Domestic cats are harder to read than domestic dogs

Although I can't find the actual study, the Mail Online reports on a study led by Prof Daniel Mills from the University of Lincoln, UK which explores how cat and dog owners recognise the emotions of their companion animals through their expressions. The study asked 438 pet owners to state whether their dog or cat displayed a list of 22 different emotions from disappointment, frustration to sadness and joy.

Frustrated cat? The facial expression is perfect for a frustrated cat showing anger. But we know how a feline's facial expression can mislead us. Often it is due to the cat's anatomy e.g. Grumpy Cat. I am yet to be completely convinced that domestic cats can feel the emotion of frustration. I think they find a way around it by substituting what frustrates them with something else.

Unsurprisingly, dog owners were better able to recognise their companion animal's emotions than cat owners. I don't think this study really advances our knowledge of cats and dogs that much because we know that cats are less facially expressive than dogs because they are essentially a solitary animal whereas dogs are a pack animal looking up to their alpha male leader for guidance and interacting with other members of the pack which requires communication including body language which in turn includes facial expressions.

In the study, on average, 65% of dog owners compared to 58% of cat owners believed that their companion animal can express a certain emotion.

Based on the study's findings, dogs are more able to express subtle emotions such as guilt and empathy. There probably has to be a word of warning here in that sometimes dog owners project their feelings onto their dog companion and believe something which doesn't actually exist.

It appears that, according to cat owners, cats excel at demonstrating anger! Around 85% of cat owners said that their cat can express anger compared to less than 60% of dog owners. Comment: there may be a misconception here. It may be that people are not relating to their cats properly and are inadvertently provoking them into being defensively aggressive perhaps. This might encourage cat owners to regard their cat as demonstrating anger more commonly than dogs do so with their owners. It is not uncommon, for example, for people to pet their cats too much or in a way which can cause scratches or bites. This may colour their perception of their cat's aggressive nature when the root cause of the issue is how people interact with their companion cat.

Another factor which coloured the study findings would be that cats are less predisposed to looking directly at their owner whereas dogs are more likely to do this as they look for guidance from their alpha male leader which would be the human owner.

In fact, it is said that people should not stare at their cat because they find it intimidating. That is not entirely true nowadays because domestic cats are very well integrated into the human environment but it is probably fair to say that cats are less likely to look into the eyes of their human owner than pet dogs which would mean that the owner is less likely to spot facial expressions indicating an underlying emotion.

Prof Daniel Mills said, "When cats turn on their owners and scratch them, it can be because owners miss subtle signs suggesting it is time to stop touching or patching them. So, it's important to understand our pets, but these results suggest we may not be as in tune with cats as we are with dogs. This could be because dogs may have been bred to have more expressive faces than cats."

He adds, "But unfortunately we still don't know whether cats and dogs generally show different emotions, or whether people project more emotions onto dogs and cats, because we often work more closely with dogs so need better communication."

The research is published in the journal Animals. The researchers questioned people who had lived with their pets for at least two years and therefore knew them well. They asked the owners whether they had seen six central animal emotions in their companion animal: anger, disgust, fear, joy, sadness and surprise. And they asked them how they were expressed through facial expressions and general posture and eye contact.

The owners said that they were better able to recognise anxiety, boredom, confusion, and the, frustration, guilt, shame, pain and positive anticipation in dogs compared to cats.

Kitten makes the cutest 'attack' on a human you've ever seen (plus info about kitten play)

Cute kitten makes the cutest 'attack' on a human you've ever seen (plus into about kitten play). Screenshot.

Just playing. It's a 'play-attack' - the kind of behavior we see between kittens who spend a lot of time roughhousing. This time the target was slightly bigger than normal and it looks very cute.

As the experts say:

"Every living creature needs to play, and cats are no exception".

Play for cats is a release of pent-up energy. When kittens play with each other or perhaps with their mother they are preparing themselves for adult life in learning the movements required for attacking and defending. Interestingly, the video of this tiny and cute kitten shows a behaviour which is both attacking and defending.

When cats play roughly with each other they are well aware that they game of 'combat' is not in earnest and that they will not harm each other.

When you watch their behaviour, you will see that when the dominant cat is holding her mate, if the hold causes any pain, a growl or sharp meow will make the aggressive cat let go.

