Why Do Cats Roll Over?

Posted on April 18, 2021April 18, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Why do cats roll over?

There is nothing like a good roll if you are a cat.
Zelda dashes outside and makes a beeline to one of her favorite rolling spots. She flops down and wriggles back and forth over on to her back with her legs in the air. Her chosen spots have very fine dirt and her dark brown coat changes to a sandy color when she is done.

Zelda’s housemates also indulge in rolling these spots with the fine powdery dirt. It does not matter to Gus that he is wearing his harness – that gets coated with a fine layer of dust too!

Rolling requires that a cat feels safe and secure, after all, the full body roll exposes the vulnerable belly.

When do cats roll over?

when playing with toys, especially those catnip toys
greeting friendly cats and humans
when inviting another cat, human, or dog to play
female cats in heat roll over in front of prospective mates
female cats also roll vigorously after mating
cats roll when they are feeling good and find a good spot!

Other thoughts on why cats roll over

Some folks think that cats of a lower social rank roll in front of higher ranking cats. It would seem risky to expose your belly to a cat who may not respond in a friendly way. Why not just try the tail up signal – at least, you would be on your feet ready to run if the other cat is aggressive.
Another idea is that cats are spreading scent on the ground from glands in their skin. You would think if this were the case, cats would be sniffing the ground carefully before or after they roll. I have not seen my cats do this.

The feline purrspective…

If your cat flops down in front of you and rolls over on his back, it is a friendly greeting. He may be feeling playful and is up for a few rounds of laser tag or a session with that wand toy with the feathers at the end. He is feeling good, and feels safe and secure.
Greet him and allow him to sniff your hand, before giving him a head rub and perhaps, some playtime.

Although it may seem that he is begging you to rub his belly, most cats are just letting you know that they feel playful, safe and secure. Your cat may view rubbing his tummy as aggressive and respond with teeth and claws! Of course, there are cats who seem to enjoy a belly rub. Make sure that you know the cat before putting your hand into the “bear trap”.

Why my cat holds his tail up

Posted on April 11, 2021April 17, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Your cat’s tail helps him balance when he is running, jumping and doing the high wire walk on the fence railing. Your cat’s tail can also tell you a lot about his mood. Is it gently swishing side to side? Flicking back and forth rapidly? Puffed up with the fur standing on end?

With some cats the tail is always in motion, unless they are asleep. Gentle swishing side to side may indicate your cat is attentive and focused on something. The tail starts flicking back and forth rapidly when your cat has sighted prey or is getting ready to pounce, on a mouse, toy or another cat. This may not be the best time to snuggle!

Of course, when the tail is puffed up like a Halloween cat, owner beware! It may be that your cat or kitten was startled by something, is fearful or ready to go on the warpath! Take care when handling her.

You may see a cat hold his tail up, almost vertical. Sometimes there may be a little hook at the end or the tail might droop over his back toward his head.

Why my cat holds his tail up…

This posture, called “tail up”, may just indicate that a cat is confident and happy. However, “tail up” also gives cats a way of signaling each other that they are friendly and don’t want to fight. Cats being solitary hunters want to avoid fighting and injury. If they are injured, they will have difficulty hunting and may starve.

Using “Tail Up”to Communicate

When a cat approaches another cat with his tail up, he is signaling the second cat that he has friendly intentions. Let’s say that the other cat holds his tail up in response. If the two cats are members of the same social group, they may then proceed to touch noses or rub up against each other.
If the second cat does not respond with a “tail up,” the interaction may end.
Cats often approach humans with a tail up. Community cats will acknowledge their human care takers with “tail up” at feeding time. Owned cats acknowledge their owners as part of their social group with a “tail up”, often followed by a head rub.
The “tail up” signal may also indicate some social ranking in the cat colony – a cat holds his tail up when approaching another cat with a higher social standing.

