BEHAVIOR

This is a very common form of aggression. Youre sitting on the couch. Your cat comes to you asking to be petted. Meow. Meow. Oh, how sweet. Let me pet you. Purrrrrr. You like that, kitty? Is that good? Yes, you like that, dont you? Purrrrrr. You really love it. I can tell! Silence. Ow! Now your hand has reddish pinholes in it, and your feelings are smarting too. What just happened? There are a few possible reasons for this kind of bait…

Q Recently, one of our two cats has started to urinate around the house. Both are spayed seven-year-old females, who have always been very well-behaved and loveable pets. I know that the first course of action is to have a veterinary examination to rule out the possibility of illness before creating a plan of action. But here is the problem: How can we determine the culprit?

Choosing the right cat or kitten to adopt is obviously an important decision. Therefore, it is critical to choose a cat that suits your lifestyle and personality. Some people prefer living with a gregarious and playful cat, whereas others find the company of a placid, laid-back feline more enjoyable. Learning more about the various feline personality types - and how they develop - can help make it easier to find a cat that will bring a lot of joy into your home.

A certain amount of conflict and discord is natural in any group living situation. Owners of even the most mellow and congenial cat families know just how quickly conflict can erupt as group members experience the normal ups and downs of life. Wise owners understand how powerfully even seemingly insignificant changes can affect their cats and disrupt the groups harmony. They also know how important it is to address the effects of changes positively and immediately.

Over the years, our family has lived with a number of cats. Each was certainly unique in his or her own way, but quite a few of them shared the same trait: They drooled sometimes while you were petting them. To clarify, it often appears like drool, but sometimes its a single droplet that seems to come from their noses. Its obviously not a health concern, but just an interesting behavioral thing that I would like to understand better.

The truth is, you can herd cats. You can even get them to jump through hoops, weave around poles, climb ladders and scoot through tunnels. Its called feline agility. Its the most fun Ive had in ages, says Jill Archibald, a retired physical education teacher who is now the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) Feline Agility Coordinator. When you learn feline agility, it really helps you to develop a good relationship with your cat.

Visit the CFA websites feline agility page at: agility.cfa.org/index.shtml Try it at home, and get comfortable with your cat. Theres no need to create an actual course at first. Sit in a chair with a lure on a long stick, and drag it to get the kitten or cat to follow it. Get comfortable with it. Now your cat has learned to chase the toy. …

The goal of feline agility is for your cat to complete the 10-obstacle course, the right way, in the right order, as quickly as...

Q We have three indoor-outdoor cats: Dusty, a 10-year-old male mackerel tabby; Mokie, his sister, and Rascal, a three-year-old male orange tabby. Our yard is enclosed and cat-safe. Each year, we take our cats to the veterinary clinic for their physical exams and shots. Recently, Dusty started jumping, running and then frantically licking himself. Our veterinarian said that he has hypersensitive nerve endings that make him feel like someone is sticking him with a pin. She…

Q I have a five-year-old cat I adopted from a shelter as a kitten. Spruce has been a wonderful companion, with good behavior and...

Q I hope you can help me with this problem with my cat, Tyler. When I moved four years ago to my current...

[From Tufts September 2011 Issue]

I am a new subscriber, and have limited recent experience with cats. I have Grigino (Italian for nice little gray tomcat), a very personable 21-month-old cat whom weve had since he was 2 months old. He has been neutered. Every once in a while, he tries to bite our hands. When he does this, he will hit at the hand with his paw, probably to control the hand or line it up, before he bites at it.

Fortunately, he never bites hard, and he almost always has his claws retracted when he is playing at this or at most other things. He nevertheless will occasionally draw blood with these antics. Should I be concerned? In any event, how might I try to break him? Flicking him in the nose with my finger doesnt seem to work, as it just seems to intensify the game for him.
Al Cavagnaro