How does clicker training your cat work?

Posted on August 1, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Clicker training your cat pairs the sound of the clicker, a small handheld gadget, with a treat or some other thing the cat likes. When the cat hears the click, he knows that a treat or something good is on its way. If the cat sits when he hears the word “sit” and hears a click as he sits, he will look for his expected reward. If he receives the reward, he will be more likely to “sit” next time upon command.

At the core of clicker training your cat are two learning processes: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Let’s look at these two ways of learning.

Classical Conditioning – An involuntary response is associated with a stimulus

During the 1890’s, a Russian scientist, Ivan Pavlov was studying digestion in dogs, measuring the amount of saliva produced by a group of dogs presented with meat.

Pavlov noticed that:

the dogs would drool when food was placed in front of them
they would also drool before they received the meat, when they heard the footsteps of the assistant bringing the meat.

This started a series of experiments using lights, metronomes and, of course, bells to stimulate the drooling. Pavlov had discovered the learning process that we now call “classical conditioning”, where an involuntary response like salivating is associated with a stimulus, the ringing of a bell.

Operant conditioning – A voluntary behavior is associated with aN outcome

Likewise, snapping the lid off a can of cat food can help call the kitties to dinner. The dogs connected the ringing of the bell with food; your cats may be accustomed or conditioned to associate the sound of the can opening with being fed. This is another example of “classical conditioning”.

Your cat has heard the can opening. Now, he must decide whether he is going to come for dinner. Most of the time, he makes the decision to come when “called”, anticipating a dinner of cat food. This “voluntary” response is the learning process called operant conditioning – the cat has control over whether he comes or not.

Folks who study behavior have identified 4 different scenarios in operant learning: 2 that increase the likelihood that the behavior being trained will be repeated and 2 that decrease the likelihood that the behavior is repeated.

operant conditioning – 4 scenarios

INCREASE THE BEHAVIOR

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

ADD a good outcome – the cat is likely to perform the behavior again.

We ask the cat to “sit” and when he sits, we give him a tasty treat. We REWARD the behavior of sitting.

DECREASE THE BEHAVIOR

POSITIVE PUNISHMENT

ADD something unpleasant to discourage a behavior.

Your kitty jumps up on the counter and you spray her with water. She jumps down. You have added an unpleasant spray of water (punishment) to getting up on the counter.

negative reinforcement

TAKE AWAY something unpleasant- the cat is likely to do what stops what’s unpleasant.

You are trying to trim your cat’s nails but the moment you touch her foot with the clippers, she growls and hisses and you stop. It is likely next time, she will growl and hiss to stop you from trimming her nails. You are reinforcing her behavior of hissing and growling at nail trims by “removing” the unpleasant nail trim.

negative punishment

TAKE AWAY something the cat likes to discourage a behavior.

Your cat wakes you up at night to be petted. You put her outside the bedroom and close the door. You are removing the opportunity for some stroking that your cat enjoys with the hope that your cat will not wake you up in the future.

THE PROBLEM WITH positive PUNISHMENT

It is difficult to get the timing right – you must spray the cat as she is jumping on the counter otherwise she may associate something else (you) with the spray of water
Punishment does not remove a behavior. There is an immediate effect – kitty jumps off the counter – but she may continue to jump on the counter if you are NOT there to spray her.
Devices like a SSSCAT (a motion-activated spray system) may keep her off the counter as long as they are working. A concern with these devices is injury if the cat is startled and falls off the counter.
Punishment can put the cat into an anxious, fearful state, anticipating a consequence (punishment) the cat does not understand.

“Classical” conditioning and “operant” conditioning with positive reinforcement form the core of clicker training your cat.

The cat learns to associate the “click” of the clicker with food or something he values.
He will choose to perform a behavior, like sitting upon command, anticipating a treat.

Positive reinforcement is the most successful training technique because the cat will not be fearful or anxious but will be in a positive emotional state, ready to learn – after all, something good will happen!

A POSTSCRIPT

What to try if your cat hates nail trims

Positive reinforcement!

Start by handling her feet and giving her a treat for each paw you pick up.
Move on to touching her feet with the nail clippers, and give her treats for each paw.
Work up to trimming a few claws at a time, and of course, reward her!