When kittens play with each other they gauge how far they can go in terms of aggression by the response of the "victim" to that aggression. And in this way, they learn about the limits to their play.

Kittens begin to play at about three weeks of age. This play starts off with the kittens gently pawing at each other. As their coordination improves, they begin biting, chasing and rolling.

Social play increases from 4 to 11 weeks of age and then rapidly declines. By this time, the kittens seem to pair off during play periods, which usually takes place four times a day. At nine weeks, kitten spent almost an hour each day playing.

The importance of play

We know that playing takes up a lot of your kitten's or kittens' time. They stalk each other, launch mock attacks, assume defensive positions, pounce and in general have lots of fun.

Playing encourages the development of coordination, provides a source of exercise and helps to socialise the kittens. And if they are kittens born in the wild without the protection of their human caregiver's home, play is a training ground to learn how to survive.

Limiting kitten and young cat play

One expert says that you should encourage kids to play and enjoy it but don't let them overdo it. They say that playtime sessions should be limited to 15 minutes each day, 2-3 times daily. They also remarkably state that "rough play, in which a kitten nips or scratches should also be discouraged."

Their argument is that "a kitten may begin to believe that aggressive, even violent behaviour is acceptable at home."

Hands are not toys

I seriously doubt that advice. Cats are inherently aggressive as they are top line predators! Kittens play with each other instinctively. And as long as they are playing with each other it's okay. I think the problem arises when a young cat plays with their owner's hands or feet. Then they equate the person's hands or feet to a toy (a prey animal actually) which they can bite and scratch to their hearts content which they can't.

RELATED: 10 facts about using hands as play toys for your cat.

This is about the caregiver limiting play and training their young cat to conduct this inherent behaviour in a way which is acceptable in the human environment.

It is entirely possible that a young cat can learn to attack their owner's hand during their early life and that this behaviour will remain with them for the rest of their life no matter how persistently and carefully their owner tries to discourage it. It can put a stress on the relationship.

Bad idea: DELIFUR Christmas costumes - Funny Pet Cowboy Outfit Clothing for Dog Cat

I feel that I need to address this recurring problem which is to put domestic cats into outfits so that they look like little humans. You can buy them on Amazon. The picture below shows you an example. The title describes it.

I don't want to be a killjoy because I understand that it can be fun to put domestic cats into mini-human outfits. However, I don't think that it is a good idea because, ultimately, it disrespects the domestic cat. And I think it probably undermines the human-to-cat relationship which should be one of human recognising the fact that they live with a domesticated wildcat at heart.

It's all very well to treat a domestic cat as a human in terms of animal rights. This elevates their rights to that of a human which helps to protect them and which helps to foster respect for them. But to treat them as little humans including babies leads humans down the path of interacting with their cat in a less than optimal way.

It can alter the caregiver's expectations. Treat a domestic cat as a little human and you want them to behave like little humans, perhaps like a toddler. So, you start cuddling your cat a little bit to aggressively because you love them. Your cat might not like it. They might bite you or scratch. They might wriggle free which might hurt your feelings.

If you expect your cat to be a cat and if you understand domestic cat behaviour which is always based upon their wildcat ancestor's behaviour then there is much less chance of being scratched. In fact, the possibility of being scratched can be eliminated almost entirely. There will be a better relationship. One of mutual respect.

Putting your cat in a cowboy outfit to amuse yourself would irritate PETA, the animal rights charity. And I'm with them on this. Their mantra is not to abuse or exploit. I think putting your cat in these clothes is a form of exploitation. Exploitation to amuse yourself. These clothes are all about human activity and enjoyment at the expense of the cat.

Some cats might not mind it too much but most cats will find it a little distressing at least and perhaps completely unacceptable at worst. Without wishing to preach, I think we should be doing things for our cat to make them happy rather than imposing things upon our cat to make us happy. One is giving and the other is taking.

Do cats understand kisses?

For HUMANS kissing is a common way to express affection or greet someone in many cultures around the world. However, in some cultures, kissing was not a regular practice before European colonization. 

In these cultures, kissing was introduced by Europeans and did not have the same significance as it does in other cultures. Kissing can be used to express a wide range of emotions, including love, gratitude, compassion, sympathy, joy, and sorrow.

