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Effect of Environment on Feline Behaviour (view source)
Revision as of 15:56, 12 June 2014
, 15:56, 12 June 2014no edit summary
==Introduction==
==Introduction==
Cats are highly dependent on their [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|territory]], which has to be born in mind during their management. Any changes to their environment may have profound effect on their well being and behavioural problems may develop if this is not addressed appropriately, particularly at times of rehoming or owners moving house. Proper introduction to a new [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|‘core territory’]] reduces stress and the likelihood of [[Feline Fear and Stress|fear problems]]. Creating attachment to a new core territory also reduces the risk of the cat straying or trying to return to its original territory after a house move.
Cats are highly dependent on their environment, which different to other animals. The inside of the home should be considered the [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|‘core’ of the cat’s territory]]. This is somewhere that cats expect to feel safe and where they can eat, drink and rest in privacy away from any enemies. Cats also need to be able to climb up high to vantage points where they feel safe.
It is important to provide cats with a home that meets their needs, especially if several cats are sharing the same home. Otherwise there is risk of the cats suffering from [[Feline Fear and Stress|stress]] and [[Feline Problem Behaviour|behavioural problems]] like [[Feline Aggression|aggression]], [[Feline Housesoiling|house soiling]] or [[Indoor Marking - Cat|indoor urine marking]].
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]]. 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 often 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.
Any changes to their environment may have profound effect on their well being and behavioural problems may develop if this is not addressed appropriately, particularly at times of rehoming or owners moving house. Proper introduction to a new [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|‘core territory’]] reduces stress and the likelihood of [[Feline Fear and Stress|fear problems]]. Creating attachment to a new core territory also reduces the risk of the cat straying or trying to return to its original territory after a house move.
==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.
The cat’s basic needs are for:
:'''Space''' (including access to height)
::Cats should be provided with lots of opportunity to climb and explore. For example shelves at different heights, cat furniture and access to the tops of cupboards and wardrobes.
:'''Resources'''
::Each cat needs several places to eat, drink, and rest. This gives them choice and means that cats that don’t get along do not have to compete for the same toilet or food bowl. Enabling the cats to live separate lives actually increases the chances that they will live happily with each other.
::'''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 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.
::'''[[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.
:Opportunities to perform '''normal behaviour''' (hunting, clawing etc.)
::'''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.
::'''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:
::*Noise: toys that twitter or squeak when touched
::*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.
:::Activity feeders include:
::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'''
: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.
:'''Choice''': The need to have alternative places to eat, rest, play and go to the toilet.
==Indoor Environment==
The indoor part of the cat’s [[Feline Territorial Behaviour|territory]] is somewhere that the cat should feel secure. In the wild this [[Feline Territorial Behaviour#Core Territory|‘core’ part of the cat’s territory]] is never invaded or overlooked by other cats because it is surrounded by an area that the cat patrols and [[Feline Communication Behaviour#Olfactory Communication|scent marks]] in order to repel other cats. Indoor-only cats are unable to do this and they may feel very vulnerable if outside cats can look in at them through the windows. Even cats that do have outdoor access may not be able to maintain a suitable buffer distance that keeps other cats away from their home. It is therefore important to block views from windows that are overlooked, perhaps close to places where your cat has urine marked or shown signs of aggression or fear in the past. This is easily achieved using ‘glass etch spray’ which is used to make bathroom windows opaque. Light still comes through but the cat cannot see clearly what is on the other side of the glass. Other cats tend to hang around less when there is no chance to threaten the indoor cat. Changes may also be made outdoors to deter other cats from lurking and menacing the indoor cat.
The indoor territory should only be available to the resident cat. To avoid problems of other cats entering the home, which can cause [[Indoor Marking - cat|urine spraying]] or [[Feline Aggression Towards Other Cats in the Same Household|aggression between the resident cats]], it is best to fit an electronic cat flap with personalised coded collar keys that allow only the selected cats to enter.
===Giving indoor housed cats some fresh air===
'''Harness and lead'''<br>
Some cats can learn to walk on a leash and harness if this is introduced while they are young. However, cats should not be taken on walks in the same way as dogs because this can be terrifying and distressing for them. Walks should be confined to a garden within easy access of the house so that the cat can build up familiarity with the landscape and odour marks that are there. If the cat shows signs of [[Feline Fear and Stress|fear or anxiety]], walks should be stopped.
'''Outdoor pen '''<br>
Indoor cats should ideally be given access to an enclosed outdoor area. Free access is via a cat flap so that the cat can choose when it goes in and out. A well-designed pen should mimic the outside world as closely as possible, providing a multitude of tree trunks, toys, scratching posts and high-up resting places. Introduction to the pen should be gradual, perhaps involving play or searches for food treats. The cat must always be able to return to the house voluntarily.
==Outdoor Environment==
==Introducing a Cat to a New Home/Environment==
==Introducing a Cat to a New Home/Environment==
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[[Category:To Do - Behaviour]]
[[Category:Feline Behaviour Management]]
[[Category:To Do - Behaviour BS]]
[[Category:To Do - Behaviour BS]]