Counter Surfing

With kitchen counters, the drive to seek food is strong and difficult for a cat to suppress. Also, cats instinctively, “go for the high ground”, especially if they are avoiding something they are leery of.

Is your cat jumping on the counter to get food or avoid the dog and the toddler? You may need to control the dog or toddler.
Keep food off the counters unless you are preparing it.
Find a place (preferably high) for kitty to sit while you are working at the counter and reward him for sitting there.
Sometimes, using “aversives”, things cats don’t like, may help. For example, using a non-toxic citrus spray on the counter or using an upside-down carpet runner (with the “spikes” facing up) may deter jumping up on the counter.
If your cat is driving you crazy or may get hurt, put him in a safe place with all his resources while you prepare food.

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Why do cats hiss? What does it mean?

Posted on July 25, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

The other day, a kitten came into the clinic for his 4 month exam and vaccines. He was a ball of energy and wanted to climb up me so I took out a toy from one of the cabinet drawers to play with him. This toy was a small wand with bells and feathers on it. I whisked the trailing feathers on the floor by him.

Poor fellow – the toy must have startled and scared him – he puffed up and hissed. I put the toy on the floor for him to examine – he approached tentatively, smelled the feathers and hissed again, so I put the toy away.

Later, when the doctor came into to do his examination, I pulled the toy out of the cabinet to show her; the kitten saw it and hissed again.

Why do cats hiss? What does it mean?

Domestic cats are capable of making at least 21 discrete vocalizations; our cats use these sounds to communicate with us – each cat has his/her own repertoire of sounds to tell us what he/she wants or feels.

How the hiss is made

The hiss is a long forceful exhalation made with the mouth open and the teeth bared. A hiss is a hiss – hisses among cats sound similar – it is a “voiceless” communication. The hiss can be made in a number of situations – we must look to the context and body language to interpret it.

When do cats hiss?

when they are afraid: Although we may associate hissing with anger and aggression, cats are more likely to hiss when they are afraid; it is usually the defensive cat who hisses in the cat fight. When accompanied by the fur standing on end, dilated pupils, and a cringing posture, the message is “I am afraid; leave me alone. I will defend myself if I have to.”
when they are startled – the “fight or flight” response is triggered; fur may be standing on end while the cat assesses the situation – is there danger?
when they are in pain – a hiss might mean don’t touch my “ouchy” spot – it hurts!
when they are frustrated/displeased – a cat may hiss when things are not going his way. My cat, Gus, will hiss when waiting for dinner (if service is slow!) or when another cat gets in his way. These hisses tend to be short and are not accompanied by fur on end, dilated pupils or change in posture.

Other thoughts on why cats hiss

Some experts think that cats hiss to mimic a snake and scare off attackers. Early mammals evolved in a landscape dominated by reptiles, which could be deadly. Evolutionarily, the hiss is coupled with fear for many mammals. Perhaps, cats are taking advantage of this connection of the hiss with fear.
While we may hush a baby to soothe it or shush someone to keep them quiet, your cat may not interpret these sounds the same way. Instead, shhh and hush may sound like a hiss to her, perhaps triggering a fearful/anxious response.

Back to our kitten friend, his initial hiss with his fur puffed up was due to being startled, with the accompanying rush of adrenalin as he did not know if this toy was dangerous.

When the kitten smelled the toy, he hissed again but without fear (no puffy fur) – perhaps he could smell other cats on this toy and this made him a little anxious (are these other cats who played with this toy friendly?)

He hissed again on seeing the toy from across the exam room, letting us know he did NOT like that toy!

In the video below, Gus and Marley are waiting for treats. Gus swats Marley and then gives a long hiss. His body posture is not tense, although he turns to the side to look more threatening; his fur is not puffed up. He is warning Marley to keep his distance (“and don’t even think of going for my treats!”)

Humans may curse or swear when they are annoyed, startled, excited, or in pain – cats, on the other hand, hiss. The hiss tells us the cat is experiencing a negative emotion. Before handling him, look to his body language to see if he is afraid, reacting to a painful stimulus or merely annoyed.

