Analysis of Cat Behavior

The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of your cat
is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings and their
actions are not based on emotion. Changes in his behavior are not stemmed
from any repressed anger with you; your cat is not trying to get revenge on
you for being away from home too much or bringing a new baby into the house.

Negative changes in cat behavior are typically cause by stress or anxiety
for the cat. It is easy to see why pet owners tend to conclude that the
cat's feelings toward them are causing the behavioral differences; it is
human nature to correlate two unrelated events. In reality, there is a
missing link: your behavior may cause the cat physical anxiety, thus the
cat's behavior alteration is based on physiological changes in his body.

One common complaint among cat owners is that their cat has suddenly chosen
a new favorite place to deposit wastes instead of his litter box. This
could be a result of a few factors.

First, it may be a medical problem.
Cats are prone to urinary track infections that make it extremely painful to
urinate. Cats then associate the pain of urination with the litter box, so
they do not like to visit their designated urination station. If your cat
has stopped using the litter box, your first step should be to take him to
the vet and have a thorough check-up run on him. Cats also have natural
preferences for certain textures and smells, so if you have recently changed
the type of cat litter you use, the cat may be showing that he does not care
for the new feeling or smell of his litter. In avoiding the litter box, the
cat may have become attached to new textures and locations around your
household, perhaps the soft living room rug or bedroom closet.

The best
strategy is not to punish the cat; he will not understand. Rather, have a
medical check up, switch litters, and continuously reintroduce the cat to
his litter box. Reward him for using it, just like he was a kitten again.

To relieve any anxiety your cat may be feeling, carefully analyze any
changes that have occurred in his life as of late. If a new baby or
roommate comes into the house, your cat may feel threatened, so be sure to
give him extra attention. If you suddenly have to spend more time away from
home than normal, consider getting a second cat so that your cat does not
spend his days alone. Although the cat is not having emotional reactions,
his body feels different due to changes around him.

Be in tune with what may be causing your cat to feel anxious, analyze the situation, and do the
loyal owner duty of relieving his stress.

Credit: Keith Kingston

Dog Treats - The Best Time To Treat Them

Pet treats are of great importance. They can be a great asset, when given at the right time. If you find it difficult that your pooch is not following or listening you even after a treat, then there is something wrong with your timing or reason. To help you practice the right time to give it to your pet, here are some guidelines that can solve all of your confusion and aid you in administering the treat easily with all positive results.

When To Give Treats To Your Dogs

Giving treats in between the meals is ideal. Remember never include treats along with dog food. Try to find the liking and taste of your pooch and select a treat that your dog will enjoy. It is also quite helpful when you are training your dog. Also, your treat will not work as an encouraging tool, if you are likely to give it right after the meals. Therefore, ensure to give the treat only in between the meals and not immediately before or after the meals.

One of the best techniques to give treat is to hold it into your hand between the first two fingers and thumb. Then, let your dog sniff through it to find that it is there. The golden role here is: first nose, then mouth and ears! Starting with a dog's nose, is highly rewarding as you are appealing to the most important part of her brain.

Furthermore, as your dog is sniffing and getting interested, slowly lift the treat above nose height and move it gradually over her head and slightly back towards her shoulders. The aim is to make your dog sit on the butts, to lower the shoulders back and lift her head up.

Lift the treat slowly and easily so that your dog's nose follows it in your hand. When your dog jumps at your hand, take it away. Second time, have the treat hand closer to her head. The moment she begins to follow the treat with her nose and eyes along with putting her butt to the floor, say - "sit", calmly and slowly and give her the treat. Say softly as not to disturb your pooch. Also remember, not to overexcite your furry pal as he may lose the lesson in all the chaos.

Well, dog treats are to show the feeling of affection. Given abruptly will not churn out to bring in the desired results. Treats need to be given at the right time for the right reason. If you are not sticking to the rules or consistent when you give a treat to your furry pal, you may just end up confusing your pooch greatly. Ensure to give treat as a reward for a good behavior or for showing affection after a good deed.

