Creature Comforts Pet Services, LLC

Compassionate care for your friend

Theresa Berrett

Feline Enrichment and Routine

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Let’s face it, cats are control freaks.

They like to know what’s coming and when.  You can help your cat to live his best life by making things predictable and stable for him.  Have you noticed how your cat knows exactly what time dinner is supposed to be?  We all have our internal timers and rhythms. Cats do best when they know what to expect in their world.  Having a basic routine for things like playtime and mealtime and even cuddle time can make them feel comfortable and relaxed.  

There are some things that you can also add to your cat’s routine for extra enrichment.  Think about how a wild cat’s day might go.  She wakes up and goes on the hunt first thing in the morning (hmm – morning zoomies)  looking for her first meal of the day.  Once she catches that first mouse, eats well, grooms, and then what?  You guessed it! Time for that first nap.  And on her day goes. Predictable and ordered in it’s own way.  And in that order we can find a particular pattern that is excellent enrichment for a cat.  Hunt (play), catch it and eat, groom, nap.  By following a rythym that is natural for a cat you are adding to her wellbeing and health.  Slow feeder toys are a great way to add this enrichment to your cat’s feeding time. And play enhances your bond with them.  Regular play sessions twice a day for  at least 15 minutes before morning and evening meals can go a long way in your cat’s wellbeing and also add to your cat’s physical health because it includes regular exercise.

Sometimes these patterns can help alleviate other problems.   For example, if your cat regularly wakes you up at night, establish a pattern of rowdy play, food, cuddle time, and then time for everyone to go to bed.  Thought there is another piece to that puzzle. It involves not interaction with your cat during the night at all, not to push them off, not to roll away, just don’t move.  Which, I will warn you ahead of time,  means you may have to ride out a period of time of, sometimes increasing, attempts to get you to interact in the night.  This is  called an extinction burst, where an established behavior will get worse just before it goes away.  We all do this.  If that soda machine doesn’t work this time, we tap, bang, shake until we decide it just isn’t going to work.

Here are some kitty play tips to help you on your way:

Any cat, any age can benefit from play and can learn to play.

If using a wand toy, move the toy in an erratic manner across the floor and over cat trees. Lots of fast movements will catch their eye while periods of slow movement will give your cat a chance to stalk and get ready for the pounce.  Moving the toy around the room away from them can help.  In reality a prey item will rarely come towards a cat.

Experiment with different types of wand toys.  Some cats prefer feathers, some strips of  material that wiggle like snakes, some like little stuffed toys to grab onto.  Some prefer the wands where the toy is at the tip with a bell, some prefer a wand with a string then the toy.  There are lots of things out there to temp your kitty into play.

Lot’s of kitties love lazers.  If you have a cat that goes crazy for these, be sure to toss a treat or a favorite toy into the beam now and then so they have a chance to “catch it”, otherwise these can become frustrating to some.

Try the interactive cat  toys that move on their own.  Some cats love these, but be cautious with your introduction, some are afraid of the noises or movements.

Some cat’s will play fetch or hide and seek under a blanket.  One for mine likes when I pull her around the wood floor on a banket while she attacks the wrinkles.  You may even come with others all your own.

And lastly,  never play with your cat with your hands.  This might seem cute and harmless with a kitten, but can cause bigger scratches later on.  It also teaches your cat that attacking you is an acceptable way to play.

Cats can be worked with!

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Cats are often seen as spiteful, elusive, secretive, and totally untrainable.  Not one of these views is true.  In working with cats two important things to keep in mind are their biology and their domestication history with humans.  

First off, cats were never fully domesticated.  Most likely they were allowed to be around because they could rid human settlements of pests.  Maybe even encouraged to stick around with a little food.  Unlike dogs, however, they continued to keep themselves, to themselves.  This is why cats who are not actively socialized to humans during kittenhood, revert to feral very quickly.  We have to actually teach them that we are not there to hunt and eat them!

Biologically cats are both prey and predators.  While they are extremely effective hunters, they are also small and are in the middle of a food chain.  Their elusiveness and secretiveness comes from a need for safety.  Cats evade predators by slinking around in the shadows or climbing up high.  When a cat does not feel safe in her environment, she will hide under beds, away from the threat, or climb up furniture to escape.  These behaviors are instinctive, built into her biology.  It does not matter that there is actually no predator waiting to get her.  What matters is her perception of what is threatening.  

