Feline behaviour Flashcards
Domestication in cats
Domestication occurred later than dogs
Associated with farming and storage of food
Cats were attracted by rodents that were after the stored food
Cats co-evolved with us
Useful for rodent control
Small so not a threat to people
Self sufficient
Unlike other domestic animals, do not work for or with us.
Social behaviour in cats
Cats can be solitary animals.
Cats may also live in colonies.
Usually consist of a group of related breeding queens and their offspring
May include one or more males.
Or toms may live individually with large ranges than can overlap several colonies.
Queens and toms may collaborate in raising kittens.
Even in a colony, have own space.
Always hunt alone: ambush hunters
There are genetically friendly and unfriendly cats.
The friendly cats are like dogs – very social; the unfriendly cats are “fiercely” independent.
Cats are somewhat nocturnal creatures – more active during the evening and early morning
Neonatal phase in cats
Birth-2 weeks
Born blind and deaf.
Eyes open between 2- 16 days
Hearing development is complete by 4 weeks of age.
Minimal social interaction
Require stimulation from queen to urinate and defecate.
Suck milk from queen
Cannot regulate body temperature or self-groom.
DO: handle gently, but only for brief moments
Their sense of smell is well developed and is used for gathering social information.
Open their mouth and curl their upper lip.
Kittens are born with a very acute sense of touch.
Will turn their head towards whichever side they are touched.
Front paw pads are sensitive to vibrations.
Vibrassae on the body are very sensitive.
Mystacial, superciliary, genal tufts, mandibular, and carpal
Early socialization of cats
3-8 weeks
This period of development is crucial if we want the kitten to live with humans.
Vision finishes developing
They begin to eat solid food.
Begin walking.
Gradually stop sucking.
Develop bladder control, begin to use the litter box.
Start to play, groom, eye colour changes, teeth erupt.
Early socialization do’s of cats
Provide kittens with food and fresh water.
Gentle handling and play by multiple people.
Expose to a variety of safe people and pets.
Consider socialization classes if available.
Provide litter boxes.
Low side
Scoop twice daily
Use unscented litter.
Get the kitten used to the carrier as a safe place.
Provide toys, novel experiences, kitten proof home, a custom them to being examined.
8 weeks is a good time to wean and rehome.
Early socialization of cats don’ts
Rough play with kittens
Play hide and seek as you are the one being sought out.
Do not isolate!
Remember this also has a fear period.
Preparing a new home for kittens
Kitten proof home
Block small holes kitty can escape into
Move strings and cords out of reach or tie up
Set up a ‘base camp’
Off limits to other pets (gradually introduce)
Only admit children with supervision
Comfortable bed
Litter box
Food and water (keep away from litter box)
Toy(s)
Cardboard box to play/hide in
Scratching post – with both vertical and horizontal surfaces.
Play with kitty lots.
Short periods frequently
Gradually introduce to house
Kittens/cats may not like being stroked.
May scratch in response.
Late socialization of cats
9 to 16 weeks
Eating solid food
Social play peaks
May be conflicts.
Vigorous exploration and climbing
Make sure they have a safe place to climb in
late socialization of cats do
Continue social education.
Cats that are not socialized to people prior to 12 weeks.
Wild and impossible to handle.
Larger litter box?
Minimum 1.5 x cat’s length
Provide vertical climbing spaces.
Vaccination
Adolescence in cats
17 weeks – 1 year
Reaches sexual maturity.
If not neutered may:
Spray/urine mark inside house
Fight
Roam
Owner should:
Continue to play and reward friendly activity.
Positive reinforcement and environmental enrichment required.
Microchip
Re-evaluate litter box size.
Requires mental stimulation – train your cat.
Adult stage in cats
Mature at about 2-3 years.
Social play decreases
Owner:
Reevaluate litter box size.
Play and reward good behavior.
Rotate toys, environmental enrichment is key.
Grooming behaviour in cats
Kittens start grooming at about 2 weeks of age.
Spend about half of their awake hours grooming.
Grooming or level of cleanliness is learned early from the queen and litter mates.
Often the first thing to change when ill.
Has four main functions:
Maintain healthy skin and coat.
Reduce heat (evaporation)
Affiliative behaviour between cats
Calming or communicative
Territorial behaviour in cats
Cats defend their territory and mark it:
Pheromone glands in the cheek, tail, and paws
Can scratch mark surfaces.