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cats slow blink

Posted on July 18, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

You’re reading a book in bed, your cat curled up alongside you. You look over at him and he meets your gaze with several blinks, half-closing his eyes. The feline “slow blink” has been likened to a smile; the meme “i slow blink you so much” infers that the “slow blink” is a sign of affection, of positive feelings when cats slow blink.

Cats don’t “smile” in the way humans do. Humans are said to have up to 19 different smiles, due to our faces having 42 muscles to shape them. Does the feline “slow blink” fill the same role as the human smile?

the duchenne smile in humans

The so-called “Duchenne” smile, which some think indicates genuine happiness, can be accompanied by activity in the left frontal cortex of the brain, a part of the brain associated with enjoyment. The Duchenne smile is that smile that reaches the eyes, wrinkling the skin around the eyes into “crows feet”.

Does the “Duchenne” smile signal true happiness? Skeptics point out that it can be faked; the smile may just be a way of sending a message to those we are interacting with that we are friendly, willing to work together or want to go out on a date. We may not be genuinely happy at the time.

Cats slow blink – a cat smile?

Tasmin Humphrey and her colleagues set out to learn more about the “slow blink”. They designed two sets of experiments to answer:

Do cats respond to humans that slow blink?
Are cats more likely to approach an unknown human after a slow blink interaction?

To answer the first question, cats were tested in a familiar room at home. The owner was instructed to sit in front of the cat and, once the cat made eye contact, do a series of “slow blinks”. Cameras were set up to record the cat’s face and the owner’s face. The slow blink trials were a paired with a “no interaction” trial, where the owner was in the room but did not sit in front of the cat or interact with the cat.

The second set of experiments involved an unfamiliar person in place of the owner. In this experiment, the control was a neutral face and no direct eye contact. The owner remained in the room during these trials but did not interact with the cat.

Humphrey and her colleagues found that:

Cats were more likely to “slow blink” back if their owners “slow-blinked” them
Cats were more likely to approach an unknown human who “slow blinked” them

The slow blink and the cat-human bond

Direct stares are hostile in the cat’s world – he needs to keep a steady, open eye on possibly dangerous people, animals and situations. When one cat fixes another with an unblinking stare, trouble is brewing – the passive aggressive stare can precede active aggression.

Breaking the stare with blinking, shows that the cat is relaxed and not on high alert. Cats not only “slow blink” humans, they have been seen to “slow blink” other cats. The “slow blink” may indicate a level of trust between human and cat or between cat and cat.

Like the Duchenne smile in humans, the “slow blink” may indicate that the cat is feeling relaxed, calm and happy or it might also just be a message, like the “solicitation purr”, asking for food, head rubs, or just more interaction. But perhaps cats slow blink us because they trust us and share a bond with us.

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Cats purr – how, when and why

Posted on July 11, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Why do cats purr? What does a purr mean? I would say that most of us think of a purring cat as contented. I wondered if there was more to the purr – my ex-street cat, Gus, does not seem to purr at all.

How cats purr

Purring seems effortless. People who study purring say that the opening and closing of the vocal folds (vocal cords) in the cat’s larynx while he breathes in and out produces the sound we call “purring”.

Purring is different from other vocalizations such as meowing because it occurs not only when the cat breathes out, but also when he breathes in. Meowing, hissing, chirping, for example, occur only on expiration, when breathing out.

Purring is a low frequency sound (25-150 Hz) and does not vary much in frequency. Vocalizations like the meow are higher frequency sounds. They are generated by vibrations of the vocal folds in the larynx. Changes in the tension (length) of the vocal folds produce sounds with a range of several octaves at frequencies exceeding 100 Hz.

The cat can control the separation of his vocal folds independently of their length (or tension). So the cat can purr while he is meowing!

the cats that roar and the cats that purr

Around 1916, Reginald Innes Pocock divided the cat family into the “cats that roar” (lion, tiger, jaguar, leopards) and the “cats that purr” (domestic cats, cheetahs). This classification was based on the anatomy of the hyoid bone, a u-shaped bone in the neck that supports the tongue. Currently, the hyoid bone is not thought to determine whether or not a cat can purr (indeed, snow leopards can purr). The classification of cat species is now based on molecular characteristics, eg. DNA.

when cats purr

So, cats purr as they breathe in and out and their vocal folds open and close. When do they purr?

