If we are getting our cat a kitten, with the goal being a close relationship and cat companionship, the effort to match type-to-type will pay off in years of inter-cat harmony. That’s because cats make friends the same way we do; finding mutual interests and sharing a common outlook.

Alphas, Betas, and Gammas use different signals to communicate with their people. They are equally sensitive to their environment, but express that in different ways.

Gammas don’t know how to make changes to their environment. Betas will get us to make changes to their environment. Alphas go ahead and change the environment.

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To make an educated guess about a given kitten’s assertiveness level requires some interaction of our own. If the shelter or home that has kittens offers the option of spending some time alone with them, take it. Bring some toys. If we slowly place the toy on the floor, what happens? (Do it slowly. Tossing it out will make almost any kitten chase it, out of sheer reflex.)

Do they take intervals to study it or immediately start batting it around? Do they watch it from a distance to see if it continues to move on its own? Cautious cats are likely to be a Beta or a Gamma. The quicker they manipulate it, the more confident they are about manipulating their environment.

A soft ring toy is helpful because it will sooner or later be grabbed in a way that makes it flip over and bop the kitten on the head. Gammas will back off. Betas will hesitate. Alphas will immediately renew the attack.

Another useful toy is any remote control device. When the kitten investigates, activate something that makes the object move or makes a noise. The quicker the kitten comes back, the more Alpha they will tend to be. The remote control makes us not a part of whatever it is, and we can see how the kitten deals with non-living objects.

Does the kitten fix its attention on single objects, or keep looking for angles everywhere? The more they look around from all angles, the more Alpha they will be. Gammas find objects in the environment and study them, and will be more sensitive to change as a result. Alphas have an abundance of the cat tendency to look for angles they can use to guess how this object will respond to their actions.

Place the kitten in an empty cardboard box, too high to scramble out of easily. Gamma kittens will simply sit there for a while. Betas will start patrolling the sides, considering their options. Alphas will try to get out of the box.

Kittens who come from a home where they were already socialized and underfoot will be more confident than kittens rescued from a storm drain, where their only contact with people might be when they are getting goo squirted in their ears and eyes. So factor in what, if any, facts we might have about their early experiences to judge their socialization.

Caution with new people is sensible; fleeing in fear is a sign this kitten needs some gentle handling so they can see how nice people can be.

So take a little time to observe, run some experiments, and ponder what types of cats we have, and what types would fit in well.

To choose the right kitten, see if we can figure out The Cat They Will Become.

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Tabby patterns do not denote the breed of cat; it is a common coat pattern which can be expressed in any color except white.

The more tabby genes expressed in the coat, the more distinctive and prominent will be the “M” on the forehead.

This offers us a glimpse into the distant past of our housecats; the desert wildcats from 10,000 years ago, in the Near East.

All wild cat subspecies can interbreed, but domestic cats are all genetically contained within F. s. lybica.

This cluster of tabby genes explains the ubiquitous nature of tabby markings; excellent for camouflage, and delightful to the eye. There are four types of tabby. The mackerel tabby has stripes curving around the body from a central stripe down the back, and this is the expression of the wild-type tabby gene. Classic tabbies have swirls in a bullseye or butterfly pattern on their bodies, while ticked tabbies have the striping even on the individual hairs, resulting in a “salt and pepper” look. Spotted tabbies have the stripes broken up into spots, seen on the Abyssinian and Ocicat breeds.

The differences with the ancestral model show up in variations in coat colors, and probably even more curiosity, intelligence, and closeness with people. They wouldn’t have chosen cats with less, would they?

Biologically, the cat is identical to the cats who hunted small game in the Fertile Crescent, a desert environment which influences their diet and behavior in our cats of today. They have a third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, to protect against blowing sand, as does the fine screen of fur covering the entrance to the ear canal that is particularly noticeable in long-haired breeds. The appeal of the litter box is in the sandy texture that mimics their natural habitat. They love heat and fresh water.

