Exam 1 - Common Behavior Problems in Cats Flashcards
T/F: 83.9% of owned cats show at least 1 undesirable behavior
true
T/F: 41.3% of cats surrendered to an animal shelter were surrendered because of a behavior problem
true
what is the major complaint of cat owners that resulted in surrendering?
37.7% house soiling behavior
T/F: if the owner is moving, it is best to put the cat on stress medication
true
T/F: when owners adopt a cat, 45% report a problem behavior within 3 months
true
why do cats scratch on furniture?
it is a normal behavior - declawed cats will still show the behavior
how can a cat that scratches furniture be managed?
treat the environment - change it, cover/remove furniture, cover with a shield/sticky paws tape
limit access - scat mat or cover with uncomfortable material
provide appropriate scratching post at the site - encourages use of it, but retraining takes a long time
how can you protect the environment for a cat that scratches furniture?
topical nail treatment - trim claws regularly, soft paw caps, declaw the cat as a last resort
how can furniture scratching be prevented in cats?
teach kittens to use a scratch post - make vertical/horizontal posts available with a rough texture that snags nails
why do we see problem behaviors of attacking ankles/biting in cats?
variation of predatory aggression - stealth attack on things that move (seen as play in kittens)
normal part of hunting - no opportunity to chase rodents
encouraged by rough play with owners
why do we see problem behaviors of biting while being petted in cats?
sitting on lap being petted & suddenly bit - usually inhibitory bite
jumps down, starts licking themselves
pleasure of being petted ends - similar to someone scratching your back, cats can’t say thanks, bites to make grooming quit & jumps down with grooming as a displacement activity
vaguely aware something has it - bites in defense, realizes error when fully awake
static electricity - cat feels micro shocks, escapes the lap, grooms to reduce static
how can we treat ankle biting behavior in cats?
toys with motion, no rough play, & confinement at times
how can we treat biting in cats when they are being pet?
stop petting before the biting occurs if predictable
don’t pet the cat when it is on the lap
eliminate the cat being on the lap
why do we see biting in cats when they want food or attention?
learned behavior - usually inhibited bite
how do we treat biting in cats when they want food or attention?
ignore them & don’t feed
mild punishmnet
when do we see problems with biting in cats that play rough?
they learned to play rough when young - never corrected
how do we treat cats that play too roughly?
all play is with toys, get another cat of the same age
mild punishment - sprays or shaker can
what is the background of a cat that needs too much attention?
behavior has been rewarded in the past, highly social cat, owner’s level of responsibility is not realistic
how can we treat a cat that needs too much attention?
schedule attention - gradual reduction, do favorite things, everyone in family participates
what are some common objects involved in pica in cats?
telephone cords, fishhooks, sewing needles, & things that move
how do we treat pica in cats?
management!!! prevent access or taste aversion (not very successful)
what are some reasons we see anorexia in cats as a behavioral problem?
cat can’t smell
learned in associated with a negative aspect (something bad happened with the food)
must have access to food
how do we treat anorexia in cat as a behavioral problem?
provide access to good quality food - ideal temp is 95 F
treat medical disorders - feeding tubes frequently needed
what are some causes of behavioral overeating in cats?
neutered cat - caloric needs reduced by 30%
decreased exercise, caloric dense food, & orphaned/malnourished animal
how do we treat behavioral overeating in cats?
use reduced calorie food or feed less per day - make gradual changes
minimize snacks - use reduced calorie snacks
what are some potential problems with feeding multiple cats separately with microchip collars?
occasionally a 2nd cat will join or a large dog may destroy it
why can feeding multiple cats separately in different rooms be a problem?
if one cats only eats a small amount at a time
why do we see prolonged sucking behavior in cats?
common in early weaned/bottle raised kittens - usually outgrow part or all of the behavior
may suck human skin (earlobe, finger, arm, underarm) or directed towards another animal (teat, prepuce, manubrium) often seen with kneading
how do we treat prolonged sucking behavior in cats?
avoid access to sucked object
behavior modification - taste aversion
what is the background of wool sucking behavior in cats?
oriental breeds predominate - trait can be hidden in mixed breeds (siamese color is recessive)
usually begins around 6 months - suck or chew on wool life objects
how do we treat wool sucking behavior in cats?
