Does your scent comfort your cat?

Posted on October 17, 2021October 17, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats greet other friendly cats by sniffing them first, before engaging in other social activities such as rubbing against each other or grooming each other’s heads. Scent is a way that members of a cat colony identify each other.

We are members of our cats’ social groups and they identify us by our scent. They greet us by sniffing and rubbing against us. When leaving your cat at the vet or boarding facility, you may be asked to bring a blanket or t-shirt with your scent on it. Does your scent comfort your cat when she is away from you?

Recently, researchers at Oregon State University tried to test whether such an object actually reduces a cat’s anxiety when her owner is gone. In this study, owners of 42 cats were asked to bring an unwashed object with their scent on it. Scent objects could include the owner’s shoe, sock, night shirt, or blanket.

The test started by evaluating the cat’s attachment to his/her owner – secure or insecure?
The owner would then leave: in some trials, the scent object was left behind; in others, the cat was alone.

The cat’s behavior was evaluated:

when he was with his owner
when he was alone with the scent object
when he was alone without the scent object
when his owner returned

Measuring attachment
Psychological attachment is measured using the Secure Base Test. The cat and owner are placed in a strange room for a few minutes; the owner then leaves for a few minutes and returns. The cat’s behavior is observed when the owner is present, when cat is alone, and when the owner returns.

Securely attached cats
willing to explore when Owner is present
continue to explore after Owner leaves
greets Owner on return but continues to explore and play

Insecurely attached cats
reluctant to explore even with Owner present
sit with Owner or hide in corner
do not explore when Owner leaves
may or may not solicit contact with Owner on return

Does your scent comfort your cat when you are not with her?

Researchers took videos of the sessions, recording how often cats vocalized, rubbed on their owners or the scent object, and how long they would stay close to the owner or scent object.

Researcher’s predictions

Cats would prefer their human caretaker over a scent stimulus alone.
Insecurely attached cats would interact with the scent object more than the securely attached cats.
Cats would be comforted by their owner’s scent.

what actually happened

Cats preferred their owners over the scent object – they vocalized less when owners were with them and rubbed on their owners
Insecure cats did spend more time close to the scent object than secure cats but only 4 of the 42 cats actually rubbed the object
The scent object did not seem to alleviate anxiety – cats vocalized just as much when alone with the scent object as they did when alone without the scent object.

Cats communicate in a large part by smell. They identify other cats and their owners by their scent and greet them by sniffing them and rubbing against them. To your cat, your t-shirt smells like you but does your scent comfort your cat the way your physical presence does? The answer is no according to this study.

Your t-shirt is not the same for your cat as a teddy bear that a young child clutches to face the world. The teddy bear is a “transitional object” that helps a human child become less dependent on his parents and learn to relate to other people.

Your cat is attached to you – not your t-shirt. It won’t hurt to leave the t-shirt at home when going to the vet or boarding facility.

Other Thoughts

A cat’s territory where she feels safe is marked with her own scent. Providing your cat with a blanket from home with her scent might make her less anxious.

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Setting up a cat-friendly home

Posted on October 3, 2021October 3, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Moving can be hectic and stressful for both people and pets. When you move your cat, he is uprooted from his territory, a place where he feels safe and secure – where he can rest, has shelter, and is safe from predators. What do you need to consider when unloading the boxes and positioning the furniture?

Setting up a cat-friendly home can help reduce the stress of the move and help your cat quickly establish her new territory.

setting up a cat-friendly home

The American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) list five things that make a healthy environment for a cat.

Resources : food, water, litter box, shelter
Safe access to resources
Environment that respects the cat’s sense of smell: territory
Human interaction: predictable
Predatory behavior

If we organize these needs in a pyramid diagram, the lowest tier includes those needs essential to survival: food, water, and litter boxes.
The next level ensures that these essential resources are available to each cat to use safely, without fear. We cat owners must provide multiple, separate feeding and watering stations and litter boxes.
Another of the AAFP requirements is that the environment respects the cat’s sense of smell. Such an environment is the cat’s territory. Cats will mark walls and furniture in the home with scents from glands in their faces and mark scratching posts with scents released when scratching. Your cat belongs to his territory.
The final two tiers deal with how we interact with our cats and…
Offering them an opportunity to exercise their hunting skills.

