Dreaming cats and dogs? Did you know ...

As our pets seem to settle down at night and wake up with us in the morning it is tempting to assume that they must sleep the same way as we do, surely?

There are indeed similarities in sleep between cats and dogs with us humans, but there are also huge differences that can become significant when our animals are stressed.

Why do we need to sleep? Sleep has two key functions one can be termed sleep of the body and the other sleep of the mind. The sleep of the mind happens during a stage of sleep termed REM or ‘dreaming’ sleep. In cats and dogs, this dreaming sleep happens when they are lying on their side with legs stretched out. Breathing and heart rate may change and rapid eye movement is observed (hence the name of this type of sleep!) It is this stage that is essential for processing the events of the day, learning is consolidated.

Dogs need at least 12 hours sleep each day, cats at least 16 hours a day!

Studies show that unlike cats, dogs have about 23 bouts of sleep/wake cycles, lasting about 20 minutes over each 8 hour night. Each cycle consists of about 16 minutes of sleep and 5 minutes fully awake. Also, groups of dogs show unsynchronised sleep/wake cycles. This means that in the wild, one or two dogs will always be alert while the others sleep and so able to watch for danger. Clever really!



The same studies also looked at the effect of moving cats and dogs to new locations - how does rehoming or moving house for example, affect the sleep patterns of our pets? They found that all the cats and dogs studied failed to achieve REM sleep on the first night and the length of sleeping bouts halved. Another interesting observation was in dogs that slept close to their owners were observed to go straight into REM sleep, indicating that they were secure and fully relaxed.

Animal in as their ability to cope with a new home is affected by poor sleep.
Just like us, if we have had a bad nights sleep, we less able to take in new information and adapt to a different situations. This is the same for our animals, whether we want our new cat to learn about the cat flap or settle quickly in their new home, or wanting our dog to learn the ‘sit’ and ‘wait’ quickly, we need to make sure they have had a good nights sleep.

So with research in mind here are a few handy hints to improve the sleeping patterns of your cat or dog, whether he or she is new into the home or not ...



FOR CATS ...

A choice of bedding kept away from food bowls or litter trays
A variety of ‘hideaways’ (cardboard boxes are sufficient)
A variety of high up spaces for the cat to ‘hide’ and feel safer
Bed spaces that are large enough for stretching out
Warn spots (hot water bottles wrapped in fleece blankets or special ‘heat pads’)
Remember you will need the above per cat in the home.

FOR DOGS ...

Make sure the bed is large enough for the dog to lie flat out
Keep the bed in a quieter area of the home
Keep the bed away from radiators, fridges,freezers, washing machines as these can all disturb sleep cycles
If your dog isn’t using your bed, think about why this is happening; is it the location, bed type, disturbing objects that are interfering in your dogs sleep?

Remember at least 70% of behaviour problems are darastically decreased by improving our animals' sleep patterns! Happy dreaming!

Katie Bristow-Wade


References

Empson, J (2002) "Sleep and dreaming" Palgrave, Great Britain

Adams, G and Johnson, K (1993) "Sleep wake cycles and other night-time behaviours of the domestic dog Canis familiaris" Applied Animal Behavour Science, 36: 233-48

Simpson, H (2008) "Teach yourself dog" NAC Library, Carmarthen

Mutually beneficial relationships

With the stresses and strains of everyday life more and more people are noticing the potential positive affects that animals can bring to adults and children alike.

As pet owners, we know that when we have had a bad day at the office, there is nothing better than being greeted by our animals. Whether we are riding our horses, walking the dog, or just cuddling up on the sofa with the cat, there is an increasing amount of research indicating the true value that our pets have on our health and well being.

There are various ways that animals can help people, and it is categorized in so many different ways - Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT ) , Animal Assisted Activity (AAA), Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) .... the list goes on.Essentially, with all the above, the aim is to bring an animal into the world of an individual, where he/she becomes a fundamental part of a person's treatment. It is designed to improve the physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning of the patient, as well as provide education, build life skills, and develop motivation.

To give you an example, a child with autism may be finding it difficult to cope in a world as it can seem extremely unpredictable and therefore frightening at times. This often causes a child to breakdown (having what is often called a “tantrum” or “meltdown”.

Now, I could go on about the research involved in this area, how it is thought that dogs help children affected by autism, but as I have been involved in a project of this kind, I would rather mention the firsthand accounts as to how dogs provide comfort and reassurance, really changing the lives of these children and families so dramatically in such a short space of time.I have witnessed the transformation of a 12 year old girl affected by autism, very withdrawn, terrified of leaving the home, simply through the presence of a dog, she became more confident, learning how to care for the dog and understand its own potential fears, and overcame her own anxieties over time.

I have also experienced a boy of 7 years old talking for the first time, he first day that his puppy arrived at the home, that motivation to speak to a person that is non-judgment.This is wonderful, the building of positive relationships between person and animal for improved health and well being. Indeed, this is an area that is fast developing within the UK, and will increase in time.

