Q: Sometimes, after I have been stroking my cat for several minutes, it will suddenly attack me and then run off. Why does this happen?

Answer: This behavior, which can occur in either sex but particular in males, probably represents the natural switch from the submissive to a defensively aggressive role which was refer to earlier. In most case the cat is laying on its side, with one foreleg raised, having its abdomen stroked. This is the typical posture adopted by a cat being approached by an adversity. If you then continue to stoke in the cat it may feel that it is being attacked. Its natural instinct is to lash out with its claws, or even to bite as a defensive reaction and then to run away. This is fairly common occurrence in cats and the only solution is to appreciate why it happens, to recognize the early warning signs and then to avoid over stimulating the cat.

Q: Why does my Siamese cat appear to enjoy chewing at my woolen sweater?

Answer: This habit of sucking or chewing woolen articles is common in certain strains of cats, particularly of the Siamese breed. In these individuals the behavior usually being around puberty and in most cases lasts only for a period between a few months and a year. But unfortunately, there are some cats that persist in this undesirable habit.

It is attributed to a combination of persistent juvenile behavior and boredom; such animals may groom themselves excessively and suck at their own tails, nipples or paws (self-sucking).
The presence of lanolin in wool appears to trigger their responses; they are very relaxed and contentedly suck at the wool whilst ‘kneading’ it with the feet – just as a kitten sucks at its mother while it simultaneously it with the feet – just as a kitten sucks at its mother while it simultaneously kneads the mammary gland.

Some cats progress to similar behavior with other natural and even man-made fibres and some chew off pieces of the material and swallow or intestines and having to be surgically removed. Some cats even suck and intestines and having to be surgically removed. Some cats even suck and chew at their owners’ hair or skin, nuzzling into the throat or armpit regions.
To curb this behavior suggestions include applying pepper or mustard powder to garments that are sucked, and fitting an Elizabethan collar to cats that regularly self-suckle. But regrettably, in some animals the habit is not easily broken whatever training method is adopted.

Q: Why is my cat so attracted to cat-mint (cat-nip)?

Answer: The plant Neeta cat aria, known as cat- mint or cat-nip, contains a substance called nepetalactone which is attractive to all member of the cat family. Somewhere between half and two third of domestic cars appear to be attracted to cat-mint. But very few kittens under two months of age are attracted to or even able to tolerate, the plant.

Typically, a cat will sniff at the plant, or lick or chew at the leaves, and then exhibit a pattern of behavior the intensity of which varies with the individual. Some cats just stare into space or shake their head; other rub their face on the plant and some will roll on ground This behavior generally lasts for five to fifteen minutes, but the same response cannot be produce again for an hour or more.

Because nepetalactone is related to marijuana and other hallucinogenic drug, it is possible that the cat’s reasons is similar to the sensations enjoyed by humans with these drugs. Alternatively, it may be that this substance closely resembles for the rolling and rubbing behavior of the female cats in heat. If so, it appears to produce an exaggerated stimulus, since cat-mint causes this response is females that are not in heat, as will as in males.

Perhaps it is simply that the smell of the plant, or its extract, produce a pleasant sensation by heightening the sensitively of the skin in the head region, thereby prompting some cats to rub their heads on the plant or on the ground.

Whenever the exact cause, cat-mint is certainly very popular with many cats and has prompted manufactures to produce play articles, such as toy mice, stuffed with it or scented with the volatile oils from it.

However, the over frequent use of cat-nip, for example to make it possible to handle otherwise unmanageable show cats, can result in an unpleasant change in the cat’s personality
The plant known as common Valeria, and especially its dried root, has a similar, though not so marked, effect upon cats.

Q: Do cats have a good sense of smell?

Answer: Compared with ourselves, cats have greatly heightened sense of smell. In relation to the total brain size, that part of the brain concerned with smell is much greater in the cat then man. This allows that the cat to readily determine the identity of individuals and to detect their previous presence in an area by the scent markings they have left behind. Males can also discovered whether a female cat is an heat, and therefore likely to permit mating, by detecting certain sex pheromones which appear in her urine and vaginal secretion.

