|
Cat Ownership 101
The responsibilities of owning a cat or kitten are significant
and long-term. The decision to adopt or purchase one should
therefore be an informed one. Talk to
cat breeders near you and ask to
visit with their cats, see what it takes to actually care for them
properly.
People thinking about obtaining a cat should consider carefully
whether their lifestyles and finances are compatible with a
considerable commitment of time, effort and money over a long
period. Potential cat owners should also take into account the type
of community or neighborhood in which they live.
For example people living next to undeveloped areas must recognize
the extra responsibilities involved, in ensuring that their cat does
not interfere with native wildlife in these areas. Similarly, people
living near busy roads need to consider the potential need to
confine their cats to reduce risks associated with motor vehicles.
Spaying or neutering is also an important step that must be taken,
if it hasn't already been taken care of by the previous owner or
breeder. There are so many cats and kittens destroyed every year, it
is irresponsible and cruel to contribute to this problem.
Play with your Cat!
While most domestic dogs seem
to get out at least once or twice a day for a walk, or manage to
place their head on your knee with such devotion you can't seem to
say no to a good pet and rub behind the ears, most house cats are
unfortunately a bit neglected. They stay indoors all day long and do
nothing but eat, sleep and maybe get an occasional stroke down the
back. That really isn't enough mental or physical stimulation for a
cat, and may actually affect it's health or state of mind.
Kittens and younger cats that have a stronger play drive and, sadly,
are still "new" enough in the family to inspire more attention, may
be alright for awhile. When they're not getting sought after
attention from their human they will let you know by any means they
have, including racing full tilt up your pant leg, or attacking your
toes as you try to sleep. But as a cat gets older, we seem to think
that they no longer require this interactive play, that they are
independent and will entertain themselves. This is completely false!
Even a cat kept indoors all it's life will have a highly developed
prey and play drive, that needs to be exercised in order for the cat
to be healthy physically as well as mentally. If you can't devote
time to encouraging playtime with your cat, at the very least you
should provide her with a wide variety of toys and play things. One
or two toys will just NOT be enough. They will lose interest in them
very quickly, especially if the toys are just left on the floor for
them to play with alone. A cat left with nothing and nobody to play
with will not only be an unhappy cat, but he will often end up
overweight or even obese, leading to more serious health problems
later in life.
I understand that we're all busy, we have our own lives to live and
demands upon our time. But by keeping a pet, you are agreeing to
care for that pet, and 15-30 minutes a day of playtime is not too
much time to ask for. You can even make your own free cat toys, so
you don't have to worry about placing a strain on your wallet. The
best cat toy of all, is actually YOU. Your interaction with your
kitty.
Cats play is a mimic of the techniques they'd use in the wild to
hunt prey. They like to crouch, pounce, chase, swat and ambush their
toys (or you). Try to encourage this behavior by using a toy to
mimic the motions a prey animal might make. Darting motions, and
quick, fleeing actions with a toy will draw your cats immediate
attention, and it will be unable to resist the urge to chase.
Discipline
Never, ever strike your cat! Discipline of this kind will only turn
your cat aggressively against you.
If biting or scratching is a problem, try to use aversive responses
to discourage this bad behavior. You can either use a squirt bottle
filled with water and a small amount of vinegar or a can of
pressurized air to squirt a cat or kitten with when they becomes too
rough. To use this technique effectively, you’ll always need to have
the spray bottle or can handy. You can either place one in each
room, or carry one with you as you move around the house. In some
cases, you may want to apply bad tasting cream or spray to your
hands. If you have sensitive skin you may want to wear gloves and
put the aversive on the gloves. The possible disadvantage to this
method is that your cat may learn that "hands with gloves taste bad
and those without gloves don’t."
The best way to help prevent such behavior is to redirect the cat's
attention to something else. If she wants to play rough, give her a
cat toy
to wrestle or chase. This will encourage her to direct such play
onto a toy instead of a person. If she surprises you with a sudden
bite, and you don't have a bottle available, a loud "YOWWW!" may
startle her enough to make her think twice about biting again.
Any attempt to physically punish your cat or kitten, by tapping,
flicking, or especially hitting WILL NOT WORK! You will only invoke
a fear response in your cat and teach it to be afraid of you. In
time it will become defensive aggressive just seeing you walk into
the room, the same way it would if you were a dog and it thought you
were going to attack it.
|
