Understanding Your Cat

Archive for the ‘cat breeds’ Category

 By Steve Dale
TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Question: Our cat, Ref, has been with us for two years now but remains very skittish. We call him our "Nazi cat" because as soon as we pick him up, he pins his ears back and is ready to bolt. If we keep holding on, he scratches and bites. He also doesn’t like company; he disappears when people come over. Please don’t tell us to just give him more time; this is useless rhetoric. We need something more.

— S.J.M., Las Vegas, NV

Answer: "This is the perfect situation for clicker training," says certified cat behavior consultant Marilyn Krieger, of Redwood City, Calif. "Begin by purchasing a clicker (available at pet stores and online) and click, then reward (your cat) with food or treats. Click your cat when he’s calm, then give him a special treat. The cat will learn that the sound of the clicker means, ‘This is right, and now I get something good."’

Click when you touch the cat for just a moment, before he pins back his ears. Gradually, attempt to touch the cat longer and longer. If he still pins those ears back, you’ve done too much too quickly. Clicker training takes time but it will pay off.

"One sort of side effect of this clicker training is that will enhance your bond with your cat, and increase your cat’s trust and confidence," says Krieger.

However, let’s be real here. Not all cats like to be snuggled. You need to adjust your expectations. For many cats, it’s also perfectly normal to shy away from people they don’t know. This is particularly true of cats who weren’t socialized at a young age. When you do have visitors, toss yummy treats in your cat’s direction.

With effort, you can mold your cat’s demeanor to some degree. But Krieger also suggests, "Be more accepting and adjust the expectations you have for your cat. Perhaps previous cats have been more outgoing. Remember, some people are shy and so are some cats."

Steve Dale hosts the nationally syndicated "Steve Dale’s Pet World" and "The Pet Minute." He’s also a contributing editor to USA Weekend.

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My wife and I have had many cats in 37 years of marriage. It seems that it is always the black ones that are most demanding of affection and meow the most to get what they want. Is this true of black cats in general?

You can’t really predict a cat’s personality by the color of its fur any more than you can tell what people will be like by the color of their hair.

I mean, "dumb blonde" and "fiery redhead" are not particularly reliable guideposts on the road of life, are they?

That said, there are a few broad generalizations you can make in this matter. For instance, all-white cats maybe tend to be unfriendly because they often carry genes for blindness or deafness. Gray cats are said to be docile. But even stuff like that isn’t always true.

One thing I read said black cats are more closely related to their wild ancestors than other cats. The idea is that being black made them harder to see so they were among the last to be domesticated.

Thus, black cats are said to be good hunters. No word on them being unusually loud or affectionate.

Reach Thompson at clay .thompson@arizonarepublic.com.

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 Are you looking to get a new cat soon? Great! You may want to consider a purebred cat. There are many breeds that can be found in this country, each with its own characteristic appearance and temperament and history. Think carefully about what you wouldcharacteristics you would like to see in your new companion. Perhaps you would care to consider something a little bit different:

Ocicat

The Ocicat were named after the Ocelot wildcat that is found from southwestern Texas south to northern Argentina. The Ocicat, however, does not have any Ocelot blood in them. They are entirely domestic bred. The first Ocicat was produced as a happy accident in the early 1960s by breeder Virginia Daly who was was trying to breed a Siamese cat with Abyssinian colored points. She did reach her goal, but in her second litter she found a cream colored male with golden spots and copper colored eyes. She named him Tonga. Her daughter called him Ocicat because he reminded her of a baby Ocelot. Tonga was later sold as a pet and neutered.

Fortunately, the same breeding pair that produced Tonga later produced a second spotted male. His name was Dalai Dotson who became the foundation for the Ocicat breed. The first Ocicat, Tonga, was exhibited at a cat show in 1965. The Ocicat registry was established in 1966. The Ocicat was so striking and unique that other breeders were attracted and joined Daley in establishing this beautiful breed. The breeder continued to focus on Abyssinians and Siamese for their Read the rest of this entry »

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