Cat Behavior Mystery: Does Your Cat Really Bond With You?

Most of us cat owners have these two burning question in the back of our minds, that we can't seem to easily resolve: Question one, are cats really capable of bonding with us humans? Question two, what can we do, as desperate cat lovers, to encourage our cats to actually bond with us? So in this article, let's have a detailed look at what could be possible answers to these two deep-rooted questions that have been bugging cat lovers, and others alike, for decades! As an extra bonus, you'll also gain some rare hints into how to better connect with your cat on a day to day basis. Before we get into any techniques, we really need to examine the very nature of a cat's essence, their souls if you will, to give us some clues to answer these questions on cat psychology and their relationship to us humans. When you have an animal that's been with humans for over 5000 years, there must be something profound that the humans, as well as the cats, are getting out of this relationship. Something that's keeping them together for so long, and no doubt for eons to come! Imagine, in say the year 3000, we may have technology to travel through space in luxurious aircraft, and of course, one of the first things that people will want to bring with them is their favorite book, favorite music, and... their cat! But why is this so? There must be a level of bonding between cats and humans that is beyond that of many other animals, that make us feel so attached to them, want to share our life experiences with them... because our feelings tell us that these feelings goes both ways. But is this really the case? Do cats use us for food and warmth mainly? Or is there a level of feeling behind the cat behavior that's on a higher level than that, and resembles the feelings that we have for them? These are valid questions. Let's first have a look at our human emotional responses to our cats. When humans first met cats, it was presumed to be at a camp fire. This is not proven, though it is a strong possibility. Why a camp fire? Well cats love warmth and probably couldn't resist sitting around a man-made camp fire. So they sat, appreciating the warmth, and also may have found they don't have to hunt for. And then the humans were attracted to their cuteness. More likely, it was their kittens that may have clinched this bond. As when interacted, they would have shown cute playfulness, and when nursed, would snuggle up. Now the question is whether a cat can have snuggling up and playfulness without the emotions of tenderness and enjoyment? We'll come back to this in a moment. Let's take one more example from history. It was documented 5000 years ago that cats were domesticated into both Egyptian culture as well as Indian culture at roughly the same time. In fact, for period of over 2000 years in Egypt, there was such respect and admiration for the cat, that the penalty for anyone killing a cat, was death. During this period, a Roman soldier accidentally killed a cat and was nearly lynched by a crowd who witnessed this event. This became a political conflict, and is thought to be one of the events that led to the war between Egypt and Rome! So, the humble cat has caused all this! An animal causing people to be irrational over them. But, does the cat reciprocate our feelings? One example that could help us with this question is from Jeffrey Masson, who wrote The Nine Emotional Lives of Cats. Among his many examples of bonding is where he discovers that his cats will put up with getting soaked, just to be with him: "Like most cats, mine do not like rain. Yet when Leila, Ilan, Manu and I walk up the hill in the evening in the rain, such is the cats' devotion that they come with us... it is beyond question that the cats are doing something because they want to... Moreover, since they walk in the rain only when we are there, never alone, the love of our companionship must be a strong component of their pleasure..." It gets even better. The strength of our bond actually increases depending on the extent that our cat's range of behavior and emotional responses matches our emotional needs. Some people who really love attention from their cat, and want the full gamut of personality, do find heaven, and so does the cat, when they have for example, a Siamese cat that is able to show a strong desire to lie on their laps for comfort every night, run around like crazy when they play with, and is also slightly neurotic and anxious when there is too much happening... So there's some food for thought for you. You've now got some deep insight into how cats really feel about us, and how cats may indeed have deeper feelings about us that are closer to our own feelings about them than we previously realised. Watch out for part two of this article, which will be coming soon. In that part, you'll learn specific ways to capture your cat's attention and affection. However, for right now, be aware of your emotions when you're about to talk or even look at your cat. If you want to tell him something like "There you are, I'm glad to see you!", do so with your feeling, and it will come out in your voice, body language and tons of other clues that we're not even aware of. Your cat is sensing your thoughts and feelings very acutely. This is exactly where bonding starts... And the beauty of it is, that once the bonding starts, you can't stop it…it just keeps getting better. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start bonding! About the Author: Learn more about bonding with and training your cat. Cassandra Mandello helps you to go from cat novice, to training your cat in no time. To get more valuable tips and hints on cat training, visit http://www.secretsofcattraining.com Read more articles by: Cassandra Mandello Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg

Cat Litter Box Problems: 7 Essential Keys To Solve The Problem Quickly!

