Cats Behaviour , Problems and Welfare

Origins

Ancestors of domestic  cats  started to live alongside humans as early as 130,000 years ago attracted by vermin and discarded food scraps.
Then when man changed from hunter-gatherer to village resident, the cat became domesticated. DNA evidence now shows  cats  can be traced to the Eastern Mediterranean and Persian Gulf (the Fertile Crescent) to five female ancestors. These “founding felines” came from a wild cat Felis libyca, still found in remote deserts of the Middle East.
There are records of domesticated  cats  in ancient Egypt about 3500 years ago, where the cat was hunted for food and skins, and then encouraged to enter the human family for these reasons.
It fitted easily into the human family hierarchy.
It then developed religious significance in human society.
cats  are very reward-seeking which always appealed to humans as well as their aloofness.
Pest control was also a major reason for man keeping cats.

Modern cats

There's a vast range of breeds, and there are breeders increasing new genetic types all the time as there is big money in being the exclusive owner of a new type of cat.
We refer to "domesticated cats" or those that live in close association with man.
Then there are "farm cats" that are domesticated but not keen on close human contact.
"Feral cats" are those that have escaped from domestication and are fearful of human contact.

Social structure

cats  are "reward-seeking" animals and this helps in developing a social hierarchy.
cats  generally have a loose hierarchy - not as structured as dogs.
They time share areas in their territory.
Generally entire males are most dominant, followed by entire females, then spayed females and neutered males.
Most wild  cats  live solitary lives, but they can also live happily as part of a group.
Most domestic  cats  do the same but they have bonded owners to live with.
The "mother-kitten" relationship is the basis of group development. The female kittens stay on with mum while the males leave to set up territories and go solitary.
Some males are happy to stay in a single family group or they may move between groups.
A social group of females allows for synchrony of oestrus and mutual care including cross suckling of kittens.
Social structure becomes more defined and competitive when food is scarce, or where there is a limited amount of shelter.
Remember there is a lot of individual variation between  cats  due to genetics and early environment.

Cats and territory

Cats are territorial predators, which has important implications for modern humans.
They have a home range that they routinely check out daily to hunt and explore.
Home ranges of  cats  can overlap resulting in conflict and savage fights.
Tom  cats  have large territories that can cover around 1 km in all directions for their den (home). But this depends on other Toms in the area and where there are few, a Tom may extend his territory to much greater size.
Male  cats  know when they are not welcome in a strange area - note their stealth when they visit your property during a mating season.
In their home range they have all they need - food source, shelter, social contact, urination and defaecation areas.
They scent mark their range by clawing objects and spray urinating, and will protect it against intruders.
Once established - this marking routine may provide an expression of security (marking in the house).
Spraying. Urine contains glandular secretions so spraying is like leaving their CV around. It denoted gender, age, hormonal state and general health.
Middening.  cats  normally bury their faeces but they sometimes deliberately leave them on the surface to add scent to their territory, especially if they sense a challenge.
Clawing. This is used as a visual sign but also leaves odours from the glands from the pedal (foot) glands.
Nose rubbing.  cats  rub their cheeks on twigs (and their owners) to leave odours from their cheek glands.
Hunting the territory occurs mainly at dawn and dusk - they tend to be active only in short bursts.  cats  are incapable of sustained effort.
Cats are excellent climbers, and can handle falling in emergencies. They can swim when forced to, but it's not a preferred mode of transport.
Territory becomes a problem in cages but  cats  can survive together, even including Toms. But it needs skilled observation.
They can act in an "indifferent" mode to each other, as long as they have enough personal space above ground. The floor is used on a time-share basis.

