Carrier Training Your Cat

Posted on November 8, 2020November 11, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Carrier Training Your Cat

Cats tend to be homebodies. Most are not very fond of traveling. However, with some training and attention to their needs, trips to the vet and even cross-country do not need to be a traumatic experience.

Choosing A Carrier for Your Cat

There are lots of options out there. The traditional plastic box works well; it is secure and easy to clean. Make sure the top is easily removable – some carriers have more bolts (9+) than necessary. If you have one of these, you can often remove about 1/3 of the bolts even if your cat is heavy.

There are more and more styles of fabric carriers – if you are looking for one, choose one that has side panels that open up, or a top that zips open. Think: How will you get your cat out of the carrier? How will you get him back in (if he is reluctant)?

Make sure the carrier is big enough. Cats are masters at squeezing themselves into small spaces but the carrier needs to be comfortable in case your cat must stay in it for a bit. Your cat should be able to stand up and turn around in her carrier.

Method #1- Feeding in the Carrier

Using method #1 for carrier training your cat, you will feed your cat in his carrier.

Place your cat’s food bowl near his carrier. Over the next few days to a week, you will move the food closer to the carrier, then put it just inside the carrier, then finally put it in the back of the carrier.

Gus was trapped as a feral cat. He was reluctant to enter the carrier, so we removed the lid for him.

Once Gus was comfortable eating in the bottom of his carrier, we placed the top on the carrier without the gate.

Once he was willing to eat in the carrier with the top on, we introduced the gate.

First, we had him eat with the gate open; the next step was to close the gate for a minute. Some food on the gate helped him stay calm for this.

Method #2 – Using Targeting

Carrier training your cat using method #2 is based on a clicker training technique called targeting.

you start by luring your cat to the back of bottom half of her carrier using the target stick.
once she will sit in the bottom half of the carrier calmly, place the top on the carrier. Have her enter following the target stick and then sit.
work up to having her stay for the count of 5
once she is calm with this, close the door and have her stay for the count of 5

Extra Credit:

Once your cat is comfortable in her carrier, lure her in with a snack or target stick, close the door and move her to another room. Upon arriving in the other room, open the door and reward her with a snack!

Make sure to take your time. Cats are individuals and some learn faster than others. You may need to break up the training into smaller steps if your cat is reluctant to enter the carrier. Gus, a former feral cat, is leery of things that may be traps – it took longer for him to accept the carrier than Zelda, who appears in the video above.

A Better Vet Visit for Your Cat

Posted on November 1, 2020February 3, 2023 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

A Better Vet Visit for Your Cat

From Your Cat’s Purrspective…

You know something’s up – your carrier is out. You hide under the bed but your human pulls you out and proceeds to squeeze you into the dreaded box.

You swing along in the air and then are loaded into a larger box that moves and smells funny.

You finally stop moving and swing through the air some more and arrive at another house where you smell lots of other animals. Oh no, not this place again! You can smell other cats – most of these cats too are afraid. As you move through the fog of smells, you arrive in a small room with a metal table.

A strange human opens your carrier door and tries to coax you to come out – you’re not sure what is out there but now your carrier seems like a good place to stay. Suddenly, your world tilts and you slide out of the carrier onto the cold, hard table.

You hiss your displeasure. Another strange human proceeds to look into your eyes, put a hard plastic thing in your ears, and presses a cold metal disc against your chest. Then, the strange human pokes you with a needle and you are finally allowed to escape back into the dreaded carrier – at least, it has taken you back home before.

A Better Vet Visit for Your Cat – What We Can Do

CHOOSING A CARRIER.

The plain-vanilla plastic carrier sometimes is the best option – safe and secure, easy to clean, and sturdy.
For your veterinary team, the removable top is a bonus. It allows your vet team to work with your cat in a place he knows – the bottom of his carrier.

MAKE YOUR CAT’S CARRIER A SAFE PLACE.

It should have a comfortable blanket or towel in it that smells like her.
Leave the carrier out a home – your cat may nap or play in the carrier.
Offer some food close by or in the carrier for her to enjoy.
Play games in and around the carrier.

Cat and Car — Athena is ready to get in her carrier for a ride!

TAKE KITTY FOR SOME RIDES THAT DON’T END UP AT THE VET.

