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.

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

The Cat Friendly Home: Hunting in the Home

Posted on July 19, 2020August 8, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

The domestic cat is hard wired to hunt. He is good at detecting fast motion – cats’ eyes construct around 60 visual images per second, which is 2x as fast as our human brains. He is ideally suited to detect the quick, rapid motions of the mice and other small creatures that he hunts. Hunting is part of who he is.

When the kittens are about 3-4 weeks old, the mother cat starts to bring back dead, injured or fatigued prey to allow the kittens to practice their hunting skills. Mother Cat will intervene if the kittens lose control of the live prey, otherwise she watches as they develop their hunting skills.

It’s important that we offer our cats an opportunity to engage in predatory (hunting) behavior. How do cats hunt in the wild?

Your cat scans the landscape.
She sees something moving, and goes over to that spot.
She hears and smells MOUSE!
She stalks her prey
The mouse scurries away – she chases and pounces!
Success! She catches and eats her prize.

We are not going to release live mice into our homes deliberately, so what can we do to allow hunting in the home?

Object (Toys) Play

Playtime or hunting in the home can be interactive or it can be playing alone.

Interactive games – with us

Zelda plays with a toy mouse on a fishing pole toy.

Go Fish – fishing pole or wand toys
Chasing string
Catch the red dot – laser pointers
Treat toss – toss treats and let your cat go get them.

Start with short, fast motions to get your cat’s attention, then move to longer runs.

Put all fishing poles, strings and other interactive toys out of kitty’s reach when the play session is done

Playing on their own

Marley works the Poker Box, a food puzzle.

Catnip mice
Food puzzles
Boxes
Play Tunnels

A play tunnel for children fits large cats !

How Does Your Cat Feel when Hunting?

Human hunters report feelings of exhilaration while on the “chase”, satisfaction when capturing their quarry and frustration when they miss.
Your cat shares these emotions. Avoid toys that present frustration – they may not be popular for long.

A Frustrating Toy

The mouse squeaks as the cage rolls along but the mouse does not come out!

I bought a toy with a mouse in a ball-shaped cage. The mouse would squeak as the ball rolled. Marley spent an hour trying to paw the mouse out of the cage without success and then left the toy alone – he had better things to do!

If the mouse in the cage had been a removable food puzzle, Marley would have had the satisfaction of “catching” the mouse and getting a treat.

Avoiding Frustration

The laser guides Gus to a treat at the end of the play session.

Try to end play sessions on a positive note. Play should be challenging but not impossible to catch the prize! If the task is too hard, cats, like people, will give up. For example, when using laser pointers, end the session with some “targeting” – direct your cat with the light to treats you have hidden around the play area.

Interactive Playtime – Communicating with your cat

Daily interactive play time is best
Short, intense play sessions of 5- 10 minutes often are enough
It is best if these are at the same time every day, say after dinner. This way, your cat knows what is going to happen – the routine is a way for you to communicate with him.

Keeping the hunt alive with “self play” toys

Rotate toys every 1-2 weeks
“Marinate” toys not in use in a box with catnip
Store the week’s toys in a box with an opening so your cat can choose the toys she wants

Cats can also engage in hunting behavior through play with other cats. Our next blog post will look into “social play among cats”.

A Cat’s World: What does my cat feel?

Posted on May 24, 2020August 8, 2020 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Do cats have feelings?

Let’s say that a feeling is “an emotional state or reaction”. We humans experience many feelings, among them fear, anxiety, joy. Like us, cats are mammals and have many of the same brain structures we do. Brain imaging studies of humans and other mammals have linked different areas of the brain to positive and negative emotional states. Cats certainly have feelings.

What kinds of feelings do cats experience?

Cats likely experience fear, anxiety, pain, and frustration, as well as pleasurable sensations that give rise to positive feelings. They do not experience more complex emotions, such as guilt and spite. Happiness for cat is different than for a human – the cat certainly will not be writing poetry and singing songs about how good he feels but he may purr or knead a blanket with his paws.

How do cats experience these feelings?

The neurological pathways are thought to be the same for all mammals. Outwardly, how the animal feels is expressed by his behavior. Different individuals may behave differently while experiencing the same emotion. Two cats may both be feeling frustrated while waiting to be fed. One cat might pace and meow; the other cat may swat at the first cat.

How do I know what my cat is feeling?

Observe your cat’s posture (body language) and behavior.

Is she relaxed (calm, confident) -OR- tense, and hunched into a ball (anxious)?

Does he approach you with tail in the air, crooked at the end (confident, happy) -OR- is his tail twitching rapidly back and forth, tucked tightly (agitated, anxious)?

Are his ears up and listening (calm) -or- are they flattened out (anxious, unhappy)?

Is she vocalizing – hissing (distressed)? purring (calm and happy)? meowing loudly(frustrated)?

What can I do to make my cat feel good?

Make sure that your cat’s environment is rich, emotionally and physically.

Each cat needs place of his own, where he feels safe
Have several feeding and watering stations and scratching posts
Have more than one litter box in quiet, easily accessed places
Have toys available that encourage play and hunting behavior
Play and interact with your cat daily
Cats have a very sensitive sense of smell – avoid using strong smelling household cleaners, air fresheners, perfumes.