Cat attractions
Cat and food
The cat eats food day and night. In twenty-four hours it prepares up to fifteen/sixteen small meals. In fact, when it has the opportunity, it catches many small prey by slowly “gnawing” them.
You need to:
- Place two/three food points (bowl) away from particularly noisy places in the house and from toilet boxes.
Some food points can be placed on a raised place, such as a table, wall shelf or kitchen counter.
Water should always be fresh and plentiful. - Since many cats like running water, it is possible to install a room fountain to recycle water in addition to the classic bowl.
Why do cats sometimes try to bury leftover food?
It’s a natural gesture; covering “prey/food” to protect it from other predators and then returning to eat the leftovers in times of need 🙂
Living Together…
Animals, like humans, have behavioral and safety needs, as they are beings with minds, motivation, and emotions that define their “personality.” A cat is a social partner, an active member of the family group, and should be recognized not merely as a simple cohabitant but as an individual, even if “different from me.” Establishing a correct relationship based on full recognition of mutual differences is the foundation for living with a young cat.
The report is composed of several “components,” among which the main ones are:
- Affective: giving and receiving affection
- Playful: playing and engaging in games
- Membership: feeling part of a group and including the partner
- Social: activities with the cat and allowing the animal to include you
- Epistemic: observing the cat’s behavior, letting it watch and understand you
Dear kitty, why won’t you listen to me?
Our cat often isolates herself and sleeps for long periods, even when we are at home; if we try to engage her in play, the little cat doesn’t even want to hear about it! For many years, it was believed that cats are solitary animals and not really inclined to participate. In reality, this is not the case.
In most cases, the young cat is not accustomed to engaging in activities in our home, as she spends many hours alone. Therefore, when we try to involve her, we are not yet “credible.”
To enrich the cat’s day, from the moment of adoption, you can share meal times—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—by calling the kitten, offering a spoonful of wet food, and involving her in household chores (changing sheets, handing over a broom or cloth), throwing some toys, and so on.
It should be emphasized that this relationship must be nurtured every day.
Meow… I’m being naughty!
A kitten or adult cat can exhibit various “undesirable” behaviors in the home, such as scratching, destruction, urinating outside the litter box, or disruptive meowing.
Such behavior is not a “mischief” but should be interpreted as a message directed at the human family, signaling discomfort related to unmet feline needs, the presence of a behavioral disorder, or underlying medical conditions.
Awareness of belonging to different species involves understanding the needs of our small companions. Feeding, drinking, sleeping, and elimination are primary needs for all living beings, but animals, like us, also have behavioral and safety needs, as they are beings equipped with a mind, motivations, and emotions that define their “personality.”
Do you like being touched?
I pet my cat… does my cat like it?
It is important to understand what the other thinks and feels in order to continually improve the quality of the relationship.
The cat enjoys contact when:
- The face is relaxed and the eyes are half-closed.
- The ears are relaxed and positioned to the sides of the head.
- The whiskers are relaxed.
- The body muscles are relaxed.
- The cat responds to contact, reaching toward our hand.
The cat does not enjoy contact when:
- The tip of the tail moves in sudden jerks.
- The eyes are wide open.
- The ears are pricked and high on the head.
- The whiskers are tense and pushed forward.
- The cat licks its lips, yawns, or turns its head away.
Many cats find it difficult to manage the emotions that contact evokes: they tense up and may bite the hand to stop the petting. To help the cat enjoy petting more, you can first signal with your voice and a step toward them: “It’s time for cuddles!” The cat may observe you with “smiling” eyes and approach, showing readiness for contact.
Conversely, if the cat dilates its pupils, steps back, pushes its whiskers forward, and turns its head away, it indicates that it is not available for interaction.
When it seems that the cat is irritated by contact, it is helpful to learn to recognize the messages it sends. Even if it says “NO, I don’t feel like it,” remain nearby. This will build trust over time and may allow the cat to accept brief petting.
Respecting the signals that the cat sends fosters a relationship based on trust. Understanding your cat ensures that it feels welcomed and heard.
The cat is communicating a lot to you…
Cats deposit special chemical messages called pheromones, which serve both to signal territory boundaries to other cats (areas where the cat eats, rests, eliminates, or plays) and to recognize group members and objects in the home.
Pheromones are secreted by various glands located in the skin and mucous membranes around natural openings. The messages carried by these chemical signals reach the cat’s brain directly through a specialized structure called the Jacobson’s organ, which opens in the mouth. Cats detect pheromones through the Flehmen or lip-curl behavior: the upper lip is raised, the mouth is slightly open, and the tongue moves rapidly.
The main pheromones identified so far include facial pheromones, those deposited through scratching and urine marking, and alarm pheromones.
When a cat rubs its cheeks…
When a cat rubs its cheeks on us, another cat or dog, or objects, it deposits pheromones. Pheromones are chemical substances that we can no longer perceive directly; they carry a message.
