Cats have been enigmatic, charming, and intriguing to people for many millennia due to their elegant gait, unpredictable behavior, and mysterious faces. Although many are fond of these mysterious animals, it is often not easy to deal with their behavior or know how to bring it to the best of its health. By applying various levels of knowledge a cat owner needs to ensure that his / her cat has a good quality of life. This article focuses on what cats want, how they behave depending on certain factors, and actual recommendations for improving the pets’ quality of life.
Understanding Cat Behavior
Territorial Instincts:
As is characteristic of felines, they are poly-territorial animals in their genetic pool drawn from wild felines. They are territorial to the core; knowing this makes deciphering most of their functioning based on survival instincts relatively easy. Cats are known to be territorial animals and leave their scent or odor by touching their chins to objects such as furniture, walls, or their owners. This action deposits pheromones which in a way convey to other animals that the area belongs to someone.
This is because their environment changes such as moving to another new home or adding new animals cause anxiety because their territory has been threatened. This territorial instinct also accounts for why some cats may not wish to share their areas of the house and hence there is sometimes a fight among cats in a house full of cats.
Social Structure and Communication:
This is contrary to what most people believe or imagine that cats are very independent animals that do not have to associate with other animals or individuals. Unfortunately, deciphering the cats’ need for verbal, non-verbal and even pheromones to communicate makes it difficult sometimes. It bares its fangs and hisses or purrs or meows or even chirps and all these for various purposes to convey something to its master or owner.
For example, although the word "meow" is used by cats to communicate with humans, it is rarely used by them to communicate with other cats. Begging is among the vocal expressions through which they seek the owner’s attention, especially if they want food, cuddle or to draw their attention to a particular issue. Similarly to the latter, purring which is typically linked to the state of well-being may be a sign of pain or stress. Felicity is created by learning the various tones of meows as well as changes in body posture to explain how a cat feels.
Hunting and Play Behavior:
However, if you think that domesticated cats are in any way civilized and therefore do not have to hunt anymore; well you are wrong! Playing involves being stalked, pounced on, and captured by cats. It mimics the hunting of small animals. Obeying the hunting instinct, toys that imitate the movements of the prey – feathers, balls, or strings are perfect for this purpose.
There is nothing as important in the lives of humans and other animals as playtime for bodily and brain workouts. Wild cats hunt and as such, hunting keeps the cats active and alert. Outdoor cats run after prey but it may not be a common thing when a kitty is an indoor cat; playtime then becomes a way of fulfilling such instinct and also exercising. Mischievous behavior includes scratching objects such as furniture or furniture upholstery and aggression from cats is likely to arise when they are not provided with enough challenges mentally and physically.
Grooming and Hygiene:
Self-grooming is a vital activity of cats and they require doing it severally each day The given behavior is useful in several ways. Cats are fastidious animals, and they frequently clean themselves which involves a lot of grooming by licking their furs. Grooming indeed has functions in thermoregulation, cleaning of the body from parasites, and stress reduction. Cats also keep their skin clean and they do not allow their hairs to form tangles so that they can groom themselves properly.
Other forms of self-grooming are allogrooming which is when a cat licks not just other cats but other people as well. This grooming has the effect of consolidating relationships thus symbolizing confidence that exists between the two dogs. Owners must groom their cats and make sure that it's are free and often enough so that they will not have too many hairballs, especially if the cat is long-haired.
Factors Influencing Cat Well-being
Nutrition and Diet:
Probably the most vital aspect of a cat’s life is to feed him or her on the right food. Cats are nutritional meat lovers, and this is the reason they are called obligate carnivores since they need animal protein in their diet. Companion foods for cats have all the necessary elements included to feed a cat but care must be taken by the owner to get the best products. Raw meals containing more meat and less grain and filler are more suitable for the health of the pet.
Keeping cats on a diet that has been deemed to be appropriate to the age of the cat, their weight, and activity level is very important. Kittens require more protein content as compared to other cat groups because they are growing while the senior cats will be looking for joint health and low-calorie diets. Water should also be available at all times and this is vital since cats can develop problems such as urinary problems if they don’t drink enough water.
Physical and Mental Stimulation:
Playfulness is very important to a cat's health both mentally and physically. Among these, the most common forms are obesity, behavioral changes such as aggression, depression, and other compulsive disorders. Permanent toys, trees, and scratchers are a great source of permanent entertainment in the form of scratching, climbing, and playing.
Contained animals especially cats need more exercise than the other animals that roam about in the outside environment since they have a number less experiences than those of the outside animals. Interaction with your cat through games such as using the feather wand or laser pointer is like hunting; for this reason, it enhances their physical health and sharpens their thinking ability. Other good ways to stimulate their brains include puzzle feeders since getting to the food they want they must solve a puzzle.
