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Seksel, K - What You Need to Know About Cats

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Seksel, K - What You Need to Know About Cats What you need to know about cats to help your clients - Parts 1 and 2 Dr Kersti Seksel Sydney Animal Behaviour Service 55 Ethel Street Seaforth 2092 NSW Introduction Cats are not small dogs, in more ways than was taught at University. Although cats have been popular pets for a long-time many people are still unaware of basic feline behaviour. This may lead to not only unrealistic expectations of what their feline companion can offer but also may lead to behaviour problems. Domestication Cats were domesticated at least 5,000 years ago. They evolved from the African wild cat (Felis sylvestris libyca) or Kaffir cat, although some believe the European wild cat is also a possible ancestor. It is thought that the cat was first domesticated by the Egyptians, when farming and keeping of livestock started. People would have found cats useful to keep rats and other pests under control in the early townships. Over time the cat became idolised and it was a protected species in Egypt. The cat was worshipped as a god, and when the pet cat died it was mummified and mourned. When people started exploring by sea the cat gradually spread to Greece, India and China. This was possibly because of the cat’s abilities to control pests and vermin on board. By 400 AD the cat had reached Britain, and now cats are found in every continent except Antarctica. Development Cats have the same five periods of development (neonatal, transitional, socialisation, juvenile, and adult that are recognised in dogs. The prenatal period is also significant in their development. Research has shown that queens that were malnourished during pregnancy spend less time mothering their kittens. At four months of age male kittens of malnourished queens exhibited more aggressive behaviours and both the male and female kittens of malnourished queens had motor deficits. This is thought to be due to a lack of protein. Personality One interesting aspect of a cat’s ability to socialise with humans may be due to its inherited personality. Some research has shown that there are genetically “friendly” (bold) and genetically “unfriendly” (timid) characteristics and this part of the personality is influenced by the father (tom). Therefore, some cats may never be very confident around humans, regardless of the amount of socialisation they receive. However, regular handling from birth until 7 - 9 weeks of age can increase the likelihood of a well-socialised cat. Even 15 minutes a day is thought to be beneficial and this effect is more profound for the timid kittens. Proceedings of VetFest, 2020 Seksel, K - What you need to know about cats. 352 The Cat’s Senses Understanding how cats perceive the world they live in can help us better manage cats in our community. Sight: • can discriminate some colours but do not see the full colour spectrum • cannot see in total darkness but do see very well in dim light • cannot detect fine detail but are very good at detecting very slight movements Hearing: • can hear higher frequency than people • can hear ultrasound • can only discriminate between sounds 5 degrees apart so need to turn their ears, and sometimes their head, to pinpoint the location of the sound • can turn each ear 180 degrees, independently of each other Smell: • very acute • have vomeronasal organ which allows cats to “taste” smells (pheromone detection) • “gape” reflex or flehmen response to catnip in some cats etc Taste • usually graze food day and night • need variety in their diet • palatability based on smell or odour of food then the texture of the food then taste • little response to "sugars" or sweets Touch • well developed in cats and sometimes they “see” by touch • whiskers are used to determine where the cat is in dim environments • whiskers used to feel its prey at the final pounce • pads on the feet of a cat are very sensitive to touch or vibration but not sensitive to heat or cold • only nose and upper lip can accurately detect temperature How Cats Communicate Sight: • variety of visual messages used • scratching - confident cats are more likely to scratch • shape and position of ears indicate mood • shape and pupil size indicate mood • ears and pupil size important for other cats especially at close range • dilated pupils can indicate fear, aggression or excitement • slit like pupils are often seen in a very confident cat and can also indicate aggression • blinking is used to break a stare and indicate friendliness Sound: • many different sounds • some breeds are more vocal than others • pure vocalisations - growl, squeak, shriek, hiss, spit, chatter • complex vocalisations - mew, moan, and miaow. All have different meanings and uses Proceedings of VetFest, 2020 Seksel, K - What you need to know about cats. 353 • purring usually indicates that it is relaxed and content, but some cats purr with pain • kittens start to purr when suckling at a few days of age • vocalise to humans as a greeting behaviour but don’t greet other cats this way Smell: • used to communicate with other cats • glands on the chin, forehead, base tail are used for scent marking • use urine and faeces to mark territory. Away from the home range the cat does not cover its faeces • bunting behaviour Body Language: • indicates emotional state • body rubbing indicates friendliness • facial expressions and body postures, carriage of the tail are all indicators of mood • when threatened try to appear as big as possible- tail brushes and piloerection • twitching of the tail indicates interest but sudden, quick movements of the tail indicates imminent aggression or high excitement • timid cats crouch to try to make themselves as small as possible • will raise tail high in greeting, and it may have a slight kink at the end. Social Systems Cat social systems are very different from that of canines and also humans. Cats have not evolved (generally) to have prolonged social contact with others so this is perhaps why cats have developed the reputation of being aloof. Yet cats are social animals, but they are not socially obligate like most dogs. They tend to time share territory, but they do not share resources. They need to have their own food, water, resting and sleeping areas. Conclusion Understanding cats, how they have evolved, their social systems and senses helps us better know cats and why they do what they do. This will help us better appreciate their emotions and thus prevent many behaviour problems. References Bradshaw, J. W. S. (1992). The behaviour of the domestic cat. London: CAB International. Landsberg, G Ley, J (2011) Kitten Development in The Cat- Clinical Medicine and Management. S Little (ed) Ley J, Seksel (2011) Normal Behaviour of Cats Development - in The Cat- Clinical Medicine and Management. S Little (ed) Seksel, K (2015) Providing Appropriate Behavioral Care in I Rodin and S Heath (ed) Feline Behavioral Health and Welfare. Elsevier Seksel, K. (2020) Behavioral Problem Prevention, Kittens (web) In Eds L. Cohn, E Cote, Clinical Veterinary Advisor, Dogs and Cats (4th Edition) Elsevier St Louis Missouri USA Proceedings of VetFest, 2020 Seksel, K - What you need to know about cats. 354.
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