Start with short rides, maybe just around the block.
Work up to longer rides to pleasant places – if you have a cat stroller, you could work up to going for walks in the park.
ALWAYS move at your cat’s pace – if he is hunched up and hiding, slow down and shorten the ride.

HANDLE AT HOME FOR A BETTER VET VISIT FOR YOUR CAT

Take time at home to handle her feet and head
Work up to gently lifting her upper lip to look at her teeth.
Get her used to being picked up.
Make sure to reward her with tasty treats!

Spray Carrier Facial Pheromones — Spraying the carrier with feline facial pheromones signals that this a familiar place.

SPRAY THE CARRIER WITH SYNTHETIC PHEROMONES 20 MINUTES BEFORE THE RIDE

BRING SOME TREATS ALONG TO MAKE THE VISIT MORE PLEASANT.

Limit kitty’s food prior to the appointment
he will be more willing to eat some treats

Finicky and Fat Cats: How we affect the way our cats eat

Posted on October 25, 2020October 30, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Finicky Cats and Fat Cats: How we affect the way our cats eat

Finicky cats

Cats are notorious for being picky eaters – the pet food industry has responded to this by coming out with more products with different textures, tastes, and novel ingredients. We know that cats can taste the amino acids in food and are discriminating when it comes to spoilage and quality of protein in their food. Are they really that picky? What does my cat taste?

It is natural for you to become concerned or frustrated when your cat eats a few mouthfuls and walks away. You may think that she does not like the food so you offer a different type; you offer the food again, trying to coax her to eat. When we become increasingly involved in our cats’ eating, we may inadvertently cause stress and anxiety for them.

Your cat may not be finicky – he has a small stomach and can only eat so much. Perhaps the meal portion is too large – smaller frequent meals suit his physiology better. How to Feed Your Cat : Feeding Multiple Small Meals

Leave That Cat Alone!

Surefeeder for Cat — Athena’s Surefeeder opens only for her. Note the bubble on the back to keep the other cats out.

My oldest cat, Athena, is 15 years old and has chronic kidney disease. The younger cats in the house want to eat her food and would wait close by while she eats to get what she leaves. Athena would eat a few mouthfuls and leave. I started to follow her around with the food dishes to make sure she had an opportunity to eat. She often would walk away from me and the food bowl. She was losing weight!

The Problem

Athena should have a diet with a phosphorus binder in it due to her kidney disease
She needs to have food available for grazing throughout the day that other cats can’t eat
She needs to access her food herself without an over attentive owner (me!) hovering over her.

A Solution

Athena is offered 1 tbsp of food twice daily at the same time the other cats are meal fed.
The cats are spread apart (over 6 feet away from each other) while eating.
We bought Athena a microchip feeder and put food for day and night time grazing in it.
Her chip feeder is in the second floor bedroom where she spends most of her time during the day.
I don’t follow her when she is done the twice daily feeding – I allow the younger cats eat her leftovers that are not in the chip feeder.

The Fat Cat -How we affect the way our cats eat

The fat cat has no reason to prowl around looking for food
Food is left out in the same place every day
In multi-cat homes, it is not uncommon for all cats to eat in the same place
The fat cat may gorge himself to make sure other cats don’t eat his food
A bowl of food left out for our fat cat to graze on may trigger self-soothing activities such as over-eating and over-grooming

Solutions for our fat cats…

Feed several smaller meals – measure them!
Place food in different locations – keep him moving
In multi-cat homes, feed the cats apart and use individual bowls
Consider microchip feeders to restrict access to other cats’ food

Don’t forget you can feed on different levels – cats who prefer high spaces may like to snack up on the cat tree or other high space!

How Much Should I feed My Cat?

Cats, like people, are individuals and some can eat more than others and remain slim. Below is a link to a chart of weight and calories. Calorie amounts for indoor cats are on the lower end of the range. Calories for most cat foods can be found on the package or on the manufacturer’s website.

Calorie Needs for Healthy Adult Cats

My cat should lose weight…

measure what your cat eats
evaluate their body and muscle condition
weigh them
do not adjust their calories by more than 10-20% at a time
consult with your veterinary team to make sure your cat gets the right amount of calories!

How to Tell if Your Cat is Fat

Frequent meals – happier cats?

A recent study found that once daily canned feeding for cats may help with weight loss. One group of cats had 90 minutes to eat 198 kcal canned food once a day. The second group were offered the same amount of food in 4 feedings, 20 minutes long.

