Unlike dogs, cats are part-way between a domestic and a wild animal. Their evolutionary past is as a lone hunter. Cats are territorial animals and find it difficult to live closely with other cats. Two of the major reasons they are taken to vets are dermatitis and cystitis, with growing evidence that these are brought on by living with another cat that is terrifying it.
While farm cats will live in a big social group, they still hunt individually, sometimes covering quite a distance. Town cats go from their home in one direction and return and the journeys are quite short. Sometimes cats will 'timeshare' territory in streets with many cats. They need to be able to control their environment, so need easy access to the outside. Lots of houses are now open plan, which is a cat's nightmare so they also access to vertical space within the home - the tops of bookshelves and wardrobes make ideal 'resting places' where they feel secure by being off the ground.
Cat vision is best for detecting and following movement and at dusk and night, which is when they hunt. They need a meat diet as there are certain vitamins / minerals / other nutrients which their bodies cannot make and are not present in vegetation. Hunting provides them with these nutrients if their cat food is lacking anything (though cat foods are now better formulated for optimum nutrition). Kittens are taught how to hunt by their mothers. The hunting sequence is to locate prey, pounce and kill, then manipulate prey before eating. If not taught, cats will locate prey, then pounce and manipulate it ('toying' with) before eating (or not eating as not hungry). A mother cat will bring home dead prey to the kittens, then live ones for them to practice killing skills; the cat may treat the owner as a kitten and bring home dead or live prey.
We urgently need to reduce the urban cat population in order to alleviate the stress provoked by so many animals competing for the same territory. Early neutering is important but owners also need to learn that as animal lovers, there should only be one cat per household.
- Have only one cat. This is kinder to the cat, they really don't want another cat around.
- Get your cat neutered as early as possible (about 16 weeks of age).
- Do install a cat flap but make sure it only lets your cat in, so get one that can read its microchip or magnetic collar.
- The first year of a cat's life is important. Although cat's temperaments vary widely, it is partly down to nurture. Give it a lot of handling and attention.
- It's not cruel to keep them in. It's common in continental Europe to have an indoors cat. There is no evidence that such a cat has any more problems or stresses than a cat with outside access. Cats are flexible on space but do get bored. Make the environment interesting with toys, tunnels, etc. Don't shut it in one room. Play with it when you are at home.
- Pay attention to miaowing. Cats don't miaow to each other, only to humans when they want something - food, water, access to the outside.
It may be possible in the future to breed a cat that is more docile, less inclined to hunt and more open to training. Cats can be trained, but less easily than dogs. Cats are naturally less attentive to people and most don't find human attention rewarding in its own right, so you can't rely on affection and approval to train a cat.
- Yelling doesn't work but you will lose its affection. Never shout at it because it will just dislike you.
- Instant telling off. You need to catch your cat in the act - show it displeasure ten minutes after clawing the sofa, it will associate your reaction with the event immediately before - e.g. you walking through the door. If you're clever you can deter your cat by using a water pistol - but it must never see you use it. It has to associate getting wet with clawing the sofa.
- Take it for a drive. You may need to take your cat to the vet or a cattery at times, so you have to train it to be comfortable with both your carrier and the car. As soon as you take it out of its territory and comfort zone, it gets stressed. Gentle words won't help; dogs are reassured by the nearness of their owners but cats are the opposite. Training will take time. Leave an opened carrier around so the cat can explore it. Once it goes in of its own accord, half close the door; let it get used to this. Finally close the carrier but don't pick it up (as this would make it feel unsteady and anxious). Once it is happy to be enclosed, you can continue to move on in stages - picking up the carrier, taking it short distances, then to the car, then in car with engine on but not moving, then drive short distances to various places so cat does not only associate this with a vet's visit.
- Teach it not to hunt - not guaranteed but try the following. If you know when it is likely to hunt, you can train it to come indoors at that time. If you play hunting games with it before it goes out, it may be less likely to hunt when it goes out.
- Expecting a baby? If it's been just adults and a cat, this will be stressful. Find a recording of a baby crying and play it to the cat to get it accustomed to the noise. Rub a cloth over the scent glands on the cats face cheeks and then rub it on the legs of the cot, baby bouncer, push chair, etc. The cat will recognise its own scent and not be put out by the new objects. Once the baby is mobile, make sure the cat has 'safe' areas it can retreat to - on bookshelves, on top of cupboards,e tc.
Features in Radio Times, 20-26 September 2014 and 4-10 October 2014