Kittens go through a socialization period at 8 weeks to 12 weeks, where they learn about what is safe in their world.  If exposed to what is normal for us during that time, such as friends coming over, or a visiting dog,  they will adapt to that as normal and safe for them.  This is a vital time to expose kittens to all sorts of new things.  Everything from leash walking outdoors, to other animals (including cats and people), to carriers and car rides, to vet visits, to sounds, etc.

All is not lost if you have missed this time with your cat!  You can go through a process called habituation where you, very slowly!!!, expose your cat to what they are afraid of.  For example, if your cat is afraid of thunder, you can play thunder (thank you Youtube!) starting very quietly at first, increasing the volume over time until that becomes a normal sound in his environment.  You can also add desensitization where you pair something your cat loves with the frightening thing.  Back to our thunder example,  if your cat loves brushing, brush him while playing the thunder quietly and teach him that thunder equals nice relaxing grooming and time with you.

And, lastly, cats do not do things to spite their owners.  There is always a reasonable cause (and solution!) behind difficult behaviors.  Punitive measures do not work with them.  This just causes them to become fearful of you and damages your relationship with them, on top of whatever behavioral issue the punishment was meant to stop.  Positive reinforcement is an excellent way to work with any cat.  Sometimes it can take a long time to undo learned fears, but it is so worth it for the sweet relationship it can bring.  There is no need to live with difficult or unwanted behaviors, nor is there a need to surrender your friend.  Almost all behaviors can be worked with.

Happy Training!

Why does my cat scratch my couch?!!

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Many cat owners are mystified at how to get this destructive behavior to stop.  First off, keep in mind your cat is not scratching your couch to punish you or get back at you.  Cats can scratch for a number of reasons. Stress is one of them. Loud noises or too much change in their environment such as a move or remodel.  It is important to shield your pet from too much environmental stress. While stress can cause furniture scratching, there may be another reason your cat is shredding your couch; love.    Your friend may be scratching to mark her space with scent and as a visual marker.  They have scent glands in their feet and they use this to let others know this is their home and territory.  They do furniture, especially couches and chairs, because you, their person, sits there and they want to claim you as their own.  While this is sweet and loving of them, it is still annoying to us.

Here a a few ideas to help.

Scratchers

Cats need to scratch it not only marks their territory it also helps them to stretch, get exercise, and shed old claw sheaths.  It may take some trial and error on your part, but finding a preferred material for your cat can help.  There is a lot of variety out there from cardboard, to carpet, to sisal, and rope.  Keep in mind too that some prefer vertical surfaces while others may prefer horizontal.  There are even scratchers out there these days that attach right onto your couch.  One way to stop furniture scratching, is to put a cat scratcher right by the marked furniture.  This gives them an alternative that you can both live with.  You can then reinforce scratching on the appropriate surface with treats, petting, play, or anything that your cat enjoys. Cats should never be punished for scratching as this is a natural instinctive behavior that they need to do for wellbeing.  You can also use things on the couch that they don’t prefer, temporarily, like double sided tape, to encourage going to the scratcher instead.  

Hiding spots

Cats need places to hide.  Keep in mind that just because your house is safe for your feline friend that doesn’t take away that her mentality is that of a prey animal.  Cats feel safer if they have a, or even a few places they can hide or get away from stressors.  Hiding spots can be anything from tent covered pillow beds, to a cardboard box with a blanket in it (we all know how much cats love their cardboard boxes!)  

Here is a quick reference guide for your cat:

Vertical Space

Cats love to get up high, it is generally their first go to for escape.  Providing places your kitty can get up high can help reduce his stress and give him a place to watch the goings on in his territory from a comfortable place.  Again, there are a lot of ways to achieve this from elaborate cat trees (look at this one, just for fun), to tops of bookshelves, to cat wall furniture.

Play

Cats do better if they have a chance to get some exercise and spend time having fun with you.  They also get mental stimulation from play and get to use their hunting instincts. Using wand toys or a laser are good options for helping kitty get some energy out.  Keep in mind,  you need to let your kitty catch their “prey” now and then during prey or you can actually cause more stress.  While playing with a laser, you can have the laser land on a favorite toy or even a treat.  A good time to plan play for your cat is right before a meal.  This follows the natural pattern of hunt and then eat. 

