Affiliation in Cats – Bonded Pairs of Cats

Posted on September 13, 2026September 13, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

If you visit an animal shelter to adopt a cat, you may find some pairs of cats designated as “bonded”. These cats must be adopted together and, if returned to the shelter, must be returned together. Statistics show that cats labeled as “bonded pairs” may take 3 times as long to be adopted as a single cat (Reference 1).

What are “bonded pairs of cats”?

“Bonded” cats show a very high level of attachment to each other. These are typically cats that have spent most of their lives together – either as littermates or long-time companions. There are concerns that one or the other may develop separation anxiety or become inappetant when separated. There is not much research on this phenomenon.

Social Bonding in Cats

If there is a reliable source of food, free-roaming cats outdoors will often form groups called colonies. Within the colony, there are smaller groups of 2 or more cats that prefer to spend time together. These cats are comfortable sharing resources such as food, water, latrine areas, sleeping and resting places.

Sharon Crowell-Davis observed multiple cat colonies and found that certain cats could be found close together (less than 1 meter) more often than they were found with other members of the colony. She coined the term “preferred associates” to describe these cats. “Preferred associates” are thought to come together because of their social bond, not just to share resources (Reference 2). How do we identify “preferred associates”? How do we identify “bonded pairs of cats”?

Identifying Preferred Associates

Cats show a variety of affiliative or prosocial behaviors. A 2019 study of affiliative and conflict behaviors in cats listed 4 affiliative behaviors (Ref 3):

Sleeping in the same room as another cat
Grooming another cat by licking them around the head or ears
Sleeping touching another cat
Touching noses with another cat

Other sources also include head-butting and rubbing up against each other as signs that cats are affiliated. There are no hard and fast rules to affiliation: some cats will not snuggle together, but will groom each other and play together. “Preferred Associates” will show some if not all of these affiliative behaviors with each other. You may see some conflict behaviors from time to time. These cats tend to stay close to each other, form social groups, and share resources.

Bonded pairs of cats

Bonded cats are said to show mainly affiliative behaviors and spend most of their time near each other. Identifying bonded pairs of cats can be challenging – how do you know which cats will become distressed if separated?

Shelter staff often label cats as “bonded pairs” if they were surrendered together, especially if the intake form indicates that they have spent a long time in the same house. We humans are predisposed to pair bonds – human societies in general view a lifelong exclusive relationship as the ideal model for love, marriage and family life. We humans have a tendency to look for pair bonds, whether they are there or not.

Dr. Malini Suchak set out to determine whether or not adopting cats in pairs influences adoption times (Reference 1). As part of the study, videos of group-housed cats in a shelter were taken and analyzed for affiliative and conflict behaviors. Videos of cats that were labeled as “bonded” as well as cats that were not considered bonded were in included in the behavior analysis.

What did this study find?

In general, cats labeled as “bonded” showed more prosocial behavior than cats who were brought in singly
But there was a large discrepancy between pairs the shelter classified as “bonded” and those who would be classified as “bonded” based on behavioral observations (video analysis) alone
Adoption times were 42% longer for cats adopted in pairs compared to being adopted singly and up to 185% longer for those labeled as “bonded pairs of cats” (Reference 1).

There is no easy way to identify bonded pairs of cats. We look for proximity and affiliative behaviors as we do with preferred associates. But cats may come together more to share resources than because they have a special bond. Consider cats snuggled together sharing a bed – in the winter, the attraction may be the warmth of the bed rather than snuggling with the other cat.

Dr. Suchak recommends using behavioral observations to label cats who need to be adopted together. The following list of questions may be helpful to shelter staff when trying to identify bonded cats (Reference 1):

Are the same two cats regularly sleeping and sitting together?
Have you ruled out them sleeping together due to shared resources?
Have you seen other signs of affiliative behavior like grooming or touching noses?
Is the behavior specific to a particular cat (one of the pair) or are the cats just generally friendly?
Ask owners surrendering multiple cats questions regarding affiliative behaviors on the intake survey.

Decisions to adopt cats out in pairs should be made carefully since keeping cats in the shelter longer not only costs the shelter more but risks exposing the cats to disease, psychological distress, and behavioral problems. On the other hand, if a pair of cats will suffer distress and illness when separated, it may be worthwhile to wait for the right adopter or find a foster home in the meantime.

references

Engebrecht L, Smith T, Suchak M. Single vs multiple cat adoptions: A trade-off between longer adoption times and social bonding in shelter cats. Animal Welfare. 2022;31(3):329-339. doi:10.7120/09627286.31.3.006
Crowell-Davis SL, Curtis TM, Knowles RJ. Social organization in the cat: a modern understanding. J Feline Med Surg. 2004 Feb;6(1):19-28. doi: 10.1016/j.jfms.2003.09.013. PMID: 15123163; PMCID: PMC10822437.
Elzerman AL, DePorter TL, Beck A, Collin JF. Conflict and affiliative behavior frequency between cats in multi-cat households: a survey-based study. J Feline Med Surg. 2020 Aug;22(8):705-717. doi: 10.1177/1098612X19877988. Epub 2019 Oct 18. PMID: 31623526; PMCID: PMC7383420.