Researchers presented neutered male feral cats with a silhouette of a cat with its tail up and another silhouette of a cat with its tail down. They found that the cats were quicker to approach the tail up silhouette and were more likely to respond with a “tail up” signal. The cats tended to adopt a more aggressive posture when approaching the tail down silhouette. [The social function of tail up in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) S. Cafazzoa,∗, E. Natoli]

Where does tail up come from?

We will probably never know exactly how the tail up signal originated. We do know that kittens approach their mother with their tails up and often rub against her chin, perhaps soliciting food. Kittens will also approach other adult cats with their tails up, discouraging an unfriendly response. Kittens most likely learn the tail up signal from their mothers.

Lions with tail up — https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/stories/something-roar-about

That other social cat…

Interestingly enough, tail up is also a greeting behavior shown by the other social cat, the lion. Both domestic cats and lions form social groups clustered around a core of related females. The lion and domestic cat both belong to the family felidae but are members of different genera -the lion belongs to the Panthera, the cats that roar; our cats belong the genus Felis, the cats that purr. Most likely, the “tail up” signal evolved separately in each species in response to similar social pressures.

The domestic cat forms social groups when there is plenty of food available. Over the centuries, cats have developed the “tail up” signal to let other cats know that they are friendly and do not wish to fight.

Aggression Between Cats After a Vet Visit

Posted on April 4, 2021April 4, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Aggression Between Cats After a Vet Visit

Zelda, my 5 year old Maine coon cat, went into the vet clinic on a Tuesday to have her teeth cleaned and to finish her lion cut that I started the day before. Zelda did well with anesthesia, teeth cleaning and lion cut. Upon returning home, Zelda stayed in the master bedroom for a few more hours for her anesthesia to wear off.

In the past, there has been some aggression between cats after one of the cats comes back from his or her veterinary visit. In particular, Gus, my former street cat, has been aggressive towards the other cats when they come home from the hospital. So, I made sure that the Feliway multi-cat pheromone diffuser was plugged in and bagged up the blanket Gus sleeps on for Zelda to use in her carrier on the way home.

In spite of all my precautions, Gus was agitated and aggressive not only with Zelda, but also with the older cats, Marley and Athena, when I let Zelda out of the bedroom for dinner. Not only did he strike at the other cats when they got too close, he went out of his way to strike at them if they were out of reach.

Cat in his safe place — Gus is in his chair in his safe place, the back office.

The aggression between cats continued into Wednesday and I found myself starting to lose my patience with Gus, who was the instigator. So time for some “tough love” – Gus was asked to go to his safe place. The door was closed and he spent the afternoon in the back office with some treats and his snuffle mat.

His attitude was much better when he was released at dinner time. The next morning, Thursday, Zelda greeted him with a quick lick that he was not overly enthused about but he accepted.

What is the take-away here?

The smell of the vet clinic is disturbing to Gus – he associates it with unpleasant experiences. I also think he finds it confusing and frightening when his housemates smell like the hospital – he is not sure who they really are and this makes him anxious and afraid.

The safe place smells familiar and is quiet. It conveys a feeling of calm and safety and this helped Gus change his emotional state. By the time dinner came around, Zelda’s “hospital” smell had faded a bit more and the dinner routine helped reassure Gus. He remained calm and did not go out of his way to swat the other cats.

Going to the safe place is not a like the time-out used with human children. The time-out spot for children is a spot with minimal stimulation and away from other people. The idea is to remove the child from whatever was reinforcing the undesired behavior and have him/her calm down, link his or her behavior to the wrongdoing, and change it.

Your cat will not link misbehavior with being isolated (human toddlers have trouble with this also). The safe place is not a punishment – it has all your cat’s resources (litter boxes and toys) and allows you to remove him from whatever is stimulating the “bad” behavior, in this case, the aggression between cats. The safe place should convey a feeling of calm to your cat and change his emotional state, from one of possible arousal and fear to one of calm and security. Once your cat feels calm and secure again, you will be able to interact with him and communicate with him – he should be able to respond to any training he has had. In this case, if reintroduction is not successful after some “quiet time”, you may need to try a more gradual reintroduction. See Introducing Cats: A Short Guide

Happy Easter from The Feline Purrspective! Click on the egg for cats playing an Easter game!