Feline guru John Bradshaw notes that cats may purr:

when being groomed by another cat
a cat may purr while grooming himself
kittens purr while nursing and often their mother joins in
some cats purr when they are just walking around
when greeting a friendly cat
when in contact with another cat

Purring is not particularly loud (when compared with a howl!) and is heard over short distances; it most likely originated as a sound made by kittens, to induce their mother to feed them. Purring kittens with mama cat is the ultimate picture of contentment!

the healing purr

Cats are know to purr when they are in pain or anxious, for example, at the veterinary clinic. The purr ranges in frequency from 25 – 150 Hz. The purr of domestic cats, servals, ocelots, and pumas produce strong frequencies at 25 Hz, 50 Hz and 100 Hz.

In human medicine, the application of low frequency vibrations (25-50 Hz) has been found to inhibit bone loss and initiate bone repair. Frequencies around 100 Hz are used to treat pain, swelling, and wounds .

Are cats able to heal themselves by purring ? Is purring a “feel good” (self-soothing) behavior? (So why isn’t Gus purring?)

The “solicitation purr”

Earlier, we noted that a cat can vocalize and purr at the same time. Cats have taken advantage of this and have developed a “solicitation purr”, one that has a meow embedded in the purr. Cats have discovered how to use this to alert their owners to their needs, like “I want food”.

Acoustical analysis of the “solicitation purr” shows a peak around 380 Hz in the purr spectra. This frequency is more typical of a cry or meow, not the low frequency purr and is close to the frequency of a human infant’s cry (300–600Hz)

This cry gives the “solicitation purr” its urgency that drives us to attend to the cat, giving her head rubs, food or whatever else we think she needs. It taps into our inborn sensitivity to the cries of infants, making it hard to ignore.

The purr is a lot more than the sound of a contented cat. It can also be a greeting, a self-soothing behavior or healing mechanism, or a request for someone to do something for the cat. It is a quiet sound so make sure you don’t miss it!

And back to Gus, maybe that rumbly sound in his meows when he rubs against my legs are “solicitation purrs”. I will keep listening!

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Do Our Cats Bond with Us?

Posted on June 27, 2021July 3, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

The stereotype of the aloof, independent cat is being challenged. Do our cats bond with us, their human caregivers? How does this attachment affect the well-being of our cats?

Studies into animal cognition suggest that cats show attachments to their caregivers, similar to those exhibited by human children and dogs.

Researchers at Oregon State University tested a group of cats and caregivers using The Secure Base Test. This test was developed to evaluate attachments to caregivers in apes and dogs; a variant is used with human children.

secure and insecure attachments

In the Secure Base Test for cats, a cat and his owner were placed in a strange room for 2 minutes. After 2 more minutes, the owner would leave and the cat would be alone. The owner would return in another 2 minutes.

Cats were described as “securely” attached and “insecurely” attached. About 2/3 of the cats were “securely” attached. These cats were willing to explore the room with their owners present and continue to explore after the owners left. When the owner returned, a “securely” attached cat would greet his owner but would continue to explore and play.

“Insecurely” attached cats were reluctant to explore and sat with their owners or hid in a corner. On return of the owners, some of these cats wanted physical contact with their owners while others avoided contact and did not seem to know what to do.

This makes me think of children at their first day of school – some kids are adventurous while others cling to their parents. So, it seems that our cats bond with us much like dogs and children.

Our personalities and our cats

Another study looked at how owner personality can affect a cat’s well-being. Over 3000 cat owners responded to a survey asking questions about the their personalities and how they characterized their cats’ behavior and health.

Owner personalities were evaluated using the Big Five test. The Big Five test assigns a score for each of the five traits below to describe an individual’s personality.

Openness – willingness to embrace new experiences
Conscientiousness – how responsible and organized a person is
Extroversion – how social and outgoing you are
Agreeableness – how cooperative, kind and trusting you are
Neuroticism – prone to anxiety and depression

FINDINGS:

Owners scoring high in the anxious (neurotic) category were more likely to have cats with medical and behavioral problems; these cats were often more aggressive, anxious or fearful
Owners scoring high in openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, and agreeableness often had cats that were less fearful and anxious, and more friendly.

