by Shojai, Amy
In multi-pet homes, troublemakers (other pets pestering) may prompt problem meowing. Cats introduced to other cats or dogs for the first time often meow more as a result. Felines use a wide range of vocalizations to communicate with other cats, but seem to reserve “meows” primarily for talking to their people. Meows are demands: let me OUT, let me IN, pet me, play with me, FEED me! As the cats become more passionate and insistent, meows grow more strident and lower-pitched.
Giving in to meow-demands tells Sheba that pestering works to get her way, and any response such as putting the pillow over your head, yelling at her, or pushing her off the bed still gives her the attention she craves. The only way to extinguish this behavior is to totally ignore the cat. That means, you DON’T get up to feed her; you DON’T indulge in toe-tag games; you DON’T yell at her, spray her with water, or give any attention at all. That’s hard to do when she’s paw-patting your nose, or shaking the windows with yowls. It can take weeks to months to get rid of this behavior once established, but with patience, it can be done.
· Invest in earplugs to help you ignore the cat’s plea for attention.
· Many people enjoy sleeping with their cat until Sheba opens her meow-mouths. You may need to make a hard choice, and shut her out of the bedroom. Cats shut out of the bedroom often continue to pester from the other side of the door, and may even scratch or otherwise cause damage. Choose a “safe room” on the other side of the house stocked with lots of toys, a litter box, scratch object and food, and confine noisy cats out of earshot.
· If other cats or dogs instigate the meowing, separating and confining the problem fur-kid away from the others can help. When the dog stays in his crate for the night, he can’t chase and tease the cat—or vice versa.
· Meowing can result from boredom. Offer a Treat Ball or other irresistible toy that keeps the cat’s brain (and mouth) occupied so she won’t meow.
· Closing windows so your cats can’t hear or see outside strays may help. Anything that attracts roaming cats to visit during the night should be discouraged. For example, avoid leaving out food on the porch, and clean up brush piles that make attractive critter hiding places.
VET ALERT!
For some reason, cats tend to become more vocal when suffering from hypertension (high blood pressure), which can be a result of kidney or heart disease. Excessive meowing also may be a sign of deafness in aging cats. When Sheba can’t hear her own voice any longer, she tends to meow louder and longer. Check with your veterinarian about excessive meowing in any cat.
CHEWING HABITS
Dogs chew to explore their world, manipulate objects, to relieve boredom, and because it feels good, and they always target your most prized possessions as chew toys because they smell like you. Puppies and kittens test their world the same way human infants do—everything goes into the mouth, and while cats usually outgrow the teething stage, adult dogs retain the chew habit. Oddly enough, some felines fixate on paper, and nibbling kitties show a talent for creating confetti works of art from cardboard boxes.
Chewing not only damages property when pets target illegal objects, it can break teeth, result in dangerous swallowed objects or deadly electrocution should Sheba gnaw the computer wire. Don’t blame the pet for doing what comes naturally. Instead, prevent problems by reducing opportunities to make mistakes.
· Pet proof the house by picking up tempting objects and confining the chewer to a "safe" zone when you can’t supervise her activity. A product such as Bitter Apple applied to forbidden electrical cords helps train cats to leave dangerous items alone. If your cats like the taste of Bitter Apple, use menthol scented Vicks Vapo-Rub and paint baseboards or apply to cloth draped over forbidden targets to keep pets at bay.
· When you catch your cat chewing a forbidden object, offer a legal chew toy such as a small dog-size rawhide chew. Soak one in warm water or broth and zap with the microwave for ten seconds to soften the leather and make it more pungent, so it appeals to cat cravings.
· Cats should have 8 to 10 toys to ensure they always have something interesting. Providing a variety of toys helps you figure out which ones really float your cats’ boat—different kitties may have different tastes. Rotate three or four at a time to keep them fresh and new to the pet.
· Cats have extremely acute hearing and scent sense. If they chew a wall or baseboard, consider there may be “critters” running around inside the walls that prompt the behavior. Trap or otherwise remove rodents or insects that drive your pet buggy.