The first three tiers are ones that are physically affected by moving from one place to another.

Where do you locate litter boxes and feeding stations in your new home?
Where can you locate safe places for your cat to chill, nap and keep on an eye on the household?
How do you help your cat establish a territory and maintain the scent profile of the home?

I have recently moved from my townhome of 13 years into a 2 story, unattached house. Placing cat resources is a work still in progress – here is my “first cut”. Join me and take a look at the placement of my cats’ resources and the pros and cons of my choices. I hope you enjoy The Purrade of My Home!

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Cat Friendly Handling – why we do it

Posted on September 5, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

a cat is examined in her carrier — A cat is examined in a familiar place – the bottom of her carrier.

The other day a client brought her cat in for an exam and vaccines. This cat had been previously seen at the clinic and had been aggressive toward the veterinary staff and the owner. She had been prescribed gabapentin to reduce anxiety when coming in for vet visits. Gabapentin is bitter, so some cats will not eat it in food and may need to be given the pill.

The owner was unable to get her cat to eat the powder in food and brought the cat in unmedicated. This cat was in a soft carrier and was striking with her front paws at the carrier sides when approached. When cats are in a negative emotional state as was this cat, the two ways available to the veterinary professional to try change the emotional state are food and play. This cat was having neither.

A dilemma – proceed with the visit?

the veterinary staff

If we move forward, glove up and use thick towels, we can immobilize the cat and perhaps administer vaccines. Being in the soft carrier, she would be difficult to get out, but we could give the vaccine through the mesh sides, although there would be the risk if she wiggled loose a vaccine intended to go under the skin could end up in the muscle.

the cat’s point of view

When presented with a threatening scenario, a cat has three options: 1) flight 2) fight 3) freeze (learned helplessness).
The cat in question was in a carrier in an exam room so flight was out of the question. She decided to fight, which she was ready to do, striking at the carrier sides when the owner or veterinary staff approached.

Imagine being snugly enveloped by towels, you can’t see what’s going on nor can you move. Some cats will continue to thrash, kick, and bite; other cats will give up at some point. The exam may be very brief, perhaps just measuring the heart rate through the towel. Whether the cat continues to fight or gives up, the experience is negative. If the cat perceives that fighting is successful – after all, she goes home after the struggle – she may fight even harder on the next visit. The cat will stick with a strategy she thinks works.

the stress of the vet visit

So many owners are stressed about how their cat is treated at the vet clinic, they try to avoid bringing the cat in until it is absolutely necessary. Sometimes, to the cat’s detriment, health conditions have worsened by the time the cat receives medical care.

owner’s stress

The cat hides under the bed when the carrier comes out.
The cat has to be “dragged” out from under the bed.
The cat does not want to go into the carrier.
The cat cries constantly on the way to the vet.
The owner anticipates that the cat will be difficult and sedation will increase the cost of the visit.

the cat’s stress

You are placed in a box that you associate with fear and anxiety.
Your box (with you in it!) is placed in a larger box that moves and smells funny.
You are frightened, may be nauseated, or may soil yourself.
The vet clinic smells of other frightened animals.
You are handled by strange humans.

Each time “heavy restraint” is used, a cat often becomes increasingly aggressive, until the exam and treatments have to be done under anesthesia.

Cat friendly handling – breaking the cycle

Cat friendly handling is geared toward following the CAT handling guidelines.

Give the cat as much choice and control as possible.
Pay attention to the cat’s body language and tailor the handling to the individual cat.
Touch the cat where he prefers to be touched.
Positive Reinforement: Make unpleasant procedures (vaccines, sample collection) worthwhile to the cat, offering food or head rubs.

Low Stress vet visits require that the veterinary staff and cat owner work together as a team. Cat friendly handling begins at home and continues when the cat and owner arrive at the vet clinic.