However, it is vital that these relationships are positive for all involved, both the person and the animal. We do not want stressed animals - whether in the form of a horse who is fearful of people, a cat that is stressed being passed from pillar to post, or a dog that may snap at any moment. We want animals who are full of character, feel confident in themselves, and positive about the world.

So perhaps this area is not as simple as it sounds after all? It is not a matter of simply paring an animal with a person and hoping that it goes to plan, its about raising confident animals in positive environments, to build truly therapeutic relationships between people and animals for the future.

Vote now! Equine Social Media Awards 2011

Hi all

As some of you may already know, I have been nominated for the 2011 Equine Social Media Awards.

Voting is now open, and it's up to you guys to decide who wins. Click here to vote http://abbeyviewequine.com/awards I am listed under 'Category 5'

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any queries at all.

Take care

Katie

www.animalminds.co.uk

Group session with Katie

A unique opportunity to discuss the behavioural problems of your cats with Katie. Information Evening 21st September at the Oxford Cat Clinic www.oxfordcatclinic.co.uk

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

________________________________________________________________________________________


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.

Horse Behaviour - Questions Answered

Here I will keep feeding different questions and their answers to help all learn about their horses. If there are any particular questions that you have, just call or email me, I am always happy to help.

Please remember that practically all cases must be handled on a one-to-one basis, initially eliminating any medical causes. These snippets are here to give you an idea about the behavioural process.

"My 6 year old TB mare has been chewing and eating the fencing for the past few months. She only this behaviour since our first snowfall. Is this something to worry about? Do you have any idea why she might be doing this?"

As with all behaviours I would initially advise getting your mare fully checked out by your vet and equine dentist to eliminate any medical causes. With organic causes eliminated, we could then explore the behavioural element to this abnormal behaviour.

Commonly our domestic horses develop such patterns, termed as a stereotypie commonly known as a ‘stable vice’. I often see this kind of behaviour through my consulting work, whether the horse is stabled or not. It is most often caused by restrictions in the horses’ environment (1) Over sixty-five million years the horse has developed certain strategies to survive. Being domesticated for a relatively mere few thousand years, means that these well evolved instinctual drives are still present in the minds of our own horses. Our domestic horses still have these drives to roam with a large herd for 24 hours a day, to graze browse and forage for around 18 hours a day, they need to explore different sights, sounds, tastes and have the freedom to flee from dangerous situations (2) Often this is hard to replicate for us owners and our horses can become stressed as a result, adopting abnormal behaviours to cope with the restrictions that they face (3)

As you said, your mare adopted this coping strategy after your first snowfall. The snow must have been difficult in terms of your management routine and your mare would have noticed these changes, developing this behavioural pattern.

The easiest way to reduce such behaviours is through a simple enrichment programme, adding more choice, variety and freedom to behave as necessary. Think of the social stability that your horse has, does she have access to a herd for 24 hours a day? If you do stable her, would you be able to stable her companion next door? Are you able to increase stimulation, providing toys and objects to play and explore, a great example is to drop an apple in a water bucket for ‘apple bobbing’ or a swede on the floor for her to push around and eat as she chooses.

Looking inside the horses’ brain, there are certain chemicals working to cause feelings of satisfaction, depression, aggression and so on. To increase relaxation, encourage natural foraging behaviours by scattering hay on the floor, dropping carrots and other veggies amongst the hay for exploration and positive reward.

This is really brief so I would strongly recommend consulting with your local qualified equine behaviourist, someone who will work alongside your vet and only uses purely positive techniques to relieve underlying stress. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask at anytime.

Katie B Wade

www.animalminds.co.uk


References
1. Kiley-Worthington, M. (1987) The Behaviour of Horses: In Relation to Management and Training, J. A. Allen, United Kingdom
2. McDonnell, S. (2003) A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behaviour: The Equid Ethogram, The Blood Horse Inc., United States
3. Barnard, C. and Hurst, J. (1996) Welfare by Design: The Natural Selection of Welfare Criteria, Animal Welfare, Vol. 5, pp. 415-433


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

Current trends in the market - What do you think?

I have just come back from an interesting CPD weekend. After a brilliant lecture by Steve from Rowden Dog's Trust, we discuss current trends in the marketplace and its impact on animal welfare.

As it was the Dug’s Trust we were specifically discussing the current training aids used within the canine market place. Thinking of a typical pet store, owners can purchase electric shock collar and fencing systems (thankfully not in Wales now http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8584028.stm) as well as choke chains, muzzles, horns and sprays. There are so many choices, but with them comes little or no information on the potential effects of using each different tool, indeed there is not even very much information on how to use them effectively at all! NOTE: There is even the risk of frustration via improper use of clickers and food dispensers.

This topic heavily reflects the equine market too, with the changes in trends affecting the welfare and training of our horses, from boot types, spurs, bits, nosebands, to certain pressure-release tools, even clickers and food dispensers. Do the companies selling us these products provide owners with enough information to (a) use each tool effectively and (b) to fully understand the effects of each tool on their horses welfare?

I thought it would make an interesting topic and would love to hear your views!

Any questions just ask.

Take care

Katie


07841 517543
www.animalminds.co.uk