Factsheet: What do our cats really need?

So many behavioural problems stem from relatively simple sources. Katie B Wade provides a summary of what our cats should be doing each day in order to stay fit, healthy and happy.

Evolving over millions of years, our cats have developed specific strategies, behaving in certain ways each day, to maintain optimal health.

The more restrictions our cats face, the more stressed they can become, so to avoid stress-related difficulties such as urination or defecation in the home, over-grooming, aggression and so on, have a quick read and see what you can do for your cat.

• Evolutionary biologists have traced the cat family to a squirrel-like creature surviving amongst the trees alongside dinosaurs. Even today we can see the domestic cat’s preference for higher vantage points.

• The feline family originally evolved in hot, dessert climates such as Egypt. In our Northern Hemisphere many of domestic cats suffer as a result of the lower temperatures, not maintaining high quality REM sleep patterns as they remain curled up.

• As cats are territorial they are highly sensitive to changes in their environment. The domestic cat therefore is often motivated to communicate the boundaries on the periphery of their territory, through spray marking, scratching and defecation.

• Cats are successful small hunters. Their bodies are made to eat a variety of chewy meats little and often.

• Cats do not just scratch to maintain their claws, they also scratch to deposit scent from the glands on their paws to communicate. Experts have discovered that the cat has a strong need to scratch both horizontally and vertically each day. Cats use glands situated around their bodies to communicate through chemical messengers.

• Although cats hunt alone, they are a highly social species and live in large colonies where there are plenty of resources. In the wild it is even common to see queens nursing each others young!

• The cats’ skin cells are very sensitive to touch. They need soft, cosy bedding for essential, quality sleep. Cats need to sleep for at least 18 hours per day, and need to be able to lie flat out.

For any extra reading, advice or just for a chat, feel free to contact me anytime.

Take care

Katie

www.animalminds.co.uk
katie@animalminds.co.uk

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BIO

Katie B Wade is a fully qualified and experienced animal behaviourist, working alongside veterinary clinics, rescue centres, societies, breeders as well as individual owners to assist with various aspects of animal behaviour and training. With professional experience handling, training, breeding and rehabilitating the competition horse, Katie went on to study a degree in Psychology and then on to specialise in Equine Behaviour with The Natural Animal Centre. Katie provides scientifically sound advice to the general public, building a bridge between academic research and practical horse ownership.

Katie B Wade

www.animalminds.co.uk
katie@animalminds.co.uk

________________________________________________________________________________________


References

Bradshaw, J. (1993) The True Nature of the Domestic Cat, CAB International, Bristol

Turner, D. and Bateson, P. (1995) The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour. Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom.

Managing More Than One Cat

As well as the vast range of vocalisation methods that we so frequently hear, the cat makes great use of their superior olfactory systems to communicate through scent deposition.

We can use these systems to our advantage within the home. Here is just a snippet...read on...

Scratching

From the tree-dwelling Cimolestes 65 million years ago, the domestic cat has evolved to use his claws as an adaptable tool for climbing, hunting, killing, eating, defence as well as communication.

Fragments of claw and claw sheath are often found embedded within the vertical surfaces scratched upon, causing experts to initially think that the purpose of scratching is to maintain healthy claws. However if this was true, we would be regularly witnessing the cat scratch with its hind feet too.

Instead these highly social animals are using their claws to communicate, the chemical messengers deposited from the sebaceous glands of the front paws into the fence post for example. The passing cat learns the age, gender and health of that depositing cat.

Spraying

Spraying behaviour is an overt display, with his tail quivering the cat will back up to a vertical surface, emitting a stream of urine. Developed over millions of years, the cat has learnt that when patrolling the periphery of his territory, spraying in this way enables communication to any passing cats, mapping his territory and providing vital information about him self. As well as being extremely useful for avoiding confrontation, this behaviour helps with the mating process and regulates hunting behaviour within the area.

Marking

Depositing small pools of urine, marking is an abnormal behaviour, not present within the cats’ normal repertoire of behaviours and is often triggered by changes in environment or restricted behavioural patterns, leading to stress.

How Will this Help?

With such complexities, many owners come up against problems with the management of multi-cat households or introducing new pets to your home.

Now that you can see how your cat communicates with others, you can use this to your advantage!

When introducing any new member to the existing colony a step-by-step approach should be taken every time, gradually introducing the scent of one cat to the other and vice versa. This is what would happen in the wild and so this is what their instincts tell them to do.

TOP TIP – Before introducing the cats face-to-face visually, introduce an old rag that smells of the other cat to each others area and make sure that they are happy at this level initially.

If two cats have already spent time living together but are aggressive, marking or generally unhappy in each others company, re-introducing them appropriately, using the cats own methods of communication, will go a long way.

For more detailed information and a step-by-step plan to guide you to success, please do not hesitate to contact me as I am always happy to help.

Katie

Cat Behaviour - Elimination in the Home

Although elimination within the house can be explained in terms of NORMAL cat behaviour, such as ‘spraying’ due to hormonal changes, or as a result of a medical problem, one major causes of eliminating within the home is STRESS.

Spraying is part of the cats normal set of behaviours, an overt display where he or she backs up to a vertical surface, emitting a fine stream of urine, often with the tail quivering. This is a complex method of communication, secreting chemical messengers to convey important messages to other cats who may pass.

This behaviour although often occurring at higher frequency in Toms, is not completely dependant on sexual hormones. This is because the brain has a large influence on such behaviour, with 10% of males and 5% of females spraying even after neutering.

Whilst spraying is usually associated with a normal behaviour, it can still become abnormal as an anxiety based behaviour occurring as a result of either threatened or direct aggression from other cats.. For example, often occurring in multi-cat households, a cat will spray to communicate his desire not to confront or become involved in any conflict. Where anxiety does play a role in spraying social changes need to be fully assessed.

Marking is where puddles of urine are deposited behind furniture, or on objects. Although spraying behaviour is part of the cats' normal set of behaviours, marking is an indicator of abnormally high stress levels within the cat, communicating feeling of anxiety and insecurity.

Triggers of this marking behaviour ranges from new cats entering the home, to neighbouring cats intruding on your garden...or even bringing a pair of new shoes into your home! Cats are highly territorial and this needs to be kept in mind when we bring them in to our homes.

In each case, if you as the owner feels that there is a problem with your cat, it is vital that you consult with your vet and speak to a qualified animal behaviourist. Core issues must be identified and assessed to provide a life-long, drug free solution.

For help or advice, or just for a chat, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best Wishes

Katie