Sarah Heath
In a domestic environment many of the natural feline behaviour systems are compromised and cats find themselves living in groups of unrelated individuals, being made to share important resources and denied the opportunity to hide or retreat from situations of potential conflict. In addition their human companions place social demands on them which are at odds with their natural behaviour and often fail to provide for many of their basic instincts. Such constraints on normal behaviour result in stress and tension in our feline companions and, in many incidents of reported behaviour problems, an understanding of feline ethology not only helps to explain how and why the more common problems develop but also offers practical methods for dealing with them.
Although the traditional image of the cat as a solitary creature is not entirely accurate it is important to remember that much of feline behaviour is based on individual survival and many fundamental behaviours, such as feeding, hunting and eliminating, are performed in a solitary context and have no social significance. Feline society is based on co-operative groups of females who are related to one another and live together in a mutually beneficial environment, which supports the successful rearing of kittens. Males are usually excluded from these social groupings and live their lives as solitary individuals who only venture into the main social context at times of breeding.
Levels of hostility within the related groups are low but intrusion by unrelated individuals poses a potential risk to offspring, increases the demand on essential resources and is poorly tolerated, so aggression to strangers can be intense. However, physical aggression carries with it the risk of injury to all parties. In a society where ultimate survival is an individual responsibility it makes sense to avoid situations which could result in a decreased ability to take care of oneself. For this reason overt aggression is minimised by the use of elaborate distance maintaining behaviours which are designed to keep strangers at bay and discourage social interaction with individuals outside of the social group. These signals include postural and vocal communication, marking behaviours, such as urine spraying, and elaborate use of eye contact and facial communication, including ear positions.
Within a social context the reliable identification of fellow members of the social group is vitally important and affiliative behaviours, such as mutual grooming and mutual rubbing, are used to cement relationships and to exchange scent signals. Indeed the mixing of scents results in the formation of a group social odour which reassures individuals that the social group is stable and enables them to relax in close proximity to one another.
Over recent years the cat has increased significantly in popularity and at the same time the number of multi-cat households has also increased. Some of these households are made up of sibling pairs, mothers and offspring and other combinations of related individuals but in many cases there is no such basis to the feline community and cats are being expected to live with total feline strangers. Owners often acquire the cats as companions for one another and when problems of inter-cat tension begin to surface within the household they are genuinely dismayed and perplexed by the situation. However, natural feline behaviour provides no basis for toleration between unrelated felines and while the high proportion of neutering in the domestic population undoubtedly reduces hostility between strangers, and enhances the chances of feline integration, it by no means guarantees it.
In some cases the tension between housemates may be manifested as outright physical confrontation and the cats may be taken to the local veterinary practice with torn ears and puncture wounds to prove it, but feline tension can also result in more subtle signs of unease and can contribute to other behavioural issues such as indoor marking, over grooming and even alterations in appetite. It can also be a significant factor in the onset of medical conditions, such as feline idiopathic cystitis, feline orofacial pain syndrome and a range of dermatological and gastrointestinal disorders.
One of the most important steps in dealing with problems of tension within a feline household is to ensure that each individual has ready access to all of the important resources such as food, water and resting places. Just because cats live in the same human household does not mean that they belong to the same social group and it is not uncommon for multi-cat households to be divided into smaller subunits of individuals, which do not communicate across those social divides. If this is the case it will be necessary to ensure that there are enough feeding stations, watering holes and latrines for each of the social groups to exist as an individual unit. Attempts to make these groups share these essential commodities will invariably result in social tension, if not overt aggression. It is also important to remember that cats are solitary feeders. Even when relationships are good between cats in the household it is ideal for them to be given separate feeding stations and the ability to control their own access to food so that they can snack as and when they need to.
When physical space within the home is limited the amount of available territory can be increased by paying attention to vertical space. The installation of resting platforms and provision of bedding on tops of wardrobes and kitchen cupboards, can significantly increase the space available. Such structures will also increase the opportunity for cats to retreat and hide when they perceive themselves to be in danger. Provision for the expression of natural coping behaviours will assist in reducing stress and increasing feelings of home security. In addition cats that are provided with such escape routes will be less inclined to use self appeasement behaviours such as over grooming or excessive eating to deal with their stress and thus passive symptoms of inter cat tension will also be reduced.
