7. Fel Behav

Question 1

What is associated with the domestication of cats?

Answer 1

Farming + Storage of foods, attracted by rodents

Question 2

How did cats coevolve with us?

Answer 2

Useful for rodent control
small so no threat to people
self sufficient
do not work with or for us

Question 4

Describe cat colonies and how they work

Answer 4

A group of related breeding queens and their offspring
May include one or more males
Toms may live individually w/ large ranges that can overlap several colonies
Queens + toms may collaborate in raising kittens
Even in a colony they have their own space
solitary hunters, ambush hunters

Question 5

Describe the neonatal period.

Answer 5

Born blind + deaf, eyes open 2-16 days, hearing by 4 wks of age
has minimal social interaction
requires stim from queen to pee/poo
cannot regulate body temp/self groom
Sense of smell well developed - curl upper lip
Acute sense of touch, front paws sensitive to vibrations
vibrassae on body very sensitive (mystacial, superciliar, genal tufts, mandibular, carpal)

Question 6

How long is the neonatal phase?

Answer 6

birth-2 weeks

Question 7

When is early socialization period in cats?

Answer 7

3-8 wks

Question 8

Describe early socialization in cats

Answer 8

crucial for human-cat relationship
vision fully developed
eat solid foods and stop suckling
begins to walk
Develops bladder control and can use litter box
will play,g room, eyecolor changes + teeth erupt

Question 9

What to do and dont during the early socialization period?

Answer 9

DO: Handle gently and play with multiple people
expose to variety of people + pets
have litter boxes (low side, scoop 2xd, unscented)
Kitten used to carrier
give toys, kittenproof, customer to being examined
8 wks good to wean + rehome

DONT - Play rough, hide + seek with u being sought out, no isolate, also a fear period

Question 10

How can you prepare a home for a kitten?

Answer 10

Block small holes to escape
more strings/cords out of reach
make base camp - off limits to other pets, children w/ supervision, comfortable bet, litter box, toys, cardboard box, scratching post

Question 11

When is the late socialization period?

Answer 11

9-16 wks

Question 12

Describe the late socialization period

Answer 12

Eats solid food, social play peaks, vigorous exploration + climbing
Cats not socializd to people <12 wks may be feral
larger litterbox 1.5x cat’s length
vx

Question 13

When is the adolescnece period?

Answer 13

17wks-1 yr

Question 14

Describe the adolescence period

Answer 14

Sexual matured, no neuter = spray/mark in house, fight, roam
Owner continue to play/reward positive reinforcement and enviro enrichment
microchip
reeval litter box size
mental stim your cat-train

Question 15

When is the adult period?

Answer 15

2-3 yrs

Question 16

Describe the adult period

Answer 16

social play decreased
owner to reeval litter box
reward good behaviour + play
rotate toys + enviro enrich

Question 17

Explain normal grooming behaviour and the four main functions it helps with

Answer 17

• Maintain healthy skin and coat
• Reduce heat (evaporation)
• Affiliative behaviour between cats
• Calming or communicative

kittens groom @ 2wks age, half of awake hours grooming, grooming learned from queen/littermates, first change when ill

Question 18

What is normal territorial behaviour?

Answer 18

Will defend territory and mark it - pheromone glands in cheek, tail and paws can scratch mark surfaces
defecate and leave uncovered in obvious places to mark

Question 19

describe normal urine marking and what’s its purpose

Answer 19

Most common in intact males, also in females

spraying - tail raised, on front feet, smaller volume, vertical surfaces
At risk areas, entrance ways, windows, heavy traffic areas
mark to signal ownership + advertise sexual status
marked when threatened or stressed

Question 20

Describe urine marking in the home

Answer 20

more cats = more spraying
spraying inc from 25% in single cat household to 100% in 10-cat household
Intact males/females in heat spray more

Question 21

How do you treat urine marking?

Answer 21

neuter b4 sexual maturity, spraying is learned so older the cat the less likely to spray
decrease motiv for spraying - no cats on property, no seein other cats, separate cats not getting along (including literbox/sleeping)
make place unwelcome by placing litterbox/food there, clean with enzymatic cleaners to elim odors, drug therapy may work

Question 22

What is non marking urination?

Answer 22

Squat urination 2x per day
in liter box, dig to make a pit for more than 4 sec, may cover w/ substrate

Question 23

What do cats prefer for litterboxes?

Answer 23

Clean litterbox 2xper day, atleast 1.5x cats length, can be narrow (10+) cm, sweater or small dog box, fine substrate in quite place, +1 to # of cats

single day urinations are abnormal = Urinary tract disease

Question 24

Why do cats abandon the litterbox?