These results parallel human studies: Less anxious, open, and agreeable parents are able to provide their children with guidance and limits, without a controlling, authoritarian bias. Children are happier, cooperative, and have fewer behavior problems.

THE TAKEAWAY

We can’t change who we are but we need to remember that because our cats bond with us, our moods and behavior, especially when we are stressed and anxious, can affect them.
We need to avoid micromanaging our cats and let them be cats, doing the things cats do.
We need to try to see the world from the “feline purrspective”.

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Change how we think about cats

Posted on June 20, 2021July 3, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

The other day I was walking with Gus around the pond on the condo property. A neighbor came down the path – Gus approached him with his tail up, in greeting. The neighbor did not reciprocate but instead stopped a few feet away from Gus. Gus sat down and stayed still. The neighbor then walked by and muttered “ typical cat” as he passed by.

The neighbor clearly did not understand the tail up greeting. I wondered what he expected from Gus – was Gus supposed to come over wagging his tail? Gus approached with his tail up in friendly greeting. When the greeting was not returned (the neighbor did not offer his hand or get down on Gus’s level), Gus sat, and tried to figure out where the interaction was going – was it hostile or neutral? It certainly was not friendly.

Cats – Mysterious?

Indeed, we are more familiar with dogs’ body language than that of cats. People see dogs as more social than cats. Someone getting a puppy will plan to take it places, walk it and play with it.

Kittens often stay at home and don’t venture out into the outside world – we don’t have to walk them; after all they have litter boxes. Once the kitten grows into a cat, people often don’t “play” with her that much – after all she is getting older and seems to sleep most of the time. Many cat owners are not aware of the importance of “play” or hunting practice to a born hunter.

cats – social and trainable

In the past few decades, cats have increased in popularity as pets. Consequently, cat behavior and cat care have become popular subjects to study. We have learned that cats are social animals and can be trained. The stereotype of the aloof, antisocial cat is starting to change. We are starting to change how we think about cats.

We have found that kittens learn most efficiently during the “sensitive period, 2-7 weeks of age. 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. [What Makes a Friendly Cat? ]

In the veterinary world, the Cat-Friendly Practice initiative aims to make vet visits more pleasant for cats and their owners. The Cat Friendly Practice acknowledges that “ cats are not small dogs”. Handling techniques geared toward reducing stress and acknowledgement of the cat’s superlative sense of smell are highlights of this program.

Many of us have had more time at home with our pets in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an increasing trend toward “humanizing” cats and dogs, celebrating their birthdays and giving them Christmas presents. While giving toys or tasty food on special days is harmless, we need to avoid treating cats as small humans in fur suits. They are CATS, a different species with their own behaviors and ways of communicating. [The Cat-Human Bond]

change how we think about cats

A quiet revolution is happening – be part of it. Change how we think about cats. Show people that cats are social and part of the family and that we can communicate with them by training them.

Train your cat to walk on a leash or ride in a backpack or stroller
Train your cat to a place in the living room where he can safely hangout while people are visiting
Video your cat sitting on command and post on social media
Are you or someone you know getting a kitten? Enroll in a kitten kindergarten or get a group of friends together to do your own!

So take on the challenge. Train your cat – become a “cat whisperer” and change how we think about cats!

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How do I know if my cat has a good quality of life

Posted on June 13, 2021June 13, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

How do I know if my cat has a good quality of life? Take a minute and look at your cat’s life to see if the positive experiences outweigh the negative ones.

Quality of Life or QOL is just what it says – what is the quality of health, comfort and happiness experienced by an individual human or animal? Assessing QOL can help you decide which treatment to choose for a sick pet or help you improve your cat’s welfare.

QOL tends to come up when a pet is ill and euthanasia is being considered. Because of this association with end of life, evaluating quality of life is often neglected at other times in life.

When my older cat was not doing well recently, I was thinking about her QOL. It occurred to me that QOL is something that we should be aware of and assess regularly. It is a good idea to evaluate this when we feel our cat is healthy and happy so that we have a comparison for when he is sick, in pain, or feeling insecure or threatened.