When cats have previously co-existed in harmony but have started to display hostility toward each other it is important to determine the reason for the breakdown in the relationship. For some it may be the result of disruption of their social grouping by the entry of another feline into the home, while for others a breakdown in communication may follow a brief period of separation, for example when one of the group is taken to the veterinary practice for treatment.
Regardless of whether the cats have previously co-existed or are being introduced for the first time integration is unlikely to be successful from a position of hostility and a period of total physical separation can be useful in order to allow scent integration through the mixing of bedding and toys. In this way the cats can come into contact with each other without any direct form of threat and once they can accept the scent of their housemate without any signs of hostility the owner can then begin the controlled process of introducing the cats in a face to face situation. While food may be used to induce a positive emotional reaction in the cats in order to facilitate this process it is not beneficial to feed them in proximity to each other and the practice of feeding cats at decreasing distances from one another is not recommended. Indeed the reintroduction process needs to be a passive one in which the cats learn to tolerate the presence of one another rather than engage in direct interactions or form close bonds.
Patience will be the main requirement at this stage and any temptation to rush the reintroduction will need to be resisted. During the introduction process the overriding aim is to improve the cat’s perception of security within the home and the use of pheromone therapy has been shown to be very beneficial in this context. Cats use facial scent deposits to mark their territory and to surround themselves with reassuring signals. Synthetic analogues of these signals (marketed as the product Feliway®) are now available which can assist in relaxing feline inhabitants and signalling to them that their home is safe and secure.
Multi-cat households and their associated feline issues are not the only result of increasing feline popularity. Social tension within local neighbourhoods is also heightened by the increasing population density in urban areas. In feral situations the size of feline territories and the density of feline inhabitants will be dictated by the availability of vital resources such as food and shelter. In domestic situations each cat has both of these resources provided for it by its owner and therefore relatively small geographical areas can sustain relatively high numbers of cats without obvious problems. However, such populations are often very unstable and any minor challenge to their stability, such as the introduction of a newcomer, can result in significant levels of inter cat tension and an increase in fear related behaviour problems in many of the individuals.
In the majority of cases of tension between cats in the neighbourhood, and especially those that involve overt aggression, it is the owner of the victim that first seeks professional advice. Without co-operation from both sets of owners the prognosis for reform is often guarded. Where aggression primarily occurs outside in the gardens and beyond, management will be aimed at decreasing unwanted encounters between the cats and effective time share systems, where owners allow their cats access to outdoors at different times, can work well.
Increasing the feline appeal of each cat’s home is also a useful technique and ensuring that all of the cat’s behavioural needs are catered for within the house and garden can decrease their desire to venture further afield. This will in turn decrease the incidence of interaction with neighbouring individuals. Improving visual security in the outdoor environment by using potted plants and garden furniture to provide cover for cats as they move about their territory is also worth considering. In some cases the victims are not venturing far from home and the aggressors are actively pursuing them, sometimes even into their own houses. These situations are far more difficult to deal with and when cats proactively attempt to increase the size of their territory it is important to ensure that vital resources are not being compromised in some way in their home, for example by competition from housemates or by a basic lack of provision for their behavioural needs. Once again co-operation between owners will be the key to success and this is often difficult to achieve. Certain breeds of cats, and particularly the wild cat hybrids, will have an increased requirement for territory and an instinct to range further from home. This can pose specific problems in urban areas and there is a need for appropriate education. Rehoming to more appropriate locations may be the only answer in some of these cases.
Increasing feline populations both inside and outside the home undoubtedly influence the incidence and nature of behaviour problems in the domestic cat population but another very important factor to consider is the effect of changing human expectations on the behaviour of this ideal modern pet.
One of the reasons for the cat’s popularity is its relative independence and its ability to cater for its own needs. While most owners are happy to know that their cat is getting on with its life while they are at work they also expect their pet to provide companionship and social interaction for them when they get home. This desire to engage in low frequency but high intensity interaction with cats raises very specific challenges since the normal pattern of cat to cat interaction is one of very frequent but very low key communication. In other words cats will frequently pass the time of day with each other but do not engage in periods of intense communication, whilst owners spend many hours ignoring their cats but want to cuddle and pet them intensely when they return home. Such a fundamental difference in approach to social interaction is bound to bring tension and education of cat owners in the unavoidable restrictions of natural cat behaviour is essential.
