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Does your cat…..?

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BevFeaturedDOES your cat scratch the furniture or wood outside? Scratching is a complex behaviour which has multiple uses. Many people believe that the cats are sharpening their claws but they are actually getting rid of the outer nails to reveal the new sharp nail underneath. Cats ‘shed’ rather than sharpen their nails.
This is also the cat’s way of exercising and strengthening the paws and sheaths that keep the nails covered and in prime condition.
They are marking territory, too, using both the chemical signals from scent and sweat glands on the paws and also a visual signal displaying the scratch marks. Unfortunately, this can also happen indoors on the furniture and some walls.
Does your cat spray urine? This is a deliberate attempt by the cat to mark territory by standing against a vertical surface and raising its tail to spray urine at nose height as a clear signal to other cats.
Cats may do this indoors, as a result of a stress situation in the environment, perhaps a new cat, dog, a change in the household routine or being let into the gardens at different times.
Urine-spraying, especially in the home, can be a reaction to a stressful situation which should be addressed to help the cat feel secure again. A spraying cat should never be punished; this will quite often make the problem worse.
Does your cat bite you when you try to groom her? Most of the time this is because long-haired kittens do not get groomed until their coat gets matted and, by then, it’s a painful ordeal to go through.
The cat learns quickly that it hurts when you pull a tangle and reacts the way a cat does, by biting or scratching.
A cat muzzle, which is very different to a dog muzzle, can help quieten a cat enough to let it be groomed a little each day.
Does your cat eat the house plants? Cats commonly eat grasses and other plants but, because they are outdoors, they are not often seen doing this. One theory suggests that it is to make up for the modern diet we feed our cats and that dry and tinned food do not have the fur, feathers and bones that a wild diet would include.
This type or roughage is needed to help in the elimination of hair balls and may also be a supplement for vitamins and minerals a commercial food may be lacking in. Cats are obligate carnivores, which means they must have animal protein in their diet but they also require a certain amount of roughage. Some house plants can be toxic to cats so make sure to check if your plants are safe for your cat.
Does your cat bring home dead birds? We often think this is because our cats love us and are bringing home gifts to us but the reality is that the cat is bringing home her prey to a place she feels is a safe and secure den worthy of being a feeding place.
Does your cat head bop or rub against you? Unlike scenting with urine, which is a territorial message, the head bop and rubbing behaviour is our cats’ way of marking with friendly pheromones.
Cats use the scent glands on their shoulders and heads to mark friends and as a social act, which makes him feel secure and happy in his home with his family.
Cats have a much more complex social structure than dogs and their behaviour is a lot less understood. I personally find them fascinating creatures.
Some really domesticated and some very wild, with most of them a little way in between.

About Colin McGann

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