Although group 1 consumed less calories than group 2, the cats fed 4 x daily were observed to be more active, particularly during the daylight hours (when the staff was around).

Frequent meals stimulate your cat and keep him from becoming bored and depressed. Frequent meals also increase your interaction with your cat.

Once-per-day feedings for cats

Daily Food Portion Cat — Gus looks at his daily food allotment. Treats count!

How to Tell if Your Cat is Fat

Posted on October 18, 2020October 18, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

How do you tell if your cat is fat?

Cat on Baby Scale — This scale does not tip when your cat walks on it. I have added a non-skid mat.

You can weigh her. The easiest way to do this is to purchase a baby scale. There are many brands online for purchase – check the customer reviews. You will not be putting the scale through the heavy use a veterinary clinic does, so one of the less expensive ones should work. I prefer the style that does not have a separate tray – these do not “tilt” if your cat backs up or steps on the edge.

But weight does not tell the entire story…

The Body Condition Score – how do you tell if your cat is fat?

assigns a number between 1-9 to your cat
uses your cat’s profile
uses how much fat covers the ribs
uses how big is the fat pad on her belly
a score of 1 is skeletal
a score of 9 is very overweight
a score of 5 is JUST RIGHT!

The BCS ( Body Condition Score chart ) in 3 steps

Look at your cat from overhead
Look at your cat from the side
Feel your cat’s ribs

Your Cat from Overhead – your cat should have a “waist” between the end of his ribs and his hips

Your cat from the side – your cat should have a “tuck” when seen/felt from the side – this is separate from the loose flap of skin on the belly

Your Cat should have a tuck when seen from the side — Zelda as she lost weight: Left – BCS of 9, and BCS of 6

Feel Your Cat’s Ribs

Feel your cat’s side with FLAT fingers – you should be able to feel her ribs; there will be small layer amount of fat
If you have to “dig” (turn your fingers in ) a little, her score may be a 6 or 7
If you can’t feel her ribs at all because of the fat covering, she is most likely a score 8 or 9 – she will have a rounded belly with an easily felt fat pad.

if your cat is long-haired, it is much harder to score her visually. You will have to feel her waist and “tuck” through the fur.

Muscle Condition – part of your cat’s body condition

How do you tell if your cat is fat? Check her muscle condition.

Use your fingers to feel the muscle along either side of the spine.
What you are feeling for is the thickness of the muscle.
A healthy young cat’s back muscles will feel like the outer edge of the palm of your hand.
As your cat ages or becomes sick, the muscles will thin out and feel more like the balls of your hands (MILD muscle loss).
Further aging and disorders like chronic kidney disease can reduce muscle mass further. The muscle will feel more like the backs of your hands (MODERATE muscle loss).
With very old or very sick cats, the vertebrae and pelvic bones become more pronounced and feel more like your knuckles (SEVERE muscle loss).

You can assess your cat’s muscle condition when you are stroking her – think of it as a back massage!

Feeding Your Cat – Choosing a Food

Posted on October 4, 2020May 7, 2023 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Feeding Your Cat – Choosing a Food

Cats evolved as predators. They get most of their nutrition from meat. They have small stomachs and short gastrointestinal tracts designed to digest animal protein (meat). Cats are what we call “obligate carnivores” -they must eat meat, unlike dogs and humans who are omnivores (eat a combination of plant and animal foods).

Cat hunting treat ball — Zelda “hunts” some dry food from a treat ball

So what do I feed my cat? A diet high in protein.

How much protein?

Feral cats consume of diet of about 52% kcal of protein and 46% kcal of fat.
Nutrient Profiles of Feral-Cats
Adult domestic cats when given the choice, eat 52% kcal protein, 36% kcal fat and 12% kcal carbohydrates
Protein and carbohydrates provide about 4 kcal per gram of food, while fats supply 9 kcal per gram of food.
A 100 kcal portion of food of choice for an adult domestic cat would contain about 13 g protein, 4 g fat and 3 g carbohydrates.
The guaranteed analysis on the pet food label refers to weights of the nutrients.

The Label on the Cat Food

Pet food is regulated somewhat loosely – the The Association of American Feed Control Officials or AAFCO is an organization with no actual regulatory authority although individual members may have jurisdiction in their countries. The FDA is a member of AAFCO and has regulatory authority in the United States.

