We might as well get them an iPod Touch, because they run calendars and clocks in their heads. They want to help run our lives.
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Betas can have many energetic times and many thoughtful times, but they all share the Beta trait of wanting to be our buddy. They hang around, sometimes expressing a willing interest in our activities, sometimes fetching a toy in a not-so-subtle hint that we could be playing with it.
With multiple cats, Betas are the Spokescats, the News Bringers, the ones with the hotline to The Boss of Cat Town. Enlisting the help of our Betas calms cat conflicts. They love cats and people alike, and wish above all for a big happy family.
To reach the Beta, appeal to their passion for harmony and cooperation with our best efforts at communication. If the cat asks for attention, what they most want is a monologue from us on points of interest, punctuated with some petting and praise for their politeness in asking. Betas love our moments of interaction, and are the most likely cat to feel painfully lonely when alone.
Any Beta bad behavior can spring from their feeling of neglect. We should be sure to mark points in our routine with them, announcing breakfast and dinnertime, our arrivals and departures, and any plans, such as a party or special occasion, that means we will be doing something interesting together.
Betas have easily hurt feelings that they cannot easily transfer. They do not have the object fascination that the Alphas and the Gammas can express; they must see and interact with living things, be it a busy street with people to watch, or a busy tree with birds and squirrels. Betas are in constant contact with other creatures’ behavior, which makes them quick to pick up human understanding.
Enlisting our Beta as a buddy, and appealing to cooperation by demonstrating hurt feelings instead of any other reaction, is the path to having a cat who loves to make us happy with good behavior. Handle their natural curiosity with toys and amusement which indulges their love of the hunt, give them plenty of quality time when we are home, and make sure they aren’t lonely.
That’s how we have a Best Cat Buddy.
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