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 Macqui, playing "fetch" |
Some cats, of course, are definitely "talkers"! However, if your cat
has been checked out by your vet and there are no medical problems, and
he is really trying to get your attention with his constant meowing,
it’s time to start paying close attention and try to figure out what it
is your cat is trying to tell you! He is possibly hungry; possibly
lonely; his litter box is possibly not clean enough for his liking;
there may be changes in your home or personal routine that are upsetting
to him. Remember – your cat has feelings too, and you should try to
look at things from HIS point of view – not yours.
Slowly Blinking His Eyes at You
This is a fun behavior as it usually signals that your cat is very
content and serene at that moment. I will often sit quietly and slowly
blink my eyes back at my cat, and quite often, this will be just the
final sweet comfort that will make them close their eyes completely,
secure that they are loved back, for a luxurious cat-nap.
Biting
Young kittens between the ages of 3 weeks old and 8 months old will be
teething off and on, and will have very strong needs to bite. Just like
baby children, kittens are born without teeth, start getting their first
baby teeth at about 3-4 weeks old, then they will lose their baby teeth
and have their adult teeth come in up until the age of about 8 months
old. So the trick here is not to keep them from biting; but rather, to
provide them appropriate items to bite. We use plastic drinking straws
with our kittens, and train them from the start that toys and straws are
purr-rectly fine to bite, but human body parts are off-limits! If a
kitten learns this from the start, there is hardly ever an inappropriate
biting behavior as an adult.
Some cats start biting out of frustration after they have been
de-clawed. Some cats start biting out of misplaced aggression, which
usually can be countered by providing the cat a feline playmate, and/or
providing them more cat toys, cat furniture, and making their
environment more stimulating for them. For a cat with a serious biting
problem, often the quickest way to teach them not to bite you is to
immediately blow on his face, as soon as you realize he is biting or is
about to bite you. Saying "NO!" firmly at the same time reinforces this
training. At all times, it is critical that you be thinking and acting
on the firm belief that "toys and straws are for biting; human hands are
for giving and receiving love".
Holly
Foothill Felines and HDW Enterprises
Start of Article>
Feline Behaviors > Page 1, 2, 3, 4
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