Posts tagged "CatBehavior"

Why Does My Cat Stare at Me?
by Dr. Patty Khuly via Vetstreet

It's difficult to ignore your kitty when she's got her unblinking eyes focused on you. Often, she's staring because she wants something to eat and believes that if she stares into your eyes she can somehow control your mind and force you to do her bidding. (OK, maybe the mind control part of that isn't true, but she may well be hungry.)

Sometimes a stare involves the sequential opening and closing of one peeping eye as she drifts in and out of slumber. Cats do this for several reasons, such as keeping an eye out for predators.

SEE ALSO: Is Aspirin Safe for Cats? No!

Take heart, though: However much a cat considers you a practical source of food, she's probably also staring at you because you're the center of her universe and she likes to see what you are up to - food related or otherwise.

Cats become pests with their determination to stay above it all. They cruise kitchen countertops, lounge atop doors and leap to refrigerator tops to ambush treats.

The urge to be the top cat seems a universal cat vice. By understanding why cats scale the heights, cat owners can provide legal outlets that keep both their cats happy and out of the butter dish.

Why Cats Love Heights
Cats come pre-programmed to seek elevated lounging spots. Think about it: cats in the wild want to see enemies (and potentially munchable critters) while remaining invisible. A cat quite literally believes it "owns" the space it can see.

Cats also control each other's interactions--or even the dog's movements--with pointed stares. This packs even more punch from an elevated perch, giving the cat ownership and control over even more territory. The cat that commands the highest perch is the high-cat-on-the-totem-pole in that particular room.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's new expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs and she is one of less than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of ten books including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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My 2-year old cat, Blackie, is easily unnerved by new people in the house and loud noises such as thunder. She gets especially upset when she goes to the vet, or to be groomed, or really when she travels at all. I feel bad for her, and I worry when she's scared because she scratches if someone tries to help her or handle her. Do you have any suggestions for making her feel better? I've had her since she was a kitten and she has always been this way.

Having a stressed-out cat can make a an owner just as unnerved as the cat. Some of the causes of feline stress include trauma, a change in environment, a lack of early socialization, being removed from the litter too early, a history of abuse (as seen with some shelter cats) and genetics.

Here are some things you can consider for helping Blackie:

1. Control the environment. Make sure Blackie has a place she can escape to. This might include a bedroom where you can close the door and shut out the sounds of the rest of the house (particularly during a noisy party) but it can also be a favorite play spot. Does Blackie have a cat tree? Cats like to be elevated, and many models of cat trees have a hiding place at the top.

For travel, use safety precautions such as a cat carrier that is small and closed in (with air holes of course). This will make Blackie feel a little more secure and safe. Hopefully, trips to the vet are infrequent.

2. Mask upsetting noise. Music or television can be used to cover up sounds that may be unnerving your pet. Some cats respond particularly well to classical music, for example.

3. Try calming remedies. Some products, such as one called Feliway, contain synthetic pheromones which may soothe your pet. (Pheromones are produced naturally in a cat's cheek glands and send chemical signals that indicate everything is okay. These synthetic pheromones may bring about the same result in your cat.) There are also some homeopathic products that you might try. These natural remedies (such as PetCalm) are reported to reduce fear and nervousness in some cats. You could try these to see if you think they make a difference in Blackie's behavior.

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's new expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs and she is one of less than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of ten books including the new official book on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program, "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

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Can cats be bipolar? My cat Binny is 5 years old and her behavior goes from one extreme to the other. One minute she'll purr and want me to pet her, and the next minute she snaps and sinks her teeth and claws into my skin. I also have to be careful when she gets in a frisky mood because she will stalk and chase me until I'm cornered, then lunge at me. If I get mad and tell her, "No!" she comes after me even more aggressively. I don't know what I can do to change this behavior! Help!

Biting and scratching are natural behaviors in cats. Kittens bite and scratch to defend themselves or to say, "Back off, please." Before they were domesticated, cats used biting and scratching to kill prey. Centuries later, we see "kill the prey" behaviors in the play of domesticated cats. Our modern day cats will go after prey that includes small animals such as birds in the yard, toys and unfortunately, you.