If a cat has a good quality of life, he will have many positive experiences and have few negative experiences.

Let’s start with a cat’s basic needs…

Every cat needs a safe place – somewhere she can go, away from other pets and humans
He needs food, water and litter boxes that he can use without being interfered with by other cats, dogs or humans
A stable environment allows a cat to feel confident and secure. This environment is predictable, without too much physical change, and offers opportunities for positive experiences, say outdoor access to a backyard.
Interactions with humans and other pets should be pleasant and not frightening (so tell the kids not to run and shriek at the cat!)
Your cat is a born hunter so he needs to have opportunities for predatory activity – either through play or foraging toys.

How do i know if my cat has a good quality of life?

In addition to the basic needs, what about the needs of the individual cat? Pain, emotional state, presence of strange humans and other pets or environmental stress can impact quality of life. Let’s look at the Quality of Life of 16 year old Athena.

positive experiences

Athena sleeps at the foot of the bed or under the covers when it is cold.
She likes the treats she gets before and after having her twice daily thyroid medication.
She likes to scratch on the scratching posts – in the bedroom and by the door to the backyard.
She will nap in her heated bed when it is cold or on the bed upstairs when it is warm.
When the weather is nice, she will go out into the backyard.
In the evenings, she enjoys a grooming session followed by some play with a fishing pole toy or laser pointer.
Her day finishes up with some dental treats.

Negative experiences

Athena gets another medication in the morning – a bitter liquid which she does not like.
She does not like the other cats and prefers to avoid them
She has arthritis and her joints hurt.
Sometimes she is nauseated – she will approach her food, sniff it, but not eat.

Athena enjoys about 2 x as many positive experiences as negative experiences in her day. Although she suffers from arthritis pain and is not fond of other cats, she is still able to enjoy the positive things her environment offers her, such as going outdoors and engaging in predatory play. Overall, her QOL is good but here are some improvements.

Giving food paste (for example, chicken baby food) before and after her bitter medication helps “get the bad taste out of her mouth”. We end the medicating process on a positive note with her favorite dry treats.
So that Athena can avoid the other cats, she eats from her own microchip-controlled feeder. The other cats have learned that the feeder does not open for them.
Athena receives an injection of joint protecting supplement to help alleviate her joint pain. She also has steps up to the bed and a heated bed to nap in.
If she seems nauseated, she receives medication.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CAT HAS A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE?

THE TAKEAWAY:

You want your cat’s life to have more positive experiences than negative experiences.
Make a list and see what the positive/negative balance is. Are there more positives than negatives? How can you improve things?
Compare and update lists before you take your cat in for his annual or bi-annual vet exam.
By being aware of your cat’s daily behaviors, you will be able to provide medical care and supportive care when needed, and preempt behavior issues.

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My Cat Meows at Night

Posted on May 23, 2021May 23, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

It’s 1:50 am – you know by the red numbers on your alarm clock. That darn cat meows at night and has woken you up once again.

What is happening?
If this is a new pattern, it is time for a vet visit to make sure that there is not a medical cause underlying the nocturnal activity. High blood pressure and hyperthyroidism are two conditions that can contribute to meowing at night. Treating these conditions may solve the tendency toward night-time activity and meowing.

If your cat has had a physical exam recently and has no untreated health issues, there may different things underlying the “feline nocturnes”. In the wild, cats hunt at dusk, nighttime and dawn when their prey, small rodents, are foraging.

Our indoor cats usually adapt well to being active during daylight hours and snoozing at night.
If this is not the case, what can you do to reset your cat’s internal clock?

Perhaps your cat meows at night because he is bored and awake. He may be seeking your attention.

Make sure your cat is active during the day. Give him some play sessions during the day; engage him in foraging behavior with food puzzles.
Establish a night time routine. Cats thrive on routine – it lets them know what is going to happen. Pets can be as good as a clock when reminding you for dinner. Let’s come up with a sequence of activities that signal that the household is slowing down and ready for sleep.

