You are viewing all 'Behavior & Training entries.
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There’s a general thought that all cats are aloof, self-sufficient, and would rather have fleas than obey a command. But there is a sub-group of felines that don’t seem to know this and happily come when called, fetch, beg, and even perform tricks.
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. |
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It can be really irritating to have a cat who insists on jumping up on your kitchen counters and trying to get at the food you’re cooking.
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. |
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My cat Ed shares my office and I should have known the strange noise was coming from him. But the sucking sound seemed so un-cat-like that I searched instead for quite awhile for a backed-up pipe or such. Imagine my surprise when I finally found him niched away in a cubby hole, sucking on a small blanket.
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. |
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The scene is set – Fluffy is resting by the fire, curled up in an adorable ball and purring peacefully. You turn away and the next thing you see is Fluffy shooting from the room, a waft of singed fur behind her.
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. |
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The pads of a kitty’s paws are extremely sensitive to both touch and vibration. This sensitivity may explain why many cats do not like having their pads being touched and will often pull their foot away. The more sensitive the cat, the more tricky it can be to clip her claws. And even though a cat’s paw pads are very touchy, they are not remarkably sensitive to hot and cold, which explains why they can even walk across a hot stove or a frozen pond.
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. |
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In the beginning, domestic cats were not dependent on drinkable water. It is thought that this nutritional quirk is the result of where cats were first domesticated: Egypt has a hot, dry climate where water is scarce (hence those handy camels for getting around without “refueling!”) It is thought that the feline system evolved so that survival did not depend on finding drinkable water: instead, “survival of the fittest” dictated that cats had to depend on their lunch for their fluid intake, deriving it from the blood and other internal fluids of small birds and rodents.
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. |
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The pads of a cat’s foot are an important information-gathering system for the cat – they also serve as part of her exploratory equipment. You will often see a cat reach out to tap on an object or a surface with the bottom of her foot. The paw pads sense movement and vibration in the ground, making them an essential part of the cat’s highly sensitive “early warning system” for danger or prey.
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. |
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Just as some people have better fine motor skills than others, some cats are able to move the individual toes of their paws separately, an unusual fine-motor control that you don’t see in many other four-legged creatures.
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. |
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You’ve heard often about therapy dogs but did you know there are therapy cats, too? They are being used in convalescent homes, psychiatric wards, to help autistic children and more.
So how does your feline become a therapy cat? Therapy cats should work well with people, have a calm demeanor and they should be at least a year old. Short-haired cats were used most often in the past but long-hairs, such as Persians, are popular now, too. Stroking or grooming a cat can bring back memories for patients, relieve loneliness and act as a calming presence.
Your cat can get certified through programs such as Pets Helping People, where cats learn to be comfortable in different surroundings. They can also earn their Feline Good Citizen certificate.
Kelly is a dog columnist and pet writer. She lives in the Boston-area with her three pit bulls and one neurotic cat. |
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You’re not crazy. Your cat actually is using different purr sounds to communicate with you. A recent study from Behavioral Ecology at the University of Sussex shows that cats use a manipulative purr sound known as “solicitation purr” that has evolved in part, to get people to respond to them. Fifty human participants listened to recordings of cat purrs and determined that the solicitation purr sounds were indeed more urgent than regular purring. So what’s this mean? Your cat’s working her purr to get your attention.
But don’t tell your friends. They’ll think you’re crazy. Read the full article at <a href=”http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/07/13/cats-purring-humans-print.html”Discovery News.
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