“A BETTER VET VISIT FOR YOUR CAT“

Train your cat to comfortable in her carrier. Consider a carrier with a removable lid so that she can at least be examined in the safety of her “home away from home”.
Desensitize your cat to riding in the car – take a drive around the block where you don’t end up at the vet.
If the veterinary team recommends an anti-anxiety “cocktail”, figure out how your cat will take it. Consider training your cat to accept medication.
If your cat has a favorite treat or food that he likes, consider picking up his food the night before for a morning appointment or in the morning for an afternoon appointment. Bring the treats along and offer them to the staff to feed kitty during his exam or procedures.
Choose a Cat Friendly Practice where the staff have had some training in cat friendly handling.

What happened with the cat we talked about earlier?

The owner felt that a cat-only practice made her cat more reactive. We elected not to proceed with the exam and suggested the owner find a clinic that was a better fit. We can only hope that the cycle of aggression will be broken.

Like taking a toddler to the doctor, the vet visit can be scary for your cat. Cat friendly handling can make the visit less stressful for both you and your cat!

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How can you tell if your cat is painful?

Posted on August 29, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats are not only predators, they are also prey for larger carnivores like coyotes. A predator will target a weak or injured prey animal so it is important that prey animals hide their pain, so they don’t become some else’s snack. Cats are no exception and are masters at hiding pain. As a veterinary technician, I have found clients often do not give pain medication that we send home because “he didn’t seem painful”.

how do I know if my cat is painful?

It is hard to assess pain in animals and young children. They can’t tell you how it hurts. There has been interest in developing methodology for computer assessment of pain in human children using facial expressions. Humans have expressive faces, with 42 facial muscles; there is a universal “pain face”, with lowered eyebrows, eyes squeezed together, nose wrinkled, raised upper lip and open mouth.

Like us, cats also have a “pain face” but it takes some practice to become attuned to it. The Feline Grimace Scale (FGS) was developed to give veterinary professionals an easy-to-use tool to assess whether a cat needs pain medication. With some practice and attention to your cat’s environment, you can tell if your cat is painful.

The FGS focuses on 5 facial features:

position of the ears
shape of the eyes
shape of the muzzle
attitude of the whiskers
position of the head

Each feature is assigned a score of 0, 1 or 2.

“0” = no pain

“1” = moderate appearance of pain

“2” = obvious appearance of pain

The highest pain score with this system is 10; a score of 4/10 indicates the need for pain medication.

The Kitty Pain Face

scoring The Ears

Score = 0 Ears are up and facing forward
Score = 1 Ears are not facing forward and further apart; they are a little “flat”
Score = 2 Ears are flattened and rotated out, like the wings of an airplane

scoring the eyes

Score =0 Eyes are open
Score = 1 Eyes partially closed
Score =2 Eyes are “squeezed shut”

scoring the muzzle

Score = 0 Muzzle is relaxed and round in shape
Score = 1 Muzzle is tense and starting to become flatter
Score = 2 Muzzle is tense and elliptical in shape

scoring the whiskers

score = 0 Whiskers are relaxed and curved downwards
Score = 1 Whiskers are beginning to straighten, as the muzzle becomes tense
Score = 3 Whiskers are straight or forward

scoring the head

Score = 0 The head is up and above the line of the shoulders
Score = 1 The head is in line with the shoulders
Score = 2 The is below the line of the shoulder

Using the FGS

The FGS was developed for veterinary staff to monitor hospitalized patients. In the validation studies, cats were observed undisturbed for 30 seconds. This could be a challenge in the home, where the cat is not in a kennel and can move around.

Pain causes anxiety and stress. The expressions making up the cat’s “pain face” overlap with the body language of stress. How can you eliminate environmental stress when scoring your cat for pain?

getting a valid score for your cat

Don’t have 30 seconds?

If you’re having trouble watching your cat for 30 seconds, try scoring your cat, then score him again in 15-20 minutes and see if you get the same results as before.

Pain or environmental stress?