Bedtime Routines when your cat meows at night

Play/Treat time: My cats look forward to treats before bed every evening. After dinner and TV, the litter boxes are scooped and then – IT’S TIME.
All 4 cats proceed to the hallway where they take up their stations and wait to have treats tossed to them. After that, it is time to settle down and they each go to their sleeping place and tuck in.

Your cat might enjoy a play session before treats. This session does not have to be long – 10-15 minutes should do the trick. After that – IT’S TIME FOR BED!

Foraging toys: Try leaving some foraging toys (food puzzles) out and turn in. Again, this is a bedtime routine – you put the toys out and you turn in.

You can try closing the bedroom door. Of course, for many cats, if you close a door, this is the place they have to get into and will shake and rattle the door for access.

My Cat meows at night – Does he need a room of his own?

You have tried more play during the day and you are putting out food toys at night – still your cat meows at night.

This may be time for some “tough love” – after all, you need your sleep. If you have the space, give your cat a “bedroom” at night. This could be a spare bedroom or walk-in closet, someplace where you can close the door. Put all his resources (litter box, toys, water) in this room. Put a “calming” pheromone diffuser in this room.

When you are ready for bed…

Take kitty to his bedroom
Give him a snack.
Close the door – do not respond to crying at night once the cat is in the room.
He will be safe in there until you get him out in the morning.

While this may seem “cruel”, remember that cats are “socially flexible”. They are able to live socially with humans and other animals but do very well on their own. They don’t get “lonely” the same way we do.

to have a quiet night…

Be sure to give your cat regular, daily playtime and activities. This may be a good time to review how you are feeding your cat – leaving out a food bowl filled all the time is like having a bowl of potato chips out all the time. Feeding can be self-soothing behavior for a bored cat.

3-4 smaller meals gives kitty something to look forward to – you can put one of these meals in his room for the night.

The Takeaway: if your cat meows at night, try giving him something to keep him busy – some extra play during the day and a bedtime routine just might silence the “kitty nocturnes”.

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Cats and Catnip

Posted on May 16, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats and Catnip

cat and catnip plant — Gus enjoys some local catnip.

Cats and catnip- some cats love it; some cats are indifferent to the herb. What’s the story on catnip?

Catnip is a member of the mint family. Its scientific name is nepeta cataria. Catnip contains a compound called nepetalactone, which induces the “catnip response”:

sniffing
licking and chewing with head shaking
chin and cheek rubbing
rolling over and body rubbing

The catnip response is specific to the Felidae family – other mammals do not respond to nepetalactone. Lions, jaguars, leopards and domestic cats enjoy catnip; most tigers are indifferent to catnip.

About 2/3 of domestic cats show the “catnip response”. Since catnip does not elicit a response from all cats, a genetic element may be involved. Most cats in Australia do not respond to catnip and they come from a relatively closed genetic group.

Kittens show a catnip response between 3-6 months of age (if they are sensitive). Before then, forget it!

Nepetalactone stimulates the cells lining the nasal cavity and not those of the vomeronasal organ. Smelling the nepetalactone induces the “catnip response”. Although many cats nibble on catnip, nepetalactone is not effective orally. Cats can be fairly sensitive to catnip and even weak doses of nepetalactone may induce the “catnip response”.

Cats and catnip – why does catnip affect cats?

Catnip produces allomones, chemicals that transmit messages between species. Catnip plants release these allomones (nepetalactone is one of these) into the air to repel insects that may eat the catnip. Nepetalactones can repel insects as well as the synthetic repellent N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). Maybe catnip attracts insect-eating cats… 🙂

Cats and catnip and facial pheromones…

A recent study that combined nepetalactone extract with feline facial pheromone had an interesting outcome. Cats exposed to the combination did not exhibit the typical catnip response but were more tolerant of human handling and having their blood pressure measured than cats exposed to the pheromone spray alone.

Why does catnip work? We don’t really know.

Does nepetalactone stimulate natural pheromone production?
Does it change how pheromones are processed?
Does it reinforce the semiochemical message of the pheromones?