Defecate and leave uncovered in obvious places to mark territory.
Urine marking in cats
Urination problems are the number one behavioral problem in cats.
Urine marking
More common in intact males, can also be seen in females.
Spraying
Tail raised.
Treads on front feet
Smaller volume
Mark vertical surfaces
Occasionally small volume urination on horizontal surfaces
Urine marking of cats in the home
A high density of cats in the home contributes to spraying.
Spraying increases from 25% in single cat household to 100% in a 10-cat household
Intact males or females in heat are most likely to spray.
Urine marking in cats - treatment
Neutering, especially before sexual maturity
Spraying is also a learned behavior so the older the cat when neutered, the less likely neutering will eliminate spraying.
Decrease the motivation for spraying.
Deter other cats from coming onto your property.
Prevent your cat from seeing outside cats.
In a multicat house, separate cats that are not getting along.
Includes litter boxes and sleeping quarters.
You can try to reintroduce when you can supervise.
Make the specific place unwelcome.
Place their food or litter box in those particular spots.
Clean the areas with enzymatic cleaners – eliminates the odor.
Do not use ammonia-based cleaners.
Spray surfaces with synthetic facial pheromone designed to create calm and friendly behavior in cats i.e. Feliway
Drug therapy may work.
Anti-anxiety or anti-depressant drugs
Remember physical punishment does not work on cats.
Non marking urination of cats
Squat urination
On average twice a day
Ideally in a litter box
Digs with forepaws to make a pit.
Ideally for more than 4 seconds
Squat and urinates.
Creates a puddle.
May cover urine with substrate.
Urinate in home territory.
Cats Prefer:
Clean litter box (clean twice a day) – so do people
Litter box at least 1.5 x cats’ length
Can be narrow (10 cm +)
Sweater or small dog box
Fine substrate
Convenient quiet, private, clean location
Have one more litter box than number of cats
Cats with huge urinations and only eliminate once a day are behaving abnormally.
Basically, trying to keep their legs crossed hoping to find a better option.
Sometimes they can’t hold it anymore and choose the bed, the laundry or the carpet.
Holding urine can lead to urinary tract disease.
Abandonment of the litter box
There are several reasons or combination of reasons for a cat to abandon its litterbox or use it inconsistently.
The most common causes are:
Surface preference
Location preference
Litter box aversion
Stress
Smell
Surface preference of cats for litter box
The cat has decided that a surface other than the litterbox is preferred because:
Box is not maintained.
Substrate
Generally fine grained or softer substrates are preferred.
Unscented
About 4 cm deep
Covered or open
Individual variation in cat’s preference
Once a cat has learned to use another substrate (i.e. the carpet or quilt on the bed) it may remain the preferred substrate, even if litterbox is improved.
Suitable location of the litter box
Do not put litter boxes in closed spaces.
Good locations: rooms with more than 1 doorway, along a long wall of a large room
Poor locations: under the stairs, in closets etc.
Needs an escape route.
At least 3m away from food
This is extremely difficult in a clinic setting.
In the core of the cat’s living space
Cats don’t like to go for a hike to use the litterbox.
Defecation of cats
One to three dumps a day
Usually in a pit in the litter box
Defecation in the open is used to mark territory.
Socially interactive toys for cats
Toys on string
Feathers on sticks
Laser pointer
Solitary toys for cats
Plastic bottle with kibble and holes to let kibble out.
Kongs, mice
Box with holes and food inside
Box to hide in
Videos / window
Round plastic shower curtain rings (either linked together and hung or individual to bat around)
Plastic rolling balls – ping pong or practice golf balls (the ones with holes in them)
Paper bags
Cardboard rolls
Soft stuffed toys
Catnip or honeysuckle
Environmental enrichment cats
Exercise wheel
Cat run
Regularly make small changes to make your cat adaptable.
Switch toys up
Move the food bowl to different elevations
Catnip
Herb from the mint family.
The active ingredient is Nepetalactone.
Works through olfactory stimulation.
When cats smell catnip they can exhibit different reactions:
Excitation
Sedation
No reaction at all (seen in about 30% of cats).
Because the Nepetalactone reaction is genetically linked.
The reaction lasts 5- 10 minutes but cannot be evoked again for at least an hour.