Cats Protecting Other Cats

Posted on March 28, 2021March 28, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats Protecting Other Cats?

I take my cats on walks around my townhome complex. The grounds are quiet with mature trees and open spaces between the clusters of homes.

The other day, Zelda, the Maine Coon cat, and Gus, my ex-street cat, were ambling along the sidewalks, stopping to smell things and poke around in the vegetation. Zelda was a few feet away from me. Gus was over noodling around in what was left of a snowbank.

A mixed breed terrier (about 25 lbs or so) lives in one of the townhomes near where we were walking. She is an active little dog who usually runs around to check out the cats but typically the cats stand their ground and the dog is recalled by her owner.

Today was different. The terrier rounded the corner behind us and made a beeline for Zelda. Startled, Zelda ran; I lunged for Zelda but was not quick enough and the dog went off in hot pursuit. Zelda runs like a baby elephant – she is not a sprinter! The dog was closing in on Zelda.

I started after her when something grey streaked by on my left – Gus was running with the terrier in his sights! He reached the terrier just as she was reaching Zelda and collided with the dog. The terrier returned to her owner tout de suite!

Gus turned his attention to Zelda. At first, I was worried about a possible cat fight, but he proceeded to herd her back to the front door of our house. I found the two of them sitting quietly by the front door. Needless to say, our walk was over for the moment.

I did not expect that Gus would run the terrier dog off but I was sure glad he did, because I was not going to get there in time to prevent any injury to the dog or Zelda.

We expect this kind of behavior from mother cats protecting kittens but not from cats that did not grow up together.

Cats are known to be solitary hunters that group together to take advantage of plentiful food sources. Cats do not hunt together like a lion pride but the females can share the work of raising and feeding the kittens as do lions. What motivated Gus to help his housemate?

There are numerous videos online where cats protect children, dogs run off coyotes attacking cats, and mother cats protect their kittens from dogs and humans. Videos of cats protecting other cats are scarce. Of course, the video would be hard to get – the last thing I was thinking about was filming the whole thing!

Years ago, a similar incident happened with my two older cats, Athena and Marley, while on our daily walk. Marley had gone ahead to the pond. I was behind Athena when a large red fox (they weigh about 30 lbs) showed up on the walk. Athena froze. Before either Athena or I had a chance to move, the fox bolted past us with Marley on his heels. Once the fox was on his way, Marley returned and greeted both Athena and me.

Why would a cat be aggressive toward another species in these situations?

Threat to his territory?
Threat to a his own safety?
Hunting trigger – was the dog or fox behaving like prey?
Cats protecting other cats?

Why not avoid the predator, slink away and keep yourself safe?

Although the myth persists that male cats will eat kittens, many cat colonies have affiliated male cats. These males will band together with the female cats to protect the kittens from strange male cats(Organization in the Cat: A Modern Understanding) Presumably, the colony might band together to a drive off a threat such as a coyote or pack of dogs.

Gus was a community cat – he grew up living with other cats on the streets. Perhaps Gus has experienced a situation when he was a street cat where his group of cats banded together to protect the kittens or the colony from a pack of dogs. Although he and Zelda did not grow up together, they groom each other’s heads when meeting, indicating that they are part of a social group, an ad hoc “colony”.

Affiliated cats — Gus and Zelda are not a bonded pair but do groom each other.

More than just the availability of food “glues” the cat colony together. Perhaps another benefit is member cats protecting other cats: they have “got each others’ backs!”

Your cat gets aggressive when playing…

Posted on March 21, 2021May 5, 2022 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Owning a cat does not mean that your arms and legs should be covered in bites and scratches. Is there anything you can do if your cat gets aggressive when playing?

First of all – understand “Play” for a cat is hunting practice and it is serious business.

Hardwired to Hunt…

Your cat is good at detecting fast motion – his eyes can process over 60 visual images per second. By comparison, we are able to process 20-30 images per second. Your cat is designed to detect the quick, rapid movements of mice and other rodents. Motion is what attracts him – if the prey “freezes” for long enough, it may get away to live another day.

