Tag Archives: cat behavior

Killer Cats on the Loose

One of the most popular news stories to break last week was a new estimation of the deaths attributed to domesticated house cats.  We’re not talking people deaths, but the deaths of small birds and mammals; that might seem insignificant, but the number is in the billions.  Researchers from the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that although the worst offenders are feral and stray cats, one in three domesticated cats also kills animals in its neighborhood.  Those cats average two kills a week. When it’s well-fed, domesticated cats doing the killing, they’re not usually keeping these … Continue reading →

Why Cats Do Weird Things: Pawing Around Water

We know why cats play with their water: they paw it and lick it from their paws, to try to make their water ripple and thus seem fresher.  Cats love fresh water.  But I’ve noticed Cole sometimes do something a bit stranger than that: he paws around his water bowl.  He doesn’t actually dip his paws in, but he scratches at the floor around the water bowl.  Why is he doing that? There isn’t a clear answer as to why; a lot of cat behavior is mysterious to us.  But there are a few educated guesses out there.  The first is … Continue reading →

What To Do about Neighbor Cats

I keep going back and forth on whether or not to let my cats outside.  Cole doesn’t have much interest, but Chrestomanci certainly does.  I know he’d be happiest as an indoor-outdoor cat, but I don’t know that I’d be happiest with him as one, and I don’t know that it’s worth the stress.  One day in the summer when we let him out with us, he wandered off.  He came back a few hours later, just as my husband said he would, but by then it was dark and I was very upset until he showed up again. Another … Continue reading →

A Dog Sitting Tale

My pets seethed at me this weekend. Snarls issued from the depth of my cat’s chest, before he retreated to the guest room and hid under the bed, refusing to emerge despite my cajoling. My dog paced around the house and seemed especially desperate for attention. What was the cause of such dramatics? Two basset hounds. A co-worker of my husband’s needed a dog sitter for the weekend, and my husband, knowing of my love for dogs, volunteered. Thus early on Saturday morning our friend arrived with his four-year-old hounds in tow. We introduced the dogs outside, in an attempt … Continue reading →

Cats: To Potty Train or Not to Potty Train

We can potty train our kids, but what about our cats? Do any of the products offering feline toilet training actually work? I don’t know anyone who has a toilet-trained cat. But that doesn’t mean I think they can’t work. Enough testimonials exist for me to believe that potty training kitties is possible, but with one major caveat: it takes a lot of time and a lot of mess. MSNBC Health published an article detailing the feline toilet-training process, complete with interviews with animal behaviorists, cat trainers, and real-life people who successfully taught their cats to use the toilet. Before … Continue reading →

Feline Body Language, Part 2

Today I’m concluding my look at the meaning of feline body language and noises, as set out by animal behavior specialist Amy Shojai. The rest of Shojai’s list covers actual body language as opposed to noises. First I’ll describe an upset, aggressive cat using her parameters, then a relaxed, happy cat. Scared cats arch their backs to look larger, whereas defensive cats try to shrink into themselves. Ears flicking back and forth mean agitation, ears directed sideways indicate unease, and ears curled tightly towards the head denote that the cat’s preparing itself to attack. The fur bunches and stands up … Continue reading →

Feline Body Language, Pt. 1

After writing about how to introduce pets to newborns, I started thinking about pet body language. By reading that we can most easily determine our pet’s moods, and thus intervene before a potentially negative situation could become worse. Also, we all wonder from time to time what our pets are thinking, and interpreting body language is about the closest we can come to learning that. Amy D. Shojai, author of over 20 books on pet behavior, recently posted two articles on website Paw Nation on what various positions and sounds indicate about feline and canine moods and thoughts. First I … Continue reading →

Roadrunner the Sprinting Kitty

Just like dogs, some cats like to run After my string of serious articles on how to introduce your pets to your new baby, I thought I’d take a day for a more upbeat story. Today’s topic might not be as fun and lighthearted as I’d hoped, however, because it tells the story of a cat that frankly puts my own exercise habits to shame. I’ve talked about cats that have crossed countries to find their owners, but even the awesome Karim has nothing on Roadrunner. Asbury Park Press has all the details on perhaps the world’s only feline long … Continue reading →

Introducing Pets to Newborns, Pt. 3

Today I conclude my examination of how to introduce a household’s pets to newborns. On Monday I looked at how expectant parents can prepare their pets for the infant’s arrival; today I’ll outline the steps you can take after the baby is born. When it’s about time to bring the baby home from the hospital, first take something with the newborn’s scent on it, like a burping cloth, back to the house. This is most effective for dogs but can also help cats with the adjustment. Pets will then find the baby’s scent familiar once the infant itself arrives. You … Continue reading →

Introducing Pets to Newborns, Pt. 2

Last week I started a series on how to introduce your newborn children to the household pets. I stressed that the most important thing you can do to make the transition as smooth as possible for all family members, human and animal alike, is to make sure pets still receive some exclusive attention. Today I’ll look at some other things you can do before the baby arrives to help prepare your pet. Both expectant and new parents have several options to prepare and properly train pets to be around babies. The nine months of pregnancy afford you invaluable time to … Continue reading →