The Behaviour Guide CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4
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The Behaviour Guide 2021 EDITION, VERSION 1 XX With grateful thanks to our sponsor for their support in the production of this guide 2 The Behaviour Guide CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 PROMOTING NORMAL CAT BEHAVIOUR 9 Understanding cats’ needs and domestication 9 Development of feline behaviour 12 Kitten socialisation 15 Communication 20 Pheromones 25 How cats learn 27 Essential resources and placement 30 Feral cats 33 BEHAVIOUR IN THE RESCUE ENVIRONMENT 38 Behaviour-friendly accommodation 38 Essential resources and settling a cat into rescue care 40 Behavioural processes within Cats Protection 46 Cat handling 48 INFORMATION FOR CAREGIVERS 53 Cats living together 53 Integration 57 Travelling with cats 59 Indoor and outdoor cats 63 Kitten care 65 Elderly cats 67 COMMON CAT BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS 69 Managing cat behaviour 69 Stress 71 Frustration and depression 73 House soiling 75 Toileting issues 75 Spraying 77 CASE STUDIES 89 Aggressive behaviour 77 GLOSSARY 93 Hiding and avoidance 80 Scratching 83 REFERENCES, FURTHER Despotic cats 84 READING AND CATS Other problem behaviours 86 PROTECTION RESOURCES 97 Overgrooming 86 Attention-seeking behaviour 87 Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) Juvenile behaviours 88 and SC037711 (Scotland) Pica 88 Nocturnal activity 88 VET_5157 3 The Behaviour Guide INTRODUCTIONXX This guide has been written for the Cats Protection network to provide an introduction to cat behaviour. The Behaviour Guide is part of a series of informative guides which have been created specifically for Cats Protection users, including The Welfare Guide, The Veterinary Guide and The Feral Guide. The guide has been written with particular reference to the ‘shelter behaviour’ approach, however many of the principles covered by the guide can be applied to cats in environments other than rescue. While it is aimed primarily at Cats Protection people, as well as the vet profession that are involved in the care of Cats Protection cats, it is hoped that this guide will also be useful for other animal welfare charities and boarding catteries as well as veterinary, vet nurse, behaviour and animal welfare students and other cat professionals. 4 The Behaviour Guide XX The guide is divided into four main sections. What is cat behaviour? • Promoting normal cat behaviour Cats are fascinating animals. Images and videos of domestic cats make up some of the • Cat behaviour in the rescue environment most viewed content on the web. At the heart • Information for caregivers of our affection for cats lies the pleasure we • Common cat behavioural problems experience in observing their behaviour and in our interactions with them. It is not within the scope of this guide to attempt to resolve behavioural problems. Each Cat ‘behaviour’ is defined as the way in which a behaviour case is unique; an evidence based, cat behaves in response to a particular situation scientific approach tailored to the individual cat in their environment. Behaviour is an external is required. The guide is intended to provide expression influenced by the cat’s internal, general guidance and where necessary will link emotional state at that moment in time. Their to other Cats Protection resources and reliable relatively recent domestication from an ancestor external information. The aim of this guide is to shared with the African wildcat underpins the enhance the knowledge and understanding of natural range of cat behaviours specifically basic cat behaviour principles for those people associated to and necessary for a solitary hunter. working with cats. Despite being emotional animals, they lack some of the emotions specific to humans, which can lead to misunderstandings. You can find out more about normal cat behaviour in the section called ‘Understanding cats needs and domestication’ in the next chapter. As well as evolutionary behavioural features that make a cat a cat, an individual cat’s behaviour is influenced by inherited genetic factors (nature). A cat’s behaviour is also influenced to a great degree by their environment (nurture); most critically environmental factors during the early learning period of kittens from two to seven weeks of age known as the ‘socialisation period’. For cats, many of their specific behaviours are influenced by their previous experiences. > 5 The Behaviour Guide INTRODUCTION Humans are a predominantly social species. Around 150,000 cats are reported to enter UK Conversely, cats are a predominantly solitary welfare organisations each year. Around one species. As such, we often find the interpretation third of these cats are rehomed or reunited by of cats’ behaviour difficult. Cats live in a much Cats Protection. more scent-sensitive world than we do. They use scent