Cats are known to be quite mysterious creatures, but they are great at expressing love. You just need to be able to find an unusual approach to them.
A group of Swiss veterinarians and biologists conducted a series of special studies to find out how cats behave towards their owners. The results showed that with the right interaction with animals, owners can literally bask in the love of their furry pets. Joinfo.com shares 10 effective ways to improve your relationship with cats.
Let the cat come to you first
When you adopt a new kitten, don't try to shower it with all your love and care right away. Let him first get used to it, understand where to find food and toys. It’s better to watch from the side for a while: if everything is fine, the pet will come up to meet you. All you need to do is not pay too much attention to him, because cats love freedom.
Be available
Many of us are very busy, and this may even be the reason why people choose cats as a companion. It’s no secret that they are relatively independent animals. But despite this, the active rhythm of life and the general unfriendly mood or atmosphere do not give the cat a feeling of comfort. This often leads to them not only being naughty, but also avoiding you.
The best way to change a situation like this is to be accessible. If, for example, your cat likes to rest on a certain pillow, place it on your lap. This way you will help the animal connect you with its comfortable place.
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Always remain calm and aim to reduce sudden movements or agitated reactions when spending one-on-one time with your pet.
Set up a place to relax
A cat needs a personal space where it can go if it doesn’t like something and calm down there. If she scratches, bites and wags her tail in displeasure, do not hold her near you. Let yourself come to your senses, wait until she approaches you again. By doing this, you show her that you respect her interests - and she will respond with even greater affection and devotion.
Pay attention to what they tell you
Taking notice of their meows when their cup is empty is one thing, but cats are also masters of body language. They will tell you everything you need to know about how they are feeling with simple movements of their tail or body. If cats are rolling around on the floor and looking at their owner with friendly-sounding vocalizations, there is a good chance that they are being friendly. A pet's tummy turned towards you is usually a sign that he feels comfortable.
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True, the most important indicator is always the tail. Reading this cat language may seem difficult at first. But over time, it becomes easier to understand the difference between when they are in the mood for your affection and games, and when they are not so much. And they can be understood. If someone always annoyed you relentlessly when you weren't in the mood, would you like it?
Below are tips on how you can tell your cat's mood by looking at its tail.
- If your pet's tail is straight up and not curled, it most likely means that he is friendly and may even greet you by rubbing against your leg or arm.
- If the tail is curled down and slightly raised, the cat is likely to be aggressive or defensive.
- If the tail swings around at random, the animal is probably irritated or angry and would prefer to be left alone.
- If only the tip of the tail bends slowly back and forth, it may mean that your pet is curious, preoccupied, or interested in something specific.
— How else can people cause stress in a cat?
— Unfortunately, there are many ways. Cats communicate with each other and with us using body language. People do not always use it correctly, but cats read our signals in any case. We are accustomed to considering cats as something small and harmless, and few people would think that a cat has a personal space that must be respected. Therefore, cats are squeezed, disturbed by a sleeping animal, and held in their arms in a way that is unpleasant for him. Also, imagine the size ratio of a cat to a person - how it feels when someone steps on it and looms over it. The same thing with stroking. Often people raise their hand from above, and most cats, even those without fear of swinging, find this unpleasant.
Jan Steen. "Children teach a cat to dance." Fragment. 1660–1679
Many people like to grab a fluffy cat by the cheeks and kiss it. And the cat thinks that the man has gone crazy and is about to eat him.
While holding an animal in your arms, it is quite possible to bring your face to its muzzle. Moreover, the cat in such a situation will most likely rub its cheek. But you need to turn your head slightly, sideways - this way we reduce the level of anxiety.
If a cat is not allowed to rest peacefully, sooner or later it will begin to avoid people. In general, high places for observation and rest are important to them. Therefore, I am horrified every time apartments are furnished with low furniture and the animal has nowhere to go in such conditions.
Another way to easily stress a cat is by trying to punish it. There is no point in punishing cats. I’ll say more - it’s harmful! On the Internet, the most common advice is to stop dominant behavior. Do, they say, what cats and kittens do: take them by the collar and lift them up to your face. Or vice versa - press it to the ground. In short, to show who is boss here. However, the only thing that the cat will understand is that humans are a dangerous and unpredictable creature that should be feared.
Think about it: who does this to a cat? Does it grab you or throw you? Someone who is trying to kill her, such as a dog. What emotions should a cat feel towards a person after this?