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MEMO and the Vomiting Cat – A Case Study

Posted on August 23, 2026August 23, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Miso, a 5 year old NM cat, was diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis when he was 3 years old. Pancreatitis presented as episodes of violent vomiting every 1-2 months. In addition to giving anti-emetics, managing these episodes involved fluid therapy and antibiotics, and the occasional ER visit.

In cats, the common bile duct and the main pancreatic duct join together into a single shared channel before opening into the small intestine. When a cat vomits, the gut contents from the proximal intestine move into the stomach, exposing the pancreas to bacteria and concurrent inflammation on the way (Reference 1).

The overall strategy is to keep Miso from vomiting. We decided to try a schedule of frequent meals combined with environmental enrichment (MEMO) (Reference 2).

MEMO stands for Multimodal Environmental Modification, a therapeutic framework pioneered by Dr. Tony Buffington of Ohio State University to aid in the treatment of cats suffering from Lower Urinary Tract Syndrome and from “Pandora syndrome”.

MEMO and the vomiting cat – the feeding schedule

Miso is fed both canned and dry food in multiple small meals as recommended for vomiting cats (see Managing the Vomiting Cat – Dietary Strategies). About half his calories come from canned food; the remainder from dry food. He is monitored closely for signs of an impending episode of pancreatitis (, i.e. nausea and vomiting).

Feeding Schedule
Time	Food
6:00 am	10 kibbles of dry food
6:30 am	50% of morning ration of canned food.
7:30 am	50% of morning ration of canned food.
12:00 pm	10 kibbles of dry food
6:00 pm	50 % evening ration of canned food
7:00 pm	50 % evening ration of canned food
9-10 pm	20 kibbles of dry food

MEMO and the vomiting cat – Environmental Modifications

We try to fulfill the physical, nutritional, social and behavioral aspects of MEMO while managing Miso’s pancreatitis.

Physical: In additional to having access to scratching posts and places to rest and hide, Miso takes a morning walk on a leash. The leash is mainly used to keep him from eating grass, which causes him to vomit.

Nutritional: We feed Miso and his roommates their canned meals at individual feeding stations (hard plastic cat carriers) located in the corners of the dining room. The cats are out of sight of each other while being fed. This gives each cat an opportunity to eat their dinner without interference from the other cats.

Social: The cats enjoy daily positive interactions with people in the process of being fed.

Behavioral: The evening meal is fed in two portions: half is fed at the cats’ feeding stations while the human dinner is prepared. The second half of is fed later when we sit down for dinner. The canned food is spread on textured silicone “lick mats”, keeping the cats off the counter and dining table while the humans are having dinner.

The nighttime snack of dry kibbles is fed using food puzzles (foraging behavior) or tossing the kibbles for the cats to chase and “hunt down”.

This routine may seem complicated but actually works quite well. Canned meals sandwich the morning routine of breakfast and getting ready to go out for the morning. Canned meals sandwich the evening routine of preparing then serving dinner. The bedtime routine tells everyone to prepare for a good night’s sleep.

Memo and the vomiting cat

Feeding small frequent meals helps manage Miso’s chronic pancreatitis. It is more work compared to ad lib feeding of dry food but it is worth the reduction in the severity and frequency of Miso’s vomiting episodes. After implementing this regimen, a bout of pancreatitis occurs every 2-3 months and only requires only a few days of oral medication with minimal vomiting, no ER visit and often no fluid therapy.

The silver lining: The cats seem to enjoy eating more often and it is can be fun to watch them work the food puzzles or to toss them kibbles. The four cats even seem to get along better together!

references

Batchelor DJ, Devauchelle P, Elliott J, et al. “Mechanisms, causes, investigation and management of vomiting disorders in cats: a literature review”. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 2013;15(4):237-265. doi:10.1177/1098612X12473466
Herron ME, Buffington CA. “Environmental enrichment for indoor cats”. Compend Contin Educ Vet. 2010 Dec;32(12):E4. PMID: 21882164; PMCID: PMC3922041.

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Environmental Tactics to Manage The Vomiting Cat

Posted on August 9, 2026August 9, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

It is a common misconception that it is normal for cats to vomit. The last post investigated dietary and feeding strategies that can help reduce vomiting and make cats more comfortable.

Sometimes, there is an emotional component to gastrointestinal distress. Many of us are familiar with the “butterflies in the stomach” preceding a stressful event. Emotional stress can upset your stomach, and an irritated gut can send distress signals back to your brain (Reference 1). Like people, cats experience anxiety which can affect their GI tract. Here are some tips to help a vomiting cat manage anxiety.

Environmental Tactics to Manage The Vomiting Cat

Pandora syndrome refers to cats suffering from multiple medical ailments that do not resolve with appropriate medical treatment. Instead, the symptoms are chronic, waxing and waning in response to environmental stressors (see Reference 2).

MEMO addresses the environmental needs of cats, dividing these into five categories (Reference 3).

physical resources – elevated perches, multiple scratching posts, hiding places
nutritional – multiple, separate food and water stations out of sight of other pets
elimination – multiple, separate litter boxes in quiet areas
social – consistent routines and predictable interactions with humans and other pets
behavioral – opportunities for predatory play and foraging for food

Adam Rudinsky, a small animal internal medicine specialist at Ohio State University, recommends implementing MEMO in addition to medical treatment to help cats with chronic vomiting (Reference 3).