Q: Is a cat’s sense of hearing more developed then ours?

Answer: In contrast to human, cats have much more acute hearing and able to produce and detect ultrasonic sound. The human ear can detect sound with wavelengths up to about 20 KHz; wavelengths greater then that are said to be ultrasonic. Because of the structure of its inner ear the cat is able to detect ultrasonic sounds up to frequency of 60 to 65 KHz.

However, the cat is rather less sensitive to the lower frequencies, being able to hear sound when minimum wavelength of 30 Hz compared with the human lower limit of around 20 Hz. As with all species, acuity of hearing diminishes with age; cats may be almost completely deaf.

Q: Do cats sometimes pretend to be ill to gain attention?

Answer: Certainly, some cats that extra affection learn that if they damage themselves by biting or chewing at part of their booty, often the tail, in the presence of the owner they will obtain attention and sympathy. In the absence of an obvious cause for this behavior the possibility of simulated illness should be borne in mind. In one reported case, the cat mutilated its tail so badly that amputation was necessary, but even afterwards the animal continued to bit the stump. Only when the owner responded to these ‘display’ by leaving the room each time did the behavior cease.

Q: My cat always asks to go out at night. Is the cat a nocturnal creature?

Answer: The cat is not predominantly a nocturnal animal but two impotent activities do frequently take place at night, namely hunting and mating.

In case of hunting, this is so because the small mammals which the cat is best adopted to catch, e.g. mice, are usually themselves must active in the hoarse of darkness. Mating almost always takes place at night because cats dislike being observed, and are inhabited, particularly in towns, by the day time noise and bustle. The cats are able to performed these activities are very effectively at night because it is able to rely much more then ourselves on its well- developed senses of small and touch for information and communication, as well as excellent twilight vision.

Cat owners know that cats frequently ask to go out at night, particularly a female that is on heat, or a tom cat that know there are females on heat in the neighborhood. This was the organ of organ of owners ‘putting out the cat’ and then looking the door just prior to going to bed in order to avoid being disturbed later. However, this routine is not recommended because the cat may be shut out in very cold or vet whether with disastrous effect on its health. Much better is to fit a cat door which permits the cat to come and go as it pleases. If necessary, the cat door can always be bolted shut to privet this free entry and exit.

Q: What does it means if my cat twitches and makes running movements when asleep? Is he having a fit?

Answer: No, he is certainly not having a fit. This behavior is quite normal and occur during periods of deep sleep. As man, it is now recognized that there are periods of light sleep and of deep sleep, the latter accounting for around a quarter of the total sleeping time in the cat.

When a cat first goes to sleep, it is usually curled up into a ball and there is incomplete muscular relaxation. However, after ten to thirty minutes this initial phase of light sleep gives way to period of deep sleep in which the muscles are fully relaxed, and the animals now lies on its said. At this time, although the eyes are closed, there are bursts of rapid eye movements (REM sleep), together with more obvious movements of the limbs, paws, tail ears and whiskers.

In man dreaming occur during this type of sleep, which is believed to be a state in which the brain ‘programmed’ with information about recent events; the information is being transferred from a temporary memory store to the man banks of data. This would explain why they young kittens enjoys only deep ‘dreaming’ sleep for about the first month of the life. After that it then gradually develops the adult sleeping behavior.

In the cat each period of deep sleep lasts six or seven minutes, and in along session of sleeping there any be a number of such periods.

Q: Is it normal for my cat to sleep for a part of the day?

Answer: Yes it is in face vats normally spend almost two-third of each day sleeping and they are only awake for just over a third. Sleep occur most readily when there is fatigue after severe muscular exercise and, like many animals, cats will often sleep after a large meal. Warmth is also important in inducing sleep, compensating for the slight fall in body temperature which occurs.

Sleep is recognized as being important in maintaining and restoring the normal function of the body tissues, especially the nervous system, and without sleep animals become irritable and ultimately severely ill. However, because the cats prefer the hours of twilight and darkness for many of their activities, the hoarse when they wish to sleep often do not coincide with our own.

