Changes

==Adequate Environment for Cats==  

==Adequate Environment for Cats==  

Cats are usually kept either outdoor, indoor only or indoor with access to the outdoors. In all cases, cats need stimulating environment to avoid boredom and unnecessary [[Feline Fear and Stress|stress]] but if the cat cannot go outside, it is even more important to make sure that the indoor home environment is really suitable. For indoor cats (and those with access to the outdoors) it is advisable to provide each resources as one per cat plus one more. Resources include litter trays, food and water bowls, sleeping places, hiding places. It is important to allow cats free access to all the resources without the need for human intervention. Cats prefer to be in control and this should be allowed as much as possible. Indoor cats with access to the outdoors generally use a cat flap. It is often a vulnerable spot from the cat's perspective and it is important not to locate any resources near there.  

Most cats in there UK are allowed some degree of outdoor access, but a significant minority are kept indoors. In all cases, cats need a stimulating environment to satisfy their behavioural needs avoid and unnecessary [[Feline Fear and Stress|stress]]. If a cat is not permitted to go outside, it is even more important to make sure that the indoor home environment is suitable. Resources such as litter trays, food and water bowls, sleeping places and hiding places must be provided at a level that enables all cats in the household to access them without competition with other cats. It is important to allow cats free access to all the resources without human intervention. The home should be equivalent to the cat's core territory; a place in which resident cats do not expect to encounter unfamiliar cats. Access to outdoor space should be provided using an electronic cat door that only permits resident cats to come and go.

The cat’s basic needs are for:

The cat’s basic needs are for:

#Space (including access to height)

#Space (including access to height)

#Resources

#Resources (food, water, latrines, resting places)

#Opportunities to perform normal behaviour (hunting, clawing etc.)

#Opportunities to perform normal behaviour (hunting, clawing etc.)

#Privacy

#Privacy (opportunities to withdraw from social contact and to perform certain activities, such as urination, in private)

#Choice (the need to have alternative places to eat, rest, play and go to the toilet)

#Choice (the need to have alternative places to eat, rest, play and go to the toilet)

===Resources===

===Resources===

Cats are solitary [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|hunters]] but they are able to live in groups as long as they have access to all of the things that they need. In the wild, cats eat at least 10 small meals each day, and they need to be able to patrol their [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|territory]] at certain times of day in order to leave scent marks and confront other cats.

Cats are [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|solitary hunters]] but they are able to live in groups as long as they have access to an excess of resources, particularly food. Given free choice, cats eat at least 10 small meals each day, and they follow a daily routine of territorial patrolling, hunting, and scent marking. [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|Territorial scent marks]] are refreshed at specific sites at similar times each day, in order to reaffirm a boundary when other cats are not present.

As a result of this there are certain things that cats often find very hard to cope with:

The solitary independent nature of cats makes them susceptible to stress and frustration in some commonplace situations:

* Waiting for food

* Waiting for food

* Eating at set meal times

* Eating at set meal times

* Accepting the owner’s control over their activities

* Accepting the owner’s control over their activities

This is in stark contrast to dogs, which are fully able to accept the control of other members of their group, including human beings.

To reduce stress for cats we need to make sure that they have access to what they need without conflict either with us or the other cats in the household.

So, in order to reduce stress for cats we need to make sure that they have access to what they need without conflict either with us or the other cats in the household.

In a multi-cat household, each cat needs a choice of several places to eat, drink and rest, so that cats do not have to compete for the same toilet or food bowl. Enabling the cats to live independent lives actually increases the chances that they will live happily with each other. Within a house there may be one or more [[Feline Social Behaviour#Social Structure|“factions” of cats]]. Cats within these factions  may tolerate shared access to certain resources and locations. They may be quite confrontational with cats that are not part of their faction, and will find sharing resources with those cats much more stressful. This is normal behaviour for cats but it becomes a problem when two competing factions share a home. If these groups share a single feeding place in the kitchen then one group may monopolise the food or all the cats may be hesitant about gaining access to it.

The answer is to give the separate factions, or individuals, their own places to feed, rest, drink and go to the toilet. In this way they can lead separate lives in the same home without conflict. This also means giving the cats back control over when they eat and gain access to certain parts of their territory.  

 

The answer is to give the separate factions their own places to feed, rest, drink and go to the toilet. In this way they can lead separate lives in the same home without conflict. This also means giving the cats back control over when they eat and gain access to certain parts of their territory.  

General guidelines are:

General guidelines are:

* Provide access to food at all times (dried food preferably). Keep food topped up rather than having set mealtimes.

* Provide access to food at all times (dried food preferably).  