Environmental tactics to manage the vomiting cat – Did you get the memo?

Physical Resources

Having quiet places to retreat to can help a cat manage fear, anxiety and stress. Multiple, separate feeding stations, litter boxes and resting places in secluded areas allows a cat to avoid harassment by other pets while eating, eliminating and snoozing. A little “alone time” sometimes works wonders.

Nutritional and Social

Feeding smaller meals more frequently (see “Managing the Vomiting Cat“) means we will be meal feeding our cat, not leaving out a big bowl of kibble for them to graze on. Meal feeding respects the physiology of the cat, who has evolved to eat small prey and has a relatively small stomach. Wild cats typically eat alone and spend most of their waking hours hunting and foraging for food (see “Why Meal Feed your Cat”).

Meal feeding brings social elements into feeding the cat:

Predictable human-cat interactions as the human gives the cat food
Establishment of routines involving feeding
In homes with more than one cat, each cat must feed at their own feeding station. These stations should be separated to keep cats from “stealing” each other’s food and prevent timid cats from gorging, eating their food too quickly and vomiting (see “Why Separate Cats when Feeding“).

Nutritional, Social and Behavioral

Although canned foods provide a more rapid transit through the stomach, dry food can still be part of the vomiting cat’s diet. A fun game to play with your cat is to toss them a meal of dry food. This gives a cat the opportunity to listen for, chase and pounce on their food.

Feeding our cats smaller meals more frequently gives us opportunities to allow the cats to engage in foraging behaviors with food puzzles or timed feeders placed around the house. Food puzzles can accommodate both canned and dry foods (see “Cats at Work: Using Food Puzzles“).

MEMO and the Cat with Hairballs

Cats that live indoors have a lot more time on their paws than their outdoor counterparts. Indoor cats tend to spend more time grooming and ingesting fur. MEMO can help reduce stress and boredom that gives rise to excessive grooming in house cats and the accompanying hairballs.

Vomiting is commonly reported by feline caregivers. Per AI generated searches, it is considered normal for cats to vomit once or twice a month. Such vomiting is not “harmless” and steps should be taken to find the medical cause. Even if there is a clear medical cause, treatment can include dietary and environmental tactics to manage the vomiting cat, giving them a better quality of life.

references

“The Gut-Brain Connection”, July 18,2023. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/the-gut-brain-connection. Viewed 8/8/2026.
Meyer, Phyllis. “Treating Pandora Syndrome in Cats: The environment”, January 14, 2024. https://www.felinepurrspective.com/treating-pandora-syndrome-in-cats-the-environment/
Herron ME, Buffington CA. “Environmental enrichment for indoor cats”. Compend Contin Educ Vet. 2010 Dec;32(12):E4. PMID: 21882164; PMCID: PMC3922041.
Rudinsky, Adam. “Approach to the Vomiting Cat: Causes, Treatment, and Management”. Webinar. https://catvets.com/events/approach-to-the-vomiting-cat-causes-treatment-and-management/

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Managing The Vomiting Cat – Dietary Strategies

Posted on July 19, 2026July 19, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Vomiting is a common finding when taking a feline medical history. Cat owners seem to accept that all cats vomit and are often not concerned if a cat is vomiting several times a month or weekly. If you do a Google search,“how often do cats vomit” , the AI overview will state something like “It is considered normal for cats to vomit occasionally, typically once or twice a month, often due to hairballs or eating too quickly.”

Managing the vomiting cat

Per Dr. Adam Rudinsky at Ohio State University, there is “no such thing as harmless vomiting”. There are a number of possible medical causes, ranging from gastritis and food reactions to cancer and kidney disease (Reference 1). But what about the cat who is diagnostically healthy? And is there more (apart from medications and supplements) we can do to manage those cats that vomit regularly due to a chronic condition such as Inflammatory Bowel disease?

Coughing or vomiting?

When a cat vomits, the abdominal muscles and diaphragm contract at the same time. The diaphragm moves forward while the abdominal muscles compress the stomach, forcing the contents up and through the esophagus (Reference 2).

The diaphragm and abdominal muscles are also active when a cat coughs but there is no retching and production of stomach contents when a cat coughs. Sometimes violent coughing can result in vomiting.

Both vomiting and coughing use the same muscles, hence the confusion that “hairballs are coughed up”. The cat must vomit to expel a hairball – you will see the stomach heaving back and forth in intense, rhythmic contractions that you don’t see in coughing. Many cats will vocalize, lick lips, and drool prior to vomiting.

Dietary tools in Managing the Vomiting Cat

The tools available to the caregiver of a cat prone to vomiting are dietary and behavioral. Let’s first look at how we may modify the cat’s diet.

The vomiting cat’s diet must meet their nutritional needs and also be (Reference 4):

Palatable
Reduce excess stomach and intestinal secretions
Keep food moving through the digestive tract

The diet should be easily digested and contain enough protein to maintain lean body mass. There are veterinary diets that are formulated to be palatable and easily digested.

What form of food?