Vision

Kittens are born nearly blind and their eyes open at 7-10 days old (range from 2-16 days).
So touch and physical contact are very important to cats. This has big implications for humans and is widely exploited to the benefit of both cat and owner.
cats  can see colour but with limited perception. They have better colour vision than dogs.
cats  are creatures of the night and see well in poor light due to the structure of the eye. They can dilate their large pupils.
Each eye has 150-205 degrees peripheral vision, with 90-130 degrees overlap for binocular vision. So they have a total visual field of 250-280 degrees.
cats  cannot focus closer than 75mm - but at that close distance when hunting they use other senses. Their best vision is around 2-6m

Hearing

Kittens are born with poor hearing and start to become normal by 3 weeks.
Cat hears sounds up to 50-85kHz - human upper limit is 18-20 kHz. So they hear about four times better than humans and in the ultrasonic range that we cannot hear.
cats  can also hear higher sounds than dogs.
Their hearing range is very wide - over 10.5 octaves.
cats  have mobile ears allowing rapid response to locate the source of the sound.
They can interpret different wave patterns hitting each ear.
The ear structure is a important in aiding balance when falling

Smell

cats  have a very well developed olfactory system - 1000 times better than humans.
Smell is very important in communication.
cats  recognise the general smell of their home environment and are sensitive to any small changes.
It's important to get the cat used to anything new in the environment as soon as possible - e.g. a new cat or baby.
cats  have a Vomeronasal organ (VNO) on the hard palate which they can use to sense chemicals in aromas. They then show a Flehmen response, baring their teeth and giving a quiet hissing sound - called the "gape response" like the Flehmen in large animals. You see it when they sniff catnip.
Smell governs what a cat will eat so they should avoid blocked noses.
A cat's sense of smell is much more developed than in humans.
They can detect small changes in food and you see this if you change a brand of cat meat. They will almost starve before they'll eat the new brand.
Newborn kittens have an acute sense of smell to help them locate teats

Taste

cats  show little response to sweet things but can detect salt, sour and bitter.
They are very sensitive to the taste of water which explain their bizarre  behaviour  of sometimes drinking from muddy pools and fish tanks.
Taste is less important than smell - smell is everything to a cat.
cats  don't taste when hunting prey, only when sink their teeth in after capture.

Touch (Kinaesthetics)

The cat's whole body is very sensitive to touch.
The long outer guard hairs of the coat are especially sensitive.
Hair movement provides information for the cat in its environment, e.g. wind direction to approach prey.
Receptors also are concentrated in the feet pads.
cats  are not very sensitive to heat - can stand up to 52C, e.g. lying beside fire.
They can detect changes of 0.5°C via their noses which they use in hunting.
cats  have very mobile whiskers used for sensing. Whiskers are forward when walking or hunting and back when greeting or sniffing.

Memory and learning

cats  can show some ability to reason and work things out - but it is limited, so make sure you have not been anthropomorphic in drawing conclusions.
The can understand cause and effect - if the interval between each is short.
The have a fair degree of memory retention if reinforced by repeated attempts.
Examples are  cats  that learn to jump up and turn door knobs or work cat doors.
cats  can learn from copying other cats. Kittens learn a wide range of behaviours from their mother, or mothers reinforce inherent behaviours.
More people are now training  cats  to do tricks, apart from the basic needs of house training, and stopping them scratching furniture.

Communication - sound

cats  being very social animals have a well developed communication skills.
They have learned to vocalise a special range of sounds for humans -  cats  don't mew to other cats.
Sixteen different sounds have been recognised that are audible to humans. There are also many which are not audible to us.

Pure calls

Murmur
Growl
Squeak
Hiss
Spit
Teeth chatter

Complex calls

Mew
Moan
Meow

There is also a wide range of tones and meanings - most common are growl/hiss/yowl.
Purring is most commonly known to humans as the sign of a happy cat and is a very typical greeting call. It was a long time before researchers found how the cat did it.
It's caused by rapid contraction of muscles in the larynx when the cat is contented or happy. A cat can sometimes purr when stressed. Purring is used when a mother nurses kittens as a contentment reassuring sound.
The meow has a wide range of tones and it's often easy for owners to interpret some of these sounds.
Oestrus howling has an important courting function, not appreciated by humans or their neighbours during the night!

Communication - body language

Cats use a large amount of non-verbal communication such as:

Body postures
Facial expressions
Eyes, ears, mouth, tail and coat.
They have developed a range of body signals for humans and other cats.
"Friendly and relaxed" - the tail is held out behind or erect and curled slightly forward. The cat will rub itself against things and rub its muzzle on you to transfer scent.
"Passive" - it sits crouched, tail and head down and avoids direct gaze.
"In conflict" - the entire tail twitches or just the end. It is done in association with other signs.
"Offensive threat" - the cat gives you a direct stare and its body is poised for attack. The cat approaches an enemy with sideways motion and prancing steps. This makes the cat look bigger to the enemy.
"Defensive threat" - the back is arched, body fur fluffed up and tail up straight. The chin is drawn in to protect the throat. One paw is raised ready to lash out.
With the eyes, narrow eyes show friendship with the stare being a definite threat.
When the cat turns away from you it can be a sign of disdain or that the relationship in from the cat's viewpoint is OK. If a cat jumps up on you this is also a sign that the cat does not see you as a threat.