All of this science fits well with my own theory; with agriculture came cats. With agriculture came grain storage. With grain storage comes voracious rodents. With rodents we have the hunter without compare, the cat.

So when people noticed that cats had shown up to take care of their rodent problem, it became a matter of survival to keep them around. This was apparently okay with the cat. A certain responsible hedonism is a hallmark of their personality.

How handy, for both of us.

With civilization came organization and specialization which led to jurisprudence, science, and the power to make plastic pouches of snacks we can’t open.

So we do owe the cat a lot.

After all, cats are responsible for civilization as we know it. So if they act a bit entitled… well, they’re entitled.

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Of course, our cats had kitty moms. They would nurse from their mother, and use their feet to knead momma’s belly to increase the flow of milk and produce bonding hormones that strengthen the kitten/mother bond. All of this is instinctual, but instincts are adaptable and can be expressed in situations which trigger them.

Most cats will, when relaxed and happy, knead our laps, expressing their comfort and trust in the way they first expressed it in their lives. Cats can learn to not use their claws during this process, by our wincing and saying “ow” when they get too enthused. Cats enjoy kneading, and will modify their behavior so we can enjoy it too.

If we have a cat who is starting to drift into the drooling, glazed eyes, stage, they will forget about their claws because they are so happy. I just stick a throw or other soft object under their front paws to protect me. They are “in the zone” at such times, and startling them out of it with a correction will backfire.

I just take it as a compliment. Which it is.

Nursing is a different story. Most cats will knead, but nursing behavior is a clue that this cat did not complete the weaning process with proper support. Often these are cats who were taken from their mother too soon, as so often happens when people want to give them away at a tiny, cute stage. The separation could have been even more traumatic. But what happens is the the weaning was abruptly ended, instead of being the gradual process that “shuts off” this instinct. Not every cat whose weaning was interrupted will display this reaction, but when a cat does it, it is often a behavior that is difficult to eradicate.

Creating a good home with plenty of mutual trust and reassurance can moderate a nursing cat’s impulses. If we get them when they are tiny, and they show this behavior, we can cuddle them, offer food and water, and moderate their reaction so they can grow out of it. Even if we get them as a grown cat, we can take these same steps to help the cat find new coping skills.

Because, while they have the same root, these two behaviors are being used differently. Kneading persists as an expression of affection. Nursing is a coping strategy the cat turns to when feeling stressed. Like all coping behaviors, we can guide and direct the cat to better ones by reducing their stress and coming up with behaviors that will work better in our home.

If the cat is soaking the corners of our throw pillows, we have to remember that it’s not just the corner that satisfies the cat. It’s the fact that this corner is attached to a yielding body that gives the cat the replay of their earliest needs. The famous Harlow monkey experiment demonstrates that what the cat is seeking is comfort, not just a nipple substitute.

Give the nursing cat the cuddling and love that was missing, and they will learn to seek us out, instead of their pillow. If they are doing this while we are away from home, they are saying they miss us. See if a pillow, purchased for them and covered with our scent by rubbing it on our hair and even sleeping with it for a few nights, can be a pillow they can turn to that is even better than the ones on our sofa, and we can place it in one of the cat’s special spots.

As our cat grows and matures, they will retire their nursing behavior. But kneading persists. It’s a way of expressing affection that humans enjoy, so it gets supported by our own behavior. There’s no downside to it, for us or the cat.

So when we have the cat in our lap, don’t just have the cat in our lap. Let’s gently stroke the cat, rub their ears and faces, and cuddle their chest and belly. Let’s say sweet things to them in a low, soft, loving voice. Our love makes the cat feel secure and protected. Kneading is the cat’s way of calling us “Momma.”

That’s what we are after. A very happy cat.

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Cats will sleep on the doily part of the wooden table. They are a little like the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. Cats can detect slight differences in softness.