· Some cats damage windowsills or pull down drapes when they see another animal outside trespassing on their territory. Blocking access to the window and view of the interloper often stops the behavior. Keep windows closed and move furniture to block access.
CLAW CONDUCT
Nothing looks more appealing than a fluffy, cuddly kitten—until the claws come out. Clawing is hard-wired into the feline brain, and is a natural instinctive behavior that can’t be stopped. Claws are the equivalent of human finger- and toenails, and composed of hard, nonliving protein (cuticle) that grows from the nerve and blood-rich quick. Feline claws arise from the last joint of each toe, and extend and retract courtesy of two small “hinged” bones that rest nearly on top of each other. When relaxed, claws sheath inside a skin fold so the paws look soft and smooth. Flexing the tendon straightens the folded bones and pushes claws forward and down, spreading paws to almost twice former width.
Clawing feels good, and provides great aerobic exercise to stretch the shoulder and foreleg muscles. Cats don’t wear down their claws during walking about and playing the way dogs do. Clawing objects keeps nails healthy by helping to shed the old layer, and expose the sharp new growth. More importantly, scent pads in kitty paws leave invisible smell-cues of ownership. The visible marks also serve as messages to warn away other cats from prime feline real estate. Cats also claw to soothe upset feelings, and they increase clawing during times of stress—placing a scratch post in areas the cat urine sprays can help by relieving angst with scratching instead.
If Sheba can’t reach something she really wants, such as a toy the other cat has swiped, she may claw the post as a displacement behavior instead of aggressing the other feline. Other times, she’ll use clawing to express positive emotions by running to scratch the post when you return for the day, or she knows the food bowl will be filled. A cat introduced into a new home may turn into a clawing maniac until she becomes more comfortable. Cats also use their claws to protect themselves from threats, and they use scratching as a displacement behavior.
Clipping Claws
Felines are great at bluffing and often “pull their punches” by bopping the nosy dog or other cat with claws withheld. But claws endanger eyes and can hurt your lap when cats indulge in kneading behavior. Even before you train your cats to scratch appropriately, you can protect your furniture and other pets with a feline pedicure.
When your cat relaxes on your lap, or snoozes on the sofa, gently pet her and pick up a paw. Squeeze gently between your thumb and fingers to express the sharp nail tips, and snip off the sharp, white hooked end with your own nail clippers or a pair designed for pets. Avoid the pink “quick” at the base of the toe, which contains the blood supply and will bleed if nicked.
No rule says you must trim every claw at one sitting. Clip only as many as Kitty will allow, and stop before she struggles, then offer her a favorite treat or toy. Clip only two or three a night, offering bribes along the way, and all four paws will be done in a week or so.
COMFORT ZONE
A wide range of scratching objects is available, from fancy multi-tiered “trees” and color-coordinated carpet covered feline furniture to homemade objects available from the back yard. Pet products stores, cat shows, grocery stores, and online sites such as www.angelicat.com offer a variety of commercial products. But cats don’t care what you spend, and an inexpensive catnip-impregnated cardboard surface, or a cedar log from Uncle Jim’s farm may be your cat’s dream-come-
true.
Despite all best efforts, some hard-case cats are slow or stubborn and have problems following claw rules. Vinyl nail covers called Soft Paws reduce the potential for scratch damage in these cases. The vinyl caps glue over the top of each nail, and come in a variety of fashion colors. They are available from pet supply stores and some veterinary offices. You can learn to apply them yourself.
Declaw Surgery
Declaw surgery amputates the last joint of each toe to remove the claw and the nail bed from which it grows. Declaw surgery has no health benefits to the cat, and serves only as a convenience for owners. Surveys estimate 25 percent of cats in North America are declawed, but the procedure is condemned and even illegal in many other countries. Professional cat fanciers feel so strongly about this, that pedigreed cats are not allowed to appear in cat shows if they have been declawed.