Your cat understands your kiss as an act of allogrooming from another cat. - MikeB

Your cat understands your kiss as an act of allogrooming from another cat. Image: MikeB

It is an intimate exchange. It is a practice that was created by humans for humans. We don't know the origin. Anyway it is irrelevant. This is about humans.

When we kiss our cat they don't understand the action as a kiss per se. You've probably kissed your cat before during moments when there is emotional warmth between you. Your cat will have learned that the act of kissing is a sign of affection, a bit like stroking their head. 

Cats don't understand kisses per se in the way humans do as a deeply intimate action. But they understand the affection attached to it provided there is affection attached to it! And it has been done often. This teaches your cat what it means.

That's about it on cats understanding human kisses. Except for this afterthought:

Allogrooming versus kissing

Petting your cat and stroking him or her is very close to the human kiss from the cat's standpoint. They interpret is as their mother or a feline associate (friend) grooming them. When a cat grooms another cat (allogrooming) cats understand this as a physical sign of affection. It is bonding.

Allogrooming is almost a feline version of the human kiss. - MikeB

Cat allogrooming. A feline version of the human kiss?! Image in the public domain.

Allogrooming means licking another cat. The tongue is involved as it is in French kissing! You can see the association.

The cat may even understand the human kiss on their head as a allogrooming from another cat. If that was the case, once again they'd regard it as a friendly act which is very similar to a peck on the cheek from a dear friend.

There is a big overlap here between cat allogrooming and human kisses 😎. 

Tip that should encourage your cat to voluntarily jump off your lap

This is a rather strange tip, and I am not entirely sure that it will work every time. And, in any case, who wants their cat to jump off their lap? Most cat owners like their cat on their lap. 

But sometimes there is a limit to how long you'd like your beloved, darling cat to stay on your lap because (1) your legs are seizing up at the knee joint (2) you are reading a broadsheet newspaper and it is almost impossible to do this when your cat is on your lap (3) you need to get up to go to the bathroom or make some tea or get a beer etc.

Cat comfortable on a warm lap. This is a stock image as I don't have a photo of my cat on my lap while I am sitting in my armchair. Image: Pixabay.

You can delicately push him off your lap if you like. That'll work but I don't like doing that because I don't want my cat to get the impression that I want him off my lap. I like him on my lap, and he comes on my call. 

Sometimes cats get used to signals which mean that their caregiver is going to get up. Mine does this when I turn off the tele. The silence is a signal that I am getting up but that is not the tip.

Here IS the tip 😉. It is a bit strange, but it works 100% for me. I give my cat a small treat of something like a tiny piece of cheese or ham or something like that. I place it on my leg near my knee in front of him so he can't miss it.

He almost invariably eats it. I give a second tiny treat and he eats that too. About 5-10 seconds later he jumps off my lap. Why?

I have been trying to figure it out and I have come up with the only reasonable answer to that question: after he eats the small treat, he is programmed to walk away from his 'food bowl'. Subconsciously he thinks that he is at his food bowl in the kitchen. He thinks that he has had a meal.

Whenever a domestic cat has a meal at their bowl, when they have finished, they walk away from the bowl and do something else. They don't plonk down next to the food bowl and go to sleep. 

They always move away. This is what he is doing when he eats that tiny treat. He is programmed to do it.

He did it this morning while I was struggling with The Sunday Times which is a broadsheet newspaper. You know the old-style newspapers. Huge. I dislike them these days.

He hates it anyway when I am faffing around with the paper, and it makes crinkling sounds. He hates the sounds. So, it is a good thing for him to vacate his comfortable and cosy lap.

We are both satisfied with the outcome. That's the tip. If you try it, please leave a comment.

Is your cat this affectionate? Barn cat life may be the best.

Big Puddin is a barn cat and he is very affectionate. It made me think if some or a lot of cats might prefer the life of a barn cat with the added freedoms and a lifestyle that is near the original when the wildcat was first domesticated. I feel that a barn cat's life is a good one. They are cared for by a person but live a more natural life and they have other animals to befriend. You'll see lots of interspecies friendships on farms particularly with horses. I've seen a huge range of cat-to-another animal friendships.

Puddin is an affectionate barn cat. Is it partly because he lives in a barn? Screenshot.

RELATED: Barn Cat Pictures.