AAFCO sets recommended standards for nutrient levels and ingredients in pet food.
Most pet food manufacturers make their food to meet or exceed these requirements.
AAFCO also provides models for feeding trials.
AAFCO recommends a minimum of 26% crude protein in cat foods.

Don’t Forget the Water!

The label on a can of Purina Pro Plan canned cat food reports a minimum protein of 10%. The food has a maximum moisture level of 78%. The canned food has 100%-78% = 22% dry matter. Per 100g, 10g are protein, 78g are water resulting 12g of dry matter. 10g/22g = 0.45. Multiply by 100 to get 45% of crude protein dry matter.

Comparing Pet Foods

Maintenance Diet Label

Label Maintenance Cat Food — This a label for a maintenance diet for Maine Coon cats.

Note the protein exceeds the minimum of 26%. This food is for maintenance of adult cats.

Restricted Diet Label

AAFCO cat kidney food — The feeding statement on this label says the food is for intermittent feeding.

This is a label from a food designed for cats with kidney disease – it is lower in protein than a maintenance diet. It should be fed under the direction of a veterinarian. You may see this type of label on food toppers and other products that are not a balanced diet.

Feeding Trial Label

This food was tested by being fed to a cats in a research setting. Cats are monitored by evaluating their weight, stool, urine, and blood periodically.

The feeding trial is the GOLD standard to evaluate a pet food. Most pet foods are recipes and few pet food manufacturers can afford to maintain colonies of cats to feed the food to and monitor their health. This falls to the larger, more established pet food manufacturers who can afford this expense. If you see the feeding statement on the bag or can, you know cats have eaten the food and thrived.

Canned or Dry?

Cats will thrive on an all dry diet as well as a 100% canned diet. Cats appreciate variety and feeding your cat a mixture of canned and dry may fit the bill.

Canned Foods

canned cat food meal feeding — Canned foods lend themselves to meal feeding.

most of the time (but not always) has more protein than dry food
provides water to your cat
cats in the wild get most of their water from the prey animals they eat
Canned foods lend themselves to meal feeding

Dry Foods

Dry cat food in puzzle feeder — Dry foods are easy to use in puzzle feeders.

convenient
do not spoil when left out
work well in puzzle feeders, that can provide your cat with some much needed stimulation while you are away
Like potato chips for humans, dry cat foods are formulated to be tasty and are often high in calories.

Feeding Your Cat – Which Food?

Choose a food that lists meat and/or fish at the top of the ingredient list.
Choose a food that meets the AAFCO nutritional minimums.
Choose a food from a reputable manufacturer, one that employs a veterinary nutritionist
Beware of marketing that targets us, the owners. For example, some brands offer cranberries or blueberries in their foods. While not harmful, there are no clinical studies at this time that show the benefits of these ingredients to cats.

Train Your Cat to Sit

Posted on September 27, 2020April 2, 2023 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Train Your Cat to Sit

Teaching a cat “tricks” or behaviors is much more than just entertainment for us. Having a cat learn to do something on cue allows you to communicate with him. Training can give your cat physical exercise and keep him from becoming bored and restless.

Clicker training pairs a clicking noise (made by a “clicker”, fingers snapping, “mouth click”) with a reward. When your cat responds to a cue to do something and hears the “click”, she looks forward to receiving a treat, head rub or other reward. The behavior is positively reinforced by receiving the reward and your cat is more likely to repeat the behavior when cued.

Why Train Your Cat to Sit?

train cat to sit — Athena begins to sit as she targets a treat

Let’s say it would be handy for your cat to wait while you fix his dinner or you need him to sit still so that you can look at his teeth or eyes – train your cat to sit!

Getting Started

Choose a time that the cat is calm and up and about. Avoid situations with distractions – have a quiet room where you can have one-on-one time with your cat.

Have treats your cat likes and aim for a time when she is hungry. If she is free fed, you may need to pick up food a few hours before training. If kitty is on a special diet, you may need to train close to meal times and use her regular food to reinforce her.

First, teach your cat that

Click = Treat

This will set the stage for further training and communication.

Train your cat to sit by “targeting” and clicker training

let your cat see and smell the treat
hold the treat in your hand and raise it slowly up and over kitty’s head
he will “target” the treat. When he sits, click and give him the treat.
Repeat 4-5 times a session.
After kitty has mastered this, add a verbal cue “sit” – say “sit”, and move your hand over his head.
When kitty starts to sit, click immediately. You can give the reward once he is seated but make sure the CLICK HAPPENS AS HE STARTS TO SIT.
After several sessions, the cat should sit on cue. Some cats will take longer to learn this than others.

