BEHAVIOR

Researchers are going to start examining the benefits of pet ownership on mental and emotional health in older adults living alone by matching research participants with homeless foster cats.

By applying a model commonly used to describe personality traits in people, researchers in South Australia and New Zealand have identified five distinct personality traits in cats. It is hoped that a better understanding of feline personalities can enhance the health and welfare of cats by fine-tuning management approaches to suit individual temperaments.

When youre walking around the house, hes weaving tight figure eights around your legs. If youre trying to take a catnap or watch some prime-time television, hes happily draped across your neck, purring away.

My family adopted Boo when he was eight weeks old. He was found when he was about two weeks old in a litter abandoned by their mother, and the kittens were taken to a local rescue organization. A volunteer agreed to foster the kittens in her home, and she bottle fed them until they could eat solid food.

Much in the same way that stress affects humans, it can also affect cats. While brief periods of stress can help cats to survive dangerous situations, recurrent or prolonged stress can be harmful for them both physically and emotionally.

November 2017 - Full Issue PDF

As a feline veterinarian and enthusiastic traveler, I try to combine my two passions -cats and travel - whenever possible. I succeeded in the Netherlands when I visited the Poezenboot, a floating cat shelter docked on Amsterdams Singel canal. My luck continued in Burma, where I visited a Burmese Cat Sanctuary on Inle Lake. And fortune struck again recently in Puerto Rico, as I came upon Save A Gato, a volunteer organization run by a dedicated group of cat lovers that cares for the abundant feral cats of Old San Juan.

At the local shelter where I volunteer, one of the most common questions about the adoptable dogs is: Does she get along with cats? And truthfully, the majority of our dogs are those with an unknown history, frequently rescued off the streets of a nearby city. And in our small facility, its very, very hard to safely assess the cat-friendly aspect of a dogs temperament. …

A study conducted earlier this year examined whether canine responses to cat-related sights, sounds and smells provide clues about which dogs are cat-friendly. Published in Applied Animal Behavior Science, the study takes the first steps in identifying new ways to evaluate whether specific dogs are likely to get along with cats - without having to stress any cats in the process. …

When it comes to feline behavior, we have some good news: Its often quite easy to tell whether a cat is fundamentally happy or profoundly disturbed, according to Stephanie Borns-Weil, DVM, who is head of the Tufts Animal Behavior Clinic. Although there is likely to be a good bit of variation from animal to animal, a happy and contented cat will tend to be very sociable. Shell engage with people, shell be interested in her…

You start chopping vegetables for dinner and theres your favorite companion - right on the countertop nearby, rubbing himself against the microwave oven. You love your cat, but this behavior doesnt make you happy.

Two of my cats cant seem to get enough of my attention while Im working at my computer. As I type this, Rocky is sitting squarely on a small, tidy pile of papers at my left elbow.