The form of food (e.g., liquid, canned or dry) affects how quickly the stomach empties. Liquid diets are the fastest to leave the stomach, followed by canned foods and finally dry kibble. One study aimed at determining the optimal time to fast a cat before anesthesia found that some dry kibble could be found in the stomach after an 8 hour fast whereas canned food was gone in less than 4 hours (Reference 3).

Vomiting is associated with fluid loss. Cats with mild fluid deficits can be managed with oral water intake or fluids under the skin. If the cat will eat it, canned food can provide moisture and faster transit through the stomach. If your cat is a confirmed dry food eater, adding some warm water to their dry food can offset some of the fluid loss and improve palatability (Reference 4).

Vomiting may trigger food aversion in some cats. You may want to use a diet made with different ingredients than the regular diet during an episode of vomiting.

Small meals frequently

Consider feeding smaller meals more frequently ( 3-6 meals daily). Smaller meals result in less stomach distention, reduce gastric acid secretion, and transit the stomach faster (Reference 4).

Hairballs

Cats prone to hairballs can benefit from the addition of fiber to their diet to help clearance of swallowed hair. Commercial hairball diets blend insoluble fibers such as cellulose and soluble fibers, typically beet pulp.

Managing the vomiting cat includes several dietary strategies:

Adding more canned food in their diet
Feeding smaller meals more frequently
Feeding a diet with fiber added if hairballs are a problem

The type of diet, form of food, or number of meals is often not the full picture. The asocial cat becomes a social eater living in the human home. Next up, behavioral concerns with managing the vomiting cat.

references

Rudinsky, Adam. “YouTube Live: Chronic Vomiting Cats: What Can We Do?”. October 4, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkZsUYhswGk. Viewed 7/18/26.
Batchelor DJ, Devauchelle P, Elliott J, et al. “Mechanisms, causes, investigation and management of vomiting disorders in cats: a literature review”. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 2013;15(4):237-265. doi:10.1177/1098612X12473466
Castro, JLC et al. “Determining the Optimal Time of Gastric Emptying in Cats Using Dry or Wet Food”. Acta Scientiae Veterinariae, 2016. 44: 1365. Pub. 1365I. 24June2016
Purina Institute, Centre Square. “Feline Chronic Enteropathy”. https://www.purinainstitute.com/centresquare/therapeutic-nutrition/feline-chronic-enteropathy, viewed 7/14/26.

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Use the Number 3 when Communicating With Your Cat

Posted on June 28, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

The number 3 is an important number to us humans. We count to 3 when doing things; things “come in threes”; it takes 3 repetitions to master something. How can you use the number 3 when communicating with your cat?

Use the Number 3 when Communicating with your cat

A few of the reasons people count to 3 are:

To coordinate actions with other people. For example, when two people team lift a heavy item, one person often counts to 3 with the lift happening on 3.
Counting to 3 helps you focus on a new task and get ready to do it.
Parents often count to 3 to let a child know that if they don’t obey, there will be a consequence.

Use The Number 3 when Communicating with Your Cat: the 1-2-3 Pause

Simple verbal commands like “sit ” quickly become automatic and the cat will sit without giving much thought to the process. More complex verbal requests require the cat to engage in conscious thought. A pause gives your cat the time to process a complex verbal cue (Reference 1).

Cats learn language via associative learning – they connect a sound (word) with an experience. For example, when learning the word for “shoulders”, they associate the word with the touch to their shoulders.

If you say to your cat, “Can I touch your shoulders? “, several things will happen while the cat processes your request.

The cat must recognize the word “shoulders”.
The cat must connect the sound “shoulders” with the sensation of having their shoulders touched.
The cat must decide if they want their shoulders touched. The cat might show their willingness to be touched by raising their shoulders up or signal their aversion to being touched by cringing.

Giving the cat a counting pause, whether you say it silently or aloud, gives them time to process the words and transition from hearing the command to performing the action (Reference 1).

My cat, Gus, is an inveterate counter surfer at meal times. Telling him repeatedly to “get down” usually falls on deaf ears, as he tunes out the request as noise. Adding a 1-2-3 pause and a consequence (being picked up) is much more successful (Reference 2).

Me: “Get down from the counter or I will pick you up. On the count of 3: 1-2-3”
Gus: Sometimes he gets down on 1 or 2; Sometimes he gets down on 3 and occasionally he gets picked up.
However, this has been the most successful strategy to get him off the counter (including spray bottles) and away from the food preparation.

Use the number 3 when communicating with your cat: The rule of three

The “Rule of Three” is an instructional principle used in teaching people. The “Rule of Three” says that students need to be given the opportunity to learn something at least three times before they can be expected to know it and apply it (Reference 3).

When teaching your cat a new cue or word, do 3 repetitions, then start to use the cue or word when appropriate. If you repeat and repeat the instruction, you run the risk of the cat becoming bored and confused, and ignoring the cue.

the rule of three and giving eye drops to miso

My cat, Miso, needed eye drops the other week to clear up an eye irritation. I used the rule of three: I showed Miso the bottle of drops, letting him sniff it. I did a first trial without giving drops, narrating the process. This was followed by a second “drop-free” trial, again narrating the process. The third time, with narration, I gave the drops.