Communication - pheromones

These are very important in cat communication.
They are spread around in urine marks, faeces, scratch marks from feet and cheek glands.
They make these marks where they are easy for other  cats  to find.
The higher they scratch the more powerful impression they leave.

Balance and activity

In the first couple of weeks after birth kittens crawl with sideways movements of the head like pups seeking warmth and teats.
It is 7 weeks before they can thermoregulate (control their heat) themselves as they need Mum's heat up to then.
By week 2 they can raise their front end.
By day 17 they can stand and do an awkward walk.
By 6 weeks they can right themselves if they fall over.
cats  show this amazing "righting reflex" when falling as they land on their feet. This is a function of the inner ear, a large cerebellum and the spinal cord.
Kittens are notoriously active and need to be encouraged to play in their socialisation and development.
Mature  cats  reduce activity and spend more than 65% sleeping.
Tom  cats  during the mating season are very active traveling long distances checking out their territory.

Play

Play is an essential part of normal  behaviour  in the cat.
It starts early as soon as kittens are mobile when they spend long periods interacting.
Play teaches the kitten all the movements needed to survive and reproduce as an adult.
Kittens reared in a litter are usually better-adjusted adults than single-reared kittens who only have their parents to play with.
As an individual in a litter, there's a much great chance to learn to prepare and defend yourself against surprise attack, than as a singleton.
A wide range of play moves have been identified:
Scoop, Toss, Grasp,Poke-Bat, Bite-Mouth, Belly up, Stand up, Vertical stand, Pounce, Chase, Side step, Horizontal leap, Face off

Grooming

This is a big feature of  cats  and occupies 30-50% of a cat's waking time.
It also creates problems - fur ball.

Purpose of grooming:

Maintains health of the skin and coat.
Cools the body by evaporation of saliva.
Controls parasites.
"Displacement grooming" is a response to conflict, environmental stress or frustration. It's thought to be a response to reduce anxiety.
"Mutual grooming" is used for social interaction and to show a relaxed state with other cats. Developed from maternal grooming.
"Over grooming" - a problem sometimes started by itchy skin. It can develop into a serious obsession where  cats  become "closet lickers" and are hard to catch at it and stop.

Socialisation

Kittens must be socialised early at between 2-6 weeks. This is a much shorter time span than in dogs.
If they can be handled before their eyes are open, that's all the better.
If kittens are not socialised before weaning (6weeks) then you'll have problems and it will take time to tame them.
Kitten Kindy. This is a new approach by veterinarians to teach people how to socialise their kittens.
At 2-9 weeks provide human contact and handling.
As often as possible before 12 weeks handle kittens and routinely restrain them.
7-12 weeks - provide social play.
After 14 weeks teach them fearful play, and learn to play fight.
Be careful with this "play fight" activity as it can teach them to be over aggressive.
Check the "Scruff test" where you hold the kitten by the scruff of its neck. If they allow this and don't fight of struggle, then they are probably OK.

Nutrition and feeding

cats  are mainly carnivores, but modern cat foods contain some cereals to provide carbohydrates.
cats  eat both day and night whereas dogs only feed during the day.
They are very fussy about what they eat due to their acute sense of smell, and once settled on a brand of cat food they often don't appreciate changes.
In the wild they would probably eat every second day after a hunt.
The principles of nutrition are simple - the cat's nutrient intake should meet its needs. So growing, pregnant and lactating  cats  will need a much higher plane of nutrition than the family cat that sleeps most of the time.
Overfeeding leads to obesity and health problems.
The modern domestic cat is regularly overfed. Owners who go out to work leave an ad lib feeder full of biscuits, or tinned meat in a dish far in excess of what the cat needs. Unless owners see feed left, they think the cat will be hungry and hence starve!
Owners need to discuss feeding their cat with a veterinarian so that it receives a correctly balanced diet which meets its needs - not its wants.