Destructive behaviour in cats treatment
Treatment comes in the form of redirection.
Training has 3 components.
Provide an appropriate scratching surface.
Teach cats to use the new surface.
Discourage use of inappropriate surface
Destructive behaviour treatment Redirect the behavior by providing a suitable scratching surface.
Vertical or horizontal depending on cat’s preference.
Should be as long or tall as the cat is when fully stretched
Material type is important!
Sisal, Rug
Location, location, location
Teach the cat to use the new appropriate surface:
Placed near where the cat is inappropriately scratching.
Show the cats, with your hands
Play with the cat around the post inducing them to scratch it – when they do…praise them.
Gradually move the post to a different area
Discourage use of inappropriate areas or surfaces during destructive behaviour of cats
Double sided sticky tape
Upside down plastic rug runners
Tinfoil
Sandpaper
Aversive odour – using cotton balls (risk as to cats heightened sense of smell
Shake a tin can full of change if inappropriate scratching
Offensive/defensive aggression in cats
Fight or flight response
Seen during conflicts over resources or when a cat is fearful.
During aggressive encounters, cats often growl, hiss and spit
An offensively aggressive cat tries to make himself look bigger and more intimidating.
A defensively aggressive cat adopts a self-protective posture and tries to make himself look smaller.
Offensive posture in cats
A stiff, straight-legged upright stance
Stiffened rear legs, with the rear end raised and the back sloped downward toward the head.
Tail is stiff and lowered or held straight down to the ground.
Direct stare
Upright ears, with the backs rotated slightly forward.
Piloerection (hackles up), including fur on the tail.
Constricted pupils
Directly facing opponent, possibly moving toward him
Might be growling, howling or yowling.
Defensive posture in cats
Crouching
Head tucked in
Tail curved around the body and tucked in
Eyes wide open with pupils partially or fully dilated
Ears flattened sideways or backward on the head.
Piloerection (hackles up)
In an anxious cat, whiskers might be retracted. In a fearful cat, whiskers might pan out and forward to assess distance between himself and the danger
Turning sideways to the opponent, not straight on
Open-mouthed hissing or spitting
Might deliver quick strikes with front paws, claws out
territorial agression in cats
Cats attempt to avoid rather than confront.
Distance signalling is used.
Scent markings
Rubbing
Scratching
Defecation – not being buried.
Time budgeting
predatory agression in cats
Cats hunt
Frogs, small mammals, birds as large as ducks and pigeons
Stalk quietly
Sprint towards prey
Kill prey with a cervical bite.
Prevention of predatory aggression
Tinned, meat diet.
Cat bibs / bells
Don’t let the cat outside.
Redirect
Play with a toy or laser pointer.
Redirected aggression in cats
A common problem resulting in several bites
Cat aroused by a visiting cat/prey in the yard.
Cannot do anything because of windowpane
The owner or other pet approaches the aroused cat and gets bit.
May not be inhibited.
May be a considerable amount of time lag between arousal and bite.
If cat appears aroused, distract with a toy
Play aggression in cats
A common behavioural issue
Cats hone hunting skills through play
Cats display two different types of play behavior:
Solitary play is directed toward objects, like toys, skeins of yarn, paper bags, boxes, and rolled-up paper.
Social play is directed toward people or other pets.
There is no rage, no vocalization, and no emotion.
Note: cats have a limited ability to express emotion
Predatory play behaviour in cats
Stalking, chasing, pouncing, ambushing, grasping, biting
Attack is usually in the form of an ambush and is quick…stealth.
Generally, involve at least one fierce bite and shake.
Bite inhibition can be learnt through kittens with kitten play.
Do not play rough with the kitten, it will learn to play rough back!
Redirect play to a toy or give other enrichment.
Petting aggression in cats
Some cats don’t like being petted (for long)
They may give warning signs.
Quickly turn head towards hand
Twitching the tail
Flattening ears and rotating them back
Restlessness
Typically:
Inhibited bite
Runs away.
May return rapidly as a friendly cat.
No, it still does not want to be pet
Play using a toy.
Or just let sit next to you.
Pain aggression in cats
Painful cats are crotchety.
Particularly if handling is painful.
Causes of anxiety for cats
New surroundings, smells, sounds, people, car ride, crate, sound of other animals , etc
Neutral posture in cats body
Laying on their side
Eyes ½ open
Ears slightly to the side or erect
Tail is still.