Has this ever happened to you? Your cat's peeing outside the litter box, and you're desperately trying to clean up after your cat, wondering if you're actually doing anything to stop it from happening in the first place! Well, if you're like me, you probably want some quick solutions to the problem, or at least a list of checkpoints that you know you must, like a detective on a trail, work through, to get the litter box behavior problem under control. By the time you finish this article, you will have learnt the 7 most important steps you must know, when it comes to this problem of the cat peeing outside the litter box. Firstly, let's have a look at the reasons why this happens. The reasons for peeing outside the litter box are: 1. A medical problem. 2. The cat that has never been properly house trained to use the litter box in the first place. 3. Problems with the litter tray itself. 4. An unpleasant event that occurred while the cat was at the litter box. 5. A temporary physical or emotional stress, or change in the household causing the cat to urinate in an area outside the box, which is perpetuated by the urine smell reminding the cat to return to the same area over and over again. 6. Old age causing a cat to not be easily able to get to the litter box. Now, keep these causes in mind, when checking out the 7 action steps: 1. If there's a change in toilet behavior with no obvious cause, it may be caused by illnesses such as urinary tract infections, blocked anal glands, worms and parasites, diabetes and tumors. These illnesses may have no other obvious signs, apart from this urination problem. So you must consider a visit to the vet. In other cases you may see symptoms such as lethargy, blood in the urine, diarrhea, or constant licking in the anal area. If you see this, then your first stop is the vet! 2. Look at the litter box itself. Ensure you're cleaning out the waste once or twice a day, and changing the litter every 3-4 days for non-clumping litter (2-3 weeks for clumping litter). Clean the tray with hot water and mild detergent, without any strong odors such as citrus or ammonia, which will repel the cat from the box. If you have multiple cats, remember - the number of trays should equal number of cats, plus one or two. If you've changed brands of litter, this may have caused the problem as many cats dislike this change, especially to scented litter. Return to the older litter. If you want to change, introduce unscented litter gradually by mixing the old with the new over 2 weeks. And ensure that the location of the box is acceptable: no loud noises, has some privacy, and is not in view of other cats. 3. Consider adding in 1 more litter box to another suitable private location of the house. This is because sometimes it's not the litter box that's the problem, but a negative experience there. For example, if your kids played with the cat while she was on the litter box, or if the cat had pain when urinating, such as during a urine infection, after having kittens, or had a procedure done on the bladder or urethra at the vet, then the cat would associate pain with that litter box. Even if the pain is gone, the association and is still there. 4. Thoroughly clean the area that has been peed on. This is important because no matter what the cause, the fact that the urine remains on the bed, carpet, or sofa is a reminder for the cat to return to pee there. The cat's sense of smell is more acute than ours, so ensure you clean with a solution such as Brampton's Simple Solution. If you have remaining urine smell together with a bad association at the box, then you have 2 forces causing the problem to continue. So get rid of both! 5. Next, if possible, deny the cat access to the area that is peed on, especially if it's an area that is repeatedly used. Many people forget to do this, and their problem is prolonged. By stopping access, the cycle of repeated urination is stopped. Will the cat pee somewhere else? Possible, though less likely if you provide a second litter box, show him where it is a few times, and also do the step 7 below. 6. If you can't stop the cat from accessing the area, make the area less attractive for peeing instead. You can do this by either placing a scent, or, by placing a bowl of dried cat food there. If using a scent, try citrus or eucalyptus. If using dried food, which often works better, ensure that you top up the food bowl during the day. Either way, once you have success, continue for another 1-2 weeks to ensure it stays that way. 7. If you're at home when the cat is, then you have this step up your sleeve as well: the startle technique. Only do this method if you actually catch the cat about to urinate because if you do it at any other time, that cat will not be able to associate that urinating in the area with the unpleasant startle. Startle the cat with a loud "No!" or clap of the hands. Wait 5 minutes, then bring the cat to the litter tray, and if she toilets at the tray, reward her with praise and a food treat. As long as the length and enjoyment of the reward if far greater than the startle, this will be unlikely to cause stress. Use this method carefully as some cats may experience stress with it. Make sure that the cat seems relaxed after the food treat, and that it's actually improving the situation. If you follow the above steps, most problems of peeing outside the litter box will be solved within days or gradually improve over 1-2 weeks. Remember in all cases, you'll be even more effective if you reduce stress at the same time. This means more play time and attention. In conclusion, it does take some effort and detective work to see what has caused the litter box behavior problem in the first place. And you now know how to apply 7 essential steps to help you solve this issue, as quickly and effectively as possible. If you'd like to learn more advanced tips on solving your cat's litter box behavior problem, go to the website in the resource box below: About the Author: Cassandra Mandello helps you to go from cat novice, to successfully training your cat in no time. To learn more valuable cat training techniques, including more tips on solving your cat's litter box problem, visit http://www.secretsofcattraining.com Read more articles by: Cassandra Mandello Article Source: www.iSnare.com Share: Del.icio.us Google Y! MyWeb Digg