Sometimes owners unwittingly shape kittens into biting the human hands that are petting them. Laying a kitten on its back, the owner tickles the belly, the kitten swats with a cute, tiny paw, and the owner pulls his hand away or gently swats back. The game is on. Fast forward to when those paws are equipped with sharp claws and the adult cat has teeth like needles. The cat is playing the same game, but it is now viewed as aggression.

The good news is that gentle, appropriate play can be taught. First, watch for signs that Binny is getting over stimulated and wound up. You'll see a switching tail, ears that are pulled back, and some narrowing of the eyes. This is a cue to you that it is time to redirect Binny to a different game. You can add an interactive cat toy to the mix so that Binny focuses on the toy and not your hands, or completely change the activity ("Binny, let's go on the porch.")

Meet Mary Burch, American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Director and Paw Nation's new expert columnist addressing your questions on animal behavior. Dr. Burch has over 25 years of experience working with dogs and she is one of less than 50 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists based in the United States. She is the author of nine books, more than 200 articles and has been a lobbyist on legislation concerning hazardous dogs and responsible dog ownership.

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My husband and I own a mixed-breed cat who we absolutely adore. We have had her for four years and have experienced no issues with her using the litter box until the now. For the past two weeks, she has been urinating on the carpet all over the house. She still uses the litter box for defecating. Any idea what might be going on?

When an animal who has had no problems with house training suddenly has a change in habits, the first thing I suggest is a quick trip to the vet. This may be a behavioral issue, but you want to rule out any possible medical issues. These could include urinary-tract problems or other diseases.

Once the vet says the cat has no health problems, it's time to look at possible behavioral causes. Is she scent marking or flat-out urinating, i.e. does she leave puddles of urine? Have there been any changes in the environment? Did you get new carpet, new furniture, a new pet, or change the brand of litter you're using? Changes in a cat's world can cause the cat to "mark" the new items so that everyone knows the house belongs to this kitty.

Also think about whether there is anything happening to cause the cat to be nervous or feel a need for your attention. Are you or your husband gone more than usual? Has there been a change in your schedule or focus so there is less time and affection for the cat? If so, that may be what is setting her off.

Finally, remember that cats are clean creatures. Are you cleaning the litterbox regularly? If there is waste in the litterbox, a cat may choose the bathtub or carpet rather than tiptoe around in a dirty litterbox. Now that your carpet has the scent of urine in it, it should be cleaned it with an enzyme urine removal product (from your local pet store). As long as the carpet smells like urine, unfortunately, there is a good chance the cat will continue to use it as a potty area.

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Mary R. Burch, Ph.D., is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and the Director of the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Program. Dr. Burch is the author of "Citizen Canine: 10 Essential Skills Every Well-Mannered Dog Should Know."

Do you have an animal behavior question for Dr. Burch? E-mail your questions to mary@pawnation.com.

What animal lover hasn't daydreamed about ditching their desk job and applying for a job at the zoo? Or at a doggy daycare? Or tracking gorillas in Africa? We sure have, but since most of us may never actually get to work with the animals we love, we thought we'd introduce you to a few people who do.

Name: Mieshelle Nagelschneider
Age: 39
Job: Cat Behaviorist, The Cat Behavior Clinic

How did you decide to become a cat behaviorist?
It all started when I was about four and living on our Oregon farm. I wanted to be Snow White -- not because of the prince, but because she could talk to animals! Throughout my childhood I surrounded myself with animals of every kind. By the time I graduated from high school I was a vet tech, and I began to realize that I understood animals' motivations and feelings almost instinctively. Before long, I was doing house calls for clients, solving behavioral problems and quickly becoming referred by vets all across the United States.

What is your training/educational background?
Close observation and self-study all my life, combined with coursework in psychology in Oregon and animal cognition at Harvard.

How long have you been working with cats?
About 20 years. I've helped literally thousands of cats.

Do you need to see a cat in person to treat it?
No. The cat owner can schedule a phone consultation online, and is then sent a feline behavior questionnaire to complete. During the phone consultation, I evaluate in depth the cat's history, current environment, and the nature of the behavior issue. Once the behavior issue is identified, I develop a customized three-part C.A.T. Plan, which the owner follows for 4 - 6 weeks. They then have a free follow-up with me. The behavioral methods are humane, drug-free, and lasting in their results. That's key. We have a very, very high rate of success.

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