Expressing Their Feelings
Cats are very good at expressing their emotions and communicating with other cats and people. Fortunately this makes it a little easier for people who are in tune with their cat to be able to read what’s on their mind and to notice when all is not well. This also makes it easier to discuss remedies for a sick cat with your vet as you will have an understanding of what the cat needs and what might have caused any problems.
If a cats weight changes suddenly, or its energy levels have dropped dramatically, don’t leave it too late before seeking professional advice, as being a small animal they can succumb to problems a lot faster.
If your cat becomes more vocal then it might have a problem that needs attending to. It could have some ongoing health problem that is causing it pain. A change in behavior can be a sign that all is not well with your cat, either in its health or its mental state.
Cats can get stressed as humans do and for all the same reasons. Even a change of house can create stress for your cat, and more so for an aged cat as they are not as willing to adapt to new environments as readily as younger cats. This change of environment can cause them to feel insecure and along with that bring behavioral problems that need to be remedied. Quality time, care and consideration are generally the best remedy.
By treating your cat well and staying in tune with it, you can enjoy many years of unconditional love and happiness, and all it will expect in return is the most important and basic requirements of life; food and water, shelter and love.
If only we could be so simple; what a wonderful world it would be.
The Balance Mechanisms of a Cat
The cat uses its tail to alter its center of gravity in many different instances. If for example it is walking along the top of a narrow fence and it looks over to one side it will shift its tail in the opposite direction to maintain its balance.
Also when the cat is changing direction, if it is running and chasing its prey, it will shift its tail from one side to another in the opposite direction to the body to give it stability and stop it from falling over with the rapid changes in direction.
This is just one of the things that help the cat have such incredible balance, and while we might be concerned to see a cat walking along some precarious objects, they have the ability to react amazingly fast to the messages that they receive through their eyes and inner ear.
The messages that they receive through the eye and inner ear get transmitted to the brain far faster than any human can react, and they can make minute muscle adjustments in fractions of a second that assist them with their incredible balance.
These balance mechanisms are already fully developed in a kitten, but because they are unable to see initially, and balance requires the use of both the eyes and the ears, a newborn kitten will stumble and fall quite often in the initial stages and until they are able to see.
Cats have the ability to right themselves in fractions of a second if they fall from any height and to land on their feet. As very young kittens are unable to see they do not possess this ability to right themselves when falling as it requires both the eyes and ears to work in combination with one another for this to happen.
Cat Communication
Cats are particularly good at communicating with one another and humans. They have a considerably larger vocabulary than dogs, with most cats being able to make over 100 different sounds. These sounds can range from purring, to hissing and growling, spitting, wailing and howling, and many different combinations in between.
They certainly do have the ability to get most of what they want from their owners, and that is why it is often said that the cat rules the house and the humans are the servants.
Yes we certainly do seem to do all the running about, yet when we call the cat it is just as likely to turn around with its tail in the air and wander off.
It is this independent nature that appeals so much to so many people and that’s why cats are one of the most loved pets in the world.
Cats are also extremely good at communicating with one another and once again with humans, by their body language. Cat owners who are tuned in to their cat’s behavior can communicate extremely well, and this also makes it a lot easier for the owner to train a cat to do particular things or to behave better.
It also allows the opportunity to become a lot more aware of when the cat is not feeling well and when a trip to the vet might be necessary. Fortunately that is not too often if the cat has been well cared for and given good nutrition because they are extremely resilient and even the process of purring can help to stimulate healing properties within the cat.
If your cat is making a sound and it is directed towards you then you know it is trying to communicate with you and usually it is not too hard to work out what it wants.
Cat Grass
You should consider having some cat grass available for your cat to eat as they need to swallow it at times to help regurgitate hair that they have ingested while grooming themselves.
You can get this cat grass from pet stores and grow it in a specific area of your property where you know that it will be free from poisons and chemicals.
If the cat gets into the habit of using this grass rather than any other plants on the property to help regurgitate these hairballs, then this reduces the chance of it eating something that could be poisonous and cause it to become ill.
It is cheap and easy to grow, and can even be grown in a sunny spot on the deck if you’re living in an apartment. It is also a good idea to grow a little catnip, as cats love to nibble on this as well.
