Behavior

There’s a lighthearted saying that goes something like this: “Dogs come when called. Cats take a message and get back to you.” For anyone who has ever shared their home with both canine and feline friends, you know this statement is true! But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can use a training method like “clicker training” or “target training” to reward your cat when she performs a certain task. The clicker [an inexpensive, hand-held device that makes a distinct “clicking” sound] can tell a cat that she just did something her person liked and a treat is coming.

One of your beloved cats died several weeks ago, and you’ve been feeling pretty down. Friends who have been through the same experience tell you this is normal after such a loss. But then you notice that your other cat is eating less, and wanders around the house, yowling, as if he was looking for his lost companion. Do cats grieve like we do? And if so, how can we help them? There is now evidence that animals experience emotional responses to significant changes in their environment — and this includes going through the grieving process after the loss of feline or human companions.

Dear Elizabeth: I have a five-year-old indoor cat, Baby, with whom I’ve shared my home ever since she was born. I’ve never had any other companion animals, so it’s been just Baby and me for all that time. Here’s my problem: I recently became engaged and at some point in the near future will be moving into my fiance’s home. He has two cats — both females. One is just about Baby’s age and the other is probably about seven years old. Neither one of them is very friendly. Naturally, I’m concerned about moving Baby into this new environment. I’m afraid that the animals will fight and hurt each other. I’ll appreciate any advice on how I can best address this dilemma.

Litter box aversion. Aggression. Inappropriate scratching or destructive behavior. Eating or chewing non-food materials. Cat carrier avoidance. Separation anxiety. Other fears and phobias that make you and your cat unhappy. When your cat develops a behavior problem, you may need professional advice. But whom should you call? Your veterinarian should be first on the list to rule out any medical problems. But after your cat’s clean bill of health, your veterinarian may suggest the help of a certified applied animal behaviorist or a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. While either one can help you solve your cat’s adjustment difficulty, there are some differences in the services each provides.

Who isn’t charmed by photographs of kids holding and petting cute, cuddly kittens? Children can benefit from having a cat, and vice versa. “The experience of bonding between the child and the cat can be invaluable,” says Larry Lachman, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist, animal behavior consultant and author of Cats on the Counter: Therapy and Training for Your Cat, “and a child learns to increase compassion and empathy for nonhuman life.” Pets teach children the responsibility of doing chores like feeding the cat, changing the water and cleaning the litter box. Having a pet can also provide a family with its own pet-assisted therapy.

We all know people that we try to avoid, but what if your cat develops an unpleasant attitude? What if one cat attacks another in your home, or even your dog — or even you? Territoriality and fear are usually the causes. Luckily, both can be controlled with some patience and understanding. Cats don’t plan these unpleasant behaviors to bother you. They aren’t plotting ways to punish you, either. “It’s more likely that your cat is saying, ‘Hey, this is my house,’” explains Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, and the emeritus James Law professor of Behavior Medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Do you simply dread the thought of taking a car trip with your cat? First, you must be clever enough to catch the wily feline. Then — after she is safely in her carrier — you must brace yourself for the wailing and thrashing that will begin either from the moment of capture or, at the very latest, once the car begins to roll. And where are you heading? To the veterinary hospital, probably. Afterwards, you breathe a sigh of relief — knowing that you likely won’t have to go through this again until the next visit. So why do our cats behave this way? Well, imagine if you were a child and were rather intimidated by your aunt Jean. Though you rarely traveled by bus, once each year, you and your family boarded a bus to aunt Jean’s. Maybe you too kicked and screamed, struggling to avoid getting onto the bus. You more than likely cried or complained during the journey as well. As for bus trips? The mere suggestion might send you running.

Dear Elizabeth: I have four cats in my household and one of them, Tabitha, has a tendency to chew and eat plastic. Ive caught her chewing on plastic bags that Ive carried in from the store, as well as items in the basement that are wrapped in plastic. I worry that she could choke to death or hurt herself somehow. Why does she do this? One of my other cats is aggressive and chases her. Tabitha is afraid and will not fight back; could her plastic obsession be stress-related? Any ideas of what I can do?

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) have released the Feline Friendly Handling Guidelines. These guidelines were developed by a panel of experts to create a less stressful experience for cat patients while meeting their medical needs. The Feline Friendly Handling Guidelines - endorsed by American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) - were developed to provide the best care for cats and to increase vet visits.

When a cat begins soiling the house, it is usually assumed that it is a behavioral problem or the onset of senility. However, there are several medical conditions that can cause urinary incontinence and inappropriate urination, some of which require immediate treatment. First, it is important to distinguish between incontinence and inappropriate urination. True incontinence occurs when a cat does not have voluntary control over urination; trauma, a weak primary sphincter muscle and congenital abnormalities are the most common causes of incontinence.

Just days after you’ve invested in new furniture, your cat decides she really loves it, too. It’s the place she’s chosen to give herself a pedicure, and soon the arms of that beautiful new sofa look like they’ve gone through a shredder. You may notice your cat flexing her nails when she first gets up and stretches or suddenly stop to sink her nails into the wall-to-wall carpeting as she crosses a room. She may scratch at the end of a burst of energy after playing with her favorite toy. Fabrics, carpet, wood, cardboard — there are numerous materials in your house that can soon become a target for your cat’s clawing.

If anyone has learned to accept the empty nest syndrome, its the mother cat who watches her kittens leave one by one by at about 12 weeks or so - either through adoption or by wandering off to fend for themselves. So its interesting to see how mother cats and their kittens behave when they remain together in the same household. Sibling Rivalry? "The least amount of conflict occurs with cats that have been brought up together," says Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, the emeritus James Law Professor of Animal Behavior at Cornell Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. "Feline siblings often become friends in the household."