Me to Miso: “Will you sit? Good sit! I am going put a drop in your right eye. Here is the bottle; I’ll hold it in my hand and tilt your head back. Then on the count of three, we’ll do the drops 1-2-3. Then you get a treat “. [I repeated this a second time, then gave the drops on the third trial].

Miso: “Looks scary” [1st time]. “Still looks scary” [2nd time]. “Oh, it’s done! Where’s my treat?” [3rd time]

On subsequent days, I aimed for “one-and-done”: I showed Miso the bottle, narrated the process, counted to 3 and gave the drops.

Note: Miso is used to having his head held while I brush his teeth. He is also familiar with the words, “head”, “eyes” and “ears”.

People count to three to establish rhythm, build a pattern, or make a decision. Things presented in triads are thought to be easier to learn. Consider using a 1-2-3 pause when giving your cat complex instructions and limiting the repetition of commands to three. Use the number 3 when communicating with your cat!

references

Cover, Kayce. Give Power and Choice, “Training with Kayce: podcast. June 23, 2026. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=mlgr4orPv4k
Cover, Kayce. Perception Modification, Conditioned Relaxation & IF-THEN Conditional Statements. January 12, 2015. https://youtu.be/kIz_D9VUJGY?si=vDqeYPWKOrQMXOni
Johnson, Ben. Using the Rule of 3 for Learning. April 27, 2016. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-rule-three-learning-ben-johnson. viewed June 27, 2026.

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Nurturing Capable House Cats in the Shelter

Posted on May 31, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Cats can be found worldwide, even on remote islands. The global population of domestic cats including those that live with us and those that roam free is estimated to be about 1 billion (Reference 1). The cat has been so successful that their numbers need to be controlled and animal shelters always seem to have a ready population that need homes.

nurturing capable House cats in the shelter

Assessment of a cat’s potential to be socialized and live in a human home are the subject of many shelter protocols; one of the most prominent of these is the Feline Spectrum Assessment (FSA) developed by the ASPCA (Reference 2).

The FSA takes place over 3 days after the cat arrives in the animal shelter. During this time, the cat will be assessed 4 times for about 5 minutes. However, if a cat shows friendly behavior immediately, they may “graduate” in less than a day (Reference 2).

What are the hallmarks of a cat “Likely to be Socialized”? Here are some of the behaviors the shelter employee assessing a cat looks for (Reference 2):

The cat is at the front of the cage
The cat is willing to play with an interactive toy, such as a toy mouse
The cat does not hiss but instead makes a friendly, chirping sound
The cat has their tail up
The cat is “making biscuits” with their paws
The cat’s paw makes contact with the assessor, toy or wand inside the cage or through the bars
The cat rubs against the cage door, bedding or wand

If a cat exhibits just one of these behaviors they are judged to be Extremely/Likely to be socialized. If the cat does not exhibit one of these behaviors, a more thorough assessment continues over the next few days (Reference 2).

The FSA has a second checklist of behaviors – if a cat shows 4 or more of these other behaviors they can be found “Likely to be Socialized” and adoption into a human home may yet be possible. Cats who do not pass the assessment must undergo further evaluation as to whether they can be adopted or other care must be arranged.

what does the cat “likely” to be socialized know?

In the FSA, the assessor is told to stand 1 foot in front of the cage, body slightly at an angle, making indirect eye contact. The assessor speaks softly in a high pitched voice. They avoid making fast or jerky movements and open and close the cage door quietly (Reference 2).

A cat accustomed to humans recognizes that a human behaving this way does not pose a threat to them. On the other hand, these cats also know NOT to approach a person who is behaving loudly, aggressively, or just in an atypical manner. An unsocialized cat does not know the difference between a “safe” and “unsafe” human – most humans represent a possible threat to these cats.

Of course, the friendly shelter cat has more to learn once he’s in a home. Over time, cats who are the most successful at living with human acquire a number of skills and become “Capable House Cats”.

Capable House Cats – what they know

Know their names
Come when called
Permit respectful and predictable handling
Accept being picked up
Are calm in the presence of humans and in control of their emotions so they rarely scratch or bite
Learn to “read” their owner’s reactions to people and events and follow the owner’s cue when responding (Reference 3)

Cats in an animal shelter can learn some of these “super-skills” in a foster home or from a training program at the shelter.

About a billion cats live in the world today. Cats have been so successful that their numbers are controlled by spay and neuter programs. Free-roaming cats often find themselves in shelters looking for homes. Let’s teach these cats to look to humans for information and guidance. Let’s make them “Capable House Cats”!

references

De Martino et al. The dispersal of domestic cats from North Africa to Europe around 2000 years ago. Science. 2025 Nov 27;390(6776):eadt2642. doi: 10.1126/science.adt2642. Epub 2025 Nov 27. PMID: 41308130; PMCID: PMC7618505
ASPCA. (2016). The ASPCA’s Feline Spectrum Assessment Training Manual and Guide. ASPCApro. https://www.aspcapro.org/sites/default/files/ASPCA-FSA-manual-2016.pdf
Merola, I., Lazzaroni, M., Marshall-Pescini, S. et al. Social referencing and cat–human communication. Anim Cogn 18, 639–648 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-014-0832-2

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Talk to Your Dog or Cat -Share Information with Them

Posted on May 10, 2026May 21, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Dogs and cats can learn by association, just like people. The animal or person links two unrelated events or stimuli together. Learning language involves linking a word or sound with various stimuli. Multiple studies have shown that cats and dogs link specific words with actions or outcomes.

talk to your dog or cat – share information with them

This week we said goodbye to my sister’s dog of 10 years. I was thinking back on his life and I recalled an instance when my sister and I went hiking with Bailey. The trailhead was remote and accessed by a dirt road that was drivable but by no means smooth. There were numerous lumpy sections of road where the car shuddered and bounced around a bit. Poor Bailey did not enjoy these sections and crouched down, whimpering when we encountered them.

