READ MORE - Cat loses weight
Thursday, April 23
Tuesday, March 17
Tuesday, March 3
Funny Cat Behaviors and What to Do About Them
Cats sure have interesting ways of expressing themselves. Some are cute, and some, well, can hurt. Most cat owners know about love chomps, those playful nips cats give at times. They are different than true, defensive bites, which draw blood and really hurt. Love chomps are given out of affection, and sometimes can hurt a little, depending upon kitty's mood. What is going on, and why do they do this?
My cat Beau is deaf and is very physical in expressing himself. He loves to be touched, petted and kissed. His reaction back is to "chew" on me, sort of gnawing his teeth against my arm, as he purrs. I soon realized that this is out of caring, not out of defensiveness. He does this whenever he is deliriously happy, and it's sort of like he's trying to kiss me back but does it with his little teeth. Lucky me. I appreciate him for being so loving, and just show love back, but back off if he chomps a little too hard.
When your cat does this, don't hit or get mad, just gently brush it off and distract him to do something else. Cats respond to suggestion, professional trainers rely on this principle to train them. By giving kitty something else to think about, he will forget about gnawing on you and put his attention elsewhere. Though I'm not an animal behaviorist, I know what works for my cats, and use information learned by those in the know. A good resource to contact if you need a real professional's advice on cat behavior is at your local chapter of the
ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Aniimals). I called my local chapter and asked who to talk to regarding certain behaviors and they told me a behaviorist would call me back. She did, and was very helpful in giving me tips on handling problematic cat behaviors of different kinds. The ASPCA has local chapters in most cities and is a good resource for help with animals of many kinds so I recommend them.Learning better communication with our pets is always helpful in understanding what they do and why they do it. Many pets end up at the pound because their owners didn't take the time or energy to learn why the animal did certain behaviors, then just gave up instead of fixing the gap in communication. We have to show our pets what to do in order for them to know what is expected of them. Cats can be more independent, of course, but they can be trained to undo bad behaviors with time and practise. Some things take more time than others. It is important to be patient and kind, anger only makes pets fearful and less apt to learn what you want them to learn.
For example, my cat Beau didn't sleep through the night when I first got him. As soon as the lights went off, it was his time to party. He sang his lungs out, picked on the other two cats (who were trying to sleep) and made a nusiance of himself. So, to combat his nighttime rowdiness, I kept him up all day, by waking him up every so often as he tried to nap, getting out a string with a toy on the end of it, and getting him to play till he was tired. By the end of the day, he welcomed sleep. And, he slept through the night. It worked. After awhile, I didn't need put forth any effort anymore, he just automatically slept through the night. I still wake him up occaisionally during the day, just in case, to make sure he's truly tired by the end of the day.
Another strange behavior is leg climbing. Sometimes, kittens think your leg makes a good substitute for a tree trunk and try to climb it. O-u-c-h! That can make just about anyone mad at first but remember, it's just a behavior that needs correcting. Kitty isn't aware that he is clawing the heck out of your skin, and is trying to be energetic. Give him something else to play on, like a kitty condo/cat tree. Those are great for cats who love to climb. Sprinkle it with catnip, and the next time little kitty throws himself at your leg, quickly put him on the cat tree, and mimic scratching on it, to show him what to do with it. By showing him, he will learn that it's more fun to climb the cat tree than you. Cat trees are always a good investment, I got mine on Ebay, and the cats live on it, practically. They know it's theirs and never scratch the couch since they have a place to get out their scratching needs.
Do you have a cat who loves to rocket around the house as he knocks over knicknacks and other stuff in his way? It's kind of like having a herd of wild elephants go charging through the living room, making a load of noise as they go. This is just cat energy being spent, kitty is bored and finding something to do. Give him some toys, and throw them for him so he can play. One great way to get kitty's energy focused is to use a laser light pointer and aim it at the wall. Watch kitty flip and flop, hopping at the wall on his tiptoes, as he tries to get that light. Don't shine the light in his eyes, because it is a laser, but do use it as a tool to play. Beau loves the laser light pointer and will watch the wall for hours afterwards, waiting for the light to come back. They can be bought at any office supply or pet store, cheap.
Another great and cheap toy to get kitty playing and distracted is the cotton swab, or Q-tip, but only let your cats play with these under your supervision so they don't ingest the cotton fuzz on the end. My cats never have swallowed any, and we've used them as toys for all my life. These things make my cats go wild. Just throw it in the middle of the room, or tie it to a string and drag it around the room. Any cat in the room will be drawn to it like a moth to a flame. My cat Blackie will do gymnastic manoevers with Q-tips, as he picks it up and throws it for himself, when nobody else does it for him. He can leap and rotate in mid-air. Cotton swabs make cats do the funniest things.