Well, how, for example, does a table for a cat differ from another raised horizontal surface? Nothing. Sometimes this is the only such “comfortable” place in the house. If people are against having a cat on the table, there are plenty of ways to make the area unwelcome. However, if the owner swears, the cat will draw the only conclusion - don’t climb on the table in front of him. And accordingly, he will climb in in his absence. The owners are surprised: “Well, he understands that it’s impossible!” How and what does he understand? The animal understands that you do not approve. You are not there, there is no negative object - that means everything is possible.
Clara Peters. "Still life with carp, oysters, crayfish, roach and cat." First half of the 17th century
We must not forget that when prohibiting something, we must offer the cat an alternative. If you don't want him to climb on the table, offer him a window sill.
How long does it take for cats to get used to each other?
Bringing a cat into your first cat's home is not difficult, but remember that each cat will behave differently. If the owners have a cheerful, optimistic animal, and the newly acquired pet has a wayward character, the familiarization process may take a long time. It is almost impossible to make friends between male cats in the same apartment; if we are talking about castrated pets, the task is simplified, since animals that have survived the operation lose the instinct to preserve the territory. As a rule, the period of rapprochement between animals varies from 1 week to several months, but with patience, lonely cat lovers can adopt and have three or more cats in one house.
Preparing the house
To minimize the problems that will arise with a new pet, prepare your home/apartment in advance for this event.
What needs to be done to create a comfortable living environment for new and old residents:
- Provide each animal with its own litter tray, place and utensils for eating, and a place to sleep (hammock, lounger, bedding, house, basket). This will reduce competition between cats and reduce stress.
- Choose similar bowls, trays and beds. This is to prevent cats from feeling that you are favoring someone else.
- Place food and water bowls in the same room, but at a safe distance. When eating, animals experience the most competition and stress. Cats should see each other while eating, but be protected from attacks by their relatives.
- Create separate elevated areas for each pet: cat trees, vertical units and cabinets, wall shelves. Cats love to watch what is happening from above.
- Provide cats with houses for playing together, tunnels, cardboard boxes with holes, and play complexes. These should be spacious structures with several exits. Cats should be able to escape from another pet while playing - they should feel safe.
- Buy your own toys for the new resident. To reduce stress, at first do not play with your cats' toys with the newly arrived animal.
- Get ready to give love and affection to all the inhabitants of the house equally. Jealousy towards the owner can provoke conflict.
Never hit your friend
Do you hit your friends when you don't like them? Surely not. They would probably take it without delight, just like the cats. Cats react very poorly when hit, and unlike more forgiving animals such as dogs, they will often retaliate and/or become infinitely afraid of you.
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Having them perceive you as a source of pain is not the best way to improve your relationship. There are other, much better options when it comes to disciplining your cat.
Games and communication
Cats are hunters by nature. And the point here is not in saturation, but in the process of catching and proving to a person its benefits. In confirmation of the latter, they often bring caught prey to their owners without touching it to eat it.
Therefore, in order to win over a cat, you need to create conditions for it to simulate hunting. For example, buy toys or make a simple bow on a string yourself. It is important to remember safety, because at such moments the pet is not aware of what and with what force he is biting, and can damage his teeth on a hard object or cut himself on a thin thread.
Cats need companionship. Moreover, the tone and mood with which the words are spoken matters. After all, cats perceive them, and not the meaning of spoken words.
If you treat your pet with respect and love, then he will never scratch, bite, go to the toilet in the wrong places, or harm in other ways. This behavior only occurs in response. Therefore, you need to look for the reasons in the owner, because he has full responsibility for the cat.
Attention
No matter how self-sufficient a cat may seem, it needs attention. Perhaps she makes such a distant appearance to attract him. Therefore, you should take the initiative and pet your pet or contact it. Even if his reciprocity is unnoticeable, it is still there, and over time it will turn into unexpected gratitude.
It happens that cats get into the house from the street or after harsh treatment, in which case the animal can dodge and avoid affection and even show aggression. You need to understand that her trust has been betrayed, and of course, this is a natural reaction of any living creature, especially with such heightened sensitivity. Such a cat needs to be given even more attention in order to heal its psychological wounds from insults caused by other people. Only in this case can you count on peace and love in the home.
If you respond to her fear and anger with mutual negative feelings, then this will not be able to continue for long, and the animal will either leave on its own or get sick, or careless owners will decide to get rid of it. Therefore, you need to make responsible decisions in advance, since this is not a toy, but a living being with a soul and feelings. And if a person is not ready to make concessions and show sincere care, then it is better to choose another pet.