There are more things you can add in to help.   Simply reducing the stress in the environment such as keeping things a bit quieter, or putting away a scary object, such as that giant stuffed animal dog.  (Yes I have one of these for teaching CPR.  It scares us all in the dark!)  You can also consider other ways to help enrich your cat’s life, such as a bird feeder in a window for them to watch.  Do a bit of fun experimenting to figure out how to make your home an enriching and comfortable place for your feline and you will both benefit.

Scent and Touch in Cats

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Imagine if you were to walk out your front door in the morning and take a deep breath and breathe in all the neighborhood information.  The neighbor on your right is not feeling well today, and the neighbor on your left took the dog out for an early walk and went down the trail across the street.  And what is that?  Someone you don’t know walked by, but with something yummy and they went to the door of the ill neighbor, maybe bringing them some soup.  On your morning walk you pass another neighbor and hug, making sure to share your scent to reinforce your friendship. This is the scent and tactile (or touch) world of a cat.  Cats have twice the olfactory cells that humans do, allowing them to use their nose to navigate the world around them. Cats use both touch and scent to communicate, maintain social bonds, and defend their territory.  They have scent glands all over their bodies concentrated on their flanks, face, and paws.  Cats living in a social group will have a group scent that both identifies the group and individuals within that group.  They leave these scents on surfaces in their environment.

Have you ever seen your cat open her mouth, curl her lips up, and pause with it open while sniffing something?  Cats have a special receptor called the vomeralnasal organ located in two small sacs just above the hard palate in the roof of their mouth.  It has ducts to both the nose and mouth.  When they are smelling a particularly interesting scent, a cat can open their mouth and breathe in some of the scent to get a better smell. This is called a flehmen reaction.

Allorubbing

Has your cat ever insisted on rubbing her cheeks on something you are holding or even on you?  That is a good thing.  This is called allorubbing, in particular “bunting” or “chinning”, rubbing their chin or cheeks or head on you.  These are expressions of affection and a way for your cat to say “ you are mine”. Facial scent glands allow cats to mark and lay claim to objects in their home range. Allorubbing is the act of rubbing any part of the body against an object or another animal.  When cats are separated from you or one another they will engage in allorubbing when reunited to mix scents and to express affection.  If you have a multi-cat household and they need to be separated for a time.  It can help to reintroduce them to each other by using a cloth to rub each cat, particularly on the cheeks, before putting them together.  Cats view the world much more through scent than visually and this can help them to “recognize” one another.

An interesting aside, male cats will allorub both male and female cats, but female cats will only engage in allorubbing with other females.

Allogrooming

When your cat licks or grooms himself or another cat, he is sharing scent from his saliva and scent glands around his mouth.  This is called allogrooming and can help to establish an overall scent for a group, as well as reinforce social bonds.  (I don’t highly recommend licking your neighbor though!)  Cats will groom any species with which they have a friendly social relationship, including you.

Kneading

Kneading, also known as “making biscuits”, is a behavior left over from kittenhood.  When a kitten rhythmically presses her paws on either side of her mother’s nipple it stimulates the flow of milk.  In domestic cats, this behavior continues into adulthood when a cat feels safe and comfortable in their environment.  A soft blanket, pillow, or lap are popular spots to knead.  A person’s larger size and warmth might evoke the feeling of a kitten beside her mother causing her to knead in an expression of affection toward her person.  Cats do also have scent glands in their feet and this is another way of claiming you as theirs.

Since this is an expression of affection and an instinctive behavior, cats should never be reprimanded for kneading. Owners can keep claws clipped or provide a barrier, such as a blanket between the cat’s paws and skin or clothing.

Scratching

Contrary to popular belief, cats do not scratch items merely to sharpen their claws.  Although it does help to dislodge the worn sheath on the outside of claws as they grow,  it is also leaving a scent to mark the area.  This is why your cat may scratch the side of the couch where you sit.  They are letting other cats know this is their territory with you.