Reproduction

cats  are seasonal breeders and the start of oestrus is stimulated by increasing daylight. They need 12-14 hours of light to get going.
So the breeding season gets into full swing in spring.
Toms also are seasonally active but stud Toms will mate any time. Their maximum fertility is in spring.
Puberty is around 9 months but some breeds will start at 4 months.
cats  can be desexed at 6 months old.
Non pregnant females cycle every18-24 days.
Heat periods last 4 hours if mated and 5-10 days if not.
Ovulation is induced by copulation and it happens 27 hours after copulation.
If they don't conceive after mating they will often have a pseudo pregnancy and won't start cycling again for 36 days.
cats  have litters usually averaging around 4-5 kittens.
Kittens are born blind and with very poor hearing like pups.
Eyes open around 2-3 weeks.
The cat mating ritual is very defined with mock fighting, body contact, and rapid and repeated coitus. It's a very noisy affair that can go on all day.

Desexing (neutering)

Castration of males and spaying females prevents reproduction and all the associated behaviours.
Spraying and fighting may still continue, but this may be brought about by special environmental factors. It may be done away from home range.
The timing of desexing is important - get it done early before 6 months?
It is claimed that no other cat behaviours are affected.

Cat-human bond

Strength of the bond depends on good early socialisation of the cat by a human.
This is then transferable to a new human with time.
A cat may be more bonded to the home and its smells rather than the person - hence the problem of  cats  going back to an old home. The cat needs time to readjust to new environmental smells so keep it shut in for at least a week.
cats  will go for walks with owners and hunt. This is easier in rural areas.
Owners soon learn to interpret certain calls and cat seems to know this.
It is said that there is a stronger interaction between female humans than males with a cat.
It is also said that there is stronger interaction between a cat and an adult than with children.
These interactions are probably just based on food and who in the family feeds the cat regularly.

Cat's interaction with humans

Head butting
Rubbing cheeks on person
Kneading or paddling with feet and claws
Purring
Snuggling under armpit
Enjoying their noses and eyes covered by your cupped hand
If there are a number of  cats  in the house they need vertical space for a good human/cat relationship and will time-share these areas to avoid conflict..

Cat  behaviour  "Problems"

Like dogs-  cats  don't have problems, as they are behaving like cats.

It's the humans who have problems because they forget the domestic contract and the five freedoms, and expect their  cats  to adapt to what they want. This may not be possible or will take some time to achieve.

1. Poor human-cat bond

A strong bond is very important to both human and cat partners.
The bond is formed by good early socialisation and needs constant reinforcing.
Death, divorce and moving house are the three greatest bond breakers.
Surveys show that 50% of humans suffer stress on moving and 50% of  cats  must do also.
Most upset is resolved in 1-2 weeks but some lasts for 3-4 months.
Many people have unrealistic expectations of their cat and they have probably have the wrong species as a pet.

Possible cures/prevention

Socialise all kittens before they are 2-6 weeks old.
Keep reinforcing the bond by regular interaction with the cat.
Rehome the cat with someone with skills to resocialise it, in a different environment.

2. Poor socialisation.

"Nasty cats" (wild, unfriendly and unreliable) for whatever reason have probably not been properly socialised to humans.
Always start here to work out a cat  behaviour  problem.
What happens in the early weeks can have a lifelong effect.
You can fix some problems later, but it will take you time and it will cost the client money.
Some humans are better at taming wild  cats  than others showing a greater empathy and skill.

Possible cures/prevention

Socialise all kittens before they are 2-6 weeks old.
Keep reinforcing the bond by regular interaction with the cat.
Rehome the cat with someone with skills to resocialise it, in a different environment.

3. Infanticide

This is seen in lions when new males oust old ones and they kill all the cubs to bring females on heat quickly and remove all previous males' genetics at the same time.
It is known to happen in domestic  cats  and feral  cats  where Toms will kill young kittens on their rounds if not protected by the mother or owner.
Preventing this is a good reason for desexing non-breeding males, and trapping and euthanasing all stray Toms.

Possible cures/prevention

Desex all males not needed for breeding.
Try to trap and euthanase all stray and feral Toms.