I realized that we humans could look ahead and tell when the road would become rough and be prepared for it. Bailey in the back of the car couldn’t do this. I was currently taking a class in animal training from Kayce Cover. Kayce has developed the SATS (Synalia Training Systems) method. SATS focuses on communicating with animals and enabling them to manage their own emotions. So, I tried one of the training methods I learned in class that I use with my cats – naming the event and telling the animal (Bailey) when it was going to happen (Reference 2).

I narrated the drive, remarking each time the road deteriorated, “It’s getting bumpy”. After a few bumps, Bailey stopped whimpering and seemed more relaxed as long as I let him know when things were getting rough. We had a great hike and I repeated the road condition narrative on the way home – there was no more whimpering.

Dogs and cats learn by association, just like people. After a few trials, Bailey began to associate the word “bumpy” with the sensation of being jostled around in the car. Knowing what was going to happen helped him to cope with the sensation.

When we arrived at the house, Bailey disappeared briefly, returning with his favorite toy, which he presented to me. This exchange changed my relationship with him. Whenever I would see him afterwards, he seemed to want me to talk to him.

I have taken this to heart – when I am driving one of my cats around in the car, I try to narrate the journey, letting them know when we STOP and GO; when we turn LEFT or RIGHT. If nothing else, it helps keep me focused on driving the car!

I also use this vocabulary with my cats when they are leashed or just in the house – STOP tells them to be still; GO lets them know that they can move; RIGHT and LEFT directs their path (and maybe find that treat I dropped).

So, talk to your dog or cat. Share information with them – it will strengthen your bond.

references

Meyer, Phyllis. “if You Don’t Talk to Your Cat, Who Will?”. August 25, 2024. https://www.felinepurrspective.com/if-you-dont-talk-to-your-cat-who-will
Cover, Kayce. “Talk to Me! A communication guide for people living and working with animals”. ©2000 Synalia Training Systems. 1719 D Kingston Avenue, Norfolk, Va 23503, www.synalia.com

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From Shelter Cat to House Cat

Posted on April 19, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

You did it! You are adopting a cat from the local animal shelter. You’ve bought litter boxes, a soft bed for kitty to sleep in, food and water dishes, and a really cute cat tree. You’re ready – or are you?

From Shelter Cat to House Cat

Imagine being a shelter cat:

“You may have been living in a big field in the country or in an alley in the city and caught in a trap. Or a kind person coaxed you into a carrier with chunks of tuna and brought you to the animal shelter. You are placed in a cage where you can smell and see other cats in cages. But you are fed tasty cat food and have crunchy food to snack on. You have gotten used to living in the shelter – you know the space and the routine.”

When you bring your new feline companion home, they have no idea what is going to happen. You are taking them away from a place that they are familiar with and bringing them to somewhere unknown. Kitty’s first inclination in their new home may be to hide. Here are some ways to ease that transition from shelter cat to house cat.

A Safe place

Cats not only need food, litter boxes and a place to sleep, they also need to feel SAFE to use these resources

Establish a “safe place” for your new feline friend. Choose a room with a door you can close, block off places where your cat can hide (under the bed, behind a bookcase) and you can’t get them. Put all those things you bought – food, litter box, water and cat tree- in that room. Make sure to provide Kitty a hiding place that you can access if needed – a box or cat carrier can work. The “safe place” gives the new cat a base from which to mount explorations of their new home.

A lot of cat communication is by smell.

consider using a pheromone diffuser in the “safe place” to convey messages of calmness and security.
ask the animal shelter if you can have a towel or blanket the cat was using in their kennel OR spray a fleece blanket with a pheromone spray before placing it in the box or carrier.

Cats are individuals – some may be ready to explore their new surroundings right away while others take longer. But even outgoing cats need to spend some time alone. A “safe place” allows the new cat some alone time, time to process the environmental and social changes they are experiencing.

BE PREDICTABLE!

Remember that your new friend may be scared in your home at first. Let them settle in the safe place first. Visit them in the “room of their own” – sit on the floor and see if they come over to greet you for some petting or brushing.

Be predictable – approach your cat in the same way each time. This will help your cat become accustomed to you. Approach Kitty from the side instead of head-on: this is less scary for the cat. Make your visits positive to your new cat – try offering a play session and some snacks!

If Kitty remains in the box or carrier and does not approach you, try a snack or a toy to coax them to come out. Be patient and wait for them to come to you. Avoid having your hand over their head at first – this can startle or scare them. Instead, use a spoon to offer a snack to the cat and see if you can stroke their cheeks while they lick the treat.

