FELINE BEHAVIOR:
Understanding Your Cat's Domestication

Over 6,000 years ago the ancestors of our domestic cat chose to live with humans. During the following millenniums, humans have been unsuccessful for the most part in changing the behavior or appearance of the wonderful and unique cat. Think of the differences between a Great Dane and Chihuahua and this becomes quite clear.

Social Organization: Controversy exists concerning whether or not cats prefer to live in groups or in solitary, although researchers have found that this depends on the location of the food source. If the food is well distributed cats tend to be solitary - if it is centralized (i.e. on the dairy farm), cats will live in groups. For reasons undetermined, rural or farm cats sleep long periods at night, while urban cats tend to be much more active at night. In cities like Sarasota this is why we encourage owners to bring their cats in at night to avoid many dangers inherent to urban life.

Behavioral Selection: A very critical period for socialization of the cat is between two and five weeks. It is very important that humans handle kittens between the time their eyes open until they are adopted. We also think this early handling improves their learning ability later in life. Although most kittens are weaned and find new homes between 8 and 10 weeks old, we've found that those weaned at 12 weeks do not cry on separation from their mothers. If you would like a playful cat, make certain that they were played with as a kitten, as those that weren't will never be playful as an adult.

Misbehavior: The number one owner complaint with feline behavior is not using the litter box. It must be understood that under normal circumstances cats are very clean in their litter box habits, therefore some underlying cause must exist. If this is occurring with your cat, it is very important that you first call your veterinarian to make sure this is not a medical problem. If lower urinary tract disease is not causing the problem then there are a number of steps to take to correct it. Do not wait, as with time this elimination problem will get worse. Cats are incredible animals and can be wonderful pets for 15-20 years if we humans adhere to certain basic steps in medical care and environmental manipulation.

Presented compliments of Dr. Gary Reinhardt, Veterinary Center of Sarasota, 311 S. Washington Boulevard, Sarasota, 941-952-1900.