A successful hunt ends with the capture of the prey. Sharp teeth and claws put an end to the game.

Why your cat gets aggressive when playing…

It may seem cute to let your kitten climb your legs, and pounce on your hands and feet. When your kitten grows to be a large cat, fully equipped with sharp teeth and claws, this kind of play can be dangerous.

Even if you use gloves and let your cat bite and scratch the gloves, she is still viewing YOU as PREY. After all, your arms are connected to the rest of you!

Cat bites and scratches easily become infected. Make sure to clean any bites and scratches with plenty of soap and water. Seek medical attention for bites and scratches that break the skin.

So, you feel your cat gets aggressive while playing. What can you do when he wants to play rough?

Use toys that keep your hands and feet away from him.
Don’t play games that have you pretending to be prey – if you want your cat to run after you, drag a string along behind you so that the string, not you, is the focus of his attention.
Zelda plays with a toy mouse on a wand toy.

What if your cat initiates “rough play”?

What is happening?

Stalking and attacking your legs and feet?
Wrestling and attacking your hands?
Stalking and pouncing on you or the kids?

When does it happen?

When you arrive home from work?
When you are working and not able to pay attention to your cat?

Where does it happen?

Does the behavior occur in a certain place in the house?

THE PLAN: DISTRACT YOUR CAT BEFORE THE “ROUGH PLAY” STARTS

Some examples…

Your cat attacks your legs and feet when you come in the door from work.

Have a basket of toys on a table near the door.
Direct her attention to a wand toy or catnip mouse BEFORE she starts to attack you.
If your cat does manage to complete the pounce, FREEZE – don’t run away, she will “hunt” you

Your cat pounces on you when go through the hallway

This often starts as playing “peek-a-boo” around the corner. It usually goes away on its own, but some more bored cats may make a game of it.
Have a cache of toys nearby or some treats that you toss BEFORE you get to the corner to distract him.
Or have a laser pointer in your pocket if this behavior happens at different corners
If your cat does manage to complete the pounce, FREEZE. Do not reward him by acting like a prey animal trying to get away.

Your cat attacks your arm and hands while you are on the sofa watching TV

Have a cache of toys on a table next to the sofa
If you can intercept your cat before he launches on to the sofa, toss a treat or toy and direct him to it with a laser pointer.
If he gets you in a “clawed” embrace, FREEZE. By not moving, he should lose interest in you.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

A sturdy sheet of cardboard and long pants/sleeves, socks and gloves can shield your legs, feet and hands during the “re-training” period. “Protective gear” will make staying still a bit easier.

Your cat gets aggressive when playing…Other things you can do.

Keep your cat busy and happy.

Consider meal-feeding her with food puzzles – she can hunt for her food and not you!
Have a regular play time around the same time every day.
Set up a “safe place” for your cat to go when things are getting too stressful

Planning ahead – Set up a “Safe Place” for your cat

A safe place should be a place your cat feels secure
A safe place should have all her resources in it
It could be a spare room or hallway with the doors closed

Put your cat in her safe place

when you are working
when there is just too much going on
when she becomes overstimulated

Your cat is a superb hunter. Make sure that he does not view you, your hands or feet as prey. Seek professional help if the simple strategies outlined here don’t work!

Cats are territorial

Posted on January 23, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats are territorial. What does this mean for cat guardians?

An outdoor cat’s home range is the maximum area he roams and hunts in. Within the home range is a smaller area that the cat will actively defend – his territory. Inside this defended area is a smaller area called the “core territory”, where the cat can rest, has shelter, and feels safe from predators and other cats.

Free-roaming cats establish their territories around food supplies. They remain solitary hunters and don’t share prey with other cats. Access to food, water and places to rest and shelter are some reasons why cats will fight with each other. Having a secure, established territory is essential to the free-roaming cat’s survival.

When cats move inside, their territories shrink and the house becomes the territory. Home ranges still apply for cats with outdoor access. Within the house, cats will choose their core territories – their safe places where they go to nap and feel secure.