Q: Sometimes, when my cat smells objects or other cats, he seems to be attracted, and yet by the way he turns up his nose he finds the smell unpleasan

Answer: This reaction, which is known as flehmen, occur when a cat is strongly attracted to scent. It is most commonly seen when a tom cat smells a female in a hear or her urine, but it is also shown by neutered males and females, for example when smelling the anal region of strange cats.

The animals extends his nick and lifts his lower lip producing a grimace suggesting that the finds smells disgusting. But in face by doing this he is constricting the nasal chambers ensuring that when he inhales, the scent particle are drown through a duct leading off the roof of the mouth into special pouch, the vomeronasal organ or Jacobson’s organs. They are detected by special sensory cells which cannot with the brain. This organ is possessed by all animals, except the man and certain other primates, and result in a greatly enhanced sense of smell, particularly for perceiving those odors which act as sexual attachment.

Q: How does my cat indicate its moods?

Answer: A cat is able to communicate its mood to other animals and humans by the posture and movement of its body in particular in the position of its tail and ears, the appearance of its eyes and sound it makes.

A contented cat will have relaxed mescal and it may just its site quietly, through its erect areas (‘prick ears’) indicate that its alert and carefully watching what goes on. Contented cats and tend to wash themselves with long, slow licks. Washing with short, sharp licking movements occur when the cat is upset about something and its body is more tense.

Pleasure at seen the owner is often is indicate by standing with the head lowered, the hind quarters raised and the tail held and straight up and often what is tip bent slightly forward and moving slowly from side to side. In this posture the cat moves slowly, rubbing its cheeks, whiskers and tail against the owner and often wending between the owner’s legs or the jumping on to his lap. Purring is the usual accompaniment. This behavior is strikingly similar to that of the sexually respective female cat who crouches with her rear end held high and her tail down to one side. As mentioned previously, purring is usually an indicator of pleasure and the cat may at the same time make rhythmic treading movements with its feet, similar to those made by kittens whilst feeding.

When a cat is upset, its body muscles are tense. In the presence of the strange cat or other animal, e.g. dog or human, the cat will remain motionless while its assesses the situation, keeping its eyes fixed on the Stanger.

If the cat is very anxious and afraid as this Stanger approaches, the pupils of its eyes open wide (dilate), and its eyes dart rapidly from side to side looking for escape route. It may adopt a submissive posture, crouching down with its ears flattened sideways across its head its chin drawn in and tail held low. This submission may have the effect of the appeasement if the aggressor is a cat, who then withdraws without attacking. If the aggressor comes nearer, a submissive cat will roll on its back, but a paw will be raised and will ultimately be used to defend itself. Or the cat may try to make a run for it. But if it finds itself cornered it will be obliged to adopt to a defensive posture. In this it combines signs of fear with those of aggression. The cat growls, hisses and ‘spits’ displays its canine teeth and arches its back. It tries to stand sideways on to the Stanger and raises the hair on its back and tail, all to make itself appear larger and more threatening. The tail is usually held upright.

If all these warning signs are ignored and the strange animals approaches closer then a yard into what is called the ‘flight distance’ when there is no escape route, the cat will attack. It should its tail straight out behind, crouches down and, with claws extended and fangs bared, leap out.

However, the cats may adopt a dominate, aggressive stance from the start. In the offensive mood, the pupils of the eyes are constricted and the cat will attempt to ‘stare out’ his opponent. He faces the Stanger with head stretched slightly forwards, his ears erect and his back stretched out straight. The hairs on the tail bristle only moderately and the tail is held in a characteristic ‘straight down’ position with the tip often flicking from side to side. He moves very slowly nearer his potential adversary, growling and howling, and salivating so much that he is obliged to swallow. Eventually the two cat are only short distance apart. Then after a long period of facing each other, during which the tail movements become more violent and howling rises and falls, one cat may suddenly attack the other with a bit and the fight begins.

