Archive for the ‘Cat behaviour’ Category

Author: susan yorkshire

Over the past 10 years we have had great satisfaction and rewards from re-homing older cats.

Harry Cat. He was our first ‘re-home’ …….. ‘we’ re-homed Harry from an older owner who was going blind, and could no longer cope with Harry under her feet.

He was stated as being 8 Years old, but once we got him home, it was obvious he was older (in his mid teens even).

We had never re homed a cat before. He took time to settle. He also had behavioral problems. That said, he had a fantastic personality, and was soon loved by all.

We once saw our neighbours cat who was badly beaten up, after a discussion it was clearly the fault of our cat Harry.

Harry not only ruled the neighbourhood but also our house.  My husband worked away from home all week and came home at weekends.  Each time he came home Harry would sit on his knee, lull him into a false sense of security and then bite him as if to say I am the boss of this house.

The reason for this dominant behaviour was that he was neutered late.  This often brings out this sort of behaviour in tom cats.

Due to all the fights he used to get into with other cats,  visits to the vets were frequent.  He even managed an abscess on his behind at one point.

It took us 18 months of patient coaxing to re train him to stop biting visitors.

I have purchased many Cat behavioral books over the Years, but the best I have seen to date is available from the following link :-

http://www.product-bay.com/cat.html”>http://www.product-bay.com/cat.html”>http://www.product-bay.com/cat.html

Go check it out, and use the knowledge to give an older cat a 2nd chance. You will not regret it.

We had Harry for fours years before he died from kidney problems.  On the day he died some of the neighbourhood cats popped their head thru the cat flap looking for him. I don’t think the cat neighbourhood was quite the same once he was gone. Even my long suffering husband missed him dreadfully. What this taught us, was that you should never write a cat off. They can be re-trained, and in fact become

In reality a cat with behavioural issues normally shows individuality, character and more often than not high intelligence. For instance, Harry new that by scratching the radiator thermo valve, he could turn the radiator on in the hallway. The amount of times ‘we’ have come home to find the hallway red hot, and Harry curled up under ‘THE’ radiator just isn’t worth counting……….

Due to the great joy that he gave us it wasn’t long before we were on the search for the next cats we were going to re-home.

Our next Cats were ‘Mork’ and ‘Mindy’ a pair of older snowshoes (brother and sister).

Keep posted and I will tell you all about them.

About the Author:

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Solving my cats behaviour problems

Author: Kate Tilmouth

Aggressive Behaviour

Aggressive behaviour in our pets is normally associated with dogs. We hear of cases of dog attacks all the time in the newspapers and whenever we encounter a new dog, our first reaction is to be weary of it in case it becomes aggressive. This is not normally our first reaction to pet cats, thus sometimes resulting in a bloody hand.

Cats like all other animals will display aggression when a threatening situation arises, the difference with a cat is that there are many different reasons for their aggression and knowing what will trigger an attack will help us to understand our cats behaviour and help us to prevent the situations arising.

The first thing to understand is that it is not in the cats interest to be involved in a unnecessary fight as this could result in injury to itself which could threaten it’s survival. So in most cases aggressive behaviour is either used as a warning signal or for survival purposes such as territory rights or for food.

Aggressive behaviour can be displayed in many ways, from the straight full on attack to subtle body movements designed to be intimidating. These body signs include, fluffing of fur, arching of back, low-pitched growls, crouching and hissing. In most cases these body signals are enough to warn off the potential enemy without an actual fight being necessary.

There are many different causes for cat aggression and by understanding the reasons for the behaviour cat owners will be able to react correctly towards it.

Some cats will become aggressive during a normal petting session for no apparent reason, often shocking their owner who is totally unprepared for the attack. Often this behaviour occurs in a timid or less social cat that may find petting pleasant for a short time but then may feel trapped by the situation and warns you off with a quick bite. Understanding your cats temperament and their likes and dislikes to being petted will reduce the risk of this aggressive behaviour.

Predatory aggression arises from the cats natural instincts to hunt for prey and when the opportunity for this is reduced by being kept inside for most of the time, is redirected in attacking other animals or humans who by pouncing on hands and feet. These attacks can be headed off by placing a bell on the cats collar so that you can hear them coming and my making a loud startling noise if an attack is imminent. Stooping the cat in their tracks.