Reduce the effect of the environment on your cat. Don’t have someone hold him or rub his head. Try to observe him when there is not a lot of activity in the house – try guiding him to a quiet room and let him settle down before you try to score him. Don’t interact with him – he may respond by hiding his pain.

If your cat is grooming, eating, or vocalizing, wait until she is finished before assessing her. If sleeping, wait until she is awake.

practice telling if a cat is painful

Using the FGS can be challenging but it can help you decide sometimes if your cat needs veterinary treatment. Practice observing cats that are painful or not painful to give yourself a mental map of the cat’s face and demeanor.

Go to felinegrimacescale.com, and download the FGS manual.
Using the FGS manual, practice your skills with the series of 11 cat photos on the website.
Compare your results with those of the researchers.

Other indications that your cat is painful

she is hiding or you find her in a place she usually does not frequent
she is more subdued than usual
there is a decrease in appetite and activity

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Some cats like to play more than others

Posted on August 21, 2021August 22, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats plays with featther toy1 — Zelda plays with a feather toy at the end of a wand.

Providing opportunities for predatory play is one of the components of a cat-friendly home. Like people, cats are individuals, with different tastes and experiences. This certainly is one reason for the large variety of cat toys at the pet store. But what if your cat does not want to play?

Some cats like to play more than others

A group of researchers observed the responses of 31 cats to toy balls, a fishing pole style toy with a soft bird shaped toy at the end, and recorded sounds of a chirping bird, a squeaking mouse, crumpled paper and a rustling plastic bag. Thirteen of these cats were indoor-outdoor cats; the remaining 18 were indoor-only cats.

What did they find out?

Indoor-only cats touched or played with balls sooner than indoor-outdoor cats.
Indoor-only cats started searching earlier for playback sounds (chirping, squeaking etc) than the indoor-outdoor cats.

Why do indoor-only cats like to play more than outdoor cats?

The two groups of cats had close relationships with their owners: the main difference was that one group had access to the outdoors.

The indoor-outdoor cats most likely had experience with actual prey animals. Live prey can “fight back” and cause injury to the hunter, so a slower, more cautious approach may be smarter. The indoor-only cats don’t “know any better” and showed a more intense interest in and faster response to “simulated prey”, not having had any negative experience with hunting things.

Should I try to play with my indoor-outdoor cat?

Yes, play with your indoor-outdoor cat. Play is part of the regular, positive interactions we have with our cats. The need to hunt defines who your cat is – this is what he was born to do. Although he gets a lot of stimulation while outdoors, a short, regular play time helps reinforce the cat-owner bond.

It may be a bit more difficult to find that thing he’ll play with, compared to an enthusiastic indoor-only cat.

My experience with “Gus, A former street cat”

Gus has always enjoyed “treat toss” ( I throw dental treats for the cats to chase and eat).
He is not interested in the feather and mice toys at the end of a wand.
He occasionally plays with catnip toys and balls.
After two years, he has agreed to chase a pair of tied-together shoe laces down the hall and has his own preferred food puzzle.

My indoor-only cat just won’t play with anything

Cats are individuals and some cats like to play more than others. Yes, try to entice your cat to play. It can take longer to find out what some cats will play with. It may take a few tries before they become interested enough to chase that shoelace, mouse toy on a wand or the crumpled ball of paper you throw down the hallway. If the cat walks away, then try again another day.

A play session around the same time everyday lets them know what is going to happen.
Be alert to possible frustration – your cat needs some reinforcement intermittently to keep her playing the game.
Use the laser pointer to point to a treat when ending the laser tag session.
Let her catch the toy on the wand and chew on it occasionally during a play session.
End the play session with a game of “treat toss”.

Playing with more than one cat

Even if cats are not part of the same social group , they can still manage a joint play session. Cats are good at “time-sharing” – taking turns while another cat plays. Often they will have different preferences, so they will wait for “their toy”. Cats are often very willing to wait if there is a treat session at the end (after all, hunting requires patience!)

The importance of predatory play…

It is true that some cats like to play with toys or chase treats more than others. But every cat has a hunting heritage and helping him use it strengthens the bond between you and your cat.