Answer 24

Surface preference, loc preference (not under stairs, need escape route), 3m away from food, litter box aversion, stress, smell

enough litterboxes? not beside each other
with or without lid?
height of edges, does it have a door?

Question 25

What is normal defecation behaviour?

Answer 25

1-3 poops per day
in pit in litter
used to mark territory

Question 26

What is the difference between urine marking + inappropriate elimination?

Answer 26

Urine mark on vert surfaces
inapp elim on horiz surfaces

Question 27

What are some other bathroom habits by cats?

Answer 27

not induced by odor of other cats like dogs
wont go to the same place twice
want a clean digging spot
avoids urine/feces
wants tot know stuff around them to run away

Question 28

Name some solitary toys cats can play with

Answer 28

Bottle with holes for kibble
kongs mice
box with holes and food inside, hide in
videos/window
round plastic shower curtain rings
plastic rolling balls
paper bags, cardboard boxes
cardboard rolls
soft stuffed toys
catnip/honeysuckle
lats 5-10 min, not again for at least an hour
kittens <3 wks no effect
valerian root, silver vine, tartarian honeysuckle sim effects

Question 29

What is catnip and how does it affect cats?

Answer 29

Herb from mint family. active ingredient is nepetalactone
works via olfactory stim
cats exhibit excitation, sedation, no reaction (in 30%) bc reaction is genetically linked

Question 30

What is the active ingredient in catnip

Answer 30

Nepetalactone

Question 31

Explain destruct scratching behaviour and why it happens? How do you treat it?

Answer 31

Common behaviour
scratching furniture/carpets
done for territorial marking, maintaining claws + stretching, working off energy
treat with 1. appropriate scratching surface, 2 teach how to use new post, 3 discourage use of bad surface/post

Question 32

Explain treating destructive scratching behav

Answer 32

1 - redirect on suitable surface - vert or horiz on cats preference, must be as long/tall as cat fully stretched. Sisal or rug material, LOCATIOn
2 - teach cat how to use, please in front of inapp place, show cat with hands, play with cat around it,
3 - discourage use of bad post w/ double sidesided sticky tape, tinfoil, sandpaper, upside down plastic rug runners, aversive odour w/ cotton balls, shake tin full of change when scratching bad

Question 33

What is offensive/defensive aggression?

Answer 33

fight/fight response
offense - aggressive cat will make look bigger/intimidating
Defensive - aggressive cat adopts a selfprotecting posture to look smler

Rule of thumb - don’t touch, attempt to treasure or punish cats showing these postures

Question 34

Explain the differences btw offensive/defensive aggression

Answer 34

Offensive - stiff stance, tail lowered to straight to ground, direct stare, upright ears backs slightly forward, piloerection + fur on tail, constricted pupils, facing opponent, growling/howling/yowling
Defensive - crouched, head tucked in, tail around body tucked in, eyes wide pupil partially or fully dilated, ears flat sideways or backward, piloerection, anxious cats whiskers retracted, fearful whiskers pan out + forward to assess danger, turned sideways to opponent, open mouth hissing/spitting, quite strikes of front paws claws out

Question 35

Describe territorial aggression

Answer 35

Cats avoid rather than confront
distance signaling used - scent markings, rubbing, scratching, defecation, time budgeting

Question 36

Describe predatory aggression

Answer 36

Cats hunt frogs, small mamals, birds, stalk quietly, sprint towards prey, kill with cervical bite

Question 37

How to prevent predatory aggression?

Answer 37

have a tinned, meat diet, cat bibs/bells, no let outside, redirect with toy/laser pointer

Question 38

What is redirected aggressive

Answer 38

common result in severe bites
cat aroused by visiting cat/prey in yard - cannot do anything because of windowpane
owner approaches and gets bit - may not be inhibited, may be considerable time lag between arousal and bite
cat appears aroused, distract w/ toy

Question 39

Describe play aggression

Answer 39

Common
hone hunting thru play
2 types
Solitary - directed towards objects like toys, skeins of yarn, paper bags, boxes and rolled up paper
social - towards people or pets

no rage, vocalization or emotion - cats have limited ability to express emotion

Question 40

Describe predatory play aggression

Answer 40

stalking, chasing, pouncing, ambushing, grasping and biting - attack in form of ambush, quick, stealth
normally 1 bite and shake
bit inhibituaion learned thru kittens
no rough play with kitten or learns to rough play back
redirect play to toy or give other enrichmentd

Question 41

describe petting aggression

Answer 41

Some cattos no like pet for long
warning signs = head towards hand quick, tail twitch, flat ears rotate back, restlessness
typically inhibited bite + runs away
mahy return rapidly as friendly cat - no want pet, play using toy or let sit next to you

Question 42

what is pain aggression?

Answer 42

angry cus pain