As will as the sound of purring and what are called ‘strained intensity’ sounds, i.e. those of fear and anger, hissing and growling, cats can make many other sounds. Up to sixteen distinct sound have been distinguished. There is a trilling sound used for greeting and by mothers to encourage kittens to suckle, and a verity of ‘miaows’ used in conjunction with a questioning look to ask for things or to indicate anticipation, pain or disapproval. And in the breeding season, the caterwauling of males and the yowling of females may shatter the quite of the night. Most of these adult vocalizations can be produced by cats after three months of age. Some breeds, particularly the Siamese, are extremely vocal, whereas others such as the Abyssinian are naturally much quitter.

When feeling ill and watched, the cat keeps its tail low, has miserable facial expression and spends a good deal of time hunched up, often not even bothering to eat or wash it self.
Cats in an agony of indecision about how to behave in a perplexing or frightening situation may start to groom themselves, jus as humans may scratch their heads or bits or their fingernails; an example of so-called displacement activity.

A cat that wants something from its owner will usually continue to look directly at him or her, often ‘miaowing’ at the same time, until it gets what is want or is shooed away, or else give up. However, cats themselves have a dislike of being looked at directly. If a cat that is being secretly observed become aware of the cat it will stop whatever it is doing an will re-continue its activities only in an obviously self-conscious and more hesitant manner.

Q: Does my cat need to sharpen his claws? I am rather worried about our new furniture.

Answer: The claws of the cat are used to obtain a grip in climbing as will as for attack and defense and in order to fully effective they need to be kept needle sharp. The claws can be retracted into a sheath to prevent undue blunting when they are not being used, but those on the front legs especially still need to be sharpened from time to time. The claws, just like human finger nails, consist of compressed layers of horny cells and they grow continuously from the base. Periodically, a worn outer claw is pulled of by scratching to expose a new, very sharp claw growing beneath it. The old, shed claw can be often be found at the base of scratching posts
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The cat does this sharpening by crouching standing on its hind legs and dragging its protruded front claw down a roughened surface which will allow the claws to cut in. Many cats use a tree trunk or post in the garden for this purpose. This behavior also serve to mark the cat’s territory, and male cats may make these movements after first having sprayed the tree trunk or post with their urine. A display of a claw sharpening appears to be intimidating to any watching cat who might consider invading that particular territory. It is also probable that the cart applies scent from glands in its pads to the scratched surface, which assists in marking the territorial boundaries. Possibly, the height of the mark informs other cats about the size of the animals which made it, although there isn’t general agreement on this point.

This claw sharpening and territorial marking is per festally natural behavior for the cat. Unfortunately, some cats may select items of furniture for this treatment and can inflict severe damage on such objects as table legs, doors, upholstered chairs and sofas, curtains, carpets even the wallpaper and plaster on the walls. Such behavior appears more likely to occur in animals that do not have adequate access to trees or posts outdoor. At times, but fortunately not often, cats may even inflict such damage quite deliberate to show their displeasure, for example after being scolded.

Q: I am very fond of birds as will as cats. Is there any way I can stop my cat from hunting?

Answer: The fact that a cat which is not hungry indulges in killing birds, and may bring dead or live rodents back home, greatly distresses some owners. Although cats can learn to hunt latter in life, hunting is normally learned from the mother at an early age. Consequently, the kittens of a non-hunting mother cat are less likely to become hunters, both because they may not be taught it and also because they may inherit a genetic make up which precludes hunting.
The castration of a male cats does not reduce their predatory instincts. Tying a bell to the collar (‘belling the cats’) is sometime done so that the potential prey have warning of the cat’s approach. However, many cats learn to move so stealthily that the bell does not ring until it pounces on its prey.

Some owners try aversion therapy to discourage hunting. After concealing themselves, they dangle a dead birth on a string and, when the cat attacks it , the unseen owner squirts the cat with water. The intention is that with repetition the cat will come to associate hunting with an unpleasant shock and so will be effectively discouraged.

Although it is believed that the majority of birds caught by cat are young, old or sick individuals, and that in order to keep the bird population in an area constant, around three quarters of those hatched have to die, this may be of little consolation to the cat owner. Such preventive measures as the careful sitting of nesting boxes and bird table (away from hiding places and easy vantage points), the secure fixing of nesting boxes and the attachment of an anti climbing device to a bird table may be the best that can be achieved.