It is possible to educate cats to appreciate and value human interaction and the process of socialisation is important in preparing kittens for life in a human environment. This education needs to start early and kittens between two and seven weeks of age will benefit from specific learning opportunities designed to increase their tolerance of intense physical contact from people. Increasing feline acceptance of being picked up and cuddled requires specific preparation. These human actions deny the cat the opportunity to use its species specific defence strategy of flight to protect itself from perceived harm. In order to maximise the benefits of the cat-owner relationship the manner in which young kittens are handled is critical. Remembering normal feline behaviour it is not difficult to understand why the acts of being picked up and restrained are potentially threatening. Periods of lifting, gently restraining and touching the kitten all over its body should therefore be routinely incorporated into any programme of early handling for kittens. Even when this has been done effectively it is important to respect the cat’s natural behaviour and keep highly restrictive handling to a minimum. Owners will benefit from learning to respond appropriately to feline greeting behaviour and use vocal interaction to enhance their relationship with their pet. Whenever cats do need to be handled the principle of minimal restraint should always be applied.
In addition to the effects that other cats and people have on the behaviour of the domestic cats there are also specific constraints of the domestic environment which lead to further compromise of their natural behaviours. As a result the successful integration of kittens into an average human household is something that requires a certain amount of preparation.
Genetic influences will help to determine how an individual reacts to novelty and challenge in its adult environment. In addition adequate exposure to a wide range of stimuli during the early process of behavioural organisation will also be crucial in ensuring that the cat has a broad frame of reference with which to compare its later experiences. Kittens which benefit from an inherited boldness, a varied early environment and ongoing mental and physical stimulation in adulthood will undoubtedly benefit most from the diversity of the domestic environment. As a result they will be less likely to exhibit behaviours which compromise their life as a human companion.
In order to minimise the risks of feline behaviour problems it is essential to pay attention to the interactions between cats and between cats and people, but it is also important to modify the domestic environment in ways which will enhance its ability to cater for fundamental feline needs. Studying the nature of feline territories helps to highlight the qualities that cats value and illustrate the importance of things like privacy, choice and hygiene in a feline context.
The need for access to vertical space not only applies in multi-cat scenarios but also in single cat households. Provision of elevated hiding places is important in achieving the feline aim of minimising fear and anxiety within the home. Failure to cater for the natural feline defence strategies of flight and hiding can result in cats feeling threatened and increase the risk of developing problems related to aggressive behaviour. It can also result in chronic feline stress which is manifested in inappropriate self-appeasement behaviours, such as over grooming and overeating, and is now recognised as a significant risk factor for a number of medical conditions. Simple alterations to the home in terms of providing radiator cradles and pieces of bedding on tops of wardrobes and kitchen cupboards can make a considerable difference to the quality of the environment from a feline perspective. In situations where anxiety is causing obvious behavioural changes the addition of a pheromone diffuser to the home will also be beneficial (Feliway®).
The provision of immediate and unhindered access to resources is an important feature of feline existence and is equally important in both single and multiple feline households.
In order to achieve this in relation to food it is advisable to adopt a policy of ad libitum feeding rather than stick to a rigid system of two meals a day. This also makes more sense in relation to natural feline feeding routines and to feline anatomy and physiology. Hunting behaviour is a time consuming activity in the wild and cats undertake between 100 and 150 hunting forays per day over a period of six to eight hours. The success rate of feline hunting behaviour is surprisingly low, with only 10% of these forays actually resulting in the acquisition of consumable prey. When hunting is successful it results in relatively small meals. Consequently the ratio of energy expenditure to energy consumption is high and this leads to a very effective level of natural weight control. In contrast, in the domestic environment food is provided without any need for feline effort and the resulting ratio of energy input and output can lead to problems of unsuccessful weight control and the risk of obesity. The tendency to provide meals on a twice daily basis can result in cats failing to eat all of their food in one sitting because the capacity of their relatively small digestive tract is exceeded. An animal which is designed to eat between fifteen and twenty small snacks over a twenty-four hour period is likely to struggle to consume fifty percent of its daily food requirement in one go. Such “fussy” behaviour is readily interpreted by caring owners as a sign that the cat is not happy with the food and selection of more palatable and more energy dense diets is often the result. Not only does this increase the tendency for cats to hold out for a more palatable option but it also further upsets the balance between energy input and output and runs a very real risk of inducing problems of feline obesity.
