Behaviour & Training

Your cat doesn’t just need the right food and exercise for their age and body condition; emotional nourishment and cat care is also one of the most important parts of keeping a happy cat. Your cat’s emotional needs are based on their personality, age and lifestyle. If your cat spends the majority or all of their time indoors, for example, they may rely more heavily on you to provide cat care for their emotional wellbeing. Keeping such an intelligent and emotionally sophisticated pet happy can require a little effort and imagination, especially if your cat isn't using their natural instincts to survive on their own outdoors. A brief history of the cat Today's domestic cats are descended from wild cats who began to take advantage of the abundance of mice around corn stores in early Middle Eastern and North African civilisations, about 4,000 years ago. Today, pet cats are more often born indoors than in the wild, and spend their whole lives being fed and loved as part of our families - a far cry from the solitary hunter lifestyle of their ancestors! There are over 50 breeds of pedigree cats around the world, although by far the most prevalent is the ordinary ‘moggy’ with their wonderful variety of coats and colours.

Owners are constantly baffled when they buy their cat a cool new toy and they're much more interested in the box it came in! But why do cats love boxes so much? Keep reading to find out why. It’s a widely known fact that cats love boxes. To them, no toy in the world, no matter how expensive or fancy it may be, compares to a simple cardboard box. It’s a phenomenon that baffles most cat owners, especially when they’ve just purchased a great new bed or cool toy, and their cat seems to prefer the packaging it came in. In this article we explore why cats like boxes and tell you all about why they make the perfect snoozing and hunting ground for your cat. Why do cats like boxes? There are lots of reasons that cats love boxes, but the main one is because they’re confined, enclosed spaces. Cats are ambush predators and finding confined places where they can hide, hunt prey and feel safe and warm is an instinctive behaviour. Snug cardboard boxes fit the bill perfectly. Boxes are safe Cats get comfort and security from enclosed spaces, which is why they love spending time in cardboard boxes. Cats use boxes as hiding places where predators can’t sneak up on them from the side or behind. If your cat is in a box, any “intruders” like prey, humans or other pets have to come directly into their field of vision, meaning nothing can surprise them. And cats like boxes because they help to reduce stress and offer a safe zone where your cat can observe and not be seen. This is ideal for cats as their reaction to stressful situations is often to run and hide. Cats don’t have in-built conflict resolution strategies, so they much prefer to hide from their problems. The safety of the private, enclosed space is another possible answer to why do cats like boxes.

As more cats are living longer, owners and vets get more frequently confronted with age-related problems such as cat dementia. We’ve rounded up the most common signs and ways to keep your senior cat comfortable. Our cats are now living longer than ever before and there is no better news for owners looking to spend extra years with their lovely feline companions. But prolonged lives also come with increased prevalence of senior cat health problems and cat dementia can be one of them.

If you have a cat that goes outside, you’re probably no stranger to having dead creatures turn up on your doorstep. While some cats may be more adept hunters than others, you may still find yourself wondering about the reasons behind this hunting behaviour. If you have an outdoor cat, it’s incredibly likely that you’ve had dead mice or birds turn up on your doorstep. This may range from just the occasional delivery to something that you’ve come to expect each and every morning. This tendency to bring us hunting gifts has baffled cat owners across the globe and many find themselves wondering about the reasons behind cat hunting behaviours. This is especially true when your cat is regularly fed and given all the attention and fuss they could possibly wish for! If you have a cat that’s an adept hunter, it helps to understand why they hunt. Why do cats hunt? Historically, cats weren’t kept as pets and fed by loving owners. They had to provide for themselves and hunt for their own food, like their big cat cousins such as lions and tigers. A limited amount of prey meant that only the most successful hunters survived and reproduced, so your four-legged friend is descended from hunting-savvy cat ancestors. Today, cat hunting is more about fun and entertainment. The mere sight and sound of prey triggers your cat’s hunting instinct which is hardwired into their brains. Quite simply, your cat is powerless to resist the flapping wings of a bird or the scuttling feet of a small mouse.

Although training is more traditionally associated with dogs, you can also teach your cat a few tricks, too! Your moggy can learn to recognise their name and come to you when you call them. To help your pet pick up these skills, it’s important to train your kitten from an early age and as soon as possible. Teaching your kitten social skills Training kittens starts with their social skills – the more they are exposed to at a young age, the less will shock or surprise them as they get older. From almost as soon as they can walk around without mum’s help, kittens will approach new situations with the confidence and curiosity that cats are so famous for! Kittens will be at their least fearful between the ages of 3-7 weeks, so will be more open to and accepting of new experiences and changes in their environment. After this age kittens will become more cautious, so it’s important that your breeder or rescue shelter introduces your pet to as much as possible before you collect them, ideally between 8-13 weeks old (depending on their breed and breeder). Of course, your kitten's emotional development doesn't just stop at 12 weeks old, so you can continue to train your kitten once you’ve got them at home. Try some of these tips to help your kitten develop even further: • Invite a variety of friends to your home to help your kitten get used to all sorts of different people – different ages, genders, heights, hair colour and more! • If you don't have children, invite some along, making sure you let them know to take care around the kitten, especially when they meet them for the first time. • You may know someone with a cat-friendly dog. If so, ask them to bring their pet to meet your kitten. The dogs must be well trained and able to “stay” – even in the excitement of meeting a new friend!

Most cats are home lovers, so travelling anywhere else with them can make them stressed. Some journeys are unavoidable, so when travelling with cats it’s important to know how you can make your feline friend feel comfortable. Most cats are home lovers, so travelling anywhere else with them can make them stressed. When travelling with cats it’s important to know how you can make your feline friend feel comfortable. We’ve put together some cat travel tips to help everything run smoothly. Cat car travel Knowing how to travel with cats in the car is the most useful place to start. If you’re confident and in control, and you understand how to keep your cat calm, the journey can be relatively stress-free for both of you.

Whether you’re a first time cat owner or have a long term feline friend, there will be times where you wish you could know what your cat is thinking. Understanding Cats’ Body Language Sometimes you might wonder about a change in your cat’s behaviour and what that could mean, or would like to know how you can tell if your cat is happy. Although cats might seem hard to read, there are lots of tell-tale signs that will give you an insight into what your companion is thinking, and what kind of mood they’re in! You’ll probably be able to tell some of your cat’s more obvious moods already from their body language, facial expressions, vocalisations and tail movements. But looking out for some other signals, such as the following cat tail signs and body postures, can tell you even more. Cats have a wide range of basic emotions – they feel happy, sad, afraid, relieved and even frustrated, just like us humans! The key to a good relationship with your cat is learning how to recognise these emotions, and respond where needed. Watch this great video guide on cat body language from our friends at Cats Protection, presented by their Cats Behaviour Manager Nicky Trevorrow.