Cat Behavior Flashcards
Differences with Dog
Very different social structure (in general don’t have much social structure)
Commensalism vs. dominance/subordination:
* Commensalism: one benefits while other is neither helped nor harmed
Differences in motivation:
* Dogs can be trained by wanting to be in a social structure
* Cats don’t have this, look for other things in training for cats like food
Anthropomorphism
Attribution of human characteristics to non-human object (our interpretation, projecting it onto cat or dog)
* Must be careful of this
Dog and Owner Research
- OWNER SURVEY
- About 900 dog owners, asked if their dog showed different emotions
- About 65% said their dog exhibited jealousy
- Over 40% said their dog exhibited guilt
Research Model with Guilt in Dogs
- Dog was told/shown not to eat a treat off the table
- Dog was left alone with the treat
- Owner came back in (but table could not be seen)
- Owner was asked to determine if dog ate treat or not
* Could not tell
What happened?
* Must be careful of interpretation
* If owner gets mad, dog is responding to the anger - which is a learned behavior. Has nothing to do with eating the treat or not
Cat Social Hierarchy
Wild cats mostly avoid each other
* “Living apart together”
* Daily patterns to maintain spacing
Little evidence of social ranking in domestic cats (may be a most dominant or most aggressive cat)
Feral cats may form a group around a common food source
Reasons for Social Differences
Differences in ancestral animals
Domestication of cats different from other animals:
* Religious animal/connection
* More difficult to control mating of cats (vs. dogs)
* Fewer purebreds today
* So, less selection for behavioral traits
Normal Play
About weeks 4-16
Individually and with other kittens
Improves:
* Coordination
* Social interaction
Mother will start training to hunt ~ 3 weeks of age
Normal Predation
- Different from hunger (has nothing to do with feeding your cat)
- Well-fed cats still hunt
- Will stop eating food if live prey is introduced
Normal Eliminative Behavior
- spraying
- urinate to mark territory
- usually bury feces
Normal Scratching
- Leaves scent
- Sharpens claws
- Strengthens muscles
Normal Vocal
Calling
Mating cry
Growl
Purring
Can be sign of calm or anxiety
Many forms of aggression
Inter-male (males may fight)
Fear-induced
Pain-induced:
* If in pain or in fear of something
Territorial
Kittens and Attachment
- Daily handling for 40 mins + each day
- Weeks 2-7
- Increased attachment behaviors later in life for those who had been handled as kittens (were calmer and more attached to humans)
Pica
Abnormal Behavior
Chewing/eating non-nutritional items
* Plant eating (considered abnormal)
* Wool sucking
* Siamese cats known for this
Redirected aggression
Abnormal Behavior
“Stress release” - something else has stressed cat, and you happen to be the one walking by - will attack you
Can be toward another cat or toward humans
* Solution often to remove original stressor
Petting induced aggression
Abnormal behavior
- Cat may be over-stimulated (?)
- May just be a sign that the cat has had enough
Top 4 Reported Behavior Problems
- House soiling
- Pet-to-pet problems
- Aggression to humans
- Destructive behavior
At least 28% of cats surrendered to shelters are due to behavior problems
Considerations with Behavioral Problems
Is it an owner problem (i.e., a normal cat behavior that the owner just doesn’t like?)
Common reasons for cat behavioral problems:
* Stress/frustration/boredom
* Improper socialization
* Genetic problem
* Medical problem
Behavior Treatment Options
Client education
Environmental modification
Behavioral modification
Drug therapy
Reinforcement vs. Punishment
Positive reinforcement - often works well
* Treats, petting, etc. to reward desired behaviors
Punishment (should be very short term)
* Vocal “no” - stops them. Then shift them on to a positive behavior
* Squirting with water often works
* Removal of petting, treats, etc, (maybe?)
Need to be careful with punishment
* May be associated with caretaker
* Response may be difficult to predict
Timing and Training
- Timing is very important when training
- Timing should be specific to behavior, otherwise will train them in something else
Not Using Litter Box
Check health of cat - (ex. Painful urination can be associated w/ litter box)
Check litter box:
* Location
* Size and number
* Presence of stressors
* Cleanliness
* Residual odors
* Type of litter
Other changes:
* added pets
* diet changes
Cleaning “accident areas”
- Clean well
- Eliminate odors - if it smells like litter box, they will keep going there
- Do not ammonia-based cleaners bc there is ammonia in cat urine
- Can put food bowl in that area
How to deal with Scratching
Get a scratching post (or 3!)
* Try to match consistency of what they are scratching
* Find one they like
Cover material - to keep cat off of something bc they don’t like the feeling
* Double-sided tape
* Aluminum foil
De-claw? Controversial, (last-resort)