In my 4 cat household, Athena and Marley choose the master bedroom as their safe place, with comfortable resting places, water and access to a litter box; Gus’s safe place is the back office; Zelda floats between the office and the master bedroom.

What are the threats to the territory of the indoor cat?

Outdoor cats: Neighborhood cats that come in the yard or come to the windows of the home may be seen as a threat by the indoor resident cat(s). The threatened cat may strike out at humans or other pets nearby because he can’t get at the cat outside but is prepared to defend his territory.
Other resident cats: Cats are territorial and remain territorial when they are kept indoors. There are often multiple social groups in a multi-cat home. Cats of one social group may guard resources such as litter boxes, food and water from cats of another group.
People, other animals, inanimate objects: Although territorial behavior usually involves other cats, cats may see other species or things as threats to their resources and well-being, as threats to a secure territory.

You will see your cat rubbing her face against walls and furniture. She is depositing pheromones from glands in her face to mark the area as safe. Cats also routinely mark areas by scratching, releasing another pheromone from glands in their paws, an olfactory signal to other cats that they passed by. This is normal behavior that the cat guardian needs to accommodate by providing scratching post and cleaning the “whisker walls” sparingly. Maintain the colony scent..

If your indoor cat perceives a threat, he may feel the need to mark the house with urine (sometimes feces) to establish the house as his territory. He also may respond to the “threat” with aggression.

It is up to the cat guardian to understand that cats are territorial and ideally modify the environment before marking or aggression starts.

What you can do:

Diagram social groups cats — There are 3 social groups in this 4 cat household.

Outdoor animals: Restrict access to your yard if you can. “Critter spikes” can deter some cats and raccoons from scaling fences. A motion activated yard sprinkler can also be effective. You may wish to cover windows with static cling window film so that cats can’t see out.
Multi-cat conflict: Identify the social groups in the household. Make sure resources are spread out and all the cats in the household have easy access to resources of their choice. Pay particular attention to the dynamics of feeding, using litter boxes, and resting. Make sure that all cats have an opportunity to exercise their hunting skills through play. Set up time-sharing for social groups if necessary.
People, other animals, inanimate objects: Isolate your cat from the stressor or desensitize her if possible. For example, if she feels threatened by visitors, train her to go a safe place out of reach when visitors arrive. Request that visitors refrain from interacting with your cat unless she chooses to interact. Make sure to reward her with something she likes in her safe place. She may elect to leave the room or observe from her safe place.

Bringing a Wild Cat indoors

Posted on December 27, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Bringing a Wild Cat Indoors – A cat tale

This is a story about bringing a wild cat indoors. This is the story of Gus, a cat who was wild in a previous life.

Gus’s story starts in a neighborhood in Colorado Springs, CO. He is a young, intact male who wanders around hunting, fighting with other cats, and seeking mates. He is what we call a “community” cat – an outdoor, free-roaming cat who does not have a guardian. He hunts mice and rabbits but also will eat food that some of the neighbors leave out for community cats.

Gus’s Timeline

Early March 2019: Gus is trapped with a live trap
March 5, 2019: Gus is neutered. He has a weak positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and needs to have an indoor home.
March 25, 2019: Gus starts taking fluoxetine, for anxiety and aggression due to anxiety.
Clicker and leash training begin in early June, 2019.
Gus is adopted on August 2, 2019. Owner continues clicker training and outdoor walks.
Gus is weaned off fluoxetine by late November, 2019.

Gus’s Caretaker at the vet clinic says…

“At first he was absolutely untouchable. I couldn’t enter his room without using a flattened cardboard carrier as a shield to protect my legs from his vicious attacks. As I moved through the doorway, Gus would try his hardest to escape by lunging, striking, and biting at me. Once I was inside, he would rapidly alternate between seeking affection and getting over stimulated. He would often rub up against my leg, become overwhelmed at the sensation, and then hiss, yowl or bite me in response.”