To run the video, you may have to click on the play button twice! Sorry, High tech blog.

For some domestic cats the modern human environment might be too sterile. Cats are inherently programmed to enjoy nature and the outdoors. They adapt to indoor life and many people want domestic cats keep inside permanently to protect the cats and the wildlife but they miss one massive point; the elephant in the room. Almost no homes with full-time indoor cats are customised to suit the cat. The environment is not 'enriched' as the experts say. It is entirely made by humans for humans. When indoor/outdoor cats are confined to the home for good reasons they enter a sterile world without the feeling, smells and sights of nature; the sensory experience provided by nature. For me this is not good enough.

RELATED: The big flaw that is never admitted in keeping cats indoors full-time.

Almost no one wants to invest in making their home suitable for their cat who is referred to as a family member. Clearly not a family member afforded equality of status, however. This is the big flaw in the push to get cats inside the home to protect birds and small mammals and marsupials. And it is hardly ever talked about except by me.

If we are going to keep cats indoors, can we please invest in a lot of alterations to the home to make it enjoyable for cats to live in as well as humans? I know the response will be NO. May be all domestic cats should be barn cats then. They are working cats as well as human companions. A neat arrangement. This may make them more appreciative of human company and therefore make them more friendly.

Is your cat "just a roommate" or do you get "unconditional love"?

Me and my cat at dawn in the garden on a deck chair enjoying the sun and smells of summer. Selfie by MikeB. Yes, I know I look a mess.

It is up to us to create a relationship with our cat within which they can express their deep friendship with us. We dictate the terms of the relationship. For example, find out what they particularly like doing and enjoy and give it to them. My cat likes me to hold my hand at the back of his head. I do it all the time for him. He feels better and we are closer.

My cat likes me to place my hand at the back of his head. I do it for him and it strengthens our bond. Image: MikeB.

On the Boston.com website there is a discussion about the states of the USA and whether they are cat or dog states. And it leads to a difference in the relationship that people have with their dogs and cats. One commenter, Christopher, said "Cats are just roommates" but that dogs give their owners "unconditional love".

I do not recognise this description of the domestic cat in my relationships with cats over the years. I recognise the general tone of discussion about cats and dogs and that cats are said to be independent and dogs are much closer to their owners. I just don't think that it is true. Domestic cats are not independent or stand-offish. 

Just this minute while I am dictating this, he has come up to me and sat down next to my computer on my lap. He said hello in a cute meow. He's just stretched out his left paw to touch the computer. He is settling in. He wants to be near me. He loves me. I love him. The relationship that I have with my cat is not exceptional. Many millions of cat caregivers have exactly the same relationship.

Perhaps cats give the impression that they don't provide unconditional love but if you have a proper relationship with a domestic cat companion you will have as good a relationship as if it is with a dog. I get masses of unconditional love from my cat.

He comes up to me all the time and constantly head butts me, talks to me, wants to jump on my lap and he stays there for a long time. He's constantly lying all over me. We have conversations. and go for walks together outside. For example, when I go and buy the newspaper in the morning, he walks along with me. It's a bit dangerous but he stops a quarter of the way there and hides under a bush until I return. But he wants to be with me. We have a close relationship.

It is up to each individual to generate this close relationship with their cat companion. If you haven't got it, dare I say, you are failing. Or perhaps you don't want a close relationship with your cat. Perhaps you like the fact that you can keep a bit of distance and freedom. But I don't really get that either because if you have a cat, you have them for companionship so why keep a distance from them?

It is my belief that it is the human who runs the relationship. It is the human who dictates the tone of the relationship and it is up to the human to elicit from their cat companion the friendship and unconditional love that they can provide them.

Janet from Brookline agrees with me. She said "Cats have a deep reservoir of affection without the slavish behaviour of dogs". P.S. I like dogs too.

Is there one thing that your cat companion especially likes?

SHORT NOTE: There is one thing that my cat especially likes. He loves me to rest my hand on the back of his head and neck. And he likes me to gently press that area and massage it. I know that he likes this because he does a silent meow (of sorts) when I do it. And he looks at me and I can tell in his expression that he loves the feeling. 

I have tried to figure out why he particularly likes this. It is probably something to do with the first few weeks of his life when he was being raised by his feral mother. I sense that he feels comfort and security when I pet him like this.