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Cats have a practical side to these preferences. Their highly wound, flexible bodies need corresponding down time to fuel those incredible acrobatics. To relax, they go all the way into their famous “boneless” poses, where they drape themselves over and off the edges of things. Extra “cush” offers a far better surface for this purpose than hard, unyielding objects.

Cats and laundry are a case in point. Yes, they like sleeping on our dirty laundry, because it’s soft and smells like us. They also like sleeping on the clean laundry, because it’s even softer. Depending on the products we use, we could be making our laundry even more attractive. Botanical scents, like lavender, wheatgrass, and the mint family, can attract the cat because they find these scents pleasing, just as we do.

Warning: Bleach can be sending the wrong message. After we clean bedding or floor areas with bleach, cats can sometimes detect a scent they interpret as “go to the bathroom here.” Ammonia sends this signal even more strongly.

That’s why vinegar is a better cleaner/deodorizer in cases where we wonder if the cat is getting the wrong signal. If we have a problem with the cat mistaking the bed for some other purpose, leaving the bleach out of the laundry for a few cycles can solve this problem.

We can signal the cat about good sleeping spaces by draping an easily laundered throw over corners of couches or chairs. Cats will seek the extra softness, and we have something that can be whisked away when company comes. I make my bedcovers easily laundered types, because I want to encourage the cats to sleep on the bed. It’s not only attractive because it offers acres of softness. It’s the way cats communicate closeness with us, whether we are there at the moment, or not.

If we have a cat seeking “cush” in places that we dislike, we can try coming up with better, even cushier, places for the cats. But we should not be ruthless about our goals. The cat chooses their lounging places for other reasons besides their softness. They also want outposts to detect activity, a place that offers good escaping or ambush possibilities, and places that mean something to us, so they can display their good feelings towards us and our territory.

Keeping some designated towels around to throw over fresh laundry can be a simple step that keeps both of us happy. Remember, it is also their house. When we share, there is enough for everyone.

The cat’s liking for the softest possible surface is hedonistic. Cats will always opt for the pleasurable side of almost any choice.

But their pleasure seeking has practicality; they need, and must have, sleeping spots that fulfill many purposes. There’s nothing wrong with having more than one good reason to do something.

This is a lesson we can learn from the cat.

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I am proud to add this to my other awards, as seen in the sidebar; my “Site of the Week” review from About.com, and my blogged Community Rating of “great.”

To quote from my notification:

The Pet Community ‘Cat Blog’ award has been created to recognise the best Cat Blogs on the internet. A blog is judged on several criteria before the award is given out, these criteria include ‘Frequency of Blog update’, ‘Writing Style’, ‘Enjoyment of Read’ and ‘Blog Design’. This award is to say your hard work on your blog is appreciated and enjoyed by pet lovers within our own online pet community.

I am honored and thrilled. This is a great way to start the New Year.

They have an extensive site there at Pet Forums, and are in the process of building an online encyclopedia. So go on over and check it out.

Tell them the Way of Cats sent you!

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Yet, does it show the cat is stupid? Or does it show the cat is smart?

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Science has studied cat intelligence, and concluded that it is not only there, it is comparable to that of a six year old human. Of all the mammals, a cat’s brain has memory and emotional mapping most comparable to our own. Cats use tools, figure out mazes and puzzle boxes, and display long term memories, especially those involving spatial configurations, their specialty.

Fortunately, we most encounter cats outside of the laboratory. In our own homes, cats display amazing intelligence. We just don’t notice it, locked in our ways of thinking of the cat as a passive creature who only chases toys on the floor because they seem like prey.

The obvious is right in front of us. Is the cat so stupid they don’t know the mouse made of fabric that just lies there isn’t really a mouse? Or are they regarding it as a mouse substitute, and perfectly good for pretend?

We smile when small children zoom toy cars around the room and tie a towel over their shoulders to become a superhero. What an imagination! Yet when cats use their imagination to transform balls of paper and bits of string into prey, we don’t make the same connection.