Medication and Behavior Modification

At first, fluoxetine just makes Gus sleepy and dopey.

In a few weeks, he is allowed to roam freely around the veterinary clinic. He is exposed to people coming in and out of the vet clinic.

Gus takes well to clicker training. He begins to enjoy lunchtime walks several times a week.

Gus Today…

Gus is a member of a 4 cat household. He has been weaned off fluoxetine – his final dose was in late October, 2019. He is a little grumpier now that he is off fluoxetine. However, he is not aggressive toward his owners and visitors to the house. He goes for once to twice daily walks on a harness with or without a leash.

Gus is different from his three house raised feline roommates – he does not sleep on the bed; he does not greet his owners with a face rub; he does not sit with his owners but prefers to nap in a back room.

Bringing a wild cat indoors is not always successful. What went right for Gus?

Gus tolerated the behavior drug well. It reduced his fear and anxiety and made accepting his new surroundings easier. He got used to a variety of people at the vet clinic.
Clicker training gave him a way of knowing what people would do. Leash training helped him grow accustomed to indoor life with some exposure to the outdoors he grew up in.
Finally, Gus was a still a young cat when trapped. This gave him flexibility (social learning in cats continues up to 3-4 years of age). He also has a practical and unflappable nature which helps him with new experiences.

Some Thoughts on The Indoor-Only Cat

Posted on December 20, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

I got my first cat when I was 8 yrs old. Marty was a Siamese kitten that came from a litter owned by one of my father’s co-workers. Marty was an indoor-outdoor cat. We did keep up on his vaccines at his yearly veterinary appointment. There were cat fights and he went to the vet frequently to be patched up. My sister got a female Siamese cat and Marty mated with Mischi and a number of cats resulted from this pairing. Marty was neutered when he was 7 years old.

I took him to college with very little thought as to how the outdoor cat would adapt to being the indoor-only cat; he did all right although my college roommates were not taken with his scruffy, tomcat appearance. I adopted two of Marty’s grand kittens with little thought as to whether all the cats would get along. Luckily, the old cat and the two younger male cats (they were neutered) got along famously. Marty lived to be 15 years old.

Changes in Cat Care – Things Are Different Today

In America, many pet cats are indoor cats now. In Europe, the cat flap is still a thing and cats tend to have more outdoor access.
Medical care for your cat has advanced – dental care and treatment for kidney disease and hyperthyroidism are more common now.
The dietary needs of cats are much better understood now. Not only are there commercial diets formulated to meet basic nutritional needs, there are also diets for treatment of medical conditions.
There are not many studies on the longevity of domestic cats but the general consensus is that the indoor cat lives longer than the outdoor cat, being protected from hazards such as cars and disease.

The Indoor-Only Cat

Pros

The indoor-only cat has less risk of diseases spread through interactions with other cats, such as Feline Leukemia, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Infectious Peritonitis.
The indoor-only cat has less exposure to parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, ticks, and heartworms.
The indoor-only cat has little risk of a road traffic accident as long as she does not escape outdoors.
Potentially stressful and injurious interactions with neighboring cats are reduced for the indoor cat – but…indoor cats in multi-cat households can get into fights.
Living indoors reduces the risk of your cat being attacked by larger animals such as dogs and coyotes.
Keeping cats indoors can protect wildlife species that are potentially prey for the domestic cat.

Cons

Indoor cats are have a greater incidence of obesity and associated risk of diabetes. Your cat, designed to be a hunter, can become bored from lack of activity, and soothe himself by eating.
An indoor only cat has less opportunities to engage in predatory behavior than the outdoor cat. Cat guardians must provide these opportunities through interactive and object play.
Urine spraying, scratching and facial rubbing are normal behaviors for a cat. Cat guardians need to provide outlets for these behaviors with scratching posts and areas for facial rubbing and be prepared to address house-soiling behaviors.
Outdoors, a cat has control over its actions; the indoor cat can become frustrated since she is confined.
Indoor cats in multi-cat households may not always get along. Access to the outdoors increases the size of the home territory and allows cats to “space” themselves.