For cats not sensitive to nepetalactone

Three other plants induce the “catnip response”
Silver Vine – a plant from east Asia, has 6 compounds that are similar chemically to nepetalactone. 80% of cats respond to silvervine.
Valerian Root – Contains 1 compound with similar chemical structure to nepetalactone. 50% of cats will respond to valerian root.
Tartarian Honeysuckle can also elicit a response in cats and is considered safe. Honeysuckle appeals to about 50% of cats.

Catmint

Catmints are also members of the mint family and belong to the genus nepeta. They may contain a lower concentration of nepetalactone. While catnip is a leggy weedy plant with whitish flowers, catmints are bushy plants with showy purple or sometimes pink flowers.

The catmint bush in my backyard does not induce the “kitty crazies” but it is a popular place – the resident and neighboring cats come to rub their heads against the shoots of the plant and sometimes nap in the center.

Cats sensitive to catnip really seem to enjoy it. The “catnip response” lasts about 10-15 minutes and does not cause any long lasting effects. If your cat does not care for catnip, try some silvervine for a “kitty cocktail”!

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Is my cat sick from stress?

Posted on April 23, 2021April 26, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

For a time, I lived in the Florida Keys, about 50 miles north of Key West. Half of the island where we lived was owned by the Nature Conservancy and was a natural habitat of mangrove swamps, alligators, snakes and raccoons. There were some feral cats in the Conservancy reserve.

One summer, there was a litter of 4-5 kittens that we saw playing with their mother near the side of the road. In a few weeks, these cats had disappeared with the exception of one little female kitten, who continued to return to the side of the road. We used a Havaheart trap to bring the small kitten home. It was October so we named the orange and black kitten Pumpkin.

Throughout her life, Pumpkin was prone to bouts of bloody urine and not using the litter box. Antibiotic treatment was palliative at best; x-rays and ultrasounds did not reveal any medical causes. She was affectionate but she did not like the other cats. She seemed happiest when my son took her with him when he moved.

Cats’ health and stress…

Veterinary medicine for cats has advanced in the past few decades. If Pumpkin were alive today, she might be diagnosed with FIC, or Feline Idiopathic Cystitis. Idiopathic means that although we recognize the condition we don’t know the cause of it; cystitis refers to inflammation of the bladder.

Cats that suffer from frequent FIC episodes handle stress differently than other cats – they do not release stress hormones such as cortisol in the same way “normal” cats do.

Cats prone to FIC

have lower levels of cortisol in their bloodstreams compared to “normal” cats.
have higher levels of the “fight-or-flight” hormones.

Like interstitial cystitis in humans, stress contributes to flare-ups of FIC, making a cat sick from stress.

Cortisol is a potent anti-inflammatory hormone – the lack of cortisol can result in increased inflammation in the body, in this case, the bladder.

Ways to Reduce your cat’s stress at home…

Cat napping on dresser — Gus takes a break on a blanket on a dresser.

Make sure each cat has a safe place – a place that is secure and secluded, a hiding place to retreat to.

Safe Place

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

Have several feeding stations, water stations, and litter boxes spread through out the house or apartment.

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

Draw the paths a cat must take to get to her food, water and litter boxes in your house. Is there plenty of room for cats to pass other pets and humans?

cat with wand toy — Zelda plays with a toy mouse on a wand toy.

Good kharma with humans.

Greet your cat before handling him or her.
Have a daily routine for grooming and play.

Positive cat-human interactions

Marley marks the corner wall at the top of the stairs.

Cats communicate by smell.

Use pheromone diffusers in the safe places.
Don’t use of strong smelling cleaners.
Scoop litter boxes daily.

The Colony Scent

Outside the home – what can make a cat sick from stress

Your cat may view neighborhood cats or other animals coming to the windows and into the yard as threats to his territory. Territorial threats can make your cat sick from stress. Consider…

A cat fence can keep other cats from entering the yard
Have scratching posts at doors and windows so that the resident cats can mark their territory.
A motion-activated sprinkler can help deter animals from coming into your yard.

There is no substitute for appropriate and timely medical care. However, increased stress contributes to flare-ups of not only FIC, but other conditions such as chronic diarrhea and overgrooming.

Pumpkin lived to be 17 years old. She was euthanized due to complications of chronic kidney disease. I wish I knew then what I know now – her life may have been less stressful and more comfortable.