It is quite a good idea to get your cat accustomed to eating a little bit of greens while they are still young and you can do this by putting spinach or similar vegetables in a food processor or blender and mix it up fine enough to be added to tinned cat food.
This will assist with their digestion and satisfy the need for some greens in their diet. These little bits of extra vegetables that you can add to the diet will help to balance any missing nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the rest of the food they eat.
As can be expected from a cat, they will from time to time decide not to eat anything at all with vegetables in it, so you need to add a little bit of variety occasionally to ensure that they are getting good all around nutrition.
Baby vegetables that are sold for children are also suitable for feeding to your cat provided of course that there is no garlic or onions in the ingredients as these are detrimental to a cat’s health.
Also try not to get baby vegetable formulas that have corn in them as they can cause a spike in your cats blood glucose levels and can over the long-term cause diabetes.
Cat Communication
Cats are particularly good at communicating with one another and humans. They have a considerably larger vocabulary than dogs, with most cats being able to make over 100 different sounds. These sounds can range from purring, to hissing and growling, spitting, wailing and howling, and many different combinations in between.
They certainly do have the ability to get most of what they want from their owners, and that is why it is often said that the cat rules the house and the humans are the servants.
Yes we certainly do seem to do all the running about, yet when we call the cat it is just as likely to turn around with its tail in the air and wander off.
It is this independent nature that appeals so much to so many people and that’s why cats are one of the most loved pets in the world.
Cats are also extremely good at communicating with one another and once again with humans, by their body language. Cat owners who are tuned in to their cat’s behavior can communicate extremely well, and this also makes it a lot easier for the owner to train a cat to do particular things or to behave better.
It also allows the opportunity to become a lot more aware of when the cat is not feeling well and when a trip to the vet might be necessary. Fortunately that is not too often if the cat has been well cared for and given good nutrition because they are extremely resilient and even the process of purring can help to stimulate healing properties within the cat.
If your cat is making a sound and it is directed towards you then you know it is trying to communicate with you and usually it is not too hard to work out what it wants.
Cats Living in Harmony
Cats love to be touched, stroked, and petted. Cats will not only derive pleasure from having humans pat them, but they will also enjoy the company and bodily contact of other cats.
Where cats are living together in harmony, or where they have been brought up together, they will often sleep curled up together and also groom one another.
This happens more often with neutered female cats than with male cats, although it is not uncommon to see male cats grooming one another too.
Cats love to rub their body up against humans, in a show of affection and often also to leave their scent as a sign of ownership. Cats will exhibit the same behavior with other cats as they rub up against one another, but it is mainly as a sign of affection when they do this to other cats.
They can feel a sense of comfort and security by sharing their space with another cat and sleeping beside each other.
This is one of the reasons why it is well worth considering getting two kittens from a litter rather than one kitten when choosing.
It is also worth noting that male cats will rarely groom female cats so you might decide if choosing two kittens, to either get two female kittens or two male kittens but not one and another, as they might socialize better if they are the same gender.
Often where there are two cats in the family each cat will claim ownership of one member of the family. If there is only one person in the household then that person will need to ensure that an equal amount of time is spent with both cats so that one cat doesn’t become jealous of the other leading to behavioral problems with one, or possibly both cats.
Housebreaking Your Cat
Fortunately cats are extremely clean animals and generally you don’t need to house train them at all. In the first few weeks they will begin to use the litter box particularly if they observe their mother doing the same thing. If they are going to the toilet outdoors, it is natural for them to cover up after they have finished.
For new kittens you need to supply them with a litter box as they will need to be kept inside the house until they become accustomed to their new home. Fill a box with cat litter to a sufficient depth that will allow them to dig, approximately 2 inches, and put the box in a quiet place where they don’t feel like they are being observed as some kittens can get quite embarrassed if they think people are looking at them while they are going to the toilet.
You should regularly remove any wet litter and droppings, and ensure that the cat litter remains clean at all times otherwise the kitten won’t be inclined to use it.
When you have more than one cat using the litter box you’ll need to clean it a lot more frequently as they will tend to go more often, as cats like to mark over each other in a similar manner as they do with marking their territory.
If you find that your cat or kitten is not using its litter box as it should there are several reasons why this could be happening. The most obvious reason is that the litter is not cleaned enough. Alternatively the litter box might be in a location that the cat is not happy with and putting it in a more private place could resolve the problem.