Making the Life of the Indoor-only Cat Fun

Play with your indoor-only cat every day. Laser pointers and wand toys can simulate hunting. Make sure that your cat has a successful hunt by getting a treat at the end or being able to have the toy itself at the end of play.
Keep your kitty on the prowl by feeding multiple small meals a day. Use food puzzles if you like or move feeding stations around.
Be sure to provide elevated places for your cat if she is a climber or boxes and play tunnels if he tends to stay low.

The Compromise

Your cat may enjoy supervised walks in the backyard on a leash. If you venture further, have your cat trained to a backpack or stroller for safety.
A catio can allow your cat fresh air and sunshine in a safe place.

Breakway Cat Toy — This cat toy can be “captured” by kitty. It is attached with velcro.

Feeder with Food Puzzles — Food puzzles are tucked into this automatic feeder. It can be moved to different places making kitty hunt for it.

Cat on Leash — This cat is enjoying a stroll on a leash.

My Cat Household Today

My current household has 4 cats. My two older cats, are 14 and 16 years old and have access to an outdoor yard if someone is home. The younger cats are 4 and 5 years old – their access to the outdoors is by once to twice daily supervised walks. All cats have access to a small catio in the backyard and another on the second story porch.

When cats don’t get along – bullies and pariahs

Posted on November 22, 2020July 17, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Do you have a cat that is picked on by your other cats? Everyone else seems to get along okay but this one cat seems to be singled out for torture. He or she does not fight back, just tries to slink away and hide. You may have heard the term pariah used for such a cat – a pariah is an outcast, someone who is not part of the general social group.

Often, one or more cats will pick on the “pariah”. These feline bullies may..

stalk and track their victim
stare directly at their victim
attack her or him
prevent the pariah cat from using critical resources – litter boxes, food, sleeping places.
Bullies can exist within any multi-cat household – like human bullies, they tend to pick on the timid, old or sick that respond to threats.

Why should you intervene when cats don’t get along…

The victim may develop a stress-related illness due to the constant threat presented by the bully.
A out and out cat fight may result – fear and anxiety can lead to overt aggression on the part of the bully or the victim.
Unlike the outdoor colony, the victim cannot vote with his or her feet and leave.

In an outdoor colony, “membership” is loosely “managed” by the group of core females. If a cat pushes the limits with bullying behavior, the core females may drive him or her off, if they perceive a threat to their kittens or resources.

Our indoor colonies rarely have a group of mother cats at the core – as the surrogate mother cat, the cat guardian must police the bullies and promote harmony in the group when cats don’t get along.

When cats don’t get along: the bully/pariah emergency

First Aid: Separation

Separate the cats involved. You may need to redirect the bully (with a laser pointer, wand toy) to allow the other cat to escape or separate the cats physically and herd them away from each other
Remember cats are socially flexible – they can live alone or in groups. Put your pariah cat in a room of his or her own with litter box, cat tree, food and water while you figure out what to do. The pariah may need to remain in this room for several weeks. Make sure to give him or her attention and play time!

Assess the Situation:

Identify the social groups in the house : identify the bully(ies), the pariah(s) Social Groups of Cats
Evaluate resources – enough litter boxes, feeding stations, water sources? Are these separated so that all cats have access?
Is there enough room for cats to avoid each other? Try to “think like a cat” and draw the paths a cat must take to get to his food, water and litter boxes. These paths must give enough room for cats to pass each other comfortably. Beware of potential ambush spots – you may need to move some furniture.

Houseplan cat resources — A sketch of your home can help with locating resources, eg. litter boxes

Your cat is indoor-outdoor and is being bullied by a neighborhood cat…

keep your cat inside or accompany her when she goes outside
identify the aggressor cat and where he or she comes from
if possible, speak with the owner and find out when the bully cat goes out and see if a time-sharing arrangement can be worked out

Restoring Harmony…

Once you have gotten the cats separated, consider veterinary exams to determine if any of the cats are sick. Sickness can be frightening to healthy cats – their housemate may not smell right or behave quite right.
If all cats are healthy, make a plan to reintroduce cats slowly and gradually with some environmental modifications if needed. Introducing Cats: A Short Guide

Other Options if Aggression continues or become worse…

Consider re-homing the victim.
Under the direction of your veterinarian, give the victim and/or bully anti-anxiety medication and implement a behavior modification plan. If you decide to choose this route, make sure you are willing to work with your cats daily to desensitize them to each other.