4. Spraying

cats  spray to mark their territory, their home range and any new area.
Once they feel safe, they don't spray.
They are very sensitive to a "general safe smell" of their environment.
It's when their lair is under threat that they may start again.
It happens in both sexed or desexed cats.

Possible reasons?

New adult cat or kitten in the house.
Change of status in group.
Visiting Tom  cats  staking out territory (doormats and car wheels).
New baby in the house.
Neighbours have got new cats.
Bereavement in the house - cat's neglected.
Redecorate and new smells.
Plastic bags from outside with alien smells brought indoors.
Doormat with new footwear smells.
Installation of cat door - outside becomes inside.
Visitors car (with open windows).
Protest spraying - to inform owner cat is unhappy.
Genetics - oriental breeds.

Possible cures/prevention

Find the cause of the anxiety - try to remove it.
Something needs to change - and you need to find out.
Don't punish the cat - or don't be caught doing it.(Try a water pistol).
Confine cat to safe home area - and slowly expand it.
Feed it near where it sprays.
If "protest spray" - rebuild the bond with the cat.
Drugs from vet
Rehome the cat with someone in a different environment.

5. Defaecating

cats  normally bury their faeces. When they don't it's generally deliberate and is called "maddening".
It's another way for  cats  to mark territory.
It happens when  cats  are in panic mode - e.g. if locked in the house or may do it on the bed when owners are on holiday.
Kittens that have been poorly trained by the mother in the nest may develop the habit.
Punishment is not very effective and it must be instantaneous and from afar, so the cat doesn't associate it with you.

Possible cures/prevention

Find the cause of the problem and remove it.
Never rub the cat's nose in the mess. It achieves nothing.
Build up animal's self esteem.
Go back to principles of toilet training.
Feed the cat where it has defaecated
Rehome the cat with someone in a different environment.

6. Toilet training

Kittens are taught by their mothers not to soil their den, so use this principle.
Take the kitten outside on to soil or litter after feeding to encourage elimination.
Put newspaper down where you feed the kitten and gradually extend this "feeding territory" so it will not eliminate there.
Shut off areas where it has started soiling and confine it to approved areas.
Feed the cat where it has eliminated.
Never rub its nose in the mess.
Scratching furniture.
This is partly claw care and has a trimming action.
It's also scent marking from glands in paws.
Used to mark territory.
Done as a dominance gesture, often in presence of other cats.
cats  get cunning and will do it on the beds to avoid reprimand.

Possible cures/prevention

Always be on the watch - think like a cat.
Keep  cats  out when you are out.
Provide a scratching post in house.
Put it in front of the damaged object.
Use a reprimand. It must be instant and from a distance (eg water pistol).
Hitting the cat won't work - don't try it.
Some smell deterrents may work.

7. Attacking other cats

Can vary from the occasional scrap between  cats  in a household, to serious attacks on all  cats  on sight - indoors or outdoors.
This is a natural way to sort out hierarchy and territory.
May be caused by poor social contact between  cats  when young

Possible cures/prevention

Keep aggressive  cats  inside at night.(This will also benefit wildlife).
Reintroduce new  cats  into group gradually in protected cage.
Distraction - bring new  cats  together at feeding time.
Neuter all Toms.
Your vet may recommend hormone treatment for the aggressor.
Euthanasia could be a final option in New Zealand, but take veterinary advice on this. You may be legally liable for any damage your cat causes.
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.

8. Attacking people

This is a nasty habit and can be scary and dangerous for the uwary (visitors and kids).
This is usually "play aggression" that gets out of hand.
"Defensive aggression" is caused by poor socialisation.
It may be encouraged by some family members and then others suffer.
It may be "fear aggression" so ignore the cat and allow it escape routes.

Possible cures/prevention

Know the cat's likes and dislikes - and warn guests.
Provide toys and encourage the cat to play with them.
Provide another cat or kitten for it to play with.
Ignore the cat and don't play with it. Tell others of the plan.
Experiment with changing diets.
Don't provide catnip.
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.
Euthanasia may be considered necessary in New Zealand, as you are legally liable for damage. But talk to your veterinarian first.

