emotions, The Feline Purrspective, Page 5

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”.

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.

The Cat Friendly Home: Hunting in the Home