Many owners find that game time with their cat can leave their hands covered in scratches and bites. This play aggression is a learned behaviour and or rather that they haven’t learnt that when playing they should retract their claws. Using only toys to play with your cat rather than hands will reduce the likelihood of injury and any games that do result in a scratch should be stopped immediately. Over time the cat will learn that the game will stop when they bite and scratch their owners and they will stop this aggressive behaviour.

Fear is another major reason for a cat to behave aggressively. It is their normal instant reaction and can sometime manifest itself in strange ways. Trauma aggression is one of these strange manifestations of aggression and is often one of the most misunderstood behaviours. This aggression is displayed towards another animal or person who is totally unrelated to the initial reason for the fear in the cat. It can stem from hearing loud unexpected sounds, having their tail stepped on or even from another pets visit to the vets. These incidents cause stress and fear to the cat who needing to retaliate against this fear will attack the first creature or person they come across. Unfortunately this aggression can continue for some time until the cat has re-established friendly relations again with the object of their aggression.

The main reason for displays of aggression from pet cats is usually based around territory and hierocracy between other cats. As cats are not pack animals like dogs they require there own space and have to feel that they are master of that space. So cats sharing the same living space inside will often display bouts of aggression towards each other to reaffirm their status in the house, these are not usually serious fights and should be allowed to happen without our intervention, as peace should return to the home quite quickly. The outside battle for territory is constant and one that as cat owners we have to accept as apart of their natural behaviour and not one that we can prevent. In most cases these fights will result in a scratched nose or bitten paw.

Aggression in cats is always a reaction to something else and should never be seen as bad behaviour. By understanding the reason for the aggression will help us to react to it appropriately and will in the long-term help us to build a better relationship with our pets.

About the Author:

Kate and her partner co-write http://www.our-happy-cat.com a site full of further cat care and cat health topics. As well as being a feline friendly community site for happy cat and a happy owner. Their second site http://www.frugal-living-tips.com is a site about how to lead a less wasteful lifestyle.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Aggressive Cat Behaviour – the Causes

Author: Kathrynn Kelley

Bringing home a cute ball of fluff (otherwise known as a kitten) is always an exciting addition to anyone’s family. Now I know you didn’t forget the food dish with pouting fish to be sure that your kitten dines in fashion, and of course, you didn’t forget the litter box. You’re all set, right?

In the beginning your new kitten sniffed out every place in its reach. It ate half the bag of cat food, and had been faithfully breaking in its brand new litter box. Now you have noticed your new cuddle monster breaking in to more things then you intended.

When trying to correct cat problems, there are a few more things you should consider doing. Believe it or not, you are not the only person to need some tips on kitten training after bringing your new furry friend home.

How does one approach kitten training? How do you keep your kitten from jumping on the counters, climbing the walls, biting your hands and feet, wrestling on your tabletops and turning your brand new furniture into confetti? How do you train a kitten not to destroy your home?

Calm down and breathe, you’re not the only person to have encountered moster kitten syndrome. To start the adventures of kitten training there are a few investments you’ll want to purchase. First and foremost, you’ll want to preserve your furniture and buy a scratching post. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, any simple one from you local pet store will work.

What do you do if this fearsome little beast is still destroying your household belongings? If you catch her in the act, you should gently rub her paws along her new scratching post imitating the scratching she does on your couch or table or chairs.

Then caress her and let her know how pleased you are with her. It may require many repetitions, but after a while your new little one will begin to comprehend what it is you want her to do.

Next, get an aluminum can, fill it with rocks and put tape over the opening. And the next time you catch kitten in a place he shouldn’t be, such as wrestling with your newspaper on the kitchen table, shake the can loudly. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt him, but he’ll know every time he does something “naughty” he’ll hear a loud scary sound.

And a final note in kitten training is how to deal with the age old issue of kitten bites. Whenever you catch your kitten becoming unruly with your hands or feet give him a toy to replace your skin with. Any standard kitten toy will do such as a fur mouse or jingle bell ball.