Tips for playing with cats

Play and Treat time is a meal

Cats do better physically and emotionally eating multiple small meals daily.
Restricting access to food (meal feeding) can make treat time a bit more special.
Include the treats in your cat’s daily calorie count.

Play and treat time – a positive, predictable interaction for your cat

Cats like to play with a variety of toys – have several boxes of toys that you rotate.
Marinate some of the toys in catnip or silvervine.
Play sessions do not need to be more than 5 minutes or so per cat.
Put all interactive toys away when playtime is over.

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Cat-Owner Relationship

Posted on August 15, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

You’ve had a tough day at work – you couldn’t keep anyone happy. You arrive home and your cat is there at the door as you come in. He rubs around your legs and stands up to bump your hand with his head. Of course, he is there for his dinner but afterwards, he will snuggle up to you on the sofa to watch some TV – at least, he seems happy with you!

Your relationship with your cat is more than just providing him with food and a warm place to sleep – it is also about the comfort you get from him when you are stressed. A recent study authored by Mauro Ines and colleagues looked at the different types of relationships that exist between cats and their people. They looked at the cat-owner relationship in terms of attachment AND social support.

cat-owner relationship

attachment

Attachment refers to an emotional bond between two individuals where each feels more secure and comforted when with the other.

We not only provide our cats with food and shelter but also security and comfort. As a consequence, our cats are ATTACHED to us and stay close to us.

social support

Social Support refers to a network of family and friends that you can turn to when you are stressed or feeling isolated and lonely.

In terms of social support, our cats make us feel needed because they need us to care for them. They give us a break from the complexities of interacting with people – they are available, not judgmental or unpredictable.

Mauro Ines’ research team conducted an extensive survey of cat owners. After the dust cleared, there were 3994 “reliable” responses for statistical analysis.

The study used four categories to evaluate cat-owner relationships:

The Owner’s emotional investment in the cat
The cat’s acceptance of people other than the Owner
The cat’s need to be close to the Owner
How friendly the cat was toward the Owner

Statistical analysis of the surveys revealed 5 distinct cat-owner relationships.

In three of these relationships (52% of the surveys), owners have a low level of emotional investment in their cats. The cats and owners do not seem to be very attached nor do they offer each other much social support.

“Open”
- Owner has a “neutral” emotional investment in the cat
- The cat typically goes outdoors
- The cat is friendly to people in general
- Cat has some affiliation with the owner.
- These cats do not seek out owners when distressed.
“Remote”
- Owner has a low level of emotional investment in the cat
- Owner does not view the cat as part of the family.
- The cat is often be sociable with people other than the Owner
- The cat does not seek out the Owner when distressed.
“Casual”
- Owner has a low level of emotional investment
- The cat is sociable and friendly with other people
- Little evidence that the cat discriminates the Owner from other people
- These cats may visit other households in the neighborhood

About 45% of the surveys came from Owners with a high emotional investment in their cats. These Owners scored high on items like “my cat will often lick my hands or face”. These cats and owners have stronger relationships, both in terms of attachment and social support.

“Co-dependent”
- These cats prefer to be close to their owners
- These cats are wary of people other than the Owner
- Usually a single-person household
- The cat is indoor-only
- Owner and cat play together frequently
“Friendship”
- Usually a multi-cat home
- These cats are often friendly with people other than the Owner
- These cats like to be near the Owner but are not “clingy”
- The Owner and cats have a “friendly” relationship but can function independently of each other.

A study like the one described above can have inherent biases that can limit its value in describing cat owners in general. For instance, the bulk of the survey responses came from women in the UK (66%). Only 10% of the responses came from US residents. In the UK, it is common for cats to have outdoor access (90%), whereas in the US, it is estimated that upward of 65% of pet cats are primarily indoors. If we were to survey cat owners in the US, would we find a greater percentage of “co-dependent” relationships? Would we find more emotionally invested owners with indoor-only cats?

This study, while interesting, is certainly not the last word in how cats bond with their people. However, it does suggest that the cat-human relationship is more than a simple caregiver- dependent relationship.