When a young cat rubs its cheeks on objects (such as table or chair legs, door frames, etc.), it leaves a message that says, “I know you, and you are part of my home.”
When the cat rubs its cheeks on us or another cat or dog it lives with, it deposits a pheromone message that says, “I know you, and you are part of my family.”
Where does the cat sleep?
When a cat matures, it selects multiple resting places in the home and uses them cyclically. Some cats prefer to rest in high places, away from other family members; others hide under pieces of furniture, blankets, or beds. Yet others happily curl up in the middle of the room or on tables. Sharing a resting spot with another family member (cat, dog, or human) indicates the presence of a preferred, intimate bond.
At night… we celebrate!
Especially in spring, cats between 7 months and 1 year old run around the house like crazy. This behavior can also occur at night, most often between 2 and 5 a.m.
Even cats that live in pairs, when left alone at home, do not have much to do and spend most of the day sleeping. However, no animal, especially a young one, can rest all day and all night!
Cats need to be active during the day; otherwise, on warm spring nights, they will wake us up with frantic running and very high jumps.
Cat and space in three dimensions…
To increase living space in the home, the third dimension (height) can be utilized, allowing the cat to explore, hide, and play even during hours when the family is absent. Over the past decade, many designers have created furniture elements for this purpose that integrate well with home interiors. These solutions provide greater comfort for both the cat and the owners, as the available living space becomes sufficient for the entire household. Additionally, they redirect the cat’s attention away from furniture, helping to preserve it.
For example, you can:
- Arrange several shelves in sequence, giving the cat access to the highest furniture;
- Leave some bookshelf shelves accessible to the cat by using special pathways that facilitate movement while protecting books and other items.
“Step away from there” “Don’t get up, stop!”
Cats use space differently than dogs.
A young cat loves to climb upward and therefore makes use of the furniture in our home: chairs, tables, wall and kitchen counters, shelves, and so on. Since an indoor cat is only moderately active during the day, it is essential to create vertical spaces that it can access.
If we scold the cat and force it down from a table, which is set, or from the kitchen counter while we are cooking, it causes stress for the animal if there are no alternative spaces where it can satisfy its natural curiosity and exploratory behavior.
Environmental enrichment, designed according to the individual cat and the family system in which it lives, is essential for ensuring the young cat’s well-being.
“Thaaat’s it… she fell!”
Cats, especially when young, engage in patrolling behavior (mapping the environment they live in) and exploring objects. During these activities, some items may suffer: for example, a cat jumping on shelves or furniture might accidentally knock over decorations and similar objects. In fact, kittens up to around six months old are clumsy and have not yet fully coordinated their movements. At other times, the kitten wants to gather more details about an object it has found: it touches it with its whiskers and paws and explores it with its mouth to understand the material it is made of. To complete its exploration, the cat often tries to move the object by pushing it with its paws or face, which is why things end up falling.
Have fun with your little cat!
To keep your cat’s curiosity alive, you can offer only a few toys at a time and then rotate them every few weeks.
Play between the owner and the cat should encourage a sense of cooperation. The human partner should engage the little cat in joint activities that are enjoyable for both, such as building a “den” (a cardboard box with holes for the cat to enter), creating a “wonder chair” (hanging strings, caps, objects, etc.), and similar interactive setups.
- It’s important to avoid overly stimulating games, such as quickly grabbing at hands or feet, or chasing light and shadows, including laser pointers projected on the floor or walls, as these can increase emotional arousal and promote predatory-aggressive behavior.
Cat and Play
Social play behavior in kittens appears from the end of the third week of life and usually disappears between the twelfth and fourteenth week. In adult cats, play remains almost exclusively solitary and is typically focused on objects rather than social interactions.
At the age of four to five weeks, kittens engage in hand-to-hand “combat” play, which includes vocalizations, gentle biting, and scratching. The excitement generated during these play sessions often leads to increasingly intense bites, sometimes causing the partner to cry out in pain. In addition to combat play, kittens also display behaviors such as “cross runs,” pouncing after ambushes, rising onto their hind legs, and boxing, all of which develop and refine their physical coordination and social skills over the weeks.
Cat … Learning to Understand Each Other!
Often, when we do something for our cat, it looks at us skeptically. For example, we buy a scratching post, set it up, and are satisfied with our choice—but the little cat is completely uninterested and instead plays with the paper packaging! This happens because we did everything ourselves. When introducing a scratching post, it’s important to involve the cat: call it over, encourage it to play with strings or bolts, and show how to use the object. By doing this, we become the cat’s guides—the ones who can suggest interesting activities and lead the animal through the learning process.
Play… a puzzle with your cat?