Okay. You now know the essential elements of kitten training. Remember to let your kitten know how much you love him or her. Praise your pet for good behavior. Use positive reinforcement to create a strong bond with your cat for years to come. Your kitten and you, both, will be happier. Your pet will give you hours of enjoyment and will show you unconditional love.

About the Author:

Bringing home a kitten is a great addition to any family. But don’t forget these following items: a food dish, food, water bowl, and of course the litter box. When trying to correct cat problems, there are a few more things you should consider doing. Believe it or not, you are not the only person to need some tips on kitten training after bringing your new furry friend home. And a final note about training: how to deal with the age old issue of kitten bites. Whenever you catch your kitten becoming unruly with your hands or feet, give him a toy to replace your skin with.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Kitten Training Explained

Author: Judy Jantzen

Each and every cat is amazing

and those we choose or those who choose us, can become a wonderful and delightful part of our lives. Each cat has it’s very own individual personality, it’s own likes and dislikes, just as we humans do. Accepting this fact will help you to accept your cat’s behavior and how to alter and refine it’s possible naughty moments.

Adopted, rescued and hybrids bred for profit cats all come with their unique set of needs. Much like adopting a foster child, each one has a wagon to pull of having been loved or unloved, possibly abused and then abandoned. Many abandoned cats have faced terror, hunger, hardships and are then locked in a small cage at a shelter or store awaiting rescue. They are badly in need of your love and help.

It is necessary to understand that they have their memories of all that and their fears. With love and special care you can win the cat’s trust, heart and love. They will soon try hard to please you and do things your way. You must realize that they have to learn a whole new set of rules while they are trying to decide, if you and your home are safe for themselves and that doesn’t happen all at once. If you think of teaching a two year old frighten child what it needs to know and work that way with the cat, you will soon have a great relationship. Think of how you react to being in a new and uncomfortable situation.

Figure out which food they prefer, flavors – wet or dry. Lots of love and gentle play. Give the cat some space and letting it come to you for attention can add to the cat’s sense of calm and ease it’s fears. Let it know you are open to it’s affection. Gentle grooming is necessary for the cat and for you to keep down the loose hair. It is also great for bonding with the cat.

Gentle discipline is necessary from the very beginning, so that the cat will understand what is acceptable and what is not. Cats are very intelligence and will learn quickly. If you already have a cat, territorial disputes may arise. Putting the new cat in a quiet room with it’s food, water and a litter box will give it a chance to settle in quietly and get use to your smells and sounds while dealing with it’s fears of a new environment. Introduce the new rooms and it’s full territory, family and friends slowly. Let it decide when it is safe to get to know them. Forcing the issue will only cause the cat to be frighten and not trust you to do what is best for it’s comfort level. Give the cat a place of safety to run and hide when it is frighten. A door bell is a good example.

The cat may come to you with fleas, ticks and other things that need to be dealt with at once.Schedule a visit to the vet, as soon as you can, to get a health checkup, shots, neutering and declawing, if you choose to do it. The cat will not enjoy it, but it is necessary for the cat’s well being and your sanity, if the cat is to stay inside, where it is safer. The sooner it is done the easier it will be for you to trust each other and form a loving bond.

Work with your cat to establish a trust and friendship, just as you would with a human friend and you will have a wonderful companion for a long time. The cat will always be dependent on you for it’s food, water, a clean litter box, it’s health and safety. It will reward you with it’s love and entertainments. Having a cat is a wonderful thing to do with your life.

About the Author:

Author: Judy Jantzen – Freelance writer – My husband and I have owned cats for the past 25 years. Currently have a orange tabby and a black short hair. All the cats we have owned have been strays.

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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Your New Cat

Author: Robert Scott

Cat Health Insurance

Regardless of your intensive care, all pets including cat, fall ill or are injured. Like a human being, your pet also needs medical treatment; in fact, they need more heed than a human being needs, as they cannot express their pain through words. Since charges of medical treatments are very high, a minor injury or illness of your pet can affect your entire budget. At present, there are n numbers of insurance companies, which offer effective reliable insurance policies for your pet. However, all pets are unpredictable but when it comes to a cat, predicting a single step of this naughty creature becomes impossible. If you own a cat and are worried about her health, then cat health insurance is the best solution for you; in fact, with this policy you can cover your cat’s health expenses for a lifetime. This policy helps you in ensuring that your cat will get the best care and medical assistance during illness or injury.