* Increase the number of feeding and drinking places, situating them in areas where the cats tend to spend most of their time.

* Increase the number of feeding and drinking places, situating them in areas of the home where the cats tend to spend most of their time.

* Increase the number of resting areas available to the cats as well as their access to three-dimensional space within each room [places to climb and hide].

* Increase the number of resting areas available to the cats as well as their access to three-dimensional space within each room [places to climb and hide].

* Give cats access to outdoor space without restriction (if it is safe to do so).

* Give cats access to outdoor space without restriction (if it is safe to do so).

'''Food''' provision: Cats in the wild spend a large amount of time [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|hunting and foraging]]. To keep them happy, it is useful to provide not only multiple food bowls in different locations but also more challenging ways of obtaining food, for example using play or food dispensing balls.

'''Water''' provision: Cats do not regulate their water balance efficiently, as in a wild or feral state their diet has a naturally high water content. Increased water throughput is beneficial to sustain normal renal and urinary tract function. Can can be encouraged to drink a larger fluid volume by providing a recirculating-type water fountain. The water movement and water slope make it much easier for the cat to drink, and can significantly increase water consumption.

 

'''Water''' provision: Cats often don’t drink enough water to keep their [[Kidney - Anatomy & Physiology|kidneys]] and [[:Category:Lower Urinary Tract - Anatomy & Physiology|urinary system]] healthy. They can be encouraged to drink more healthy amounts by providing them with a recirculating-type water fountain. These are available commercially and include a filter to remove impurities that cats don’t like to taste. This makes the water more like rainwater. The water movement and provision of a running water slope make it much easier for the cat to drink.

'''Resting places''': Choice over resting places is particularly important because cats move from one place to another every few days so that they can avoid parasites like fleas.

'''Resting places''': Choice over resting places is particularly important because cats move from one place to another every few days so that they can avoid parasites like fleas.

'''[[Cat Latrines|Latrines]]''': Typically cats should be provided with one toilet per cat plus one extra. This is because in the wild cats do not share toilets and they prefer to have separate ones for urination and defecation. Fortunately, it is possible to provide outdoor toilets for cats so that fewer indoor litter trays are needed.

'''[[Cat Latrines|Latrines]]''': Typically cats should be provided with one litter tray per cat plus one extra. This is because in the wild cats do not share latrines and they prefer to have separate ones for urination and defecation. It is possible to provide outdoor toilets for cats so that fewer indoor litter trays are needed; these are sand filled holes at the perimeter of the garden in locations where the cat can have some privacy whilst eliminating.

===Opportunities to Perform Normal Behaviour===

===Opportunities to Perform Normal Behaviour===

'''Clawing''' is often a problem because it is destructive and annoying for owners. It is important to give cats opportunities to claw so that it does not become a problem in the first place. Cats will tend to claw when they need to stretch back muscles after waking, [[Feline Communication Behaviour#Claw Marks|mark]] boundaries of territory, sharpen claws or gain attention from their owners. Sensible places to position clawing posts are therefore close to where cats rest, near to cat doors and at the edges of the garden and in living rooms close to furniture or the television (where the cat may claw to get attention or a reaction from its owner). Cats have preferences for particular kinds of material to claw. Upholstered furniture is often used for claw sharpening and stretching. Soft wood is often scratched to leave a scent mark at a boundary. Owners need to experiment with providing the right surfaces to satisfy the cat’s clawing needs and encourage clawing by taking notice and praising the cat when it claws on an appropriate object.

'''Clawing''' is destructive and problematic for owners. It is important to give cats opportunities to claw so that it does not become a problem in the first place. Cats claw for a number of reasons, including when they need to stretch back muscles after waking, to [[Feline Communication Behaviour#Claw Marks|mark]] boundaries of territory, sharpen claws or gain attention from their owners. Sensible places to position clawing posts are therefore close to where cats rest, near to cat doors and at the edges of the garden and in living rooms close to furniture or the television (where the cat may claw to get attention or a reaction from its owner). Cats have preferences for particular kinds of material to claw. Upholstered furniture is often used for stretching and claw sharpening because of its proximity to resting areas and the texture of the padding. Soft wood is often scratched to leave a scent mark at a boundary. Owners need to experiment with providing the right surfaces to satisfy the cat’s clawing needs and encourage clawing by taking notice and praising the cat when it claws on an appropriate object.