to orientate themselves in their Cats are relinquished for a number of reported environment as well as to detect and hunt prey. reasons, including abandonment or straying, Cats also leave signals in the form of scent for a change in owner circumstances, unwanted the purposes of distant communication with kittens, or due to human allergies. Among these other cats. Cats don’t have the ability to display reasons, it is important to recognise that many Cats also complex visual signals such as facial expressions cats are relinquished annually due to unwanted in the same way that we do as humans; they find feline behaviour. The most common reason for leave signals visual communication tricky, particularly in times cats to be returned to Cats Protection following in the form of conflict. As a result, cat fights can escalate adoption is that the cat is not settling, often due quickly and can commonly end with fight to poor integration with the resident cat. of scent wounds and cat bite abscesses. Other behavioural reasons commonly cited Misinterpretation of a cat’s behaviour can lead to include aggressive behaviour towards people a breakdown in the relationship between owner/ or other cats and house soiling, which includes carer and cat, and a potentially unrecognised inappropriate toileting and spraying. poor quality of life for the cat. Cats Protection’s approach to promoting feline behaviour is vitally important; if we can get Why is cat behaviour important this right, we can not only improve the welfare to Cats Protection? of individual cats but also help to reduce the According to the PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) numbers of cats needing to enter rescue care report in 2020, there are around 10.9 million nationwide. > owned cats in the UK. Around a quarter of all UK households own at least one cat. Inevitably, with so many cats in the UK, there is a knock-on pressure on rehoming charities. BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEM? THINK ‘VET CHECK – BEHAVIOURIST’ The first step in dealing with a If the vet ascertains that the problem Cats Protection’s centres and branches behavioural problem is to ensure that is behavioural, then they may wish have access to our very own in-house the cat undergoes a full health-check by to send the cat to see a qualified Behaviour team. Cats Protection’s a vet. This is needed to specifically rule behaviourist. For owned cats, Cats qualified behaviourists are on hand to out any underlying medical conditions Protection recommends contacting help with behaviour queries regarding that could have led to the behaviour. the Animal Behaviour and Training cats in the care of Cats Protection and Any changes in the cat’s normal Council (ABTC) to find a local qualified for those cats recently homed by the behaviour need to be discussed with behaviourist. These behaviourists see charity. The Behaviour team can be the vet, even if it does not seem directly behaviour cases when these cases contacted on 01825 741 991 or at relevant to the behavioural problem have been referred to them by a vet. [email protected] at hand. The health-check needs to They have studied to a high level with take place shortly after the change in relevant experience and adhere to a behaviour started, even if the cat was professional code of ethics in order to deemed healthy at a prior vet visit or at meet the requirements of the Animal the time of coming into Cats Protection Behaviour and Training Council. care. 6 The Behaviour Guide XX The behaviourist profession Cats Protection is one of the founding members Behaviour counselling for companion animals is alongside the Association for the Study of a discipline that has been gradually developing Animal Behaviour (ASAB), the Association of Pet and has slowly grown into its own specialist Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and many major profession. Historically, the work of behaviourists professional organisations in the veterinary, has been largely unregulated and this has rehoming, behaviour therapy and animal training resulted in many different and potentially sectors of the industry. conflicting ideas cropping up within the The ABTC sets and maintains the standards of profession. There is a wide range of different knowledge and practical skills needed to be standards of expertise among those currently an animal trainer, training instructor or animal working in the field. Very few practising behaviour therapist. It maintains a national behaviourists are affiliated to a professional body register of appropriately qualified animal trainers or are working to uniform standards of practice. and animal behaviourists. The ABTC promotes However, the relatively recent introduction of the welfare of animals in their interactions professional standards means that this is set to with humans, lobbying for humane methods in change. training and behaviour modification,