Vocalizations in Cats

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Has your cat ever talked to you?  Cats have a wide range of vocalizations to communicate with and can vary their pitch, length, and volume depending on what they are trying to convey.  Cats’ auditory communications can be divided into categories:  social conflicts between cats, during sexual behaviors,  between mothers and youngsters, and interacting with humans.

Meowing

Meowing is actually a sound kittens make to get the attention of their mothers.  However, adult domestic animals tend to retain some juvenile characteristics.  Domestic cats have kept the meow as a way of communicating with humans.  With a meow they may be asking for something they need such as food, attention, or access to an area.  It is sort of an all purpose vocalizations which could indicate anything from a greeting, to a command, to an objection. We have become their surrogate mothers in this regard.  Adult feral cats do not meow because they don’t have us acting in that role for them.

Purring

Purring is normally associated with contented and relaxed cats, and while they do purr in pleasant situations, they often also purr while sick, injured or stressed.  It is now thought that purring is used as a way to convey contentment or appeasement, to self soothe, or to seek companionship.  Looking at the context can give you a good idea of why your cat is purring in different situations.

Chirrups and Trills

These sound like the combination of meow and a purr.  This is what mother cats use to greet their kittens upon return, or to get their kittens to follow them.  Domestic cats often use this to say hello to their people.  Of course, they may also be aching you to follow them to the food bowl!

Hissing and Spitting

Hissing is a pretty unmistakable sign of agitation and spitting is a more extreme or emphatic version of a hiss.  It is important to note that this is an involuntary defensive response.   A cat’s mouth is open and teeth are showing during a hiss. It is a signal to warn away would-be dangers.  Different cats will hiss in different situations, depending on how agitated they are.  Well-socialized cats tend to hiss less than a cat who has less experience with the world.

Growling and snarling

This is a long duration, low frequency vocalization.  Growling sounds more like a rumble, where snarling is a growl punctuated with a higher pitched sound.  These occur during aggressive interactions.  Sometimes a growl might also occur as a warning to another animal or person whom the cat thinks might take away a resource, such as food.

Yowling

This resembles a long drawn out meow or howl and can occur in two very different circumstances.  One is a female’s signal of willingness to mate to males in the area.  The other is to communicate intense discomfort, distress, or displeasure. Sometimes in elderly cats this can indicate disorientation or confusion.

Chattering

Chattering is made when a cat rapidly and repeatedly brings her teeth together.  It often happens when a cat sees a prey animal, thus eliciting her predatory instinct, but she cannot reach the prey.  This is often seen in cats watching birds or squirrels through a window.

All cats are different in the amount they tend to vocalize.  Some breeds are more vocal than others.  Cats sometimes become more vocal as they age.  This is thought to be due to either dementia or declining eyesight.  Hearing loss can also cause a cat to vocalize more frequently.

Why cats are different than dogs?

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It is really as simple as predator vs prey. Dogs are purely predators.  They follow directions from pack members while hunting and show clear body language because that is how they communicate as a pack.  Cats, on the other hand, are both predator and prey.  As prey cats are wary, they’re going to assume that there’s a reason to be scared. They go to fight or flight first, stop and assess the situation second. Dogs are more likely to first check out the situation first and see what the scene is, whereas cats are going to slink around the edges and give themselves a way to escape. Cats do hunt, but they’re also going to be wary of what’s happening. Cats are solitary hunters, and because of that they don’t have the same overt body language and communication that dogs have to let the other members of their pack know what they are thinking.  With that said cats body language can be understood, it is just much more subtle than dogs.

We have to view cats and dogs in totally different lights when we’re working with them and training them because of the differences in their status as prey or predator.  Cats are not trying to be elusive or secretive or spiteful.  They are doing what their biology tells them will keep them safe.  Any use of punishment techniques with a cat will terrify them and they are gonna assume that you are not safe.  

That is why positive reinforcement is so important in working with cats.  It increases your bond with your cat and gives them confidence that the environment they live in is safe.  It gives them a reason to want to work with you and a reason to not fear you. Any animal that lives in a state of fear or stress will start to show that fear and stress on the outside.  For cats that may be urinating outside the litterbox, spraying, or destructive scratching.  Using positive reinforcement training you can learn to communicate with your cat before any of these behaviors happen.  And in solving any stress or fear issues, positive reinforcement can help your cat to relax and learn to bond with you and gain confidence in their environment.