CATS

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CATS
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Cat Behaviour

• Least genetically affected of all the domestic
  species
• Ancestors of cat are generally solitary but will
  tolerate or seek out other cats when resources
  are plentiful
• When there is plentiful food shelter cats will
  develop social networks

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Socialisation

• Basic bond is Mother Kitten relationship
• Within a group, cats will nuzzle, groom rub
  against each other sometimes sleep huddled
  together
• Castrated cats act like females socially, that is
  they will interact with other cats
• Tom Cats will not tolerate social contact
• The cat relationship with its owner is like a
  mother kitten relationship

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How kittens learn

• Kittens learn by observation
• Can use a litter tray from 30 days of age
• Start to be weaned about the same age
• Play is important
• Early handling is important
• Early exposure to children adults
• Physical discipline is inappropriate it will just
  scare the cat
• Use booby traps or remote devices

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Socialisation of the cat

• Very similar development scale to dogs
• Cats do need to be socialised
• Cats have personalities
• Shy,timid, fearful or confident
• Timid cats take longer to approach people
• Trusting cats are trusting no matter where they
  are

Cat brought up with dogs copies their method of
urination
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Neonatal period

• Totally dependent on mother
• Can cry if left alone
• Can respond to loud noises even though ears
  covered by fold of skin
• Treading movements stimulate mothers milk
• Mum moves kittens by scruffing them
• Kittens reflexly go limp

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Transitional Phase

• Eyes open about 10 days
• Start to eat solid food
• Will attempt to stand up
• Mum tries to spend more time away from her
  kittens
• Start to play with objects as well as litter mates

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Socialisation Phase

• 3-9 weeks
• Form relationships with other cats
• Learn to communicate using body language
• Social play includes pounce chase with adults
  and leaping and standoffs with other kittens
• Need to meet and be handled by as many people as
  possible
• Must be handled for 40 minutes per day

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Juvenile Phase

• Continue to learn adult skills esp predatory ones
• Kitten is approaching sexual maturity
• Female cats can reach puberty as early as 4-5
  mths depending on the time of the year and can
  become pregnant immediately!

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Learning

• Hand reared kittens dont experience the same
  levels of frustration during weaning that cat
  reared kittens do so they can be very difficult
  later in life- very reactive even spiteful
• With cats if a behaviour gets rewarded it gets
  repeated!

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End of Socialisation Go to Learning in animals
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The Mating Game

• Before mating the female rolls around on the
  ground, rubbing and stretching and making little
  noises
• When she is ready for mating she goes into a
  characteristic pose, raising her hindquarters and
  swishing her tail to one side. She paddles her
  front feet in an excited manner
• The female in season will attract a number of
  males. She will determine which ones she mates
  with.
• She may mate with several males at one time

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Body Language

• Indicate emotional state
• Body rubbing
• Facial expressions
• Position of ears
• Body Postures
• Tail
• Gape

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Cat Personality

• Some are friendly, assertive and bold
• Some are nervous, timid and shy
• Some genetic component to temperament- from the
  father
• Extrovert cats are social, lively and adventurous
• Reserved cats are shy, moody, emotional, tense
  and anxious
• Some cats are antisocial- not wanting to
  associate with humans at all

Introverts often develop when kitten has no
social contact.
Friendly cat
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Reading the Cats Face

• To other cats the slightest change in expression
  can mean many things
• Position of the ears will give you the best
  indication of the cats mood
• There are over 20 muscles that control the cats
  ears
• Ears forward-
• Relaxed, saying hello or exploring
• Ears down- aggression
• Ears pinned back
• Fear, aggression or both
• Eyes shut when cat completely relaxed
• Pupils dilated when cat is frightened

Relaxed alert cat ?
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Contented Cat
Cats reveal their pleasure by half closing their
eyes, ears forward. Free of any fear or worry.