Cats who as kittens:

Were reared alongside other species such as mice usually make on attempt to hunt them, i.e. they do not regard these species as natural prey. However, since this rarely happens, it is prudent to ensure that cat do not have access to any other smaller pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, budgerigars and of course, tropical and could water fish.

Q: Why do my cat’s teeth ‘chatter’ when he looks out of the window?

Answer: Cats who are near to prey but unable to catch it (e.g. birds out of reach on a branch or seen through a window) often shown ‘teeth chattering’. The corners of the mouth are pulled back and the jaws come together with a rhythmic smacking noise. The same behavior can be seen in cats chasing frustratingly elusive substitute prey objects, such as soap bubbles or rays of sunlight. It should be interpreted as a sigh of frustration.

Q: Why does our cat bring his prey home? Is he trying to give us a present?

Answer: The bringing home of dead, or even live, prey animals by females cats, and sometimes neutered males, is a modification of the mother cat’s normal behavior in bringing dead, and later live, prey to its kittens. In fact, it’s a partial demonstration of the cat’s concern for the will being of its owner. The cat usually ‘calls’ its owner to inspect the prey, just as the mother would coax its kittens. It is not so much asking for praise for being a good mouse catcher, but rather it is wanting the owner to the shown an interest in the prey it has brought home, as it would expect its kittens to.

Q: All right, I can understand why my cat hunts, but why does he have to play with his pretty? It strikes me as rather cruel.

Answer: The so-called ‘playing’ with prey animals appears to be due to the cat’s anxiety as to how the prey will respond. It is pattern of behavior that is shown by kittens, by all cats deprived of live prey for some time and by cats playing with various substitute objects. The normal hunting movements of carrying and tossing are performed in an exaggerated fashion and in random order, with out any attempt at a killing bite. The cat may appear to play ‘catch’ with a mouse moves, by rapidly approaching it, grasping it with both paws and finally picking it up in the jaws. The mouse is then genially put down and the presses repeated. Similarly, the cat may draw a mouse near with its paws and, after lifting it in the jaws, toss it upwards or to one side, and continue to repeat to this behavior with a substitute object such as toy mouse, and lamp of the earth.

Often, between period of this active ‘play’ the cat shown more restrained behavior in which gently taps the prey, afterwards recoiling in fight, especially if the prey moves. The cat may even lie on its side for a while, keeping the prey in view, and like the inside of its forelegs.

This apparently cruel behavior by the cat seems to be attributable to its worry about having to hunt and the kill the prey, and is a means whereby it can discharge its pent up nervous energy.

Q: How did my cat learn to hunt?

Answer: Usually, the first prey catching movement is made at about three week’s old. This is a tentative forward grope with one paw, which is the way and adult cat will investigate any new small object. The instinctive movements of hunting; i.e. lying in wait, chasing, stalking and pouncing, appear soon afterwards, but at first they are performed clumsily. The are practiced in playing with litter mates, but the movements, are the linked in a random fashion, along with other play movements, and not still later do they become arranged in the correct sequence for hunting.

Undoubtedly, the ability to hunt is learned chiefly from observing and interacting with the mother cat. The presence of kittens intensified the mother’s hunting instinct, and dead prey animals are brought to the litter when the kittens are abut four weeks’ old and eaten in front of them by the mother with the growling noises. At first this behavior frightens the kittens, but later the are attracted to it. At about six weeks of age the mother brings the first live prey to the kittens, by which time their hunting movements have been perfected apart from the vital killing bit which requires special learning.

The stimulus for a kitten to kill appears to be elicited by the presence of live prey, and also by the rivalry between itself and its mother or litter mates to be first to catch the prey. The peak time to learn to kill is at nine to ten weeks of age. If the mother cat doesn’t bring live prey to the kittens in the critical period between six and twenty weeks’ old, the either do not learn to kill, or only learn to do so very laboriously in later life. Cats, unlike many other animals, learn a lot by watching the behavior of other animals that are learning task and in the wild kittens accompany their mother on hunting expeditions both before and after weaning. Only with the onset of puberty does the group disperse to lead isolated lives.