Health Care and Veterinary Visits:
So one should make sure that cats get regular check-ups with a veterinarian so that they can live healthy lives for their ages. Some of the services that should form part of the cat’s healthcare include; Vaccinations, Flea and tick control, and Dental care. A yearly or every six-month checkup with the veterinarian does assist in identifying conditions that may be ailing the cat such as kidney diseases, diabetes, or dental diseases that if not well managed can greatly impact the kitty’s health.
Sterilization of cats is used both for the prevention of births of too many kittens and has its health effects. These adverse effects are minimized or eliminated by its use as it acts as a preventive measure to specific forms of cancer besides controlling undesired behaviors such as spraying and aggression in a cat thus improving its psychological as well as physiological well-being.
Creating a Safe and Comfortable Environment:
Cats’ emotional needs were seen as safe physical conditions in which the cat would feel happy and secure. Cats are very receptive and responsive to changes and they become stressed when changes in their environment occur. Safe scenarios, a quiet environment, enough space, the possibility to find comfortable and cozy beds, and places to hide and climb also imply security.
Another natural behavior that has to be fostered in the home is scratching. This is not only for sharpening the claws but also for scratching marks on its territory as well as muscle stretching. Scratching posts and pads have to be set in the areas where the cat spends most of its time to avoid scratching furniture or carpets.
Also, there are some significant considerations when it comes to going for a litter box for the comfort and hygienic reasons of the cats. Litter boxes should be placed in some inconspicuous place, preferably in some area which is out of touch with other people and the contents of the litter boxes should be changed fairly often. A dirty or placed litter box inappropriately can lead to stress or even lead to altercations of the proper elimination behavior.
Strengthening the Human-Cat Bond
Building Trust and Affection:
The love that exists between man and the cat is based on trust. Contrary to what most people think, cats tend to be less dependent on their owners than dogs yet they are capable of developing a strong bond with their owner. Thus, one aspect of trust is how people must respect a cat’s boundaries. Cats like to decide when they want interaction and getting them to let you pet them or be patted when they are not in the mood will break the trust.
Rewarding a cat with treats, toys, or friendly, verbal, and physical contact makes it possible to come closer or interact with the owner and enhances the relationship. Learning about cats, their modalities of expressing themselves, and what they want at a certain time e. g. when they want to be cuddled and when they want to be left alone actually helps in having a good relationship with your pet.
Handling Stress and Anxiety:
Like members of the human race, cats too feel stressed and anxious. Other sources of stress can be related to changes in the home environment for example: relocation, introduction of other animals in the home, noise, etc. Some of the signs that may indicate that your cat is stressed include over-grooming, withdrawal, aggression, or fluctuation in food intake. These are signs important to notice to know if your cat is healthy or not.
For this reason, to minimize stress, all the cat’s zones and toys that you provide should be safe and enable the animal to escape when it feels stressed. Other things that can counter irritate the pet include; pheromone sprays or diffusers can also be used to make the environment calm as well. The main factor of the environment is that maintaining the stability of the house could prove to be beneficial to your cat.
Enrichment and Socialization:
Of course, compared to dogs, cats do not need to be close to people all the time, but they also need mental and emotional stimulation. Grooming your cat, or as most cat lovers would prefer playing with the cat and giving it some physical touch when it initiates is quite crucial for the cat. In case of cats being housed in the same household then adequate resources must be made available to avoid conflicts between the cats such as the litter boxes, scratching posts, food bowls, and water bowls among others.
Toys that could be played with, puzzles, and places where the cat has to interact with his environment, like windowsills or a safe enclosure where the cat can freely observe the outdoors enable the cat to exercise. Fostering such resultant behaviors will help your cat to continue being mentally stimulated and emotionally fulfilled.
Conclusion:
Taking into consideration that cats are rather sophisticated animals, they are characterized by several behaviors and requirements. If one is going to appreciate the cats’ behaviors and their welfare, then one has to have a passion for their instincts, communication, and emotions. This entails feeding the cats properly, taking the cats for vet check-ups, ensuring the cat’s environment is quite enriched, and finally, making sure the cat receives lots of positive, warm interaction.
In fact, the main idea of feline behavior can be best described as not hidden at all but rather very subtle. This is true because, understanding your cat’s body language, sounds, and habits will not only help you to bond with your cat but also to know her general health. This is why as responsible cat owners we must recognize and address these needs so that its health and emotional well-being are properly attended to.
Given all the attention, proper conditions, affection, and love in interacting with their owners, cats can remain as interesting and loving pets as they used to be, accompanying people with pleasure, and adding joy to their lives.
