Behavior

You have a group of people over for dinner. While everyone is relaxing in the living room, the boss of the house walks in: your cat. All of your guests clamor for your cat to come over, except for one, who doesnt make much of a fuss, because he hates cats. So who does your cat check out? The one guest who doesnt welcome his company, of course. Why does this happen? The answer is eye contact, or rather, the lack of eye contact. Some animal behaviorists conjecture that prolonged eye contact makes cats feel threatened or provoked. When your cat walks into the room, she senses everyones eyes on her. However, there is one person who is not staring at her - the guest who hates cats - so thats why she probably chooses to approach him; she just feels more comfortable with that person.

Everyone wants to feel good about his cat, right? Yet all too often, a client will enter the consultation room, greet me and quickly announce that his cat is "bad." As a stranger to both the cat and his person, I must take a deep breath prior to asking, delicately, just what this cat has done to earn such a label. Oddly enough, the crime is nearly always the same - the cat eliminates outside his litter box. Why the label? Unsympathetic ears abound. Friends and relatives may claim that they have never lived with a cat that voided outside a litter box. They may state that this type of behavior should not be tolerated and that no "good" cat would do such a thing

I recently received a letter asking me whether there was any way to improve the relationship between a cat and a child. The question seems particularly relevant as we move beyond the holiday season and begin to plan for summer gatherings. Our cats are important members of our families. We refrain from placing tinsel on our trees, since it is dangerous to our pets. Cats are invited to partake in holiday meals by sampling a bit of the roast in their bowls. We offer catnip as we sip our holiday wine. And yes, sometimes we fit our felines with antlers, halos and other festive garb.

Moving day can be a miserable, hectic blur - one of those times youd like to be able to just twitch your nose and be done with it. Unfortunately, it just isn't that easy. And cat owners have the added stress of worrying about how their cat(s) will react to the disorder and mayhem. However, there are several precautions that can be taken to help ensure that your pet will remain safe during the move and to promote a quick adjustment to his new home. Losing your cat on moving day is something to be avoided at all costs. Julia Albright, DVM, a resident in animal behavior at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals, explains, "Dealing with a lost pet on such a busy day is a nightmare. Pets are notorious for sneaking out on moving day; confining the cat to a bedroom or bathroom with a note on the door is a great idea." Make sure that the cat has food, water, litter and is comfortable - and then close the door and put a highly visible note on it, spelling out in no uncertain terms that the door must remain closed. Not only will this reduce the cats anxiety at seeing everything familiar removed from the home, but it will also help ensure that the cat does not dart out an open door. When it comes time to transfer the cat, crate her while shes in the confinement area and double-check the latch before opening the door.

Whenever cat owner Gina turns on her printer, her cat Leon dashes over to sit on it, lie on it and watch in earnest as the paper comes out. But when Ginas friend Diane turns on her printer, her cat, Petunia, flees in terror. Cats respond differently to noise depending on their personalities and experiences - and even their genetics. When cats get scared of noise, we often feel the need to protect them. Most of the time, thats not necessary. But heres how you can help your cat cope naturally with noise. Cats differ from dogs when it comes to being frightened by noise. Dogs are notoriously afraid of thunder and fireworks, and will often try to escape from the house in a panic. Cats are more likely to be scared of unexpected noises around the house, such as the vacuum cleaner, construction work or a hair dryer. "But thunder and fireworks dont seem to bother cats," says Katherine A. Houpt, VMD, PhD, the James Law Professor of Animal Behavior at Cornell Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. "I have never seen fireworks or thunder phobia in cats," she says.

Dear Elizabeth: My feline housemates and I think your column is always interesting and informative. But we are beginning to wish our person would stop reading it to us, because now she wants to know why we cant write a column and be famous like you. I spend a lot of time on the computer - I mean, I even sleep on that keyboard! - but nothing good ever comes of it. And besides, Ive always thought that it was quite enough to be beautiful, well groomed and purrfectly delightful. How can I get my person to stop finding fault where there obviously is none?

Last months column outlined some pros and cons of adopting a second cat. There was no easy answer to give, of course. Some cats are social and seek the companionship of others. Other cats do not welcome the proximity of fellow felines. And many cats appear eager or at least willing to share, but only with certain individuals. Let us assume that you followed last months tips and found an ideal mate for your resident cat. The newcomer is calm, playful and friendly. He appears relaxed when gently handled, and does not hiss or growl at his neighbor cats. And so, you have enthusiastically brought him home.

Several years ago I came home to my first apartment and was greeted by my best friend, grinning from ear to ear. "Theres a surprise in your bathroom!" she exclaimed. That surprise turned out to be an adorable stray kitty from her hometown. "Nana" soon revealed herself to be an amazingly adaptive cat that was happy just basking in our love and attention, but the road to domestic bliss was certainly not without its bumps. In hindsight, there were several steps we could have taken to make the transition a bit smoother. In fact, there are several potential problems when bringing an outdoor cat (e.g. a neighborhood stray or barn cat) indoors to live; however, if a new owner anticipates these problems - and addresses them accordingly - they can be greatly minimized.

Imagine a cat that goes into its carrier on command, sits calmly while its claws are clipped, lies down for grooming and knows a few tricks. And while youre dreaming of the perfect feline, add this idea to your fantasy: The cat takes pills easily and actually uses the scratching post - and not the back of your couch. Wake up! It was a nice dream, wasnt it? Actually, this image of a feline housepet may not be so far-fetched - particularly if cat owners take advantage of a new training concept called "kitty kindergarten." The program is very similar in purpose to "puppy preschool" in that its main focus is to save pet lives by educating owners - and having some fun along the way.

Recently, a woman asked for advice in a chat room for pet enthusiasts. She explained that her outdoor cat would go off for days, sometimes a week at a time. Naturally, she would worry about him. Then, just as mysteriously as he had left, he would show up again at her door and make himself at home as if he had never left. One day during one of her cats absences, the woman went to visit a neighbor down the street. As the neighbor asked her in for a cup of coffee, the woman shouted, "Theres my cat!" Indeed, there was her cat lounging on her neighbors couch.

Rushed to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at Kansas State University, the year-old cat had been coughing, vomiting and suffering abdominal pain. When all was said and done (yes, she survived, thanks to surgery) the cat was the subject of a report, "Diagnostic imaging for linear foreign bodies in cats," in the journal, Veterinary Medicine (Vol. 102, Issue 8). The cats owners got lots of pictures - from imaging techniques that included survey radiography, compression radiography, ultrasonography and positive contrast upper GI radiography. And veterinary science learned which techniques work best: compression radiography (something like a mammogram of the abdomen) and ultrasound.

It seems that nearly every week, a concerned cat person asks me that question. It could be that one cat in the household has recently passed away. Sometimes, a person has a bit more love to give, and just wants to share her home with more than one cat. And most often, people who work long hours hope that by adopting another cat, the original cat wont need to spend those hours alone. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to that seemingly simple question. For years, we described cats as asocial. They hunt alone, so it was assumed that they lived alone and wanted to keep it that way. Research has revealed that, indeed, some cats are not very social. They are loners and do not choose to spend their time in the company of others.