Category: behavior

Is Your Cat Happy and Healthy?

Living with a pet is a huge happiness booster for the pet owner as well as having several health benefits, but how can you tell how your cat feels? Is your cat happy and healthy, too?

There are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your cat’s well-being. First, lay the groundwork when they are kittens by spending lots of time playing with them. When you spend time getting to know your kitten’s personality and preferences, you can be sure that you’re setting them up for a long, healthy and happy life.

Also, don’t skip important vet checkups and immunizations so they’ll grow into happy, loving cats.

Sometimes, like when you’ve adopted an older cat (which you should seriously consider!), you don’t have a say in what happens when to your cat as a kitten. Look for signs that your cat is expressing happiness and love, signs like purring or bringing you a ‘present’.  Sharing their prey with you is actually a true sign of affection!

Does it ever seem that your cat wants to be right on top of your hands or lap when you’re on your computer? This, too, is a way of expressing their love for you and their desire for your attention, even if it can be a pain in the neck for you.

Finally, why not use this checklist before visiting the vet to make sure your cat is getting the attentive care they deserve?

For more, please check out these 10 tips for a happy and healthy kitten. Make sure to check out these 6 ways your cat shows you that they are happy members of your family.

In what ways does your cat show you that she is happy and healthy?

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Peek N Prize Toy Box at MyThreeCats.com

What types of environmental enhancements do you offer your cat?

Caring for cats properly involves much more than simply furnishing food, water and a litter box. Environmental enrichment, such as toys, food puzzles, perches, and even hiding places, can really change the quality of life for almost any cat.

The Winn Feline Foundation recently took a look at this issue in a group of shelter cats on their blog. Environmental enrichment in shelter cats is an excerpt from a study which provided a food puzzle to a stable group of shelter cats and examined their reaction to the puzzle and their interactions surrounding the object. The study concluded:

“a stimulating item that can be shared by all individuals in a stable group, such as a puzzle feeder of appropriate size, can play an important role in promoting positive social interactions among cats and improving their welfare.”

Certainly, in shelter cats, this is an important study. It underlines the need for more than just basic care in the lives of these animals and the fact that this enrichment is easily achievable. After all, the ultimate goal is to give these cats the best chance for adoption. Cats that are comfortable in their environment and confident will show it in their behavior. And confident behavior is much more “adoptable” than a cat that is hiding in his cage or, worse yet, acting in aggressive manner out of fear.

However, this study also can be extended to those of us who keep multi-cat households. I have three cats and frequently see two or more of my cats interacting with the toys and puzzles at once. In fact, it seems as though if one cat shows interest, it generates interest in the other cats as well.  

Many environmental enhancement toys, cat furniture and other items can be found at www.MyThreeCats.com, the experts in optimum care care and well being.

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Hug Your Cat – And Live Longer

Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that people without felines were 30 to 40 percent more likely to die of cardiovascular disease than those without cats.    No protective effect of dogs as domestic pets was observed.

Over 4,000 people were surveyed about pet ownership and risk factors.  Dr. Adnan Qureshi, stroke expert at the University, said of the cat-dog differential, “We don’t understand this completely – it’s probably not a coincidence.”

I think we can help answer this phenomenon pretty easily.

Cats are creatures of peace and tranquility.  They sleep on average 16 hours a day, they are generally quiet and they purr.  They follow us around like we’re the pied piper, quietly observing us as we go about our daily activities.   They force us to stay on the couch a bit longer as they purr away on our laps.  Many have an uncanny sense of when we’re arriving back home, waiting in the window sill until we appear, then meowing and bumping up against our legs with a friendly hello.

Some are very conversational, wanting to tell us how their day went.  Their meows are generally very pleasant and sweet.  If they are hungry they tell us politely.   If they are sick, their observant humans will know by the change in their habits or behaviors, but not because they complain.

These are just some of the ways they affect our lives in a calming, positive way.

So……give your favorite feline a big hug and enjoy them every minute you can!  You may just add some years to your life in the process. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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