The Way of Cats helps you understand, train, and love your pet cat

When instincts work against them

Jul 30th, 2010

In most kinds of fiction writing, a popular scenario is known as the “fish out of water.” The rural police officer chases a suspect to the Big City, or the childless relative inherits a large batch of children, or an extraterrestrial moves in next door; we’ve seen it a million times.

Because it always works.

It’s easy to explore the both the comedic and dramatic possibilities because the newcomer’s instincts will be automatically contrasted with what the natives do. Sometimes it will work better; sometimes, not.

“Fish out of water” is exactly what we’ve done when we bring a cat into our homes.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Cats arrive to their jobs as pets with fully functioning wild instincts. While they have been human companions since the dawn of agriculture, their jobs as vermin catchers retained their excellent hunting abilities. The only thing that would have changed was to enhance an already existing tendency; the ability to recognize humans as other living creatures on the same social plane.

In the domestication process, this desired behavior is known as “tameability.” As shown in the Siberian Fox Experiment, such an accomplishment can take only forty years from completely wild… to completely domesticated. The result is not only different behavior, but different genetic expression, resulting in animals who look, act, even smell, differently from their wild ancestors.

So I have no doubt that in many ways, the cat snoozing on our sofa is different from the cats who first started hanging out where the rats were; in granaries and other food storage areas. There wasn’t a grand plan in the beginning; only support and encouragement of certain cats who could be playful and affectionate when they weren’t hunting down rats.

The cats in feral cat colonies show that under the right circumstances, these traits can vanish just as quickly. Some ferals, even when rescued very young, seem to have not inherited the structure that allows them to accept humans. They are truly wild creatures.

Yet that is the only difference between ferals and domestic cats. Everything else is predator behavior and is fully operational. So our cats are going to climb things and scratch things and wrestle with things; even things we don’t want them to have.

It’s easy to keep a dog on the floor; they don’t have a hunting drive that encourages them to climb and perch. Some strong dog instincts, such as “goosing” people as a greeting, rolling around in stinky stuff, and barking, can be controlled with training relatively easily. That’s because dogs also have the instinct to listen to the pack leader, and do what they say.

There are no such instincts working for us with cats. They are driven to do the things they do.

We shouldn’t try to keep them from doing these things; we both will be frustrated and unhappy. That’s why I suggest we offer them mutually agreeable ways to climb and scratch and wrestle. Then we build our bond with them, so their love for us will keep them going to “their” things and leave “our” things alone.

This is how we happily live with a cat who continues to climb and scratch and wrestle.

Because no matter what we do, they’re going to find a way to do it, anyway.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to understand our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on WHY CATS DO THAT.

Posted in: behavior.
Tagged: predator behavior · redirection · yours and mine

Why Cats Love Keyboards

Jul 29th, 2010

by WereBear.

2 comments

What is the mysterious, irresistible, force which pulls our cats onto our keyboards?

Power.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

The power isn’t magnetism or a spell cast to keep us from our work; only the simple pull of curiosity. There must be something fun to this, the cats think, because my human finds it so fascinating.

Their focus is on what we are doing with our hands. While I’ve had cats poke at the keys, and there’s a favorite picture in the rotating header of wee Olwyn pretending to be me at my laptop, most cats settle for the attention they get from such close proximity.

What? Some people ignore cats on their keyboard? Right. Since that so rarely happens, we keep reinforcing the whole keyboard/proximity/attention alliance.

The best we can do is shield both of us from when the attention is detrimental. Here’s some safety tips:

Don’t leave our cats opportunities. If our system has a separate keyboard, it can wind up in our lap… and then somewhere else when our lap goes into the kitchen for coffee.

Make the somewhere else a spot where all of the keyboard is supported. Leaving a hanging ledge off the side of our chair is asking for the cat to try to land on it and flip it over.

Likewise, if we are leaving a laptop for a minute, close the lid. It’s what it’s for.

Lock them out. Using the search term “keyboard lock” can let us find programs to “lock” our keyboard. I used to have one; I pressed a quick key combination which stopped all keyboard input. Now, working on a laptop, I just close it up when I step away.

The problem is not just our cat’s editorial contributions. It’s simple to come back and delete the line of “2890jsl’02js” that appeared in the middle of our deathless prose. But that’s not all cats do.

They are famous for their ability to find amazing combinations that will scatter their keypresses all over the document, resize the browser, and find previously unknown portals into other dimensions. I’ve had them crash programs and reboot the computer.

The finest example of such computer safeguards is the program for the PC called PawSense. It analyzes the input from a cat’s paws, detects the unique patterns, and then locks the keyboard from further input.

Keep our tasty beverages out of range. I’ve repaired dozens of malfunctioning computer keyboards after soda, coffee, or even water spilled into them. Most people do all the wrong things when a spill occurs. The right way to handle it is:

Unplug it. It’s the combination of electricity and liquid that does the damage. Stopping the power flow before the liquid gets to where it causes a short can head off trouble.