'''Hunting and play''' are important for cats, especially in the early [[Timing of Feline Activity|morning and evening]]. These are times when it is important to encourage interactive games using fishing toys, laser pointers and lightweight toys that can be rolled on the floor. Cats should never be encouraged to play with people’s feet or hands because this can create problems of [[Misdirected Feline Predatory Behaviour Towards People|aggression]] especially for cats that are kept indoors. At other times, the cat should be provided with a continually-changing selection of small lightweight toys to play with. It is useful to keep a selection of feathers, decorated ping pong balls, furry mouse toys and similar small items in a box and scatter a selection of these toys around the house daily. Real fur toys are particularly good because they act as a focus for [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|cat’s predatory behaviour]].  

'''Hunting and play''' are important for cats, especially in the early [[Timing of Feline Activity|morning and evening]]. These are times when it is important to encourage interactive games using fishing toys, laser pointers and lightweight toys that can be rolled on the floor. Cats should never be encouraged to play with people’s feet or hands because this can create problems of [[Misdirected Feline Predatory Behaviour Towards People|aggression]] especially for cats that are kept indoors. At other times, the cat should be provided with a continually-changing selection of small lightweight toys to play with. It is useful to keep a selection of feathers, decorated ping pong balls, furry mouse toys and similar small items in a box and scatter a selection of these toys around the house daily. Real fur toys are particularly good because they act as a focus for [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|cat’s predatory behaviour]].  

Certain features of toys are very important:

Certain features of toys are very important:

*Noise: toys that twitter or squeak when touched  

*Movement: toys that move rapidly and unpredictably when they roll

* Noise: toys that twitter or squeak when touched  

*Texture, size and colour: bright colours, feathers, parts that sparkle or dangle, or toys that mimic real prey

* Movement: toys that move rapidly and unpredictably when they roll

* Texture, size and colour: bright colours, feathers, parts that sparkle or dangle, or toys that mimic real prey

Typically cats get bored with play after about 10 minutes unless the toys or games are changed every few minutes. In the wild, cats spend more than six hours every day [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|hunting]] for, catching and eating their prey. In the domestic environment, all of this activity may be absent, especially for indoor cats. It is also known that well-fed cats continue to hunt wildlife but when they catch a bird or mouse they will take more time to kill it. This means that the wild animal’s suffering is prolonged. One way to replace this lost activity and reduce boredom is to provide cats' food through activity feeding. Activity feeders force the cat to play in order to get food, and help reduce obesity and frustration, especially for indoor cats but they also reduce the outdoor cat’s interest in [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|predatory behaviour]], and can therefore save local wildlife from being killed.

Typically cats habituate to a toy within 10 minutes. So, unless the toys or games are changed every few minutes a cat will lose interest. In the wild, cats spend several hours every day [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|hunting]] for, catching and eating their prey. In the domestic environment, all of this activity may be absent, especially for indoor cats. It is also known that well-fed cats continue to hunt wildlife, indicating that this is a behavioural need that cannot be satisfied by feeding alone. Simulated foraging, using activity feeders, is a way to enable the cat to expend this energy safely in the home. This also helps cats to regulate their calorie intake, reduce obesity and frustration, which is especially important for indoor cats. Simulated foraging may also reduce a cat’s interest in [[Feline Predatory Behaviour|predatory behaviour]], and can therefore save local wildlife from being killed.

Activity feeders include:

Activity feeders that do not allow the cat to see the food within them are often frustrating and hard for cats to learn how to use. Cats also vary in their level of dexterity, with some finding it more difficult to paw and manipulate toys to get food out of them. For this reason, a good activity feeding setup should enable the cat to see the food and provide a range of different ways to gain access to the food.

:Delidome: An electronic cat feeder that throws out small balls full of food every 1-2 hours for the cat to play with.

:Empty plastic drinks bottles perforated with food-pellet sized holes and part filled with dried cat food. The food falls out as the toy rolls along.

:Food bowls placed high on shelves for the cat to find.

:Activity box filled with crumpled newspaper, small toys and hidden small dried food treats for the cat to rummage and find (freeze-dried prawns and smelly fish treats work well).

===Privacy and Choice===

===Privacy and Choice===

:Privacy is partly provided by giving cats plenty of choice. If cats can choose to feed or rest away from each other they are more likely to get along well. Some cats, especially those which are elderly or infirm, also like to have ground-level hiding places where they can run in and hide. Empty cat baskets or cardboard boxes are perfectly suitable.

:Privacy is partly provided by giving cats plenty of choice. If cats can choose to feed or rest away from each other they are more likely to tolerate each other. Some cats, especially those which are timid, elderly or infirm, prefer to have ground-level hiding places where they can run in and hide. Empty cat baskets or cardboard boxes are perfectly suitable.

==Indoor Environment==

==Indoor Environment==