Embrace the crazy things your cat does, don't punish, just retrain if they do things that really bother you. It just takes a little understanding and patience. See what they need - are they bored, are they trying to show caring but doing it in a way that hurts? Gently retrain or distract. When kitty knows what you want from him, he will eventually get the hint and learn..most of the time. Beau still chomps on my arm, but doesn't do it as hard as he used to. He doesn't like being ignored, and if he mistakenly chomps too hard, I just walk off and don't give him the attention he wants. That, in itself, is punishment to him and he has learned from it.
If you want to see what other funny things other peoples' cats do, just watch America's Funniest Home Videos. Cats and dogs are great material for funny videos because they are fun and entertaining. Enjoy them, and let them enjoy you back. Teamwork is the answer.
Carolyn McFann is a scientific and nature illustrator, who owns Two Purring Cats Design Studio, which can be seen at: http://www.cafepress.com/twopurringcats . Educated at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Carolyn is a seasoned, well-traveled artist, writer and photographer. She has lived and worked in Cancun, Mexico, among other interesting professional assignments in other countries. Clients include nature parks, museums, scientists, corporations and private owners. She has been the subject of tv interviews, articles for newspapers and other popular media venues.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carolyn_McFann
Posted by kongsidiet at 5:55 AM 0 comments
Friday, January 30
5 Great Tips On Training Your Cat To Behave
There is more to cats than the cuddly and lovable pets who purr on one corner of the house. At times, they can be a menace to housekeeping too. Scratches in furniture, broken ornaments, and ruined stockings are just a few things that misbehaving cats can do.
There are reasons why cats misbehave. And by knowing these reasons, cat owners can be capable of controlling their pets' actions.
Here are some things about cats which cause misbehaviors together with tips on how to make them behave.
- Cats misbehave when they are bored.
Cats that don’t have much to do have no choice but to do obnoxious things. They may be looking for attention, or they just needed something to do to spend their energy.
Whatever the case may be, these can be solved by allotting time for your cat to play with you. However, do not do this immediately after your cat misbehaved. Your cat will associate its misbehavior with you giving it more attention.
- Cats are naturally nocturnal animals.
Cats are more active during nighttime. They can do more exciting activities by that time.
With this in mind, make your cat busy in the morning. By doing this, the cat will be too exhausted to do things when it is time for his owners to sleep.
- Cats misbehave when they are sexually-driven.
Expect misbehavior when cats feel that it is time to mate. Expect a lot of misbehavior for cats who are confined inside their homes when it happens!
Surgical procedures can be done to prevent misbehaviors caused by sexual urges. Female cats can undergo spaying; male cats can undergo neutering.
- Cats misinterpret owners' reaction to its misbehavior.
Owners usually get mad when their pets misbehave. But they are vague in telling their pets that they are mad. When owners reprimand their pets for misbehaving, cats think that their owners just want to play with them.
Owners must be clear with their reactions. If their pets misbehave, owners would make it clear that it is a punishment and not a game.
Remember that cats seek reward. They avoid punishment. Do not make misbehaving enjoyable to your cat by giving it a lot of attention when it happens.
By associating punishment for misbehaving cats learn what should not be done.
- Cats enjoy playing with certain things in the house.
There are things that cats love. It may be a curtain, or a pillow.
The good thing is they hate certain smells too. Spray unpleasant smells on those things to keep cats away.
By knowing why pets misbehave owners have more chances to correct these bad habits!
Cat Care Secrets is an excellent place to find cat links, articles and resource. For more information on Cats visit: http://www.catcaresecrets.com/blog/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chaganty_Ashwini
Posted by kongsidiet at 2:44 AM 2 comments
Thursday, January 22
Caring For Cats - What You Need to Know
There are numerous books, tapes, movies, and Internet sites devoted to the care of these majestic and beautiful animals, and with a little time and attention, it is not all that difficult to understand the basics of caring for cats.
If you are planning on getting the pet as a companion for your child or children, rest assured that you are making a wise decision; it is a great idea for children to have the experience of pet ownership when they are mature enough to handle it, or even when they are too young to care for the pet themselves, they can see you taking good care of it. This builds a respect for life, a sense of responsibility for others, and the mutual satisfaction of a loving relationship between pet and human. In a lot of ways, cats can be a much better pet for kids than a dog. For the most part, caring for cats is less time consuming than caring for dogs, so if you worry that your youngster will get bored or not be as responsible as you would like about exercising your pet, a cat might just be the perfect choice for you.
Like any living creature, your cat will need food and fresh water available all the time; cats often have very distinct personalities, and some are very good at reminding you that they do not have enough food. For example, my own cat will go up to the closest table and just start knocking things over when her food bowl is empty. Not all kitties will behave this way, though, so as the human, you must not rely on your cat - your cat must rely on you, so learn all you can before you get the pet, keep learning while you enjoy the kitty, and most of all, love your cat.
Posted by kongsidiet at 4:30 PM 0 comments