It's essential to treat your pet at the time and on the right occasion as this will boost positive behavior in your furry pal.

Credit: Eugene Hix

HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH CATS

Communicating with cats can be very difficult  and frustrating as they tend to be very detached, it is way easier when communicating with dogs, they learn very fast, where not to lie, what chair not to sit in, where not to poop ,and whenever they fall out of line they are very apologetic from their eyes, tails and even squirms. 

But when it comes to cat is like they always press a reset button to forget what they did just two hours ago, they seem to forget how pissed you seemed when they peed on your clothes and are likely to repeat itself should the situation presents itself, no matter how often you put them down from the couch, they seem to want to get back up there, they have a mind of their own and are likely to revisit the scene of their crimes. 

One way to communicate with cats is to understand them as that is the only way to relate with them. They have no interests in understanding you or your moods, one can say they can be very selfish. They want you to know when they are hungry, when they need to be pampered, when they are in the mood to play but not the other way around, they don't mind waking you up at 2am  for the fun of it, and you can't help but wonder with all the house space they chose their playspot right next to your ear, the list goes on and on, they would have survive well on their own but you choose to have them as side kicks in which case they cannot afford to be. Basically you need to understand their patterns and adjust to it, when they want to eat, sleep, get a rub, playtime, change in diets and portions. 

What's to gain from this idolisation of a pet? for one thing you get to have a clean house companion, if they are content, you will have very little to tend to in terms of picking up after them, they stick to their litter box, keep rodents away, and when you are bored they will be there to pur, lick your face and rub their soft furry coat all over you and make you feel soo much better.


Credit: Ismail Ibrahim

How to Effectively Discipline a Cat

Anyone who has lived around a cat will tell you they are clever animals that learn quickly and have a mind of their own. If they are misbehaving, it may be that you need to show them how you want them to behave. But there are ways to do this that will work and other ways that will simply cause more problems. Here we look at some of them.

Understanding behaviour

Firstly, owners need to understand why a cat does what it does. While a kitten may seem like a little furry human in some ways, one area they aren't like us is that they won't act out. They won't do something just to irritate you or to get back at you. So if they are urinating outside their litter box, it isn't to wind you up but because there is some instinct that tells them to do this. This can range from not liking the litter box or the litter to be unsettled by its location or even having a medical condition that means it doesn't have time to reach the box. So understanding why they are doing what they do helps to know how to discipline them effectively.

Dos and don'ts

One of the most common problems is what is called litter box avoidance. This is where the cat doesn't use their litter box for some reason and deposits their waste elsewhere. To solve this problem, you need to play detective. Is it, as mentioned, the litter box or litter that has been changed? Is the box in a new location in a high traffic area of the house that makes the cat feel uncomfortable? Or is the cat showing any other symptoms that may indicate a health problem, such as blood in the urine, crying when going to the toilet or weight loss. Once you have figured out what the problem is, the cat will go back to using the litter box again. Don't ever wipe their nose in the waste eliminated in the wrong place, as this means nothing to them.

Scratching the furniture is another frequently encountered problem. This stems from the cat's urge to maintain their claws and the furniture takes the place of a tree that their ancestors would have used. The best way to stop this is to provide a scratching post. Whenever the cat begins to scratch the furniture, take them to the scratching post instead. A sharp clap of the hands will also put them off their scratching but never smack them as this won't mean anything to them and will lead to a fear of your hands.

Fighting can be broken up in much the same way, a sharp clap of the hands or a loud shout of 'no'. Cats often fight with others in the house, but it is key to recognise play and aggression to know if there is a bigger problem. Look for signs of anger or fear in their body language to indicate the fighting is serious, rather than just rough play.

Kittens particularly bite everything to investigate it and because their teeth hurt, much as a toddler goes through teething. Learning them not to include hands in their biting range is important from a young age. If you are bitten, don't pull your hand away quickly as this will seem like playing. Again, a sharp 'no' will make them jump and release the hand. When playing, avoid using your hand as the focus, instead use a toy on a stick or rope so that your hands don't come to be seen as a toy.

Credit: Angela Tempest