Surgery does eliminate potential claw damage to your belongings, and some declawed cats never have problems from the surgery. But a percentage of declawed cats become biters and/or develop litter box aversions due to painful paws, creating a host of new behavior issues that impact you and your multipet household. Declawing should not be considered routine, and only considered after exhausting all other options. Veterinary surveys estimate that as many as 50 percent of owners that had a cat declawed wouldn’t otherwise have kept the cat.
Kittens recover more quickly than adult cats. Without claws for protection, declawed felines should be kept inside for their safety. The most recent (and humane) surgical techniques employ lasers, resulting in less pain and bleeding during recovery. Talk with your veterinarian and other cat owners before deciding to declaw.
Teaching Claw Etiquette
Most cats can be trained to use appropriate scratching objects, so they can keep their claws. When you introduce a young kitten into an adult cat home, the baby learns more quickly by observing the other felines’ good behavior and makes the training job easier.
· A single cat thinks he rules every window, door, feeding station and sleeping area, and a single post may not do justice to his territorial needs. When you have more than one cat, several scratch objects are required. Spread them over the entire house to accommodate all the cats’ territory and so one feline can’t “guard” and own all the objects.
· Clawing marks territory so scratch objects must be located correctly for the cat to use them. Kitty wants the world to see his scratch-graffiti and won’t use objects hidden in back rooms so place posts in high traffic areas or near important cat territory: lookouts, food stations, and your bedroom (if you share a pillow).
· To accommodate the cats’ exercise and stretching needs, the scratch object must be long or tall enough to accommodate their full stretch, and stable enough to withstand an all-out assault. Kittens outgrow small posts and need an upgrade once they’re mature. If the post tips over onto the cat, you’ll have an awful time convincing Sheba to try again.
· The scratch surface, size and the shape of the post are also important. Cats have individual surface preferences such as wood, sisal or carpet, as well as posture preferences. Some like to stretch out on tummies to scratch horizontal surfaces, while others like vertical scratching, so observe your cats to figure out what they like or offer several kinds for them to choose.
· Spike new scratch objects with catnip to promote feline allegiance. Play-oriented cats can be lured to try out the post by dragging a feather or other toy across the surface, so they sink in claws. Don’t be afraid to demonstrate claw technique to Kitty, either. Cats learn by mimicking behavior, so the demonstration by you (or another feline) can help because it also marks the post with your scent, making it an even more attractive object for the cats to claim as their own.
· Cats that have already clawed furniture or carpet return to the scene of the crime to refresh the marks/scent, unless they have better options. Place the new “legal” scratch object directly in front of the damaged sofa or on top of the clawed carpet. Once the cat begins to use the legal object, you can slowly move it (a foot at a time) to a more convenient location that’s still within the cat’s territorial ideal.
· Physical punishment or even a loud scolding cause fear and increased anxiety for the cat. Instead, use interruption to stop the behavior. Cats often scratch without conscious thought sort of like you tapping your fingers. Other cats test you, and only behave when you enforce the rules. Slap a newspaper against your thigh, clap hands, or shake an empty soda can full of pennies to stop Sheba in mid-claw. A long-distance squirt gun aimed at a furry tail can startle some cats out of the behavior; however, some cats like to be sprayed. Once kitty stops, direct claws to the legal target with the feather toy, and praise when she does the right thing.
· Interruptions are most effective if you stay silent, with little to no movement while giving the interruption. Doing so out of sight is even more effective but hard to do. A remote control ‘booby trap’ can be helpful. Try hooking up an alarm, hair dryer, Water Pik or tape recording into a remote switch and place in area where the cat misbehaves. Watch for illegal activity and trigger the interruption when the cat enters area.
· Make illegal targets unattractive to the cats, so that they’ll leave them alone even when you’re not around. There are several good claw-deterrents available, but not all work for every cat, so experiment until one works for you. One of the most effective for on upholstery is a double-sided tape product called Sticky Paws (www.stickypaws.com). Cats dislike touching surfaces that stick to paw fur, and this often keeps claws at bay.