In order to deal with problems of feline weight control attention needs to be given to both sides of the input : output equation. Alterations in the methods of feeding need to be combined with changes in the provision of both mental and physical exercise for cats. The use of multiple feeding stations around the home will encourage the cat to search for food and if relatively obscure locations can be added from time to time this will further increase the challenge.
So called puzzle feeders can be used to increase the effort that is needed to gain access to the food source. Such devices can significantly alter the amount of time and effort that the cat has to spend in the process of consuming its daily diet. Commercial puzzle feeders are available in some pet shops but it is easy for owners to make their own from a small soft plastic drinks bottle, in which they make small holes, just big enough to release the pieces of dry cat food which are placed inside. As the cat knocks the bottle around the floor it will be rewarded with the arrival of the pieces of food and the fact that the bottle is transparent and makes a noise as it moves will help to keep the cat’s interest. However, cats do need to learn to use these devices and in the early stages the holes in the bottle should be so large that the food falls out with minimal feline effort! It is also important to ensure that a nail file or similar device has been used to make the internal rims of the holes as smooth as possible before cats are given these feeders to use.
It is natural for humans to consider eating and drinking as behaviours which happen in conjunction with one another and therefore to place the food and water bowls for their feline companions side by side. In fact cats are averse to drinking water that is found close to a food source and it has been propsed that this behaviour stems from the need in the wild to avoid water courses which could be contaminated with the urine, faeces, blood and guts of prey animals. It is therefore important to provide water in separate locations from feeding stations and to ensure that the water is also provided in a form that is attractive to cats. There is very little motivation for the behaviour of drinking in cats, since they naturally eat prey which is rich in water content and therefore supplies the majority of their water need. If water is provided in bowls or in locations which make the act of drinking difficult they will often walk away. Reduction in drinking can be deterimental to the cat’s health since there are a range of medical conditions which can be exacerbated by low water intake so this can be very significant. Providing water in shallow but wide bowls which are made of glass, metal or ceramic and ensuring that the bowls are always filled to the brim will help to ensure that there is no taste taint and that the cat can easily see the meniscus of the water as it laps, all features which help to maximise feline drinking behaviour.
Ensuring that cats expend sufficient mental and physical energy during the day is not only important in terms of weight control but also in terms of maintaining physical and mental fitness. Cats are designed to engage in short bursts of high energy consuming activity, which is often related to predatory behaviour, and intersperse these with significant periods of rest and relaxation. Provision of outlets for this energy rich activity is therefore an important part of cat ownership. An understanding that predatory behaviour is stimulated in isolation of the sensation of hunger helps to explain the very real need that cats have for periods of predatory motivated play.
The fact that predation is most likely to occur at times of dawn and dusk means that much of a cat’s high intensity activity will naturally occur at these times. Failure to make specific provision for predatory responses during the day can result in cats whose night time and early morning activity becomes seriously disruptive to the domestic environment. In addition a lack of opportunity to engage in predatory responses during play can lead to inappropriate predatory behaviour toward human “prey” and owners can find their own ankles and hands being targeted.
Management of these behaviours is achieved by providing appropriate play on a regular and frequent basis and directing such natural responses onto appropriate toys. Fishing rod toys, which stimulate feline interest through the features of rapid unpredictable movement, reflective surfaces and high-pitched or rustling noise are ideal for this purpose. Other items such as laser pointers can also be used to mimic the activity of potential prey but it is important to remember that part of the predatory sequence is the act of catching and killing. Therefore the use of laser pointers, which can never be caught, as the only source of predatory activity is not appropriate and can even lead to the induction of compulsive behaviours which can be difficult to treat. If such devices are to be used it is vital that owners ensure that the laser light frequently falls on an object which the cat can then catch and tear. Suitable objects include so called “prawn parcels” which are made from greaseproof paper and contain food items, such as prawns or chicken. The parcel is tied to the end of a piece of string and either played with independently or incorporated into the laser pointer game. The idea, in either situation, is that the final sequence of the game involves the cat catching the parcel, ripping it open and eating the food inside.