Cat health insurance is something that can really lighten your financial burden, as it reimburses all medical and hygiene expenses of your cat. Owning a cat is the great pleasure; in fact, whenever we see that sweet creature jumping here and there, we just forget all our worries and find a new world of joy in her innocent activities. However, she needs extra care, as there are many uncertainties and risks that are associated with her. You can give her every possible thing just by purchasing an insurance policy for her; this policy will definitely provide your cat with exclusive medical and routine health care. Getting your cat insured is your own personal decision but it is always advisable to secure your cat with cat health insurance.

Cost and type of insurance policy completely depends upon the breed of your cat, as some breeds are more vulnerable to health problems. For insuring such breeds, insurance companies charge a higher rate; in fact, it is reasonable, as the pet gets better financial benefits with such policies. There are many times when your cat eats something venomous and falls ill; this is the situation where your cat needs cat health insurance. This policy will help you in compensating all medical expenses; however, this cannot compensate her pain but can give your darling cat a lifetime security. Despite of the seriousness of illness, it enables you to afford the best care and treatment for your cat.

Since all cat health insurance policies cover head-to-tail injury and illness expenses, you can choose any policy according to your requirements and budget. If you are worried about monthly premium, then you can be rest assured that it will never affect your monthly budget. To avoid expensive premiums you can also go for a cheap insurance policy, as such policies cover every aspect of your cat’s health without putting any extra burden on your pocket. But before you go for cat health insurance, always make sure that it covers every health and hygiene expense of your cat or not.

About the Author:

Robert Scott is a veterinary doctor and through ages having been dealing in pet insurance. If you want to know more about pet insurance,Dog insurance,Pet insurance Online Cat health insurance . you can visit www.insuranceforpets.net

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Cat Health Insurance: Get Exclusive Care for your Cat

Author: Gerry Restrivera

Cats are simply adorable. They are cuddly and cute, and yes, they enjoy receiving so much attention. That is why sometimes, cats develop several annoying and destructive behavior and you should know how to deal with behavior problems of cats.

Cats are animals, and as such do not have enough reasoning to tell and distinguish right from wrong. But you, the cat owner, knows what is good and bad, and so it is your responsibility to help your cat act accordingly. You need to deal with the behavior problems of cats.

Behavior problems of cats are the usual problems cat owners encounter from their cats. Some owners really feel very annoyed by several of their cat’s behavioral problems, so they just hire cat trainers for long-term solutions. Attitude problems are very common in cats.

If you have a cat, it is not enough that you shower your pet with utmost attention and care. It is your responsibility to instill in the cat righteous attitudes especially when there are other people living in your house. Being adorable and cute are not enough for the cat to get away from every offense it makes.

Tips for dealing with behavior problems of cats

Here are some practical tips that would help you control the unwanted behavior problems of cats. Take note that cats also need to act nicely especially when there are other people in the house or if there are guests:

• Discipline your cat. This is one way to deal with the behavior problems of cats. You could teach the animal about right and wrong behavior. For example, if you see your cat do a nice thing, pat it gently on the head. Otherwise, push your palm on the cat’s face. This would give it the signal that what it just did is not acceptable.
• Do not surprise your cat. Cats hate surprises so to avoid behavior problems of cats avoid surprises. Do not disturb a sleeping cat or suddenly take away food from an eating cat. Doing so would provoke the cat and make it really angry to attack you or anyone.
• Do not ever hit a cat whenever it does nasty things. This is not a good way to deal with behavior problems of cats. Hitting, just like in kids, is not very effective in making cats realize what deed is wrong. Do not ever teach your cat to develop fear of you.
• Make specific cat misbehavior impossible to be accomplished. This is another good way to deal with behavior problems of cats. For example, if the cat wants to steel food from containers, keep the containers tightly closed and sealed. Also make light objects and figurines in the house out of reach of cats, or place them in a glass cabinet.
• For littering and waste elimination behavior problems of cats, you could invest in cat litter boxes. Cat litter boxes are very ideal in training the cat to urinate or eliminate feces responsibly.
• Take your cat to the vet regularly. That way, you could immediately tell if there is a physiological problem in the cat. Behavior problems of cats may also due to pains. Usually, when cats fall ill, they also tend to misbehave.
• Cats are possessive. They want your sole attention. If there are other pets in the house, your cat might sense that you are not faithful. To remedy this situation, do not let the cat see you care for and nurture other pets.
• Use reward and punishment to deal with behavior problems of cats. To make the cat also behave properly, you could also make use of the reward system. For every good deed you see in the cat, reward it by giving its special cat snack. Whenever the cat does bad acts, punish it by not giving it any cat snack, though you must show the cat that there is cat snack that is supposed to be given to it.

