Creating the Perfect Cat - July/August 11

By Patty Homer

Most every cat owner has heard “dogs have masters, cats have staff.” They seem to have a royal yet sometimes disdainful outlook on all things non-cat. But we sure do love them! Their purr is so comforting we can fall asleep to it. They are comical, sweet, stand-offish, playful and lazy. Lazy? Well maybe during the day, but just wait until we try to sleep — that is when the activity begins.

Life is great with a cat until there is a behavior issue, then what? Unfortunately, some people believe that cats are disposable. The cat starts acting out and it ends up in a shelter, euthanized or even worse dropped at the side of a road somewhere. This thinking is (hopefully) outdated and definitely incomprehensible to me. When you bring a pet into the home, whether it is a gold fish, guinea pig, cat or dog — it is then your responsibility to care for it for the rest of its life.

Options are limited, however when your cat starts having behavior problems. There are lots of dog trainers who deal with canine behavior issues, but very few who deal with cat behavior issues, but there are some out there. Until recently, the only option most cat owners had was to see a board certified veterinary behaviorist (the closest one in this area is in St. Louis) or a veterinarian that specializes in behavior. However, many dog trainers are widening their horizons and working with cats and their owners.
There are 2 things you can easily do that can change some behavior issues including play aggression, destroying or shredding paper, scratching on furniture and excessive nocturnal activity.  Those 2 things are — change the way you feed your cat and increase your cat’s exercise.

Change How You Feed Your Cat
Cats are predators, it is in their DNA to hunt, kill and eat their prey. In order to fulfill this need without setting unsuspecting mice or birds free in your home, you can offer food by making them work to eat. There are several products on the market that make your cat work to eat including the Stimulo Cat Feeding Station, Slim Cat Interactive Toy, Pavlov’s Cat Scratch Feeder and the “puppy” size Kong filled with your cat’s favorite wet food.

You can also be creative and make your own “work to eat” toy by taking a small plastic container (like yogurt) and cut holes in it that are big enough for your cat’s kibble to fall through. At first, you want to make it easy for your cat, so cut larger holes and more of them and then slowly adjust to smaller and less holes to make it harder to get the food out. After your cat is used to the idea of working to eat, start hiding the container in a paper bag, a box or leave a couple of them in different rooms for him to find.

Exercise
Have you ever seen an overweight feral cat? I haven’t! Work to eat is the first step to getting your cat more exercise. Step 2 is — play with your cat! Given the choice, most cats will lie around during the day and then start wondering through the house at night while you try to sleep. Cats love to chase — you will see many toys designed for this as you walk down the cat aisle of any pet store — different items on the end of a string attached to a stick. There are also some great toys like the Flying Fun Interactive cat toy, laser lights, Mouse in the House cat toy and the Peek and Play cat toy (you can search for these products on-line). I recommend having several different toys on hand and rotating them through so your cat doesn’t get bored with them.

Indoor cats can be taken outside safely on a leash and harness. Harnesses are much safer than neck collars — if your cat gets scared or starts chasing something and gets to the end of the leash, a harness will stop their body — a collar will stop their neck possibly causing spinal injuries. You can use a long leash made of clothes line with a hook on the end and make it as long as you want; this way your cat can explore, chase and capture bugs to eat (YUM!), roll in the grass and lie in the sunshine. I have even seen people walking their cats like people walk their dogs! Be cautious, though – indoor cats should not be outside unattended, they do not have the skills that outdoor cats have practiced and perfected.

Enriching your cat’s environment is the first step to changing unwanted behavior and will make your cat a happy kitty. If your cat exhibits any unwanted or abnormal behavior that it has never shown before, ruling out any medical causes should be your first priority – a visit to the vet is in order, then a call to the trainer.

Patty Homer is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer and a Pet First Aid instructor. She has been training dogs for 20 years. She owns Good Pup dog training and boarding in South Kansas City. Her certifications include CPDT-KA (certified through the Certification Counsel of Professional Dog Trainers); CDT certified through the International Association of Canine Professionals. She is the Founder and President of HEARTland Positive Dog Training Alliance. For more information, visit her website at www.goodpupkc.com.