TIP: Start with holding a treat in your hand, then move to having the cat “target” on your hand or finger without the treat.

“Shaping” the “sit”- teaching “stay”

We can use the word, “stay”, and a hand signal, an open hand, to cue a longer sit.

Say “stay” as you slowly move your open hand toward your cat.
Click and treat if your cat is still sitting as you count to 3; otherwise lure her back and start over.
Extend the sit counting to 3-5 seconds. Click and treat if she is still sitting.
work up to a 15 second sit
establish an “OK” cue to mark the end of the sit; you could say “OK” and have the cat target your pointed finger and move away. Be sure to click and treat the “OK”.
when working with my cats, I use the words “all done” combined with a hand signal where I cross my open hands back and forth several times

TIPS:

Make training sessions short – 5 minutes or less
For hearing impaired cats – use visual cues
For sight impaired cats – use auditory or olfactory cues
If you are using food, be careful feeding the treat directly from your hand – cats do not see well really close up and may inadvertently nip you trying to get the treat.
Mark the end of all your training sessions with an “all done” signal

Training Your Cat: Targeting

Posted on September 19, 2020January 9, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Training Your Cat to Target

Training your cat is a way of communicating with your cat. In Training Your Cat = Communicating With Your Cat, we talked about pairing a “click” with a treat or other thing your cat values. You can make the click noise with your mouth or with a gadget called a clicker.

Basic Vocabulary: “Click” means “Treat”

You can’t say to your cat, “if you sit quietly on that mat, I will reward you” because words don’t mean anything to him. We must find other ways to communicate what we are asking for: Capturing, Luring, Targeting and Shaping.

Capturing

If your cat is already does a behavior, you can “capture” it by simply waiting until she does it, then click and treat. You mark the naturally occurring behavior using the clicker, reinforce it with a treat or reward, and then link it with a cue.

Luring

If you need to get kitty’s attention, you may need to “lure” him with food or a toy; for example, you may “lure” him to the area of the room you are using for training by having him chase a wand toy.

Targeting

If you use a stick or your finger to point to a spot on the floor and your cat moves toward the stick or your finger, the cat is “targeting” the stick or finger. Training your cat to target will make it easier to tell him to move from place to place.

Shaping

To fine tune a behavior, for example, to make your cat walk further when leashed, you can “shape” the behavior by rewarding him for going a little further on his leash.

Training Your Cat to Target

What you need

Treats your cat values. (The reinforcers can be something other than food but food is the easiest to use).
A stick – for example, you can use a chopstick
A clicker (or you can click with your mouth)
For the gadget oriented, a click stick combines both functions; some are telescoping!

Tips

TIP: Train when your cat is likely to be hungry: pick up food a few hours before training if free fed; use her food as reinforcers if she is on a special diet.

TIP: Dip your target stick in a moist treat; if your cat is a dry food addict, rub the tip of the stick in some crushed treats to get the smell on the end of the stick.

Targeting: Step by Step

Allow your cat to approach and examine the stick
When he touches the stick, click and treat
Repeat 4-5 times

If your cat loses interest, try training later
Frequent and short training sessions work best
Make sure you have a quiet environment, free from distractions

Treating is key part of training – like people, cats don’t like to work for free. Make sure the reward comes at some point – once your cat hears the click, she will look for her reward. Make sure to reinforce her!

The Cat-Human Bond

Posted on September 6, 2020July 3, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

The Cat-Human Bond

Cats and humans started their relationship 10,000 years ago. It was a symbiotic relationship – the cats ate the mice that fed on the grain and, consequently, the farmers were able to keep more of their grain. The relationship has changed over the years – we no longer need the cat’s mousing abilities but value their independence, and cleanliness; they also fulfill a social need for many, a chance to care for another creature. The cat receives food, shelter, and social interaction.

How Cats See Us

When we adopt a cat, we take over the role of the mother cat, particularly for kittens. We provide food, comfort and security. Cats, who have been house-raised and are well socialized with humans, seek out and enjoy human company.

Cats that are not particularly well socialized with humans view us as a valued resource – a source of food and care. These cats may think of us big, clumsy cats and rub against our legs, and sniff our hands. These cats are not inclined to solicit attention unless they want something. What Makes a Friendly Cat? A Good Pet Cat?

