Pets
Life with Cats By Dr. Paula Clark
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ne of the first questions I get when people find out I’m a veterinarian is “are you a cat person or a dog person?” This is a difficult question to answer as it probably depends on the particular cat or dog. They all have their quirks and personalities but in general, if they make people feel good and form a mutually beneficial bond then that is what is most important. I thought it would be interesting to see what others thought. When people were asked if they were happy with their pets in a recent nationwide survey 39% of dog owners responded affirmatively yet only 18% of cat companions were satisfied with their relationship with their pets. That a majority of cat companions may not be happy with their cats is disheartening for me because I specialize in improving people’s relationships with their pets, I find the human-animal bond is one of the most important parts of animal care that veterinary medicine often does not really address.
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So, how do we fix the problem with people and their cats? First, we need to understand the reasons for people being unhappy with their cats. Unacceptable behavior is the biggest reason! Some of the most common behavioral complaints about cats are: Scratching furniture, not getting along with other pets (or people) in the household, and soiling outside the litterbox are some of the most common behavioral problems reported. Whenever a cat presents with a behavioral issue, possible medical causes like pain, urinary tract infections, or neurological problems must be ruled out by a veterinarian and treated appropriately if found. Of course, this is time-consuming, can be expensive, and for many cats and parents very traumatizing. Cats generally do not like to be held down and given a pill or be forced to drink a bitter-tasting liquid. However, if a curable condition is found, the problem may be resolved fairly quickly with appropriate treatment. Un-
fortunately, true behavioral problems are not as easy to fix.
Second, we need to find out why people have a difficult time correcting their cat’s behavior. Sometimes the root of the behavioral problem is people’s misperception of cats. Some people choose cats because they are “Low Maintenance” or they are away from home a lot they think that cats can be alone for longer periods of time than dogs, cats are perceived to be loners and aloof. This is not actually the case. Cats get a bad reputation for being lazy and sleeping all the time. While the term Cat Nap is justly deserved, cats are known to sleep 12 hours a day, the truth is cats are not just couch ornaments. When socialized with humans early in development around 4-7 weeks cats crave human interaction and this plus an interest in rewards such as food or physical affection, they can learn to do amazing things. While you must be careful when making VIVARESTON.COM