It is the same connection.

Imagination is a sign of higher processing in the brain; using a substitute thing to replace a real thing is how humans do so much of what makes our lives more comfortable and enjoyable. Our houses, our cars, our clothes; all started as an imaginary thing that someone used as a blueprint for reality. Cats don’t have the same drive we do to make things actually happen. They were smart enough, ten thousand years ago, to hitch a ride with us, who can.

Cats started out in the small niche of rodent control. Cats have many advantages over dogs in this job; terriers are diggers and barkers, while cats go about their task with silence and stealth. We should consider how well cats do that job. They can’t readily widen holes to get at their prey the way dogs do. To be the efficient predators they are, cats had to become, not the strongest, but the smartest. They had to outwit their prey to be able to catch it.

What cats do, with the inanimate mouse toy, is only completing the cycle, and that’s what we most often see. We see the cat bounding after their prey in the final act of what has been a much longer drama. When we offer the cat a more complete prey experience, such as with remote controlled mice or wand toys, we see more of what is going on in the cat’s mind. Given more intelligent prey, cats will study the object, find places to view the object, set themselves up to ambush the object, and then complete the action with their pouncing.

Cats who meddle with our stuff are asking for the complete drama, not the thirty second sound bite. They want to use their nimble minds as well as their nimble bodies. They are looking for objects which hide and dart and offer more of a challenge. This is not the behavior of a stupid creature. This is the behavior of a bright mind who is bored and looking for more stimulation.

People who love cats interact with their cats and discover that such cats wait at the door for their arrival, snuggle close when their people aren’t feeling well, and will do things just because they know it will make their people laugh. These are the responses of living beings who recognize other thinking and feeling creatures.

So why don’t cats obey, do tricks, or come when they are called? Well, they do. If they want to. If we love them enough to make them want to.

That is always the hidden element with cats. They do what they want. If they love us, because we have loved them enough to take care of their bodily needs, and their mind needs, they will be far more likely to cooperate with us.

People who treat their cat as an intelligent creature have discovered the cat is an intelligent creature.

If we don’t recognize that, just which one of us is the dumb one?

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Because their sleep cycle is faster than our own. We can all go to bed perfectly happy, but they are not designed to sleep as long as we are. So, in the middle of our night, they wake up refreshed, ready for action, only to discover we are not doing anything, really.

And here they are, bored and lonely. Surely we have gotten enough sleep by now!

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Cats who wail, walk on us, or otherwise indicate they want us to get up in the Middle of The Night might not be as completely to blame for the situation as we might think. Because of all the training mistakes people can make, the most likely one to happen is doing the wrong thing in this particular situation.

The wrong thing to do in this situation is… anything.

That’s right. We could have created these monsters. Because if they are trying to get us up, and we get up, we have just trained them. Doing that thing, that thing they just did, will work. As dedicated cat scientists, they do not write papers or high-five each other in the lab, but they will most certainly do that thing again.

The proper response to a cat trying to get us up, for playtime or breakfast or anything else short of a screaming smoke alarm, must be: Nothing. If we have to react, like from a paw on the face or several foot-pounds on a tender spot, we can mutter and thrash and turn over, but we can’t do anything else. And we certainly can’t get up… that’s what they are after, isn’t it?

We don’t have to be a Russian named Pavlov to realize that it doesn’t even matter if we curse or yell or act upset when we get up… if we get up. What they did worked since we got up. The cats figure the goal can be fine tuned later. What’s important early on? Results!

We have to make it not possible for them to get what they want, so they can shift their goals.

Chances are, if we have this problem, we have already trained the cat. Now we have to retrain the cat.

Create a “depths of the night” toybox or other quiet distraction that we put out in the living room when we go to bed. This contains things they like but will only be available to them at night. Explain that this is for playing with while we are still sleeping. If we could have it opened by them as needed or by some remote method, all the better.