If you have tried the above mentioned tips and found no success do not lose hope, you can still tame your cat and you can have a much more rewarding life with your cat if you only learn a few secrets on cat behavior.

Did you know that you can transform your cat’s behavior with proven techniques that will give you immediate results? Discover how to end the behavior problems of cats visit All About Pets

About the Author:

Gerry Restrivera writes informative articles on various subjects including How to Deal with the Behavior Problems of Cats. You are allowed to publish this article in its entirety provided that author’s name, bio and website links must remain intact and included with every reproduction.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How to Deal With the Behavior Problems of Cats

Meet Fiona from Sydney who is a cat lover and expert in cat care.

Author: Kathrynn Kelley

For the most part it is not necessary to instruct felines. These animals are mostly independent, not requiring excessive supervision. Despite their tendency toward appropriate behavior, young cats and formerly feral adults might have learned to act poorly, particularly if they were once abandoned, born wild, subject to inattention or indifference, or maltreated.

An unexpected source of such animals is kittens purchased from retailers or “cat mills.” Fortunately, felines are generally fastidious, and most easily take to using a litter box.

The most important part that you must not forget in cat training is to reward the animal for behaving the way you want it to. Most owners just focus on punishment for their pet when they do something wrong, such as clawing on the furniture.

But, then the problem is that the cat does not understand what they did wrong or understand the point your trying to convey to them.

One of the things cats love to do most is scratch, they also need to do this. The reason is because it helps them remove the old layers of their nails. So its essential that you purchase your cat something to scratch on like a scratching post.

They may not use them at first because they will prefer their normal spots of clawing. The good news is though that you can train a cat to use them! One way to do this is to confine the kitten to one room that contains its scratching and climbing posts and with nothing else to scratch or climb on it iwll eventually use them.

If the cat continues to resist using the scratching post, you need to make it more attractive to the cat by putting treats on its various platforms and sprinkling catnip around the post.

However, any attempt to make the cat do anything it doesn’t care to do is doomed to failure, and a mistake tat many people commit during kitten training. Do not force the cat to place its claws onto the post in an attempt to force it to use the post, becuase this will ensure that the cat will never want to use the post again.

If you reward your cat properly in cat training, you can get your cat to obey some commands. These commands include “Meow,” “Sit Up,” and even “Fetch”- commands just like those dogs would receive. Make sure to reward the cat immediately for following a command or otherwise the cat will not associate the reward with obeying the order.

Using a clicker, as is typical of dog training, also helps; when your cat obeys a command, make it click and reinforce the instruction by giving the cat a treat.

While you are performing cat training it is necessary to use only rewards that are not damaging your pet’s well-being. Also, do not abuse them or harm them mentally or physically.

Such behavior could make your animal apprehensive or fearful, and damage your day-to-day interactions with the cat. However, learning good behavior is beneficial to the feline, and will make things more jouyous for both you and them.

About the Author:

Certain bad habits are common in cats that have been adopted, neglected, abused, or have been homeless in the past. This justifies the need for cat training. It is important to reward your pet for behaving the way you want them to. Cats don’t understand the point you’re trying to prove to them by yelling at them or punishing them. In kitten training, you can confine a kitten to a room that contains scratching and climbing posts only. With nothing else to scratch or climb on, the kitten will eventually use them. Use of a “clicker” device comes handy when you wish to train a cat.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Cat Training For A Happy And Healthy Pet