Flip it over. This allows the liquid to drain out, instead of puddling on the electronics. Set it over a towel and leave it alone to completely dry. Often, this is all that needs to be done.

Wait on the compressed air. This is great for getting dust out of the keyboard, but we don’t want to force soda into a place where it wasn’t before. After drying, if the keyboard doesn’t work, now’s the time to give it a try. And hang onto it, because we’ll need it after the next step.

Wash the keyboard. This won’t work for laptop keyboards; all the computer’s brains are under there. But if we are petrified of disassembling the keyboard ourselves and cleaning it (which usually works!) we can run the unplugged keyboard through a stream of water, blow it out with compressed air, and then leave it upside down over a towel for many days. It’s crucial to make sure all the moisture has evaporated; putting it in a sunny window can help.

Computers are part of our lives. When cats are too, we need to take some simple precautions, so everyone gets along.

For more cat/computer safety tips, see Cat Proof the Computer.

Cats behave the same way with books and magazines; see Cats and the Printed Page.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.

Posted in: persuasion.
Tagged: cat learning · cat senses · yours and mine

Do cats always land on their feet?

Jul 27th, 2010

by WereBear.

2 comments

A cat can always land on their feet; if they have enough height to perform the amazing mid-air flip that gets them upright.

Science has determined that’s about 1 meter, or three feet. In this video, the cat has a bit less than that, and still manages.

This ability is known as the cat righting reflex. They can do it because of their flexible spine and virtual lack of collarbone. We, and cats, have the inner ear abilities which can tell us where we are in space. But only cats can do something about it with such speed and ease.

But even a somewhat greater height might not be enough if, say, they are sleeping on top of something, and slide off. RJ likes to sleep on top of a bookcase, five feet off the ground. We patiently flipped him over during the course of one evening, because if he hangs his paws over the edge, he won’t fall off in his sleep. We kept seeing his back droop further and further over the edge without him being aware of it. Add in the time it would take him to wake up from such a deep sleep, and he probably wouldn’t land on his feet.

Now he sleeps with his paws over the edge, as we taught him. Because we are using that bookcase to sort items at the moment, and some of the boxes stick out past the edges of the shelves. That could interfere with his midair flip, too.

So cats certainly have the reflexes to land on their feet, and can do so with minimum amounts of space and time. They start to do it as early as three weeks of age, with or without a tail. They do it without changing their net angular momentum; they can’t attempt to slow down their fall until they have completed their turn. Their main advantage is in landing on their feet, and letting their legs act as springs to absorb the impact.

But that doesn’t mean they will always walk away. In a 1987 study, seven stories was the cutoff point where most cats started receiving fatal injuries. Which is pretty amazing; we’d reliably be toast at seven stories.

But physics are still physics, even for cats. They can survive, but with broken bones or internal injuries that will still present a problem. It’s especially common for them to injure their jaw and head when they run out of “spring” and their momentum is still going. A cat can survive a high fall, but there’s still factors that make injury more or less likely.

A smaller cat has less mass, and will transfer less force to their body when they land. Upon reaching terminal velocity (believed to be a five story fall) a cat will spread out, flying squirrel style, and actually slow down a bit. A long-haired cat will have more drag than a hairless one. For landing, a grass lawn is better than a wood deck, which is better than a concrete parking lot.

It’s probably more accurate to say that almost all the time, a cat can land on their feet. But they don’t have the superhero power to be unharmed by a drop from any height.

So caring precautions about windows, deck railings, and even bookcases still apply.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.

Posted in: mythbusting.
Tagged: cat senses · cats do not obey the laws of physics · video

Cats and Vegetarianism

Jul 25th, 2010

by WereBear.

9 comments

Cats are not vegetarians.

Cats are actually the opposite of vegetarians. They are obligate carnivores.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

“Obligate carnivores” means they can’t help it. They can’t eat anything else but food from an animal source. They can eat some grass for digestion, and maybe odds and ends like mandarin oranges or marshmallows as treats. (I’ve had cats who liked such things.)

But that’s it.

It’s the taurine. Cats without an organic acid known as taurine develop liver, heart, and vision problems; and will eventually die. Cats can only get taurine (and vitamin A, B12, and arachidonic acid) from animal foods.

It’s the pointy teeth. Cats have teeth which are all pointy; not capable of grinding tough plant material into a form suitable for mammalian digestion. Horses have broad, flat teeth, as do all herbivores. Omnivores, like humans, have both flat teeth for grinding, and pointy teeth for tearing.

It’s the digestive tract. Cats have a short length of intestine, and none of the specialized enzymes or fermenting vats that will break down cellulose in plants and make it available to cells for nutrition.

