Applied Cat Ethology Flashcards
Where are behavioural genetics gained from?
Paternal line
Why is the personality of kittens often less predictable than puppies?
Feral toms breeding with pet queens - behaviour determined genetically from the paternal line
What is the lifespan of a feral cat?
15 years
When are cats most active?
Nocturnal - evenings and mornings
What is the general food intake of a feral cat?
70% rodents
Are free living colonies necessarily feral?
No
What are the most important factors for territory?
Shelter and food
How do male and female territories differ?
Males ~3x size of female hunting ground, may incorporate
How do feline social groups form?
Grows inwardly, usually related females - no one joins
Until what age is fostering preferable to hand rearing?
3 days
What are the 4 cat “safety” behaviours?
- Get up high
- Keep still
- Hide
- Run away
If these behaviours are prevented
-> ATTACK!
-> Spraying
-> Middening (feaces)
What is the term for inappropriate defeacation?
Middening
Why are stressed cats often unreported by owner?
They don’t notice the problem - “cat sits up on the chair all day very calm etc.”
Why do cats not run as a fear response?
Provokes a chase
How may chronic stress manifest itself in cats?
Overgrooming
Stereotypies
Obesity
What are ideal sleeping arrangements for cats?
Multiple sleeping sites (ethnologically due to parasite control)
Why are cats often termed “fussy eaters”?
Prefer to eat small amounts - then are taught to be fussy because the food is changed too regularly. End up on a highly palatable diet -> obesity and guarding and overeating
How may food acquisition be altered in cats to prevent behaviour problems? When should this not be used?
Hide a prawn in an ice cube or rice paper, more hunting games resulting in feeding.
Only to be used in cases of BOREDOM not anxiety - may increase anxiety levels
How may reproductive behaviour elicit behavioural problems in cats?
Tomcats fighting
^ scent marking
Females - yowling, lordosis, writhing around and trying to mate with everything
Which kind of body positions denote stress?
Feet tucked under body, facing away but looking over shoulder, tail wrapped in under body
Which kind of body positions denote a relaxed cat?
Tail uncurled, lying on side
What are the 4 basic needs of any cat?
Safety (physical and pyschological)
Body Maintenance (scratch posts, litter trays, food)
Reproduction
Social Interaction or Avoidance
How should a distressed cat be treated?
Ignore it!! Do not go after it. More likely to want to be alone than want a cuddle
Why is cat/human interaction different than dog/human interaction?
Solitary animals means poor communication skills “close up”
Show very few appeasement/deferential signs
To encourage interactino DO NOT PET as soon as cat comes to investigate you, let them initiate interaction
Give more hiding places
What behaviours are indicative of an aggressive cat?
Increase in size - piloerection, ears back, stands tall
What behaviours are indicative of a defensive cat?
Small, crouching and flattened, head drawn back
Defensive paw swiping
What behaviours are indicative of a “cat in conflict” (nervous)?
Arched back, standing sideways on, often seen in kitten play
May hiss to startle and confuse the attacker
How can play behaviours be differentiated from genuine behaviours?
Hooked end of tail
Which behaviour indicates a confident, relaxed and non-aggressive attitude in the cat? When else may this be seen?
Rolling
Repeatedly rolling and standing indicates oestrus in females
Males also roll but purpose is unknown (often after intense object rubbing)
What does a hooked over tail mean?
Inquisitve or playful - wants object/person to come nearer
What is bunting?
Allorubbing / smell exchange from the face
Do facial expressions change before or after body posture?
Before
How do the eyes change when avoiding conflict? Anticipating an attack? Attacking?
- Avoid eye contact to prevent conflict
- Pupils dilate
- Pupils narrow
How does the display of teeth different between a confident aggressive cat and a defensive cat?
Confident will open mouth and show all teeth
Defensive will only show lower canines
How does ear position differ between an offensive and defensive cat?
Defensive or threatened cat - sideways and down
Offensive - ears forward, then down and back
Why is scent and spraying important to cats?
Solitary - used over long distances, at night, no need for actual interaction
Assumed to inform age, gender, reproductive status
VISUAL aspect of spraying also important as will do the behaviour even if not spraying
What type of urine do cats spend longest investigating?
Spray
Are urinating and defeacating problems?
Not to the animals! Normal behaviour, but unacceptable to owners
Where is the majority of scratching directed?
Vertical surfaces in home territory
What is the purpose of scratching? Where should scratch posts be positioned?
Scent marking through sebaceous glands in the feet
Visual display similar to claw sharpening in from of conspecifics
normal behaviour (but unacceptable to owners)
Stress -> lower scratching (can’t remember if physically lower or less frequent)
Should be positioned high up or very tall
Where are the three main facial scent marking glands?
Sub-mandibular
Perioral
Temporal
Where are the two main scent glands in the tail region?
Caudal glands along the tail
Base of tail (plays a part in spraying)
What is allorubbing?
Social interaction - affiliative
Greeting behaviour, and feels good!
Behaviour quickly subsides if there is no response from person/cat
Are cats vocal?
Domestic cats are towards humans - owners assume this means they are hungry so reinforced by feeding when meowing.
Not displayed towards other cats to elicit food
People do not understand their cats meows
Will yowl, miow and purr
When do cats purr?
When in PAIN or social interaction
When may purring stop?
About to attack or be aggressive
Hunting
Meeting a cat for the first time
1st experience of catnip
When do cats miow?
Social situations
Females attracting males (high intensity, strained)
What factors add to the stress associated with moving from home to cattery?
Loss of familiar scent, and then repeated every day due to new cats and cleaning products
Loss of choice from home - temperature etc.
Lacking familiar social interaction but overwhelmed by strangers
Overstimulated and insufficient rest time
Small area/territory - everything happening near each other
Glass fronted kennels are very frustrating! Lack of smell
How may catteries be designed to encourage cats to come out?
MORE hiding places - counterintuitive
Safer they feel more likely they are to explore
Why may metal cages be better/worse than glass?
Better for transmission of smell (most important)
May emit a high pitched noise when struck
What type of bowl is best to encouraging drinking?
Shallow glass
What 4 negative emotions may be experienced by cats?
Frustration
Anxiety
Fear
Abnormal (eg. phobia, compulsive repetitive)
Name two ways to decrease anxiety in cats
Provide high up places to hide
Spread cat’s scent around house with wet cloth
What are the two stages/strategies of coping with stress?
Passive - hiding and inhibition
Active - restlessness, marking, vocalisation, aggression, self mutilation, obesity
How can multi-cat households be organised to coexist peacefully?
Territory/space and resources for each social group
How may social groups be identified?
Draw diagram with all cats names on - draw lines between social interaction