9. Petting and biting syndrome

It's where the cat allows so many strokes then gives a controlled bite or nip.
Three strokes then a bite are typical, or not allowing certain body parts to be touched.
It is often tolerated by the owner so is not cured.
May get worse with age - could be physical problems.
Certain parts of the body are more sensitive than others - the back end.
It often happens in older  cats  and gets worse with age.
Some  cats  will tolerate adults but not children stroking them.
Can't do much. Leave the cat alone and warn others, especially children.

Possible cures/prevention

Recognise the habit and avoid triggering it.
Warn guests or remove cat when they arrive.
But it may make the cat more cunning when biting.
Talk to vet about drugs.
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.

10.Over-grooming and self mutilation

cats  regularly groom their flanks or backs when they are confused, or when upset after a threat.
It seems a displacement  behaviour  resulting from anxiety or stress.
It can get out of hand and is difficult to stop.

Possible cures/prevention

Check for any problems of the skin.
Protect the affected skin area - cat will probably shift attention to another.
Check for diet allergies.
Find the cause of the distress and remove it.
Provide toys for stimulation.
Reduce the number of  cats  in the house.
Don't punish the cat for other offences - fix those problems first.
Treat with drugs for anxiety.
There may be no cure if it becomes serious, but take veterinary advice before considering euthanasia.
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.

11. Hair ball

This is a problem of long-haired breeds that are not regularly groomed.
This is a very common feature of cats.
It's not a problem until they come into the house from the garden to be sick.
Thought to be a means of assisting digestion.

Possible cures/prevention

Make sure grooming is adequate and the animal is kept clean.

12.Pica

This is the eating or sucking of a wide range of non-nutritional items and can cause health problems.
Sucking and kneading wool items is most common.
It's thought to be need for dietary fibre, a depraved maternal  behaviour  snuggling up to dam's belly or natural trait of prey catching/eating.
It often occurs in  cats  weaned too young.
Severe stress can trigger it.
Poor early socialisation is a likely cause.
Some breeds are worse than others, eg Siamese.

Possible cures/prevention

Provide toys to increase stimulation.
Check diet for fibre.
Try aversion tactics - water pistol, or noise.
Provide favourite fabrics to save others.
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.

13. Eating plants

Thought to be a nutritional deficiency.
The cat often knocks the plant over and breaks the pot in the process, adding to the problem.

Possible cures/prevention

Remove the problem materials from cat's environment.
Try different diets
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.

14. Thieving

cats  have an inquisitive nature so this habit can be a self gratifying experience.
It can be part of pica syndrome - stealing favourite items to eat.
It's part of the  behaviour  of bringing kill back to the den for the tribe.

Possible cures/prevention

There is little point in chasing it to get it back - you add to the fun.
Try to remove the opportunity for the cat to steal things.
Completely ignore it when it brings items home
Rehome the cat with someone with cat skills, in a different environment.

Cats in modern society - the 5th freedom

Changes are coming in man's relationship with the domestic cat in New Zealand.
We have a love/hate relationship with  cats  as we do with dogs, but  cats  are inherent hunters and it's now being realised the effect their hunting as on our endangered native wildlife - as it has done in Australia.
The average age of a cat in modern society is 3.5 years. Euthanasia is the main cause of death. Thousands of kittens are euthanased each year.
Just about every family in NZ has a pet dog or cat and many have both.  cats  are more popular than dogs and are easier to get and dispose of (legally or illegally).
Hundreds of thousands of  cats  are euthanased each year and Christmas is the peak time for this being the peak kitten season.
The SPCA struggle to get the message across about desexing and "pets are not just for Christmas".
There are now plenty of data now to show how much wildlife the average domestic "moggy" cleans up in a year. It is in the region of 20 birds/year.
DOC in New Zealand are having a big campaign against the cat.
Some people are very upset about this, blaming owners for irresponsible cat care.
There is no  Welfare  code for  cats  but this will be done sometime.
Australia has brought in rules against  cats  in some areas where they must now be confined.
"Keep your cat inside at night" will have to be the catch cry for future.
New Zealand will have to face this in future as public concern and sympathy changes towards our native fauna - the impact of TV is massive. There are changes ahead for the Kiwi moggy with cat-free areas being accepted.
Desexing feral  cats  releasing them back into the environment is a crazy idea.

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