The Way of Cats

A reader writes:

My eight year old Persian has started howling for no reason I can figure out. He gets along with the other cat and the four dogs and the vet says he has no physical problems. Yet he will, at any time of day or night, go to a corner or the front door or kitchen, anywhere really, and begin to cry a very primal howl. He seems completely unhappy about something and I can’t, for the life of me, figure out what it is.

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Dear Readers,

Kudos to the cat person who wrote me; she was smart enough to check for medical problems, which can be why a cat asks for help. But if the cat checks out okay, what else could the problem be?

Persians are almost always Gamma cats. These cats have many attractive qualities, especially for the newbie cat person. They tend to not get into things, their play is less rowdy, and as adults they are laid back, even shy.

But these attributes come with a price. Gamma cats are not designed to demand attention, even if they need it. Their person must be willing to seek out the Gamma, be attuned to their mild ways of requesting things, and react with calm delight to any overtures their Gamma might make.

Gammas try to lead a life with the volume turned low because they are so sensitive to muchness. Play, discipline, and affection practices that other cats either shrug off or eat up can be too much for the delicate Gamma. We must always be gentle with them, whether we are warning them away from the computer or greeting them on our arrival home. The biggest risk a Gamma runs is not knocking things over; it’s withdrawing and not being pursued by their person.

I figured that was what had happened to my reader’s cat. With other pets in the household more at ease with demanding what they wanted, her Gamma was inadvertently being ignored. It’s like the punchline of the old joke, “Everything’s been fine up to now!” True to his nature, the cat just suffered in silence, until he couldn’t be silent any more.

I suggested my reader start making a fuss over him twice a day, with sweet talk and petting him while his feet are on the ground, the ways Gammas like. She reports the difference has been dramatic. It is our 1st night in two months without a howling episode and I am loving having my boy back.

This makes me very happy, too.

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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.

Alpha cats are busy boys and girls. They have lots of energy, and they know exactly where to put it; whatever has captivated their interest at the moment will get all of their considerable attentions.

While all cats have curiosity, Alphas are absolutely driven by it. It’s not only about What is that?. It is also about What will it do?

Alphas are always active; mind, body, and soul.

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This can be a challenge for the Alpha cat’s person. They reap the considerable benefit of being the focus of the Alpha’s love and devotion, which are vast and all-consuming, the way an Alpha does it.

They also have to take on the responsibility that this incredible drive and focus has something to expend itself on. Safely.

So we must be energetic and clever to keep them amused properly.

Alphas are often over-disciplined because they honestly didn’t hear or see the first admonishment. Make the second, or third, effort as polite as the first. Alphas can be that focused, and we need to have a reliable way to call their attention back to us before we can expect cooperation.

Use a clicker, toys that make a distinctive squeak or rattle, or a particular form of their name, (this is why Alphas often have three names of great distinction,) to get the Alpha’s attention. Once we have it, we work with them to give up on whatever it is, even if it’s because we have a better version, right here, just for them.

Even if we have to enforce leaving the old one alone, having an adequate substitute is vital to smooth transitioning. They need the input and experimentation so much that when something catches their interest, it is difficult for them to leave it alone while there are depths yet to be plumbed.

If the object is something we do things with, the Alpha will want to do that thing too. It’s their way of showing affection.

The Alpha’s need for stimulation and games can make for a wonderfully interactive cat experience. We need to take care of their three big needs.

Better yet, bring home two Alphas. If we can commit to a period of stowing breakables and some kitten-proofing, we have solved most potential Alpha problems in one swoop. And gotten four times the fun. Let the cats or kittens amuse each other, and we get the considerable overflow.

Then we will find our Alpha is really not so difficult to handle, after all.

Because…

Sometimes we feel like a nut. Sometimes, we should get two.

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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.

There’s a recent controversy over Joe Biden, currently the Vice President-elect, getting a German Shepherd puppy from a breeder. It shouldn’t be a controversy. If he wanted a German shepherd, he should have gotten it from a breeder. Joe Biden did the right thing.

The right thing with purebred dogs or cats is not to buy them from pet stores. Pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills, which are horrible places where the dogs are treated badly, and no one cares about the genetic heritage of the puppy. With the restricted gene pool of purebreds, that’s a serious consideration that will impact the personality and health of the dog or cat.

Apparently, PETA was the one who complained. PETA, whose stance is that domestic dogs and cats are slaves, and that no one should have pets. PETA has no place to stand on the subject of animal cruelty.

I’m a big fan of mixes, dogs or cats. But I do understand the most important thing about the appeal of the purebred: knowing what we are getting. Dogs come in such a range of sizes and temperaments that there’s good reasons for having different breeds, and good reasons for people to seek out certain traits.

The people saying that no one should get a dog from a breeder are making two mistakes: they don’t realize that a breeder is the best place to get a certain breed of dog, and they don’t realize that breeds exist for a very good reason.

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Dog breeds came about in the first place because there were specific tasks the dog was expected to do, and breeding that picked the dogs who were best up for that task. Unlike cats, who basically only have two duties, (catching rodents and being companions,) dogs might be called upon to pull carts, guard the house, herd livestock, be companions, and catch game, with or without help. And the list goes on.

Service dogs are usually certain breeds because it ups the odds that all that training will pay off in a working dog. People who need livestock herded will get a livestock herder, because that’s a specialized talent. Mixed breeds could do this. But the odds are far better with a dog with a genetic heritage that was designed to do whatever it is.

Even being pets, dogs have different talents for different families. The elderly person might need a dog who doesn’t need more exercise than their person. The family with three rowdy boys needs a different kind of dog from the family who has one child with special needs. The hiker needs a different kind of dog than the couch potato. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a dog because we know what will make both us and the dog happy.

It’s certainly possible to get a great dog from a shelter. I’ve done it, over and over. But I have flexible needs and a good eye for what breeds might have gone into the dog, and how that might play out in my home. Not everyone can do that. If I guess wrong, it doesn’t matter, because all I want is a nice dog. But if I have certain needs or certain expectations, it would be sad and disappointing for the dog, through no fault of their own, to not live up to them.

Yes, it’s great to adopt animals from the shelter. Of course I think so. But I don’t see anything wrong with someone who has their heart set on certain traits to seek that out from a conscientious and caring breeder who also loves those traits in their favorite breed, and wants to see them continue to flourish.

What I don’t like is fashions in the dog or cat world, which compromise the dog or cat’s purpose and health for appearance’s sake. This leads to neurotic, unhealthy, and unhappy pets. All the more reason to seek out the right breeder, and reward them for their hard work. The last thing we should seek is a bargain.

Over the years of the pet’s lifespan, our bargain seeking will amount to very little in the end. It can be very expensive if our cheap purchase price disappears in the blizzard of vet bills and the storm of heartache when our purebred turns out to be badly bred.

When people have a wonderful dog or cat, they want to repeat that happy experience. Getting the same purebred will up their odds, though there is no guarantee. Getting a mix, on the other hand, makes people feel the pet could never be duplicated.

But then again… that’s true no matter what pet we pick.

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There’s more to choosing a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CHOOSING A CAT.

Beta cats live to communicate. They adore making arrangements with people, because Betas express their intelligence with the ability to deduct and predict.

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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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.