They have to see that they are not getting us up at 3 AM, but we are still meeting their needs at such times. Of course, the toys and treats must be quiet; no balls with bells in them! But anything that engages their minds (how do we get the toybox open?) will keep them from being bored.

Play them into the ground before bed so they will be going to sleep when we do, but when they wake up, they will have something to do that is not available at any other time.

We might also need to have an aversive feedback when the meowing starts coming from downstairs. We can leave the vacuum cleaner out in the hall, with the plug nearby. A quick blast of noise in response to their noise makes them rethink their approach.

If they don’t get what they want from meowing, keep a bottle of air or water nearby, where we can reach it without making too many motions or getting up. If they appear in person, a quick blast into the air, not even directed at them, makes them realize that this is not the response they want, either.

If we need to make a pitstop in the night, make it as quick and quiet as possible. Don’t turn on any lights or otherwise confuse them about our intentions. Putting nightlights in the right places, or keeping a flashlight by the bed for such trips, will be sufficiently different from our morning routine to let them know that even though we are up, we are not really up. We are not awake (don’t respond to the cuteness!) and all they will get is the usual nothing.

If the cat makes overtures when we go back to bed, all they might get is grabbed and hugged as we fall asleep. If that’s what they want, great. If not, they will have to seek amusement elsewhere.

Remember, once we are asleep… we are asleep! Even our reactions must come from the depths of sleep. They can’t get any attention, except the kind they don’t like, by waking us up.

As dedicated scientists, they will only be moved by results they like. Showing them that this experiment is a failure will let them get busy coming up with new solutions to their 3 AM boredom and loneliness problem.

Or they will keep doing it.

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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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Per Henry’s person: My cat, Henry, is a fiber artist. This is not a joke video or a set-up. All I do is nail the carpet to the wall, and Henry does all the work. In making this video, it is my hope that more cat owners will realize that their feline companions enjoy expressing their creative talents just as much as they do — all they need are the right materials!

During the summer and fall, Henry’s work was on exhibit at the Bangor Maine Public Library. He is the first feline artist to have his work on display. This is the write-up they posted next to his work:

Henry, Anita Louise McCormick’s cat, is a fiber artist too! He specializes in creating unique fiber art wall hangings. Anita adopted Henry from the Airport Mall pet store in 2002 so her other kitty, Alice, would have another cat to play with.

Henry’s talent as a fiber artist was discovered when his frustration with traditional scratching posts led Anita to purchase rug remnant pieces from Marden’s, and nail them to the wall. It did not take him long to discover that not only did he now have a great place to sharpen his claws, but it proved to be a wonderful outlet for his artistic abilities!

When a new piece of rug is attached to the wall, Henry takes time to look it over to see how he can best use it to express his ideas and feelings. Then he begins his work, pulling a loop out here and a thread out there, until the piece is finished.

Most of Henry’s fiber art wall hangings take months to complete. As soon as he is finished, he lets Anita know so she can remove it from the wall and replace it with a fresh piece of carpet.

While Anita has displayed Henry’s wall hangings in her apartment for some time, this is the first public exhibit of his work.

See close-up photos of Henry’s wall hangings from his public exhibition.

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Some change, anyway. Cats haven’t changed much, which is why we still love them. But in the spirit of the New Year, I’ve got a new template!

Since I know more about cats than I do about Wordpress code, I had to hunt down a template that offers more in the way of tags and categories, so people can find the subject that interests them more easily. That tiny sidebar was trouble, too, so I have been able to expand it for better functionality. Dark templates are still in the minority, but they are power-friendly, and thus, more environmentally conscious.

And of course James Bond (up top) is here, watching over me as he always does.

So please let me know if anything seems broken, enjoy the expanded ways to explore the blog, and rest assured that underneath it is the same old pop-stand, my little way of helping cats.

Who have done, and continue to do, so much for me.

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