Your veterinarian will look at factors like an individual cat’s history, specific triggers to problems, and a cat’s early life. In this instance, Lane recommends consulting with an experienced animal behaviorist to help sort out issues and ask your veterinarian for recommendations. Although it’s possible to have a multi-cat household, there’s more work to be done to ensure harmony within the group. Personalities can change dramatically within a household whenever the number of cats in the home increases. According to Lane, as you approach having 10 cats in the home, the chance of urine marking goes up 100 percent. Urine marking or inappropriate urination or defecation outside the litterbox are clear signs of stress.
Create Harmony in the Householdīecause the predecessors to the domestic house cat were solitary hunters, having a household with multiple cats or other pets can stress cats out. “Some of them can become over-stimulated and get aggressive when they play too long,” Lane says. Scheduled playtimes might be only five to 10 minutes long for some cats. Without the ability to catch the prey, laser pointer play can lead to obsessive behavioral disorders, such as shadow chasing.Ĭertified animal behaviorist Jennie Lane of Alexandria, Virginia, recommends food-dispensing toys for some cats because it approximates their instinct to hunt for food. If you use a laser pointer for play, make sure to include opportunities for the cat to catch the “prey,” such as landing the laser on a treat, and letting the cat pounce on it. “You’re having fun, interacting with your cat, and directing their energy,” says Dodman of structured playtime. Using cat-friendly toys, such as interactive LED lasers or a tennis ball modified to contain treats, can work.
But Dodman stresses the importance of recognizing cats need to release their energy somewhere.īy structuring in playtime with your cat, you can reduce unwanted or over-the-top behavior. And if they don’t have viable ways of letting that energy out during the day, you may find them careering around the house, jumping on top of furniture, and getting into areas they shouldn’t. Just like dogs, cats need an energy outlet. If your kitty suddenly exhibits a high level of activity, here are a few methods you can use to help calm her down. “The cat’s ancestors lived in much larger territories.”
“When we put cats into conventional homes, we’re really limiting their ability to explore their habitat,” Dodman says. Instinctive behavior they might exhibit outside, such as prey chasing, translates into activity that is within a confined household. Cats will tend to sleep when it’s pitch-dark. The behavior is hardwired into cats for a few reasons. Nicholas Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist in Westborough, Massachusetts, “it is their natural behavior.”ĭodman describes these sudden bursts of energy as the zoomies. This type of behavior can be alarming or frustrating for cat owners, but, according to Dr. Cats are known for getting the kitten crazies, or bursts of energy that range from running and jumping around the house at high speeds to animated play-fighting with other household pets. If you’re a cat owner, you likely know that the picture-perfect idea of a cat purring and laying calmly at arm’s length while you pet her is inaccurate-at least some of the time.
0 kommentar(er)