From shelter cat to house cat – take your time

A gradual introduction to the new home and people is best for most cats. Pay attention to your cat’s body language – if they seem scared or frightened, allow them to stay in the “safe room”. The time invested in respecting Kitty’s emotional state will build trust.

Gradual, structured introductions to people and other pets work best. At first, bring people in to see Kitty. Go slowly and watch Kitty’s body language to see if the encounter is going well. Wait a few weeks before introducing other pets.

Transitioning from shelter cat to house cat is stressful for many cats. Be patient and respect their emotional state. Set up a “safe place” in your home where they can retreat to in times of stress . Be the predictable human in your cat’s life and take your time introducing your new cat to people and other pets.

references

Meyer, Phyllis. “What Do Cats Need?”, The Feline Purrspective, 02/17/2024. https://www.felinepurrspective.com/what-do-cats-need/
Meyer, Phyllis. “Introducing Cats: A Short Guide”, The Feline Purrspective, 07/10/2022, https://www.felinepurrspective.com/introducing-cats-a-short-guide/
Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, “How to Interact with Your Cat/ The Battersea Way”, 03/08/2022, https://youtu.be/UwqG2wLb0KQ?si=-3UwUpg8h5b8v2jR

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Dental Health and Your Cat’s Happiness

Posted on February 28, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

Premolars on cat's upper jaw — Upper premolar teeth in a cat.

Dental health and your cat’s happiness are linked together. Just like people, cats’ dental health is tied to their overall health. Lack of regular dental care causes pain and tooth loss, and increases the risk of severe systemic infections affecting the heart, liver, and kidneys.

By the time cats are 2 years old, 85% of them have some form of painful dental disease. The most common forms of dental disease in cats include (Reference 1)

gingivitis
periodontitis
tooth resorption
stomatitis
broken teeth.

Dental Health and your cat’s happiness

Gingivitis

Gingivitis is an early stage gum disease caused by bacterial plaque buildup. It presents as tender and red gums – look for a redline where the teeth meet the gums. Treatment: professional teeth cleaning at your vet’s clinic and a home oral care plan ).

Periodontitis

Left untreated, gingivitis becomes periodontitis, a chronic bacterial infection of the tissues supporting the teeth – the gums, the bone forming the tooth socket, and the ligament that holds the tooth in place. The plaque buildup leads to inflammation, irreversible destruction of supporting bone, and eventual tooth loss.
Treatment: The plaque, both the visible, pottery-like accretions and that plaque below the gum lines, must be removed during a professional teeth cleaning at your vet’s. Tooth extraction maybe necessary; antibiotics are rarely used in the treatment of periodontitis (Reference 1).

Tooth Resorption

Tooth resorption is a common, painful dental condition. Statistics show that 20-60% of cats suffer from this malady. The cat’s body breaks down and absorbs the tooth and root, starting at the gum line. X-rays are necessary to confirm this, and show us problems both below and above the gumline.
Treatment: Extraction of affected teeth (Reference 1).

Stomatitis

Stomatitis is a severe, painful inflammation of the mouth and gums. Thought to be an improper immune response to oral bacteria, affected cats often lose weight and don’t groom themselves well. (Reference 1)
Treatment: Treatment typically involves partial or full mouth extractions.

Broken Teeth

If a fracture opens up the root canal, pain and infection can result.
Treatment: The affected tooth is usually extracted although a dental specialist can perform a root canal on feline canine teeth (fangs).

Dental health and your cat’s happiness are linked together. Even if your cat continues to eat, they could be suffering pain every day due to dental disease. Cats are masters at hiding pain. Caregivers may or MAY NOT notice jaw chattering, changes in the chewing behavior or connect changes in activity and play behavior to dental pain.

Periodontal disease and tooth resorption in a 2 year old cat. Kitty was happier after all the teeth behind the canines were extracted.

does your cat need those teeth to be happy?

Notice that most treatments for feline dental problems include extractions. While this may seem extreme, many of the options for humans such as filling cavities or implants, either don’t work or are just not practical for your cat.

Here are some questions raised by cat owners faced with extractions for their cat.

Is anesthesia necessary?

YES – Dental cleaning and surgery has to be done under general anesthesia because we use ultrasonic scalers and power drills in addition to hand instruments to clean and remove teeth. Even if the cat were to tolerate having their mouth open for an extended period of time, any small movement of their head could result in injury (Reference 2).

Are dental x-rays necessary?

Dental x-rays allow us to see what is happening above and below the gum line, allowing the veterinarian to determine whether a tooth needs extraction. Like human dentistry, a small film or sensor is needed to capture the images. Most cats will not tolerate having something wedged into their mouths when awake and x-rays must be done under anesthesia.

Will my cat be able to eat dry food after extractions?

YES. Cat’s teeth are different from human teeth: cats are carnivorous and are designed to eat primarily meat. Their teeth are designed to slash and slice; they do not have the flat surfaces that humans and other omnivores have to grind food. They often swallow small pieces of food whole and are able to eat kibble with fewer or no teeth (Reference 3).

Will my cat’s jaw be more prone to fracture after extractions?

