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CFT II > Exam 1 - Common Behavior Problems in Cats > Flashcards

Exam 1 - Common Behavior Problems in Cats Flashcards

1
Q

T/F: 83.9% of owned cats show at least 1 undesirable behavior

A

true

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2
Q

T/F: 41.3% of cats surrendered to an animal shelter were surrendered because of a behavior problem

A

true

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3
Q

what is the major complaint of cat owners that resulted in surrendering?

A

37.7% house soiling behavior

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4
Q

T/F: if the owner is moving, it is best to put the cat on stress medication

A

true

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5
Q

T/F: when owners adopt a cat, 45% report a problem behavior within 3 months

A

true

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6
Q

why do cats scratch on furniture?

A

it is a normal behavior - declawed cats will still show the behavior

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7
Q

how can a cat that scratches furniture be managed?

A

treat the environment - change it, cover/remove furniture, cover with a shield/sticky paws tape

limit access - scat mat or cover with uncomfortable material

provide appropriate scratching post at the site - encourages use of it, but retraining takes a long time

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8
Q

how can you protect the environment for a cat that scratches furniture?

A

topical nail treatment - trim claws regularly, soft paw caps, declaw the cat as a last resort

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9
Q

how can furniture scratching be prevented in cats?

A

teach kittens to use a scratch post - make vertical/horizontal posts available with a rough texture that snags nails

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10
Q

why do we see problem behaviors of attacking ankles/biting in cats?

A

variation of predatory aggression - stealth attack on things that move (seen as play in kittens)

normal part of hunting - no opportunity to chase rodents

encouraged by rough play with owners

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11
Q

why do we see problem behaviors of biting while being petted in cats?

A

sitting on lap being petted & suddenly bit - usually inhibitory bite

jumps down, starts licking themselves

pleasure of being petted ends - similar to someone scratching your back, cats can’t say thanks, bites to make grooming quit & jumps down with grooming as a displacement activity

vaguely aware something has it - bites in defense, realizes error when fully awake

static electricity - cat feels micro shocks, escapes the lap, grooms to reduce static

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12
Q

how can we treat ankle biting behavior in cats?

A

toys with motion, no rough play, & confinement at times

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13
Q

how can we treat biting in cats when they are being pet?

A

stop petting before the biting occurs if predictable

don’t pet the cat when it is on the lap

eliminate the cat being on the lap

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14
Q

why do we see biting in cats when they want food or attention?

A

learned behavior - usually inhibited bite

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15
Q

how do we treat biting in cats when they want food or attention?

A

ignore them & don’t feed

mild punishmnet

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16
Q

when do we see problems with biting in cats that play rough?

A

they learned to play rough when young - never corrected

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17
Q

how do we treat cats that play too roughly?

A

all play is with toys, get another cat of the same age

mild punishment - sprays or shaker can

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18
Q

what is the background of a cat that needs too much attention?

A

behavior has been rewarded in the past, highly social cat, owner’s level of responsibility is not realistic

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19
Q

how can we treat a cat that needs too much attention?

A

schedule attention - gradual reduction, do favorite things, everyone in family participates

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20
Q

what are some common objects involved in pica in cats?

A

telephone cords, fishhooks, sewing needles, & things that move

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21
Q

how do we treat pica in cats?

A

management!!! prevent access or taste aversion (not very successful)

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22
Q

what are some reasons we see anorexia in cats as a behavioral problem?

A

cat can’t smell

learned in associated with a negative aspect (something bad happened with the food)

must have access to food

23
Q

how do we treat anorexia in cat as a behavioral problem?

A

provide access to good quality food - ideal temp is 95 F

treat medical disorders - feeding tubes frequently needed

24
Q

what are some causes of behavioral overeating in cats?

A

neutered cat - caloric needs reduced by 30%

decreased exercise, caloric dense food, & orphaned/malnourished animal

25
Q

how do we treat behavioral overeating in cats?

A

use reduced calorie food or feed less per day - make gradual changes

minimize snacks - use reduced calorie snacks

26
Q

what are some potential problems with feeding multiple cats separately with microchip collars?

A

occasionally a 2nd cat will join or a large dog may destroy it

27
Q

why can feeding multiple cats separately in different rooms be a problem?

A

if one cats only eats a small amount at a time

28
Q

why do we see prolonged sucking behavior in cats?

A

common in early weaned/bottle raised kittens - usually outgrow part or all of the behavior

may suck human skin (earlobe, finger, arm, underarm) or directed towards another animal (teat, prepuce, manubrium) often seen with kneading

29
Q

how do we treat prolonged sucking behavior in cats?

A

avoid access to sucked object

behavior modification - taste aversion

30
Q

what is the background of wool sucking behavior in cats?