Simple rules for communicating with a cat
Contents hide
Even if you don't like cats, you've probably heard about the complex nature of these animals. Purrs are always friends and communicate with people (including their owners) exclusively on their own terms. Our publication is mainly addressed to novice cat owners - those who are just thinking about or have recently acquired a purring pet. The rules of cat etiquette are not complicated at all, you just need to know them. Anyone can make friends with a cat! A word from US doctors Dr. Isabelle Farly and Dr. Ilona Rodan.
Be tactful and respect your pet’s personal space. This is an indispensable condition for its successful maintenance. You should not unceremoniously grab him into your arms and impose your caresses, “kisses” and “hugs”. Let your furry friend take the first step and come closer to you.
Chasing a cat around the apartment, trying to catch it, is a harmful and futile activity. Imagine a fifteen-meter giant giant desperately chasing you and chasing you. Sounds fantastic? However, we accurately maintained the proportions: this is approximately the “giant” you are for your purr.
Four simple tips
First. Try to keep your apartment fairly quiet, without loud, harsh or frightening sounds. Second. Do not hang over your pet like an unshakable, menacing rock, do not dominate him. If you want to play or chat, it’s better to sit on the floor for better perception, achieve eye contact at eye level. Third. Do not invade the cat's personal space; rather, invite the animal into your own personal space. Fourth. Do not chase your mustache: many animals are terribly afraid of them, they are driven by strong fear. Gradually, they will begin to associate your near appearance exclusively with fear.
It is possible that you will want to meet a completely unfamiliar cat on the street. The reaction is expected to be very different: from friendliness to sharp rejection and even aggression. Perhaps you will feel a spark of sympathy flare up between you. Try not to scare the animal so as not to spoil anything. Don't make sudden movements. Even random noise, an extra careless step can greatly harm the further development of your relationship.
Still, be extremely careful with street (stray) cats. Try to behave modestly, do not interfere with your pleasantries: by doing this you will protect yourself from bites, and from scratches, and from “cat’s claw disease”, and from something worse (for example, rabies).
Rabies is a deadly disease that is transmitted by a bite. It is very dangerous! A stray cat can also suffer from a number of other serious illnesses. For example, viral diseases of the upper respiratory tract or viral panleukopenia (“feline distemper”). These diseases do not pose a danger to people, but they can also be transmitted by humans (on their hands or clothes). Thus, there is a great risk that, completely unwittingly, simply by contacting a sick animal, you will infect your pet. Let's not forget about fleas: both insects and their eggs successfully move on human clothing and shoes. So not everything is as simple as it seems.
We all go to visit sometimes – some rarely, some more often. Surely one of your friends owns cats. Be sure to ask how their pets behave towards strangers. It is no secret that annoying collisions are possible: some hiss, grab their legs, scratch painfully, etc. Thus, the favorite of distant acquaintances of one of the authors of these lines likes to relax in the hallway on a shelf intended for hats. As soon as someone else enters the apartment, she rushes straight at his head. Needless to say, the number of people wanting to enter this apartment tends to zero. The advice is this. If the cat is more or less benign towards visitors, try to squat down and make an inviting gesture with your hand. Just hold out your hand and let your cat come and sniff. Everything went well - consider that the beginning has been made for a good acquaintance.
We will certainly continue the topic of correct communication with cats in subsequent publications. Be with us!
Original: How to Pet & Handle Cats. Behavior Basics. Authors: Dr. Isabelle Farly, DVM and Dr. Ilona Rodan. Source: catfriendly.com Photo: pixabay.com
How to pet a cat
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//data-ad-slot=”2475549904″ $ads_google = empty($ads_google) ? false : true; ?> if ($ads_google == false) {?> $ads_google = true; ?> } ?> When a cat is in the mood for contact with a person, it begs for affection and to be stroked. And this process has its own characteristics.
- You need to stroke with sincere feelings, since these animals feel everything and can bite or scratch if you try to deceive.
- A cat's ears have a special shape that amplifies sound, so touching them is the same as putting a bucket on a person's head and knocking on it. You need to iron it carefully, without touching your ears.
- Of course, the most common fact is that you should not stroke a cat against the grain. This might make her angry.
- It is also important to avoid damaged areas, such as scratches from other animals. A defensive reaction will immediately work.
Independence
No one domesticated the cat like other animals.
She came to the man herself. The first appearance of cats near humans dates back to Ancient Egypt. Namely, she was attracted to the granaries of the pharaohs because of the hordes of mice. The people themselves had little attraction for the cat. However, the Egyptians quickly realized that these animals could save the crops from rodents. Cats began to be worshiped. Her life began to be considered higher than human life and was punishable by death for intentional murder, and heavy fines for accidental murder. Over the years of living together with people, the character of cats has changed. But, nevertheless, they are still more attached to a place than to a person.
