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

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

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.

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.

Cats Playing with Other Cats

Posted on July 26, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats will play with toys on their own and often enjoy an interactive session of play with their owners. You may also see cats playing with other cats.

“Play fighting” is a way for kittens to hone their fighting and hunting skills. This social play peaks around 3 to 4 months of age, although adult cats will still “play fight”. Both feral and pet cats may “play fight” with other cats they are bonded with or familiar with. It is fun to watch two familiar cats wrestling, chasing, and pouncing on each other.

Cats Playing with Other Cats

claws are sheathed
chirrups and trills or no vocalizing
no hissing or growling
cats will take turns chasing and being chased
cats will roll onto their backs
body language is relaxed – ears are forward

If your cats are inclined to play with each other, cardboard boxes, cat tunnels, furniture can be places for one cat to hide and pounce on one another.

If play gets out of hand…

Kittens and young cats often don’t seem to know when enough’s enough. Sometimes things get out of hand.

What may not be play…

one cat exclusively chases another
one cat blocks the other from going through a hall or door
one cat backs another into a corner
Gus and Marley tolerate each other with the occasional spat.

What to watch for:

Be alert to direct stares between cats at “play”
Body language: ears flattened or out to the side, fur on end, lip licking
Body posture: aggressor may have an arched back, hair on end, slowly advance on the “victim”
“victim”: feet under the body, may slowly move away from the “attacking” cat
hissing or growling

Watch this short video of two cats who tolerate each other but are not affiliated.

You may want to manually advance the video to catch the action. Gus (grey cat) and Marley have a brief spat that could be mistaken for play.

The two cats look to the side, then look directly at each other, then look to the side again. Their ears go out to the side, Gus lashes out. He and Marley exchange punches, then Gus retreats and hisses. We need to monitor this duo and ensure that conflict does not increase.

What you can do…

DO intercept a hostile stare or distract the aggressive cat with a wand toy or laser pointer.
DO have a sturdy piece of cardboard and a towel in a convenient place to help separate fighting cats
DO herd the cats away from each other with a sheet of cardboard into separate rooms.
DO isolate cats if necessary and allow them to “cool down”; reintroduce them slowly when they are calmer

Have a sturdy pair of leather work gloves to use with a towel as a last resort -better to herd the cats away from each other with a sheet of cardboard than try to pick them up
SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION IF BIT! Cat bites easily become infected
Consult your veterinary professional if fighting is frequent and injury to humans or other pets occurs

Felines – Family, Friends, Roommates

Posted on May 20, 2020July 3, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats are said to be the most recently domesticated animal – some people don’t even consider them domesticated! Cats have been hanging out with people for about 10,000 years (dogs have been with us a bit longer – 15,000 years). How did they become “house” cats?

As people began to settle down and farm, they began to store grains. The house mouse was not far behind, moving in to share the feast.

Enter Felis Silvestris Catus…

The domestic cat’s closest relative is the North African wildcat – a solitary hunter. At the grain stores, there was plenty of prey in a small area. The mother wildcat did not have to drive off her daughters when they became adults as there was plenty of food for everyone. Some wildcats embarked on a social experiment that resulted in Felis Silverstris Catus, the furr ball who just may be lounging on your keyboard right now.

The Rise of the Cat Colony

The major difference between the North African wildcat and the domestic cat, Felis Catus, is behavior. If there is plenty of food around, Felis Catus tends to form groups called colonies. The core of the cat colony are the females, typically a mother, her sisters, and her daughters. These females share the care of the kittens – they nurse each others’ kittens and even help each other give birth.

Male kittens – not so welcome

They are driven off by their mothers at maturity to avoid inbreeding. They can become solitary hunters like their wildcat ancestors or become attached to an unrelated colony if accepted by the females

INTERESTING FACT: cats from the same litter can have different fathers since the female cat will mate with multiple partners when in heat.

Family

A kitten’s instruction in the language of Cat begins with his mother, aunts, and littermates. Once weaned, he continues his studies with other juveniles and adults in the colony.

Cats tend to show more friendly behavior toward family members than outsiders. Hugs and back slapping are easier to accept from your parents and siblings; it can be downright uncomfortable from someone you barely know. Cats raised together as kittens can form strong bonds – they are often seen grooming each or rubbing against each other.

Friends and roommates

Unrelated cats living together are like school roommates – sometimes they become friends but often roommates just put up with each other. Imagine someone you have never laid eyes on before, showing up at your door with suitcases, ready to move in. Bringing a new cat home is like a roommate moving in. Want to get another cat? Consider…

Some cats are just more friendly than others (genetics);
Some cats have had better social experiences with other cats.
Cats whose mothers/aunts are friendly to other cats also tend to be more friendly with other cats.
There will always be cats that just do not like other cats.