It’s the enzymes. Cats completely lack the enzymes which allow for conversion of carbohydrates into body energy. The carbohydrates break down into blood sugar, but then can only be ushered into cells to form fat. So when we feed a cat grains or grain byproducts, we are only making them fat.

It’s the eye placement. Cats have their eyes set on the same plane, on the front of their head. This gives them depth perception; this lets them hunt. While deer, rabbits, antelope, and other prey animals have eyes set on the sides of their head; so they can look in more places for the predators who want to eat them.

It might seem strange that an animal rights activist (and I am) would not be a vegetarian or something like it (and I’m not.) But such a mental linkage comes from a connection that is neither accurate or sensible.

An animal lover can conclude it is wrong to eat animals. I admire such conviction; and once upon a time, I tried to embrace it. But it turned out to be bad for my health; I’m an omnivore, and need to eat both animals and plants.

We can’t hold it against cats, or me; it’s the way we are.

So I strive to help all animals be treated humanely; I rescue cats, I’m against factory farming, and I think our society should consider more sustainable forms of agriculture and animal husbandry than the one we are presently pursuing.

For those who wish to delve into this subject further, I can’t recommend a better book than The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability, which is available on Amazon:

And on Kindle:

Idealism is a wonderful thing. It tells us what to strive for. But it’s wrong to use idealism as a hammer on reality, to impose an artificial construct onto actual living beings. It’s the living beings who get hurt, for nothing more than being unable to react the way an Idealist believes they are supposed to.

I see articles on the web claiming that we can feed our cat a vegetarian, or even a vegan, diet. Most admit these diets should supplement with taurine and many other essential nutrients; some even acknowledge that cats are designed, far more than most, to eat only meat. But their idealistic principles are not compatible with letting their pet cats eat in a way that is contrary to the goals they have set for themselves.

So what do I think of their claims that their cats are happily, and healthily, managing on such a diet for many years? I’m sure that some of these cats go outdoors, and a hungry cat outdoors will supplement for themselves. How is that different from adding missing items to a cat’s vegetarian food — to make it more like meat? These are supplements that have to be added because they do not appear in plants.

So it’s a bit hypocritical, isn’t it? An animal source is an animal source.

I understand the drives, be they for humanitarian, political, or health reasons, which lead people to embrace vegetarian or vegan diets. But they freely chose this for themselves. Their cats have not.

So instead of trying to convert a carnivore into a herbivore, such people should explore the joys of bunnies and birds as pets. Science has shown that cats cannot live on a meat free diet.

Pretending otherwise is simply animal cruelty.

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more ways to care for our cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See all of my posts on CAT CARE.

Posted in: food.
Tagged: catkins · healthiest cat food

Helping the overwhelmed cat

Jul 23rd, 2010

by WereBear.

1 comment

Too much stress, for any cat, can bring on withdrawn behavior. It’s especially puzzling for people whose cat had always seemed so confident and resilient. Then a move, more or fewer people in the house, or a radical schedule revamp creates big changes in the cat’s personality.

Becoming either withdrawn or aggressive can be a cat’s way of coping with stress, but it’s not the best way. They need help.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Why have events overwhelmed our cat? How can we fix it? Here are some factors to consider:

Territory sensitive? Some cats are reliant on geographical cues to help them orient themselves, figure things out, and pay attention only to what they need to.

Disrupting the environment of such a cat is going to be more stressful than for a cat who uses a few important touchstones. If they know where their litter, scratching post, and sleeping stations are, they will be quicker to feel content.

Missing someone? The house can get someone new who is getting all of a certain person’s attention. There might not be certain persons at all after a change.

Cats will mourn and feel anxiety until they get over having their attachment disrupted. If we give them emotional support, they will feel better faster. They will always miss the person, but they don’t have to become sick or distracted any more.

Needs help with new routine? Some cats worry that the new place will have new, and unknown, routines. They fear having trouble in the new litter spot or where their favorite bed has gone.

Make a fuss over where their new spots are, and point out important dishes and other equipment that belongs to them. We could make a point of showing them their dishes before the move, or get some new, distinctive ones to help the cats make the transition.

Lost in the shuffle? Of course, our cat is not the only one coping with these changes. We can be overwhelmed too, and often this means we will regard our cat’s distress as just one more burden on us. But that’s usually the wrong way to look at it.

Because our cat is begging for more attention, and attention we pay to our cat is a stress reducer.

So let’s trying doing both of us a favor, and see if we can’t curl up with our furry buddy for some stress relief for both of us. Let them know we love them, that it’s hard on us too, that we need them to help us feel better.

Let our cat feel important again. That’s the step that might have been missing. That’s the step that will make us both feel love again.

That’s the one thing we can’t lose in the move.

Get cat moving tips with Dear Pammy, How can I lower my cat’s stress from moving?

Got here from a Link or Search?
There’s more to raising and training a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CAT TRAINING TIPS.

Posted in: stress.
Tagged: Gamma cat type · moving · volume control