Relaxed tail in cats
horizontal with a light curve
twitching tail inc ats
agitation or high arousal
Thrashing or tip flicking in cats tail
approach with caution
Quiver or shake rapidly tail in cats
spraying urine, excited or in a friendly greeting.
Held high moving back & forth tail in cats
a friendly gesture.
Held high with piloerection tail in cats
fearful or defensive aggression
Tucked tail in cats
fear
Inverted L tail in cats
offensive aggression, or conflicting motivations (fear/offensive)
Head posture in cats
Stretched forward – investigating or greeting.
Upright – alert, offensive, defensive, or fearful
Held at midline with chin slightly down – disinterest, non threat, or relaxed.
Tucked – fear or aggression
Eye posture in cats
Half open – relaxed or neutral
Prolonged direct eye contact – threatening
Dilated pupils – play, high arousal, excitement, fear, or defensive aggression – or medications
Constricted pupils – content or offensive aggression
Ears posture in cats
Forward or slightly to the side – neutral
Slightly back to flattened – fear and possible aggression.
Back or to the side – offensively aggression
Perked forward – interested.
Flicking in one direction – listening to something in that direction
One ear up & one ear flattened back – in conflict
Whiskers/mouth posture in cats
To the side – relaxed
Forward – interested or aroused in a offensive threat
Back or held along the cheeks – fear or non threat.
An open mouth is common during vocalization.
Yawning – either signaling a non threat , content, or trying to diffuse tension
Vocalization in cats
Purr and meow – friendly interactions and greetings
Cats who are ill or severely injured will purr - believed to be self soothing.
Increase your distance from me – hiss, growl, shriek, spit, and yowl.
Yowl or howl – distressed
To determine if a cat is safe
Approach the kennel or the carrier.
Call the cat.
Look into the kennel and watch its behaviour
Unlike dogs, looking directly at a cat does not provoke aggression (still not advised)
Best restraint for a cat is the least restraint.
Friendly cats behaviour in a kennel
Front of kennel
Purring
Body relaxed
Meows
Tail relaxed.
Ears and eyes directed towards you.
Leans in towards you as you approach
Rubbing face and body on door of kennel
Friendly cats outside of a kennel
Approach you
Meow
The tail is raised almost vertically.
Rolling directed towards a person may be a friendly gesture.
May rub against humans.
Remember: even friendly cats may bot like being pet
Defensive aggression in a kennel from cats
Back of the cage
Eyes open wide
Direct stare at you
Ears back
Body tight - may be crouched
Tail
Wrapped around body.
Lashing extended behind cats
Raised hair coat.
May hiss, growl, swipe, or lunge if approached.
Do not reach out too – they will bite like dogs.
Offensive aggression in kennels by cats
Front of cage
Ears forwards
Growling
Swiping
Biting
Possible safety steps with cats
PPE
Gloves
Glasses
Towel
Cover head
Restrain body.
Cat muzzle
Sexual behaviour in cats
Females reach puberty at 3.5 to 9 months.
Males reach puberty at 7 months +
Queen: seasonally polyestrus
Tend not to come into heat in winter.
Cycle is about every 2- 3 weeks.
Heat lasts 4 to 10 days.
Signs of estrus in cats
Obvious personality changes in the female
Rubbing head and neck
You and furniture
Meows a lot.
Tries to escape.
Raises hind end when stroked, tread ground with back legs.
Vocalization
Restlessness
If touched on back they will crouch on forelegs and elevate the hind quarters (lordosis)
If a tom is near a queen approaching estrus
Approaches the tom and crouches before him.
Frequent treading and moaning
Lifts her hind quarters and crouches on her front limbs.
Lordosis
Accepts tom.
Tom bites and holds scruff of queen’s neck.
Grasps with front paws
Queen licks genital area after mating
How long is gestation in a cat
approximately 2 months
First stage of labour in a cat
Queen purrs and socializes
May find/build a nest.
Up to 36 hours if first litter
Second and third stage of labour in cats
fetuses and placenta
Placenta is greenish black.
Removed and eaten by the queen.
How long does labour and parturition last in cats
Labour may be interrupted for up to 36h
Parturition takes 4 to 42 hours.
Dystocia concern?
More than 20 minutes of intense labour without a kitten