The Tale of Gus…

Gus was trapped when he was about 2 years old. He had become a neighborhood nuisance, prowling around and fighting with other cats. After being neutered and undergoing 6 months of drug therapy (for agression and anxiety) and training, he became tolerant of humans and now lives in a multi-cat home. His behavior contrasts with his housemates, 3 house raised-cats. He does not engage in “snuggling” or sitting with humans; he rubs up against our legs and monitors our activity with regard to feeding times and walks. A human is a big, clumsy cat that provides food and shelter, not a surrogate mother for Gus, a tamed, previously free-roaming cat.

The Cat-Human Bond: How We see Cats

Cat are not little people in fur suits. It is easy to treat them this way and attribute human motivations to the things they do. We cannot totally understand why cats do things – we see their behavior through the lens of our human experiences. To successfully understand and interact with cats, we must empathize not anthropomorphize.

The Cat-Human Bond – Empathy vs Anthropomorphism

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.
Empathy can help us understand why cats do what they do.

Anthropomorphism is attributing human characteristics to animals or objects. The famous meme of Grumpy Cat attributed a sour disposition to a cat afflicted with feline dwarfism. She looked as if she were scowling, and therefore “grumpy”, to humans. Per her owners, she was a friendly cat who liked to be held and snuggled.

Empathy

I had a bad tooth and it was painful – maybe my cat’s bad tooth hurts too.
If I were small and a giant scooped me up without warning, I would be frightened. Maybe I should greet my cat before picking her up.

Anthropomorphism

My cat pees on my clothes just to be mean.
I did not feed my cat on time so he punished me by scratching the carpet.

When we anthropomorphize our cats, we are expecting a human response from them. Cats are designed to hunt and eat mice, mate and raise kittens – they are not capable of understanding human ideas of right and wrong. If your cat pees on clothing you left on the floor, she may have a bladder irritation, she may like the soft texture of the cloth on her paws, or another cat is blocking her access to the litter box. She is not trying to be “mean” or spiteful. What does my cat feel?

Your cat may be tuned in to feeding time but he can’t read the clock. Scratching is a normal behavior for him – it feels good and he is marking his territory. He is not able to connect scratching the carpet with your displeasure.

Don’t expect human responses from your cat. Instead, try to put yourself in her paws and view the world from the Feline Purrspective!

Socialization in Cats – How Much is Enough?

Posted on August 21, 2020January 14, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Socialization in Cats – How Much is Enough?

Socialization in cats continues until they are 3-4 years old. However, they learn best when they are younger, ideally at 2-7 weeks of age.

How much socialization does a cat need?

Early Adoption…

A kitten’s instruction in the language of Cat begins with his mother, aunts, and litter mates in the cat colony. Once weaned, he continues his studies with other juveniles and adults in the colony. When we adopt a kitten at 8 weeks or so, we interrupt socialization in cats.

If the kitten joins a home with friendly, well-socialized cats, she will be able to learn the nuances of cat social behavior. She should thrive and prosper.

Adoption into a household of where the cats are not socialized or where our kitten is an only cat may result in a confused and fearful kitten.

Orphan Kittens…

These are kittens where the mother cat is absent due to death or abandoning her kittens. Kindly human volunteers will undertake the raising of these kittens by hand, bottle feeding them, cleaning them, weaning them, providing play and social opportunity.

Without interaction with other cats, an orphan kitten will grow up like a “feral child” and may never be able to respond to social cues from other cats. Aggression towards humans is common among hand-reared kittens.

The Tarzan syndrome
Tarzan, a fictional character from the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels, is a human child raised by apes after the deaths of his parents when he is an infant. He miraculously learns to speak and briefly joins society as a young adult.

Accounts of “feral children “are not science fiction like Tarzan. These children are often fighting and competing for food with the animals they join. The outcome of these cases depends on when (at what age) the children are abandoned to survive on their own and when they are brought back to society. Many of these feral children may not ever be able to speak and socialize normally with other people

Keep hand reared kittens with their litter mates for socialization. The kittens can learn from each – if one kitten bites another, he will get bitten back. He will learn boundaries this way.
If you are planning on an early adoption (kitten is less than 6 months old), consider adopting two kittens, preferably members of the same litter or kittens of a similar age.
It can be risky to introduce small kittens (less than 16 weeks) to adult cats. Adult cats who have no experience of kittens will not know how to deal with them.