• Cat facial expressions.htm

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Ambivalent Cat

• Ears move back slightly
• Pupils remain constricted
• Mood can move in any direction

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Curious Cat

• Ears moved forward to pick up sounds
• Slightly dilated pupils indicate excitement

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Angry Cat

• Erect, furled back ears show anger
• Swept forward whiskers indicate bad temper
• Pupils remain constricted

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Fearful Cat

• Ears drawn back for protection
• Pupils dilate in agitation
• In extreme fear ears will flatten completely

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Aggressive Cat

• Dilated pupils show fearful aggression
• Teeth bared as fierce weapons
• Cat will hiss and spit
• Arches tongue to force out a jet of hot air. The
  feel and smell are just as important as the sound
• Used to intimidate

• ..\..\hissy cat.mov

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Communication through body language
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Shows of Strength

• There is no fixed pecking order in the cat world
• Offensive body language means feeling confident
  and in control
• Pupils do not dilate
• Ears forward
• Will sit high up if they can
• A dominant cat in a fight sits upright, leans
  forward with its ears upright and facing forward

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Being Defensive

• A cat that feels threatened by another animal,
  especially a dog, raises its back and tail and
  fluffs up its fur to make itself look really big
• They present themselves side on for maximum
  impact
• The cat will stand its ground and try to bluff
  with confidence
• Pupils are dilated with fear

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Defensive Display
Even though frightened cats can act aggressively.
They can roll over so that teeth and claws are
bared, ready to defend
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Fear induced aggression

• Fight or flight- will flee if it can
• Howling, spitting, hissing, swiping with the fore
  paws while showing the teeth
• Conservation withdrawal crouch down, avoid eye
  contact stay perfectly still
• Fear induced aggressor attacks with head drawn
  back and hits with its paws instead of biting-
  this is why vets, nurses attendants get
  scratched more often than bitten

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Extreme Defence Posture
Cat fights are not as potentially lethal as dog
fights because the attacking cat knows that the
fear defensive cat is likely to counter attack.
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Frightened Cat
Tail fur stands up, Arched back to appear bigger
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Happy Cat

• If the cat holds its tail upright and still when
  it greets you this means it is pleased to meet
  you
• Often while the cat is being patted the tail will
  quiver. This is a sign of pleasure

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Senses

• Sight
• Hearing
• Smell
• Taste
• Touch
• vocalization

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Sight

• Eyes set deeply in skull
• Field of vision less than cow, rabbit
• Eyes overlap to give 3 dimensional image
• Beneficial for hunting
• Can see some colour but poorly developed
• Can see very well in dim light

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Hearing

• Hearing- accurate over long distance
• Sensitive to vibrations through their pads
• Can hear higher frequency than man
• Can hear ultrasound

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Smell

• Well developed
• Able to detect taints, poisons,in food
• Desire to eat is related to sense of smell so
  will often stop eating if nasal passages blocked

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Cat Talk

• Pure vocalisation
• Murmurs purring and gently chirping used in
  greeting or to express contentment
• Vowel sounds -Miaow, mew, MEE-ow, meOW are made
  when cat is demanding, complaining or bewildered
• High intensity sounds include the growl, angry
  wail, snarl,shriek of pain or fear,hiss, spit and
  calling of female in oestrus
• Purring- can indicate pain or contentment. Comes
  from deep in the chest
• 16 different sounds have been recognised
• Some individuals and some breeds( Siamese) are
  more vocal than others

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Taste

• Able to detect salt, bitter, acid but not sweet
• Jacobsens organ located in roof of mouth
• The cat will open mouth air passes over the
  jacobsens organ this gives a sense of taste
  smell

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Touch

• Well developed
• Grooming
• Nuzzling
• Rubbing against each other , humans objects

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Grooming
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Marking territory

• Territorial Boundaries

House cat has small territory
Mother kittens have slightly larger territory
Area where all cats meet on equal standing
Tom cat has largest territory
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Indoor Cat
Even though indoor cats are content with a
smaller territory they will still make marks and
defend special areas
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Scent Marking

• Glands on chin, forehead, stud tail produce a
  distinct smell
• Sebaceous glands at the base of the hair follicle
  secrete an oily substance with a distinct odour
• The paw is a source of sweat odour
• The tail brushes scent onto bushes as it passes
• Urine marking
• Faeces uncovered away
• from home territory
• Anal glands squirts secretions onto droppings
• Bunting ( cheek rubbing)

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Scratching

• Used to mark territory with signs and smells
• Used to sharpen claws
• Outside it will be trees and fences
• Indoors it may be chairs and carpet
• Scratches are made in prominent places

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Bunting
Cheek rubbing- transfers scent from the cheek
glands
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Spraying
The cat backs up to an object it intends to mark
and with a quivering tail squirts urine out
backwards Both males and females spray urine,
even if they have been desexed
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Examples of behaviour

• ..\..\friendly cat.mov
• ..\..\frightened cat in cage.mov

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The End