Why do a study like this?

One of the leading reasons why cats are relinquished to animal shelters is behavior problems. A better understanding of the cat-owner relationship could help resolve or possibly avoid such problem behaviors, keeping the cat in his home and improving the welfare of both cat and owner.

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Practical guidelines for interacting with cats

Posted on August 8, 2021 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

You’re watching TV with your cat on your lap, absentmindedly stroking her. Suddenly, out of the blue, she swats you and jumps down. You rub your hand and wonder, “What was that all about?”

There are few practical guidelines for interacting with cats. A research team conducted a study at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in the UK to remedy this. The study tested a simple set of Human-Cat Interaction (HCI) guidelines that aim to make cats more comfortable when they are interacting with us.

These practical guidelines for interacting with cats follow the acronym CAT (easy to remember). Here they are!

C is for Choice and Control
A is for Attention
T is for Touch

choice and control…

Our cats’ ancestors were solitary hunters. They had to look out for themselves – if they were injured, they could not hunt; no hunting meant no food.

Cats are accomplished hunters but they are also prey for larger predators, such as coyotes. Consequently, cats are “control freaks” – to survive, they need to be in control of their interactions with their environment.

Allow a cat to CHOOSE whether or not to interact with you.

If you can, get on the cat’s level, offer your hand, and allow him to approach you.
If the cat wants to be touched, she will rub against your hand. If she doesn’t lean into your hand, don’t pet her.
Allow the cat to move away from you if he chooses; don’t follow him if he leaves.
Allow the cat to control how much you stroke her. When stroking her, pause every 3–5 sec to see if she wants to continue – does she rub against you to ask for more? If not, let her take a break.

Attention….

Pay attention to the cat’s body language and behavior. The following signals indicate that the cat is done interacting with you.

She turns her head or moves away from you.
His ears become flattened or rotate backwards.
She shakes her head.
The fur on his back “ripples”.
She licks her nose.
He becomes still, and stops purring or rubbing against you.
She sharply turns her head to face you or your hand.
He suddenly starts grooming himself but only for a few seconds at a time.
Her tail starts switching back and forth rapidly; usually the tail is horizontal or on the ground.

touch…

Think about where you are touching the cat.

A friendly cat prefers to be touched at the base of his ears, around his cheeks, and under his chin.
AVOID the base of her tail and tummy.
If you touch the cat’s back, flank, legs, or tail–watch his body language (see above) to see if he is comfortable with this.

Trying out the practical guidelines for interacting with cats

In the Battersea study, testing was conducted in 2 sessions: a “control” session and a second session after the human participant watched a 5 minute video demonstrating the CAT guidelines.

In each session, both control and post-video, the human participant visited with 3 cats, spending 5 minutes with each cat.

In the control session, the participant was instructed to remain seated in the cat’s room and interact with the cat as he or she usually would. The session was recorded by video.

After watching the instructional video, the participant would visit with 3 more cats as before, except following the CAT guidelines.

A total of 535 observations were made.
For each observation, cat behavior and posture was assessed and rated; the human participants were scored on how closely they followed the CAT guidelines.

Did the practical guidelines for interacting with cats work?

Before CAT instruction:
Cats in the control visits displayed more instances of human-directed aggression and more behaviors associated with conflict than cats in the post-education visits.

After CAT instruction:
The human participants in the study started following the CAT guidelines and the cats displayed more friendly and positive behaviors than in the control visits.

So, back to the cat on your lap in front of the TV. She became tired of being petted and may have indicated this by flattening her ears and turning her head to give you a meaningful look but you were not paying attention!

Let her Control the stroking (“ask” if she wants to continue)
Pay Attention to her body language (rippling skin? twitching tail? “airplane” ears?)
Touch her where she is comfortable being touched; if in doubt, stick with the base of the ears, the cheeks, and under the chin.

postscript

If you need to handle your cat and she’s not having it, try to make it worthwhile for her. Offer her a treat or a toy to put her in a positive emotional state.

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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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