· An innovative new training product called the Ssscat™ aerosol, available at www.premier.com, gives off a HISSS of air that trains cats to scat when a motion detector triggered by their presence sets it off. You don’t have to be there for it to work.
· A product called Feliway duplicates the cheek scent that cats produce to rub against furniture, your ankles, the dog, or other objects. The pheromone reduces environmental stress that prompts excessive clawing, and since cats don’t want to scratch on top of a cheek-marked area, you can use Feliway to prevent illegal scratching. For best results, spray the forbidden area once a day, while providing a “legal” target. You can find Feliway at most pet products stores.
· Strong scents such as citrus deodorants, Vicks or No Scratch from pet stores repel many cats. Apply directly to forbidden objects or on fabric draped over the problem area.
· Cinnamon peppered on dark upholstery, or baby powder on light fabric, prompts a poof of scented dust into the cat’s face when she assaults with feline claws. Both the dust and the scent help remind cats of their manners even when you aren’t around to supervise.
· Claws hitting bubble-wrap taped to an illegal target POP! and interrupt kitty scratching. Remember, booby-traps aren’t permanent, but offer interim teaching aids to transition Sheba to a legal target. Once she uses the right scratching object, you can remove the bubble wrap or other decorator’s eyesores.
More Paw Behavior: Kneading
Cats use their sensitive paws to test objects for safety. Soft tentative taps measure temperature, texture and density and can be aimed at toys, other cats or humans. Paw thumps may be used to discipline or to invite play.
A kitten’s rhythmic paw-pushing with front paws, termed kneading behavior, stimulates the release of a mother cat’s milk. It looks similar to how bread dough is made. The behavior doesn’t stop when nursing goes away, though. Even adult cats knead against soft objects like your thigh or a pillow when they seem to feel particularly happy and satisfied.
We suspect the emotions hearken back to feel-good moments of nursing during kittenhood. So adult cats who knead an owner's lap may actually be declaring their love for a surrogate human "mom."
Rear Foot Treading
Cats may rear foot tread during play. It looks sort of like a "rev your engines" preparation for a game of cat-tag. The hunter typically crouches in a stalking pose and rear-foot treads just before racing to pounce on the mouse.
Intact male cats also rear-paw tread after mounting a female cat during breeding. Some cats also use rear paw scraping after urine spraying or leaving a deposit in the litter box. Kicking up some dirt not only leaves scent marks from paw pads, it may also leave visual cues.
COUNTERTOP CRUISING
Cats naturally adore high places because they’re safe lookouts and make a literal statement about the cat’s place in the feline hierarchy. However, countertop cruising can be both a safety and a hygiene issue for owners and the cats. Nobody enjoys having a pet “graze” from the dinner table or skillet, and walking across a hot stovetop may cause serious burns.
Dealing with height-loving felines frustrates owners. Even when Kitty understands that a particular location (the mantel) is forbidden, she may avoid the place when you’re present, but plant her furry tail on high as soon as you leave the room. When you return and she sees you, she’ll leap off even before you yell at her. A couple of things are going on. The cat that claims the highest position is the “top cat” in the scheme of feline hierarchy. Cats want to be able to see long distances, and be out of reach of potential threats.
Second, cats practice a time-share mentality, and schedule lounging time to avoid competition, so when the “top cat” is not there to use the preferred perch, the cat feels within her rights to claim it. After all, YOU weren’t using it! Then when you catch her in the forbidden zone, she acknowledges you as the top cat and gets off in deference to your social status.
Multiple cats means you’ll constantly chase cats off second story space, because as soon as one vacates the real estate, another waits to take her place. When cats must share space with dogs, they’ll be even more inclined to take the “high road” and avoid the ground floor territory claimed by any canines. That can be a safety issue as well as a social statement for the cat. You will not win all these battles, but you can modify some of these irksome behaviors, and encourage cats to stay off forbidden places with training techniques.