When Cats don’t get along: A Tale of Two Siamese Cats

Demian and Rupert were two neutered Siamese cat who had lived amicably for over a year. Rupert would bully Demian, stalking and attacking him; there were no injuries. The tables turned one day and the victim became the aggressor – Demian stalked and attacked Rupert and backed him into a corner behind the toilet in the one bathroom in the 1 bedroom apartment. Demian would not let Rupert move. After separating the two cats, Demian went to stay with a family member for about 10 days. Fortunately, we were able to reintroduce the two cats afterwards.

How Cats Get Along – Timesharing

Posted on November 15, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

How Cats Get Along – Timesharing

Sharing Resources

If there is plenty of food around, free-roaming cats often form groups called colonies. Within the colony, there are smaller social groups of 2 or more cats that prefer to spend time together. Cats belonging to a particular social group, will share food, water, latrine areas, sleeping and resting places.

Social Groups of Cats

Timesharing in the Cat Colony

Cats in different social groups tend to keep their distance from each other. How cats get along is to “timeshare” or “take turns” using essential resources such as resting areas and feeding stations. When one social group is done, another cat or group of cats will move in to use the resource.

Timesharing in the Multi-Cat Home

Like cats in a colony, cats in a multi-cat home timeshare resources. You may notice that different cats will occupy a particular favored resting place at different times. If you watch carefully, you may see a cat watching this place, waiting for the resident cat to vacate the space, before moving in to use the space.

Cats Timesharing Bed — Cats timesharing a resting place – one cat will use this bed if the other is not in it

If there are enough beds, litter boxes, etc. available, this system usually runs smoothly. But if too many cats want the same thing, bickering can occur and more dominant cats may push other cats away from these resources. How cats get along in an outdoor colony may be to vote with their feet and move on – indoor cats do not have this option.

Cat society does not have a rigid hierarchy – there is no alpha male or female. There are simply some cats that have more dominant personalities. Unlike dogs, where a lower-ranking dog will surrender the prize to a higher-ranking dog, cats don’t have a hierarchy that dictates who gets what.

If a fight arises between cats over resources, the relationship between the cats involved may be damaged – they may not be able to tolerate each other after this. Needless to say, if the contested resource is a litter box, cats may be forced to find other places to eliminate and we, as caretakers, will not be happy.

In this video, 3 cats have worked out a way to avoid fighting over the nighttime treats. While not timesharing, the video shows resource sharing set up by cats.

Owner Managed Timesharing

If the cats are unable to timeshare resources on their own, we must set this up for them.

Setting up a Timesharing Plan

Identify social groups

Social Groups of Cats

House map cat resources — A simple sketch of your house can help with locating litter boxes.

Map out locations of the primary resources: feeding stations, litter boxes, resting places, scratching posts

The Cat Friendly Home: Litter Box Basics

Feeding stations for cats — Gus is much more relaxed when eating away from the other cats.

Are there enough feeding stations, litter boxes, beds, scratching posts? The rule of thumb is (#cats +1) or (#social groups + 1)

Are resources separated enough so that cats of different groups can access them?

Can access to these resources be blocked by another cat?

Is there enough room for cats from different social groups to pass each other “out of paw-swipe”?

If resources cannot be spaced appropriately and conflict continues, you may need to keep one social group in another part of the house, while the other is using the main area. Have different social groups use critical areas in shifts. Slow, planned re-introduction may be possible between cats who “have fallen out” with each other. Introducing Cats: A Short Guide

Managing multiple cats in a confined, indoor space is a balancing act. We must ensure that all cats have access to essential resources and be able to use them without fear.