If you opt to introduce kittens to older cats, SUPERVISE AT ALL TIMES. Make sure your older cat is vaccinated for upper respiratory diseases and feline leukemia (if he goes outdoors). Gradual introduction is still recommended. A pair of kittens may still be your best bet in this situation and give you time to introduce all the cats at their own pace.

Not enough socialization…

After the euthanasia of their male cat, owners of a female cat decided to adopt a new cat. They were smitten by two 10 month old male cats they found at a rescue for dogs. The two cats were litter mates and had been at the rescue since birth.

During several months of keeping the young cats separate from the older female cat, gradual introductions, pheromone therapy and time-sharing, the larger of the two young cats repeatedly attacked the female cat.

What happened?

The young cats were not able to read the social cues (body language, olfactory cues) of the older cat. Their time at the dog rescue did not include socialization with cats other than their litter mates.
The larger male kitten was fascinated with the older cat but also fearful of her. He attacked what scared him.

A Happy Ending

The “aggressive” cat has since been re-homed as single cat to another household. He is affectionate to his human family and doing well. The remaining male cat has started to bond with the older female.

What Makes a Friendly Cat? A Good Pet Cat?

Posted on August 15, 2020January 14, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

What makes a friendly cat? A good pet cat?

Nature

Nature is the genetic makeup of our cat.
studies show that kittens of friendly fathers are more friendly
there are breeds of cats known for their disposition

TICA: Meet Our Fabulous Felines

Nurture

Environment
Experience
Diet
Some of the things that can affect a kitten’s development.

Nurture is “In Addition to Genetics”

The science of epigenetics studies modifications to our DNA that don’t change the DNA sequence. The epigenome refers to chemical compounds that are attached to your DNA. Exposure to pollutants, what you eat and stress are some things that can result in certain compounds attaching to your DNA and turning particular genes on or off. These changes remain as cells divide and may pass from generation to generation.

What makes a friendly cat? A good pet cat?

Nurture and the “Sensitive Period”

Our kitten learns most efficiently during the “sensitive period”,
“Sensitive Period”: 2-7 weeks of age
Rapid growth of neural cells makes learning easier.
The learning that happens during the “sensitive period” prepares our kitten for the social and physical environment she is born into.

End of the Sensitive Period

At 7 weeks, this “golden time” of learning closes – the fear reaction becomes established in our kitten. She will become more cautious and careful from now on. Caution and wariness are crucial to her development as a solitary hunter. She will continue to learn and develop socially but will not be as open to new experiences.

Human contact

Kittens who are handled kindly and gently by a variety of humans during the “sensitive period” quickly learn to accept people and enjoy being with them. The positively socialized kitten generalizes what he learns about individual people to people in general.

Rough, insensitive handling can make our kitten aggressive and fearful of people for life.

Exposure to Human households

Kittens exposed to the environment in human homes during the “sensitive period” adapt quickly to electronic devices and appliances, other animals, and living indoors. They learn that the noise of the vacuum cleaner, although unpleasant, is not life threatening.

Diet

Kittens are more willing to try new foods at this time, although they follow their mother’s lead (if she is there) in choosing what to eat. Good nutrition helps our kitten develop.

The Feral Cat…

A feral adult cat is not accustomed to human handling or human environments. Human beings appear large, intimidating and potentially predatory to a cat who is not familiar with them; our behavior must also seem unpredictable.

The feral cat views each person/unfamiliar situation as potentially dangerous – he does not have an established frame of reference for people and their environment.

Feral cats do not have what makes a friendly cat; a good pet cat.

These cats may become accustomed to individual humans in a particular environment. They remain leery of humans in general and may react aggressively toward them due to fear. The same level of learning that is achieved from being introduced to humans and their homes during the “sensitive period” is difficult to make happen during a cat’s adult life. Successful integration takes longer, and can be very stressful for the cat in question.

That friendly stray who wanders into your back yard for snacks has had some positive experiences with people. A truly feral cat lives in the shadows, avoiding human company.

Kittens exposed to people, human households, other animals (cats, dogs, etc) when they are 2-7 weeks old are generally more flexible in dealing with new situations. These cats are generally accepting of people and make better pets. When choosing a cat for a pet, try to find out as much as you can about what she may have experienced during her “golden time” of learning.