedule. Playtimes, mealtimes, and bedtimes should occur at approximately the same time every day. If the household is unusually chaotic due to visitors, the holidays, or a planned move, the cat should be given a room where he/she can feel safe and secure and where he/she will have all his necessities (food, water, litterbox, favourite toys, a sunny window, etc.) until the hubbub is over. Remember that cats find familiar scents – their own or their favourite person’s – very reassuring, so put some of your worn, but not washed, clothes in the cat’s room.
When you talk to a stressed cat, use a slightly higher than normal pitch to your voice and speak very softly. Deep voices create fear and loud voices can be grating on the cat’s sensitive ears. You can “stroke” your cat with your voice and this can have a wonderfully soothing and healing effect on your pet, also send images in your mind in their direction but you must make the image clear and simple and explain everything you can to your cat. You may not think they understand but they understand far more than they let on. .
If the stressor cannot be removed from the cat’s environment, for example, when the source of the cat’s anxiety is the new baby, stress can also be reduced or eliminated by explaining what is happening in the home and why alongside reassuring them, that they are still very much loved and keep exposing the animal only to versions of the feared stimulus which are so mild that little or no anxiety is provoked. The intensity of the stimulus is then increased in gradual stages until, finally, the level of the stimulus which originally provoked the phobic reaction can be presented without inducing massive anxiety. This process of desensitization is helped if the cat’s background anxiety level is as low as possible when the anxiety provoking stimulus is presented. This is best achieved by first relaxing and distracting the cat through feeding or petting or, if other methods fail, by means of anxiety-reducing drugs.”
(If drugs are used, select anxiety-reducing drugs that are not sedatives and which will not result in harmful side-effects with prolonged use.)
Counter conditioning helps to speed up the habituation process. By rewarding the cat with food and attention as you expose him to the feared stimulus, you counter condition his response. Through this process, the cat learns to associate a pleasurable experience (food and attention) with the object he fears. To illustrate this method of desensitization and counter conditioning in the case of a baby, the scent of the baby can be introduced to the cat by putting baby blankets in the cat’s sleeping areas. Then tapes of the baby crying can be played (at low levels at first) while the cat is eating something delicious. Finally, when the baby is in the room with the cat, Kitty should be petted, played with, and given food rewards.
Whether the anxiety-producing stimulus is a baby, another cat, or the vacuum cleaner, this gradual and systematic process will reduce, and eventually, eliminate, the cat’s anxiety. Instead of a pet that is hissing, hiding, and possibly soiling the house, your efforts will be rewarded with a confident, friendly, and relaxed member of the family.
The Number One Behaviour Problem
Litterbox problems top the list of reasons for owners to give up their cats. By following some simple guidelines 80% of house soiling problems can be easily solved. (The other 20% can be solved with a little more work.) It is essential to take into consideration the cat’s natural instincts when providing a toileting area for kitty. For example, it is instinctual for a cat to seek out a clean, easily-raked substrate in which to eliminate. Cats also prefer to urinate and defecate in different areas. Consequently, you should have one litterbox per cat in the household, plus one. The litterboxes should be roomy (at least 16″x22″), clean and unscented, and placed in private, yet accessible areas throughout the house. For people without a lot of extra room in their house, a corner litterbox is a space efficient way to fit in that extra box.
May I Introduce…Fido?
When introducing a dog to a cat, the question is really one of proper dog training. Dogs usually want to chase and play with cats, and cats are usually afraid and defensive. After all, the cat has a lot more to lose if the relationship gets nasty. Once the cat is confident that the dog does not pose a threat, then the opportunity opens for a wonderful friendship to blossom.
As with all animal introductions, scent is the all-important factor in getting acquainted. Before letting the pets have visual contact with each other, let them sniff each other’s bedding.
The dog should know some basic commands like “sit”, “down”, “come”, and “stay”. Reward obedience with food treats so that the motivation to comply will be strong enough to withstand the distraction of having a cat in the room.
After the basic training is master, it is time for a face-to-face introduction in a controlled manner. Wearing a training collar and a lead, give your dog the command to either “sit” or “down” and “stay”. Reinforce compliance with food rewards. Have a family member enter the room and quietly sit down with the cat on his lap. At first the cat and dog should be on opposite sides of the room. Repeat this step several times until both the cat and the dog are tolerating each other without signs of aggression or fear.
Next, move the animals closer together, with the dog still on the lead and the cat gently held in a lap. If the cat does not like to be held, you can use a wire crate or carrier instead. If the dog gets up from his “stay” position, he should be firmly repositioned, and praised and rewarded for obeying the “stay” command. If the cat becomes frightened, increase the distance between the animals and progress more slowly.
Initially, the dog should always be wearing a training collar and a lead when the cat is present so that any attempt to bark at, or chase, the cat can be halted instantly. Praise and food treats should be lavished on the dog when he is calm and obedient in the cat’s presence. (If he is only punished when the cat is around, he may redirect aggression toward the cat.)
Precautions: Keep the dog and cat separated when you are not home until you are certain that the cat will be safe. Be sure that the cat does not have to pass by the dog’s area to get to the litterboxes or he may look for a safer and more convenient toilet area. As some dogs enjoy “raiding” the litterbox, it may be best to place a baby gate across the entrance of the room to allow the cat, but not the dog, to pass through.
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