Our cat can be presented with some simple puzzles: a toy mouse or food hidden under a transparent plastic cup stimulates the kitten’s problem-solving intelligence. The cat’s attention should be drawn by repeatedly moving the mouse, which after a few minutes is hidden under the inverted cup. The mouse’s tail (preferably made of feathers) should stick out from the cup. The cat will quickly try to reach the mouse, often tipping over the cup in the process! If the kitten struggles, help should be given. A cheerful “Well done!” and plenty of cuddles will make both cat and owner happy.
How long should a cat play?
There is no single answer to this question, as play is not a “task” or a “duty”!
A kitten spends most of its day engaged in playful activities with objects or other kittens: running, jumping, climbing, and so on, which stimulates its nervous system and encourages growth. From about one year of age, play with other cats becomes occasional, while playful interaction with objects continues. This activity is mainly concentrated at dawn and dusk, during times dedicated to “hunting.”
We can offer our cats stimulating games that simulate moving prey, as well as concentration games that encourage attention and thinking. Each individual activity should last no more than five to seven minutes, so that the emotions triggered remain positive, and the play can serve as a “hook” for continued engagement on the following days.
The box… our cat’s bathroom!
The choice of a litter box is very important for a cat, just as selecting and arranging sanitary fixtures is essential for us in a bathroom.
Most kittens prefer to urinate and defecate in different areas, so it’s necessary to provide two litter boxes placed close to each other. When there are multiple cats in the same household, it’s recommended to have at least one more box than the number of cats so that at least one is always clean. The dimensions of the box should allow the cat comfortable access, so it can easily enter, dig, cover, and exit.
Some kittens prefer a closed box for privacy, while others like an open one. I recommend removing the flap from the box lid so the cat can enter and exit more easily. To reduce the amount of litter scattered when the cat digs and covers, place a mat in front of the box.
The box should be placed in a quiet area of the home, away from traffic, food and water bowls, and resting spots.
The balcony is not always a good option, as cats often do not like going out into the cold during winter to relieve themselves.
I am… jealous!
When we adopt a puppy or a kitten, our “furry firstborn” can feel affected and may show behaviors that can be attributed to sibling-like jealousy.
The behaviors caused by jealousy are often linked to fear and anger. Fear can be triggered by difficulties in communicating with the newcomer, while anger may arise from the unexpected intrusion into their living space and changes in their daily routine. A new family member shifts the family balance and forces everyone to “abandon the old path” without knowing what the future holds. Cats don’t just feel emotions themselves—they can also understand what a human partner is feeling by listening to tone of voice, observing facial expressions, or reading body posture.
A cat "reads" us!
Verbal and nonverbal elements of human communication can significantly influence a cat’s emotional state.
A cat can sense the owner’s emotional expectations, especially if they are associated with memories of previous trips or veterinary visits. These cues might cause the owner to stare intently at the cat, move quickly, gesture, raise their voice, or attempt to touch the cat more frequently. Additionally, the owner’s own physiological responses—dilated pupils, increased heart rate, and faster breathing—convey subtle signals. The cat easily “reads” these signals and quickly aligns its behavior with the owner’s negative emotional state, adjusting its own reactions accordingly.
Traveling with Your Cat
Certain factors, such as the type of carrier, the owner’s anxiety, and traveling by car, can influence a cat’s emotional state.
To turn the carrier into a safe and comfortable space for your cat, follow these steps:
- From the moment of adoption, keep the carrier available to the cat with the doors open and a soft cushion inside. This allows the cat to explore it voluntarily and associate it with comfort.
- Before each trip, apply a few sprays of a feline pheromone product like Tranquility inside the carrier (two or three sprays). Since the product contains an alcohol-based solvent, it is best to do this outdoors and wait about fifteen minutes before placing your cat inside.
- When carrying the cat in the carrier, hold it with both hands and move slowly, as sudden movements or jolts can increase the cat’s discomfort. Each cat in the household should travel in its own carrier, because the stress of sharing a confined space can lead to irritability and potentially aggressive behavior toward companions.
- After returning home, clean the carrier thoroughly, both inside and out, with warm water and neutral soap to remove any “alarm” pheromones the cat may have left during the journey. This ensures the carrier remains a safe and stress-free space for future use.
Older Cats: Understanding Their Needs
When a cat reaches its “senior” years, several physical and cognitive changes occur. Older cats tend to sleep more, hear and see less effectively, and jump or move with reduced agility. Cognitive abilities may also slow down or become clouded: memory can decline, curiosity diminishes, and toys that once engaged them may no longer hold interest.
It is crucial to keep both the body and mind of an older cat active. You can enrich the home environment by offering new exploratory experiences, such as novel objects from the outside (chestnuts, cardboard boxes, dry leaves, etc.), as well as stimulating toys like feathered playthings. These activities encourage mental engagement, gentle exercise, and curiosity, helping senior cats maintain their quality of life and emotional well-being.