limit access to one object - linear foreign bodies have not been reported
why do we see cats jump on tables/counters as a problem behavior?
behavior is rewarded - tall height & food rewards with intermittent reinforcement
how do we treat cats that jump on tables/counters?
remote punishment - must give them alternative high perches
what is the background commonly seen in cats with problem behaviors of waking their owners?
cats tend to be active in the early morning - half asleep owner thinks cat is hungry & rewards the behavior
how do we treat cats with behavioral issues of waking their owner?
ignore them for increasing lengths of time
confine them out of the room or in another part of the house
do something else before feeding them/giving them attention
why do we see problem behaviors in cats with knocking things over?
fills their need to interact with things that move giving them an internal reward - they don’t have any mice to chase or have few interactive toys
often associated with water - started because of thirst, accidentally knocked glass over & turns into form of entertainment
how do we treat problem behaviors in cats with knocking things over?
ignore it (cat thing)
management - block access to the objects/room, remove target objects, take the fun away by using weighted glasses/use sticky tape to hold objects
behavior modification - remote punishment with sticky tape, scat mat, blow dryer
why do we see problems when introducing to cats to one another?
owner adopts a kitten and has an adult cat at home
adult cats are asocial while kittens are social
how do we manage introducing 2 cats to each other?
give older cat time alone & confine the kitten
play interactions of kittens start to decrease at ~1 year of age
get 2 kittens so they can interact with each other
or get an older cat instead of a kitten
T/F: when introducing 2 adult cats, 39% of introductions take at least 1 month & 11% don’t work
true - method of introduction didn’t make much of a difference
what are some factors that suggest aggression will continue between 2 cats?
aggression was present at the first meeting & the cats have outdoor access
how can we treat problems when introducing 2 cats to each other?
short introductions start at a distance - cats can see each other but can move away if needed
each cat has a separate room with alternate access to the rest of the house - allows them to establish a territory (especially for new cat), & allows cats to get used to each other’s odors
brief times when both doors are open so cats can go out if they want - always confine before any aggression, use distractions, & gradually increase time out together
why can we see problems when reintroducing 2 cats back together?
previously compatible cats no longer compatible - can start as redirected aggression (sees other cat outdoors but can only aggress housemate)
different smell when one returns from the vet - have owners put the cat in a separate room when they get home & use a towel to rub the home cat & then rub the returning cat
how can we treat behavioral problems when reintroducing two adult cats?
complete separation for a few months - each cat has a separate room with alternating access to the rest of the house
brief times with both doors open - use distractions & always confine before any aggression
gradually move food bowls closer together
one or both cats may need to be fed in a carrier
SOME MAY NEVER READJUST PREPARE OWNERS
what background do we see in one cat stalking another?
one cat begins to bully the other with the bullied cat becoming skittish & it tries to avoid the bully
how do we manage one cat stalking another cat?
complete separation for a few months - gradual reintroduction by feeding far apart and gradually moving closer together
pheromones - feliway multicat
drugs: victim cat gets buspirone & aggressor cat gets fluoxetine
T/F: neutering dogs/cats is a common recommendation made to solve behavioral problems but it not usually effective for that purpose
true - removes the animal from the gene pool which is valuable for behaviors that might have genetic tendencies
what are some testosterone based behaviors seen in dogs/cats?
mating, roaming, intermale aggression, & urine marking
what are some estrogen based behaviors seen in dogs/cats?
estrus, urine marking
what are some progesterone based behaviors seen in dogs/cats?
calm of pregnancy & protection of neonates
what are the effects of neutering seen in male cats?
all male behaviors reduced by 90% independent of learning or age & independent on each behavior
increased tendency of weight gain because caloric needs drop by 30%
what are the effects of neutering seen in male dogs?
roaming reduced by 95%, mating/intermale aggression/urine marking reduced by 50% independent of learning or age
what are the effects of spaying seen in female dogs/cats?
stops almost all estrus behavior, stops pseudopregnant behavior (wait until pseudopregnancy is done to prevent estrus return)
increased tendency for weight gain in cats - caloric needs drop by 30%
