BEHAVIOR

Q I have a sweet, shy Persian named Princess and a bold Abyssinian named Max. I bouth Princess first before purchasing Max as a kitten about a year ago. Princess is three. They get along fine until Princess tries to use the litter box. Max seems to enjoy stalking her and pouncing on her when she tries to go. The litter box is located in the corner of the closet in the spare bedroom. I…

Q My longhaired cat, Pretty Kitty, seems to groom her beautiful silver coat all the time. She is an indoor-only cat nearing her fifth birthday. At least once or twice a week, I can count on finding a hairball coughed up on the carpet. She never seems to pick floors that are easy to clean, like the tile in the kitchen. She gets regular checkups, and my veterinarian has not found any health problems. So…

Your cat may be a mild biter during play or she may be one who means business when she chomps down, inflicting pain and drawing blood. In either case, biting behavior must be corrected.

First, figure out the trigger. Does she bite your hand when you're playing with her? One of the most common mistakes people make is to use their fingers as toys to entice cats to play. This may have seemed harmless enough when your cat was a kitten, but as she grew and developed adult teeth, those bites probably started to hurt more. Unfortunately, if you used your fingers as toys, you sent a message to her that biting flesh was acceptable. In her mind, if biting flesh is okay during play, then it's also okay for her to bite when she needs to communicate other things as well. Some cats bite to solicit playtime. From previous experience, they learned that biting gets a response from the cat owners and a toy is tossed for them. Unfortunately, that just reinforces the biting behavior. In this way, she has trained you.

Why, oh why, does loud purring have to occur at 1 A.M. just when I fall asleep? Why can't my cat just purr at dinnertime or during evening TV-sofa time? Purring is that unusual vibration that is produced by nerve stimulation to the voice box muscles and the diaphragm (that sheet of muscle that separates your organs in your chest from your abdomen). The frequency and pattern of purring occurs between 25 and 150 hertz. so it can be loud enough to wake you up when Max is sleeping on our head. Purring can occur during both inspiration and expiration and may look like your cat is

Cats are aloof, fastidious, independent creatures who don't like to answer to anyone. Your cat can hear you calling her; she just may not feel like answering. That said, don't give up. With appropriate training, your cat may soon recognize her name and come to you when called. If you want to train your cat to come to you when you call her, start by using a short name with a vowel at the end (like…

Scratching, for a kitten, is actually a means of climbing to higher ground. To a new cat owner, it may appear that you kitten has Velcro paws, as you watch him scale furniture, drapes, beds, and the clothes hanging in the closets. Take a deep breath and be patient. This phase will pass. Even though you kitten may do nothing with the post other than climb up and over the top, very soon he'll discover…

Your cat willtrain you - or drive you insane trying to do so. They have the ability to communicate their basic needs and desires - and trust me, communicate it they will. When you cat wants something from you, you'll know it. Cats usually use a form of behavior modification when they are trying to teach something to humans. Typically, they'll just keep getting in your way until they get what you want.

Tail expression is only a small part of a cat's vocabulary, but it is probably the easiest to comprehend for a new student of Felinese. A cat may signal a change in its attitude by flicking or just bending the tip of its tail. It's a great place to begin your mastery of catspeak. …

Here is the reality: Scratching is a necessary action for your cat to keep its nails in good shape and to mark its territory. You can't eliminate it, but you can channel it.

Can I Train My Cat Not to Scratch?

You can teach a new cat new tricks. Sort of. Sometimes. It's worth trying. Young cats or newly adopted kittens can be trained to use a scratching post. But like training any animal to behave properly, it takes time and patience. You need to start with a good post, made of heavy hemp...

Socializing the shy cat
Q For years, I adopted kitten siblings that required close to zero socialization to adjust to living in my home. However, the last four cats Ive adopted from shelters took a long time to feel comfortable enough to come out of hiding from under my bed or behind my sofa. I am happy to report that they are all now well adjusted and contented, but it did take some time.

[From Tufts January 2010 Issue] [IMGCAP(1)] In past centuries, people invented fanciful explanations for cats mystifying behaviors. Modern science and common sense have debunked such notions as supernatural cats conspiring with witches. We know that cats have only one life, not nine. And black cats dont cause future bad luck by dashing across our paths. …

[From Tufts January 2010 Issue] Cats crave consistency in the household routine. Nicholas Dodman, BVMS, veterinarian and director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, provides six tips aimed at keeping your cat safe and reducing the risk of unwanted behavior issues during a home remodeling project: …