Aged or incontinent cats might require a visit to the vet to see if they can solve the problem and sick cats will often not bother going to the litter box.
Sometimes it can just be a behavioral problem with your cat and this will need to be resolved with proper action and the correct training techniques.
Cats on heat will also spray in order to attract mates and the only remedy for this is neutering.
Cats Are Territorial
Cats are territorial in nature but the domesticated cats consider this differently to that of the wildcat. There are reasons why a cat is territorial.
The first reason is to ensure that it will have enough food and shelter for its requirements. As the domesticated cat gets that food and shelter from its owner it does not need to concern itself with becoming territorial for that reason.
The second reason why cats are territorial is because in the wild they will be vying for the female when they are in season. Once again this is eliminated in most cases as the domesticated household cat has been neutered and a desire to be territorial for this reason is no longer present.
In addition to this, the fact that the domesticated cat generally lives in areas where there are many more cats in close proximity to one another, thereby reducing the reality of any cats having the ability to dominate any area much greater than their own backyard, this is no longer a realistic concern.
This has often led to a somewhat more social behavior with domesticated cats where they can sometimes welcome neighbor’s cats or at the very least put up with the fact that other cats will sometimes wander through their territory.
The fact that they are comfortable with the property, and realize that the security, food and shelter requirements are being met without any action required on their part means they no longer feel the need to be territorial.
Fortunately this makes life a lot easier for cat owners living close to one another, as it reduces the incidence of cat fights and also the unwanted habit of cats leaving their scent on other people’s properties. It certainly makes for a lot happier environment than if our cats still possessed the behavior that is natural to them in the wild.
The Nature of Cats
While cats can’t talk they are extremely good at communicating with us.
They purr to let us know that they are happy. There are other reasons why cats will purr. A mother will know that her kittens are in good health by their purring. Kittens also purr when they want adult cats to play with them. There are other times when cats will purr such as when a superior cat is trying to approach another cat in a friendly manner.
Cats are very clean animals and even those that are strays, will regularly groom themselves by licking their fur. Male cats will also lick female cats when courting, and another cat will lick its kittens to help stimulate excretion.
Cats also like to mark their territory so that other cats know whose property they are on. They will generally do this by backing up to an object, tree or plant, where they believe another cat has been, and spray urine that will leave a pungent scent that other cats will notice. Cats will also mark their territory by rubbing the corners of their mouths and their temples against objects as these areas have scent glands.
Sometimes cats might even do this when they feel threatened and this can happen where there is more than one cat in the family and one of those cats is trying to assert itself. In circumstances such as this you can have a problem where the cats might spray inside the house. Unfortunately this becomes a difficult situation sometimes, as you feel like reprimanding the cat, whereas in reality, assuring the cat has your support might be the fastest solution to stop this from happening.
Most cats are quite happy to be on their own and often prefer the company of humans to that of other cats. They can in fact get quite jealous if they think another cat is getting their share of the attention.
Pat the Cat
Cats love it when you pat and stroke them but there is more to it than you might imagine. Have you ever noticed that your cat will lift its chin to encourage you to pat it under there? They also like it when you stroke the side of their face, and scratch at the base of the tail. The reason being is that these areas have sebaceous glands which produce body odors. So every time you pat or scratch your cat in this area you are effectively letting it mark you with its scent.
There are particular areas on the cat that are very sensitive to touch and the cat gets a lot of pleasure from you stroking these areas.
Not only is the skin of the cat very sensitive but also the hairless pads. These areas of skin and pads are particularly sensitive as they help the cat to investigate and be aware of things that are happening around it in the wild.
While most cats don’t mind their body being patted, quite a lot of them don’t like their paws to be touched although a light massage between the paws is one thing that many cats enjoy even if they don’t normally like their paws touched.
If you have been patting your cat for some time and its tail begins to start flicking rather rapidly then this is a sign that it is starting to get somewhat agitated and it might be wise to stop patting for a while.
Cats can get a little carried away when you pat them and particularly if you’re patting them on their underside and they are lying on their back. One moment they can be purring with pleasure, and the next they can be biting and scratching your hand. Often they are just playing and don’t realize that they can be causing some damage to your hands. It is certainly not something that they should be reprimanded for. Cats will often give you a little nip when showing their affection towards you too.
