The body language of a cat’s eyes and ears are worth a quick discussion and I am reliant on personal experience and that of the vet Dr Bruce Fogle in his book Complete Cat Care. Eyes As is typical of other animals, dilated pupils indicate excitement or enervation because the cat is fearful or feeling …
Your cat might roll over on their back, belly up when they see you but I am not sure that it is very commonplace. It happens but less often than the classic cat greeting which is to come up to you and rub their flank against your leg and hop up to head butt your …
Infographic on “Why might a cat roll over on their back when they see you?” Read More »
In general, cat owners don’t like the fact that their domestic cat companions hunt. Clearly, I’m referring to cats allowed outside. A lot of cat owners also want their cats to go outside so that they are mentally stimulated and can express their natural desires. But they don’t like the fact that they kill animals. …
You want to adopt a cat which is less likely to hunt than normal Read More »
The first point to make is that we are discussing neutered male cats and spayed female cats. That has to be a basic criteria in this discussion. There’s no point comparing unsterilised male cats against spayed female cats for instance. It is just not a comparison that makes sense. I can answer the second part …
Are male cats more affectionate with humans and other cats than females? Read More »
You adopt a couple of rescue cats. And if they are siblings and if they get along well, you’ve done well. They can entertain themselves which takes a certain amount of responsibility away from you to entertain them. You walk into your home and release them from their carrier and they immediately go behind the …
Help needed: got two new boy cats yesterday, very scared babies hiding all the time Read More »
In general, domestic cats love boxes. All domestic cats have the potential to love them. And if they don’t love boxes, they like to squeeze themselves into tight spaces for a snooze such as a flowerpot. The celebrity cat Maru is the world’s leader of box-loving cats. This desire is so strong that cats will …
Jackson Galaxy uses the phrase “wallflower cat” in his book Total Cat Mojo. He also uses the phrase “the raw cat” a lot as it is fundamental to his ideas. The two are linked. When you tap into a domestic cat’s mojo, they are more content and more confident. They behave more naturally because you …
Kittens who inherit a personality which is bold or confident are more likely to be perceived as friendly. Relatively bold kittens are more likely to interact with new objects and occurrences. This gives the impression that they are more friendly or at least they’re more outgoing. Also, it means that they learn more quickly because …
Kittens: bold and friendly compared to timid and less friendly Read More »
When domestic cats sleep in the “dead position” (i.e. they look as if they are dead) it’s because they feel sublimely secure in their home environment. They are belly-up and therefore vulnerable. I don’t think you’ll see this very often if ever in the wild. I’m referring to the wildcat ancestor of the domestic cat. …
I’m going to rely on Chapter 19 of Jackson Galaxy’s book Total Cat Mojo to answer the question in the title. Jackson calls timid cats “Wallflowers”. They are wallflowers because of their genetics, perhaps a lack of early years socialisation, threats in the environment or a combination of all these. This is a long page …
Although the response of a domestic cat to new people in their home (including visitors) will vary between individuals depending on their confidence and character, in general domestic cats will be fearful and defensive. There are one or two things which can be done to assuage some of the anxiety and make them more comfortable …
When Kitty is afraid of new people. Getting comfortable with visitors. Read More »
Domestic cats are not born to love people and their default position with respect to other cats is to be suspicious of them. This is the nature of a solitary animal. I wonder, though, if this is entirely true after approximately 10,000 years of cat domestication. Perhaps the ability for domestic cats to love people …
Sixty-five percent of cats and kittens are securely bonded to their people Read More »
This is a concept, as you may have guessed by the title’s language, of Jackson Galaxy, the celebrated cat behaviourist. He needs to be listened to because of all the cat behaviourist he has the most experience both in cat shelters and in dealing with private clients. He spent many years in cat shelters where …
Recovering a cat’s Mojo by crossing the “Challenge Line” Read More »
Middening in cats is the depositing of faeces in prominent places as an alternative form of scent marking. The others are urine spraying, squat marking with urine (to be distingusihed from cystitis) and scratching. Scratching leaves both a visual signal because the surface is damaged and an olfactory message because there are scent glands between …