After extractions, the tooth roots will not longer be there to stimulate the bone and the bone will recede. The jaw will temporarily be weaker but should stabilize once the bone heals. Leaving diseased teeth in place will result in more severe bone recession than a properly done extraction. The veterinary dentist may use a synthetic, bioactive ceramic bone graft material to fill sockets after tooth extraction, to maintain the jaw near “pre-extraction” height (Reference 3).

Oral surgery can be painful. Be sure to administer all your cat’s pain medication after surgery. If you are having difficulty, ask your vet if there are alternate forms of pain meds.

Dental health and your cat’s happiness are linked together. Treatment of the common dental problems suffered by cats often involves extracting painful teeth. Use of dental tools and the need to take dental x-rays requires the dental cleaning be done under general anesthesia. Most cats are able to eat dry cat food after having teeth extracted and proper dental technique minimizes bone loss in the cat’s jaws. Regular dental cleanings are the key to a healthy and happy life for your cat.

references

Lobprise H Co-Chair, St Denis K Co-Chair, Anderson JG, Hoyer N, Fiani N, Yaroslav J. 2025 FelineVMA feline oral health and dental care guidelines. J Feline Med Surg. 2025 Nov;27(11):1098612X251398793. doi: 10.1177/1098612X251398793. Epub 2025 Nov 29. PMID: 41319038; PMCID: PMC12665832.
The Feline Veterinary Medical Association (FelineVMA) and the Feline Oral Health and Dental Care Guidelines Task Force oppose anesthesia-free dentistry and endorse previously published position statements concerning anesthesia-free dental treatments (2025): https://avdc.org/PDF/Dental_Scaling_Without_Anesthesia.pdf
Rochette J. Avoiding the “no”. Can Vet J. 2011 Dec;52(12):1361-2. PMID: 22654147; PMCID: PMC3215476.

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Blankets – A Way for Cats to Relax?

Posted on February 8, 2026 by felinepurrspective_u3q4o6

My family gave me several books this past Christmas, one of which was called The Blanket Cats (Reference 1). This collection of short stories centers around a pet shop that rents cats to people. The cat comes with a carrier, food, litter tray and their blanket. The shop owner stipulates that the blanket MUST remain with the cat and NOT BE WASHED.

Blankets – A Way for Cats to Relax?

When you think about it, most of the advice we receive about having cats seems to make The Blanket Cats unlikely: cats don’t like to to travel, cats are wed to their territory, cats don’t like change…. Can a blanket really help a cat cope with the stress of living with strangers for the 3 day rental period? The blanket has the cat’s scent on it but is this enough to keep the cat from freaking out?

Biscuits and Blankets – A Way for Cats to Relax

You may have watched a cat approach a squishy, fleece blanket. After a cursory sniff, they often will start to knead the soft surface, much like a baker kneading bread dough. You’ll hear people describing this as “making biscuits” – listen closely, you may hear a purr accompanying this activity.

Making biscuits on a squishy fleece blanket takes a cat back to their first few days of life, before their eyes opened, before their senses of hearing and sight developed. Life was centered around the smell and squishy feeling of mama cat’s belly. The biscuit making kitten stimulated their mother’s milk to flow and stimulated the glands near those nipples to exude the scent of safety and security (Cat Appeasing Pheromone).
And as the cat kneads the blanket, they release more pheromones from glands in their paws, marking the blanket as their own.

With a familiar carrier and their blanket, a “Blanket Cat” has a safe place of their own. And the more times a cat travels and spends time at new places successfully, the more relaxed they will be traveling. So, perhaps The Blanket Cats is not so far fetched.

More Thoughts on Blankets as a Way for Cats to Relax

The right blanket and thickness, though, can make all the difference. Although cats like to sit on a variety of blankets, articles of clothing or pillows, the soft, squishy fleece blankets made of “Coral Fleece” offer the perfect platform for making biscuits.

Coral fleece is a plush, lightweight, and synthetic fabric primarily made from high-density polyester, renowned for its intense softness, warmth, and textured, coral-like appearance.

Give your cat a squishy fleece blanket and let them purrsonalize it with their own scent and pheromones. Leave this blanket out for daily practice, but consider putting it in the dreaded carrier for travel – you may even want to warm it up. The gives cats a way to relax when traveling or going to the vet. Consider having more than one blanket to swap out on wash day.

Of course, not only fleece blankets fit the bill – my cat Gus likes to knead a memory foam pillow; I had a cat when I was a child who would make biscuits on crocheted afghans.

In The Trainable Cat (Reference 2), Sarah Ellis lists teaching your cat to relax as one of the nine key skills that form the foundation of training cats. Making biscuits helps your cat relax. Be sure to identify when your cat is relaxed on their blanket with a word such as “easy”, “chill” or “calm”. You may find that your cat will settle down on their blanket when you bring it to them and ask them to be “easy”.

Making biscuits is a self-soothing behavior, a way for cats to relax. In The Blanket Cats, the store owner asks people NOT to wash the blanket, so the cat is reassured not only by the soft squishy sensations but also by their own familiar scent and additional pheromones released by glands in their feet as they knead the blanket.

I offered my cat Miso a fleece blanket at the vet, putting it on the sofa next to me in the exam room. Miso was quick to take advantage of this, jumping up and “making biscuits” while waiting for his exam.

references

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