Q: I am feeding my cat regularly. Why does he have to like birds and raid neighboring?

Answer: Like all member of the cat family (felidae), the domestic cat has a natural and strongly developed hunting instinct. This hunting, or predatory, behavior still presets in animals which are receiving adequate regular males, although having stalked and caught their prey there is not the same incentive to either to kill or eat it. Cats which are kept to control rodents used to be fed only minimally to encourage their hunting, and these cats when hungry would usually consume their prey entirely. However, good’ mousers’ are often more efficient if they are feed regularly; they lack of the need to kill appears to reduce anxiety and increase efficiency.

Cats are best adopted by nature to the catching of small rodents, but in urban areas these may be very few and then the cats resorts to hunting small birds. In fact, they will often attack anything not larger then themselves, such as fish, snakes, frog and toads, squirrels (as soon as they are on the ground) and, in rural areas, young rabbits. They will also prey on insects such as flies and grasshoppers. Cats hunt on their own and there is no good evidence of co-operative hunting. If the hunting instinct disturbs you, I’m afraid you shouldn’t keep a cat.

Q: Why do male cats spry urine?

Answer: The spraying of urine on vertical objects, primarily by tom cats (unneutered males). Is a method both of marking their territory and of advertising that they are ‘available’ for mating. The urine of cats contains various chemicals known as pheromones which act as scent markers.

This scent marking of his territory, and particularly its boundaries, helps the male to familiarize himself which is environment, and reassures him when he re-encounters the scent later. It also informs other males of his existence. However, it is not an effective deterrent in preventing ‘trespassing’ by other cats; rather it serve to indicate that they should proceed cautiously to avoid unwanted meetings. Usually any ‘interloper’ will sniff at the mark and then stroll on apparently unconcerned, often after putting his own mark near it.

During the breeding season, the characteristic pungent scent of tom cat urine attracts sexually respective females. The increased level of male hormone (testosterone), plus the increase in anxiety and excitement at this time, contribute to an increased frequency in spraying, both indoors and outdoors. Indeed, with male cats used for breeding (stud toms), spraying indoors is so commonplace that the animals are almost always kept in special quarters away from the owner’s residence.

Spraying is more likely to occur when there are several male cats in a household and neighborhood, and particularly when cat is introduced to a new territory. It is often performed at certain times of the day. The male first examines the object. And then turns his rear towards it. With his back partly arched he raises his tail, makes two or three paddling movements with his hind legs and then quite accurately sprays urine backwards over the area in the fine jet to a height of one to two feet.

Male which have been castrated, before or after puberty, (the onset of sexual maturity is usually between six and nine months’ old), are less likely to spray but may do so, particularly if they feel threatened, for instance by new cats appearing in there territory.
Entire female may also spray urine. Some normally do so during breeding season when their urine contains the pheromones attractive to the male; (pheromones of both males are sexually attractive to the posit sex). Other female may spray if their hormone balance is disturbed, for example by drugs to prevent or daily oestrus (‘heat’). For anatomical reasons for these females squirt the urine out in a series of droplets rather then a fine jet.

After spraying it is common for the animals (male or female) to smell the area. Often it will rub its face in the damp patch and then by further rubbing of the face transfer the scent to other objects in turn. Male may rub their hindquarters on the marked area or make agitated clawing movement whilst smelling the mark.

Most of this marking by urine spraying fortunately takes place out doors. But spraying indoor is a problem that can arise in male and females both entire and neutered if they feel their territory is being threatened or if they become frustrated. This type of emotional disturbance can be triggered of by the arrival of a new member of the household or even by a new piece of furniture or carpet, or by overcrowding, (e.g. six or seven cats in the same householder), or by same change in its environment, such as moving house. Some cats may also spray urine at any visitors to the house. And as mentioned previously, spraying indoors by entire male and female can be particular problem during the breeding season.

At times a cat will being to spray, a urine normally, on carpets, furniture or breeding, apparently out of resentment, e.g. at being scolded or being prevent from doing something it wishes to do, or even being fed food it doesn’t like.