Hygiene is one of the important features of a natural feline territory and one of the most positive aspects of cat behaviour for many owners is their fastidious approach to toileting. The fact that they are already house trained when they arrive in their new home at just a few weeks of age is something that people find very appealing. How ever, this reputation for cleanliness leads to high expectations and it is important to recognise that provision of appropriate toileting facilities is a pre-requisite for acceptable and appropriate toileting behaviour.
When litter facilities are going to be provided so that cats can urinate and defaecate within the boundaries of the home it is important to ensure that the location provides all of the qualities that a cat will search for in a latrine in the great outdoors. Attention to the provision of adequate privacy is essential. Cats will naturally eliminate at the periphery of their territory, away from other resources such as feeding stations and resting areas, and they will select locations where they will be undisturbed. Indoor latrines must therefore also offer seclusion and sites which make the cat vulnerable or force proximity to other resources must be avoided. The fact that cats will often separate the functions of urination and defaecation into different latrine sites when outdoors may lead to a need for separate litter facilities within the home and the provision of multiple indoor latrines which offer the cat choice will usually be beneficial.
In addition to considering the location of litter facilities it is also important to pay attention to the substrate that is offered within the tray. Once again important lessons can be learned by observing the sort of material that cats naturally elect to eliminate in. In general terms preferred outdoor locations offer a soft and rakeable substrate, which can be easily manipulated with the paws during the process of digging an elimination pit and raking over the deposits. Artificial litters should also be selected for these properties. Materials that are hard underfoot or are difficult to rake should generally be avoided since they are likely to decrease the cat’s desire to use the tray and may even lead to problems of inappropriate elimination in other locations around the home. Adequate depth of litter must also be considered since cats have an innate desire to bury their excreta. Shallow litter may lead to disruption of this important part of the toileting sequence. Likewise litters which are strongly scented are likely to interfere with the cat’s natural instinct to bury until the scent of the deposit has reached an acceptable level and use of these products can be a factor in initiating problems of inappropriate indoor elimination.
Cats are territorial creatures and marking behaviour is an important tool in ensuring that unnecessary encounters with unfamiliar cats are avoided and territory is kept safe from potential invasion. Both urine and faeces can be used as a form of communication in this context but the deposition of urine as a marker is by far the more common approach. The cat adopts a very characteristic stance when engaging in this behaviour. As a result of using this posture the cat ensures that the urine deposit is ideally positioned to be read by passing felines and that its message reaches its intended target. Such behaviour is perfectly normal and acceptable in the context of the great outdoors. Potential encounters with other cats in the neighbourhood are sufficient justification for depositing clear signals of occupancy around the boundary of the territory. These signals are naturally restricted to the home and hunting ranges. Keeping the marks fresh is important, in order to signal ongoing occupancy. If cats are confident in their right to occupy a location the number of deposits are likely to be minimal but if there are specific challenges from other cats the number will increase.
Marking within the core territory is not considered necessary and other behaviours such as eating, sleeping and playing are used to identify that area as a place of security and relaxation. An understanding of this use of marking signals is helpful when trying to interpret the inappropriate behaviour of indoor urine marking. By paying attention to the activities that identify an area as core territory it is possible to increase feline confidence and security within the home thereby decreasing the perception that marking is necessary in that context. Obviously identification of the reason for the cat’s low level of confidence is going to be essential when managing problems of this nature. When considering prevention of urine marking problems the emphasis is on ensuring that the cat(s) perceive the house to be a place of security, thereby removing the need to mark it within. Provision of adequate resources which are readily accessible and of privacy and choice in the home environment will therefore be crucial elements of the prevention programme. The use of pheromone signals (Feliway®) which confirm the familiarity of the location will also be beneficial.
The increasing popularity of the cat as a companion animal has led to a significant alteration in the role that it is expected to fulfil within human society and, whilst the majority of cats adapt well to the challenge, there are others that find the constraints of domestic life difficult to adjust to. Minimising the discrepancy between feline needs and human expectations is therefore essential if cats are to be relaxed in their companion animal role and interpreting situations from a feline perspective will be a significant factor in achieving this goal.