A

oriental breeds predominate - trait can be hidden in mixed breeds (siamese color is recessive)

usually begins around 6 months - suck or chew on wool life objects

31
Q

how do we treat wool sucking behavior in cats?

A

limit access to one object - linear foreign bodies have not been reported

32
Q

why do we see cats jump on tables/counters as a problem behavior?

A

behavior is rewarded - tall height & food rewards with intermittent reinforcement

33
Q

how do we treat cats that jump on tables/counters?

A

remote punishment - must give them alternative high perches

34
Q

what is the background commonly seen in cats with problem behaviors of waking their owners?

A

cats tend to be active in the early morning - half asleep owner thinks cat is hungry & rewards the behavior

35
Q

how do we treat cats with behavioral issues of waking their owner?

A

ignore them for increasing lengths of time

confine them out of the room or in another part of the house

do something else before feeding them/giving them attention

36
Q

why do we see problem behaviors in cats with knocking things over?

A

fills their need to interact with things that move giving them an internal reward - they don’t have any mice to chase or have few interactive toys

often associated with water - started because of thirst, accidentally knocked glass over & turns into form of entertainment

37
Q

how do we treat problem behaviors in cats with knocking things over?

A

ignore it (cat thing)

management - block access to the objects/room, remove target objects, take the fun away by using weighted glasses/use sticky tape to hold objects

behavior modification - remote punishment with sticky tape, scat mat, blow dryer

38
Q

why do we see problems when introducing to cats to one another?

A

owner adopts a kitten and has an adult cat at home

adult cats are asocial while kittens are social

39
Q

how do we manage introducing 2 cats to each other?

A

give older cat time alone & confine the kitten

play interactions of kittens start to decrease at ~1 year of age

get 2 kittens so they can interact with each other

or get an older cat instead of a kitten

40
Q

T/F: when introducing 2 adult cats, 39% of introductions take at least 1 month & 11% don’t work

A

true - method of introduction didn’t make much of a difference

41
Q

what are some factors that suggest aggression will continue between 2 cats?

A

aggression was present at the first meeting & the cats have outdoor access

42
Q

how can we treat problems when introducing 2 cats to each other?

A

short introductions start at a distance - cats can see each other but can move away if needed

each cat has a separate room with alternate access to the rest of the house - allows them to establish a territory (especially for new cat), & allows cats to get used to each other’s odors

brief times when both doors are open so cats can go out if they want - always confine before any aggression, use distractions, & gradually increase time out together

43
Q

why can we see problems when reintroducing 2 cats back together?

A

previously compatible cats no longer compatible - can start as redirected aggression (sees other cat outdoors but can only aggress housemate)

different smell when one returns from the vet - have owners put the cat in a separate room when they get home & use a towel to rub the home cat & then rub the returning cat

44
Q

how can we treat behavioral problems when reintroducing two adult cats?

A

complete separation for a few months - each cat has a separate room with alternating access to the rest of the house

brief times with both doors open - use distractions & always confine before any aggression

gradually move food bowls closer together

one or both cats may need to be fed in a carrier

SOME MAY NEVER READJUST PREPARE OWNERS

45
Q

what background do we see in one cat stalking another?

A

one cat begins to bully the other with the bullied cat becoming skittish & it tries to avoid the bully

46
Q

how do we manage one cat stalking another cat?

A

complete separation for a few months - gradual reintroduction by feeding far apart and gradually moving closer together

pheromones - feliway multicat

drugs: victim cat gets buspirone & aggressor cat gets fluoxetine

47
Q

T/F: neutering dogs/cats is a common recommendation made to solve behavioral problems but it not usually effective for that purpose

A

true - removes the animal from the gene pool which is valuable for behaviors that might have genetic tendencies

48
Q

what are some testosterone based behaviors seen in dogs/cats?

A

mating, roaming, intermale aggression, & urine marking

49
Q

what are some estrogen based behaviors seen in dogs/cats?

A

estrus, urine marking

50
Q

what are some progesterone based behaviors seen in dogs/cats?

A

calm of pregnancy & protection of neonates

51
Q

what are the effects of neutering seen in male cats?

A

all male behaviors reduced by 90% independent of learning or age & independent on each behavior

increased tendency of weight gain because caloric needs drop by 30%

52
Q

what are the effects of neutering seen in male dogs?

A

roaming reduced by 95%, mating/intermale aggression/urine marking reduced by 50% independent of learning or age

53
Q

what are the effects of spaying seen in female dogs/cats?

A

stops almost all estrus behavior, stops pseudopregnant behavior (wait until pseudopregnancy is done to prevent estrus return)

increased tendency for weight gain in cats - caloric needs drop by 30%

CFT II (28 decks)

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