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Dogs may be 'man's best friend', but cats are fast becoming the preferred pet.
By 2004 there were are approximately 77 million owned cats in the U.S. and only about 65 million owned dogs. In Canada, the ratio is 4.5 million cats to 3.5 million dogs. The numbers have changed drastically since 2000 when roughly the same number of cats and dogs had homes in the U.S. (approximately 62 million of each).
Why the change? If you own a cat, you probably know more than one answer to that question:
- cats are easier to care for because they don't need to be walked or let outside,
- cats can be left for a longer period of time on their own,
- cats tend to cost less than dogs since the majority of dog breeds eat more, require more grooming and on average require more vet trips, and
- cats are also affectionate, intelligent and playful pets.
Cats can also do amazing things like:
- jump five times the height of their tail,
- run about 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour, and
- make about 100 different vocalization sounds.
Amazing Cats
Cats have highly developed senses which, combined with an acute sense of body orientation, allow the average cat to balance on fences, jump from one improbable location to another, often at top speed, or sense prey from long distances.
Ears
More than a dozen muscles in the ear are used to precisely control movement,
including the ability to independently rotate each ear to listen for prey or danger.
Nose
A cat's sense of smell is the main way it identifies objects (or people).
There are 200 million odor-sensitive cells in a cat's nose, compared to only 5 million in a human's nose.
Eyes
A cat can see in one-sixth of the amount of light a human requires.
Cat pupils can dilate to 90 per cent of the eye area, and also close almost entirely in
bright light. The eyes protrude to give a cat superior peripheral vision, but a cat's
overall sense of vision is actually five to ten times less acute than a human's. Cats see less detail than humans.
Whiskers
A cat uses its whiskers almost like a personal radar system.
Whiskers are extremely sensitive to air movement, so the cat can detect an
object's presence from a distance. Cats also use whiskers to determine the
size of objects or openings. From tip to tip, a cat's whiskers determine the
smallest gap he can comfortably get through. Since they are such a
finely-tuned sensory system, whiskers should never be cut or trimmed.
Land on its Feet
Probably the most widely known feline attribute is the "righting reflex" - the ability of a cat to right itself during a fall so that it always lands on its feet. It's an automatic sequence of movements that take only a moment: first the cat adjusts its head to an upright position and its body follows by twisting or rotating to match the head. The cat's tail is the final 'rudder' to ensure balance and a perfect landing are attained.
Bad Behavior
Litter Box Re-training
Sometimes a litter-trained cat will start to urinate and/or defecate outside of its box.
This is one of the most common cat behavioral problems.
If it happens only once you may be able to determine that your cat was simply
showing displeasure with a situation. For example, countless cat owners have gone away
and come home to find cat urine in inappropriate places.
This is usually not a serious concern unless the behavior continues.
If your routine has not changed and your cat is "skipping its box" more than once, the first thing to do is determine whether this is a medical problem or simple defiance.
Watch your cat carefully to determine if it's passing urine and stools normally. Straining, frequent urination in small amounts, and blood in the stool or urine are all signs of a medical problem. If you're unsure, it's best to get a veterinary opinion. Your vet should also be able to determine if your cat is spraying to mark its territory (more common with cats not spayed or neutered). Cats spray standing up and they crouch for regular urination, so if you witness the act you should be able to tell the difference.
Once it's been determined that your cat is healthy, you must quickly address the situation before it becomes a habit for your cat. Most cats will not use a dirty litter box, so ensure you scoop it daily and clean it on a regular basis.
You may also run into problems if you suddenly move the litter box to a new location,
or change brands of litter. When changing your brand of cat litter, make it a slow, gradual shift by combining the old and new brands for a few weeks.
If you catch your cat 'in the act' you can squirt her with water to deter the bad behavior, but do not scold your cat after the fact - there is no point. The cat will not associate the punishment with the behavior unless caught in the act.
Sometimes the location of the litter box is the problem. Cats do not like to eliminate and eat
in the same location. Put the litter box as far away from their food as possible,
but in a pleasant, non-threatening area away from loud noises or heavy traffic.
If your cat repeatedly uses one location for 'out-of-box' elimination, you can try
placing a second litter box there to retrain the cat. You can also try to deter him by placing
a dish of food on the area (for the reason explained in the previous paragraph), or by covering the area in tin foil.
Be sure to clean the area thoroughly whenever your cat skips the litter box. The smell of cat urine (and sometimes ammonia, which is similar) is a strong stimulus to a cat to urinate in that spot again.
Scratching
Compared to the smell of cat urine all over the place, cat scratches on the furniture is a small problem!
Cats naturally scratch to sharpen their claws and keep them from becoming overgrown. It's important to train your cat from an early age (ideally as a kitten) to use a scratching post rather than the couch or drapes. Cats like to scratch different surfaces, so consider acquiring a scratch post with a mixture, such as carpet, sisal and wood.
Be sure to physically show your cat the scratching post, and place it in a location
the cat uses often. You can also attract your cat to the post with toys (sometimes
they come attached to the post) or catnip. Be sure the post is anchored securely so
the cat can't knock it over. Just one mishap could cause a cat to avoid scratching
posts forever.
To deter your cat from scratching furniture and other nice items,
you can again spray her with water if you catch her in the act. Also
consider shutting the cat out of a room where it does most of its
scratching, until the habit is broken. Covering the inappropriate
scratch area with plastic or tin foil may deter the cat, as will a
strong scent of perfume or citrus.
If nothing seems to work as a deterrent, you can talk to your vet about small plastic caps that can be fitted over a cat's claws. They last for 4-6 weeks and prevent the cat from doing damage while scratching.
Scratching is another way cats mark territory, and it leaves their scent. As with urine stains, be sure to clean the scratched area thoroughly to avoid repeat offenses.
Aggression
Cats are hunters and sometimes their owners become the prey. Almost every cat owner has had a cat
cuddle that ended with that cat suddenly attempting to bite. Once you know your cat's habits, it's easy to see this trick coming and avoid the bite.
To deter such behavior, never reward it. That means not playing aggressive games with the cat
and your hands or arms.
Although kitten bites are not usually hard or painful, your cat will not realize the difference when it's larger and stronger so be consistent with your rules. Provide toys to scratch and bite, or 'hunt' like prey, and your cat will learn to bite them and leave your fingers alone.
Cats often become aggressive toward people when they are ill or injured. They are also naturally aggressive when they feel threatened or defenseless, so be aware of your actions toward the cat.
Overall, if your cat's behavior suddenly changes, speak to your veterinarian.
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pet care tips 