My cat loves me to hold my hand at the back of his head and neck. Picture: MikeB

I think that it is fair to say that caregivers should try and find the one thing (if there is only one thing) that their cat particularly enjoys and to deliver that to them as often as possible.

Like humans, I believe that cats have favourite things. In this instance I am referring to my cat's favourite form of interaction between me and him. But it might be other things as well. For example, he loves to be with me outside.

On almost every occasion that he is outside, he is alone. My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat in typical British style but I did try and keep him confined to the back garden with an expensive cat confinement fence, without success. He escaped. I gave up.

But he likes to be outside with me. He will go out and wait on the patio for me to join him. And whenever I go into the garden, even if he is asleep (and it is his night-time because he's been out all night) he still wants to come with me into the back garden. He particularly likes to be at my level. For this reason, I get down low sometimes on all fours or lie down on the ground. He becomes excited when I do this. It is clear to me that he loves it.

So, between me and my cat, I know that my cat loves two things particularly above all other things and that is pressure at the back of his head and for me to be on the ground at his level, outside. I try and deliver these things to him to keep him happy.

There may be an added benefit. If we know what our cat really likes we might be able to use it as a reward for good behavior in informal, reward-based (positive reinforcement) training sessions.

Does your cat have favourite things that they love and do you do your best to ensure that he or she gets them?

Domestic cat requests his food by ringing a bell

Domestic cat requests his food by ringing a bell.  Screenshot.

This is neat. I am sure a cat would get the hang of this and start using the bell to ask for food rather than meowing! It might cause some friction in the relationship however. Can you imagine being woken at 4am with the sound of a door bell! :)  Every morning! Until you threw the bloody thing against the wall. But then again cats wake their humans in all kinds of ways - some fairly cruel! My female cat used to stick claw out from the middle toe and pick my nose with it. It invariably worked :) .

From @aikoharada1211: "Ding ding ding ding, mash the bell😼🛎🐾" #catsofinstagram pic.twitter.com/nelLFWhAI5

— Cats of Instagram (@catsofinstagram) October 3, 2021

Note: This is a video from another website. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.

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Domestic cats recognize the sound of their name says scientist (we know it already)

OPINION: Cat owners don't need a scientist to tell them that their cat recognises the sound of the name. Newsweek tells us in an article of June 30 that a Japanese scientist found that domestic cats recognise the sound of their name. The article is presented as some sort of eureka moment but it simply isn't. 

For centuries cat owners have been talking to the cat companions, calling their name to come and they dutifully came. It's pretty obvious that domestic cats understand the sound of their name even if they don't understand the word or their name per se. 

Cats do understand the sound of their names like dogs. Neither cat nor dog understand the meaning of their name and that they are sentient beings. Neither are self-aware. Pic in public domain.

It's all about the sound especially when spoken by their owner. In fact, it is probably fair to say that it is essential that their owner makes the sound because the way a person sounds in saying words is important in terms of a domestic cat's recognition of those sounds.

The study referred to is by behavioural scientist Atsuko Saito from Sophia University in Tokyo. The study is called: "Vocal recognition of owners by domestic cats" and it is published in the journal Animal Cognition. In fact, it was published in 2013 so it has been around for quite a long time. A further study titled "Domestic cats discriminate their names from other words" was published in 2019 in Scientific Reports. It looks at the responses of individual cats to their names.

Cats responded to the sound of their name by meowing or body language such as moving their heads or tails and sometimes vocalising. Once again this is not something new for cat owners. I am one of many millions of cat owners who talk to their cat all the time. In fact, the sound of a cat owner's voice is far more important to cats than simply saying their cat's name.

In a genuinely loving relationship between cat and person, cats respond very positively to the sound of their human companion's voice. This is because it is comforting and reassuring. It's almost as good as being petted from the cat's standpoint. Like many other owners I sometimes whisper sweet nothings into my cat's ear at very close range. I know he likes it because he looks at me with a slow blink asking for more.

It's when you combine something like flea combing and warm reassuring sounds that your cat gets the maximum benefit from their interactions with you.

The Japanese study also found that when strangers said their cat's name, they were less responsive but still appeared to recognise the sound. This confirms what I've just stated above. The reason why cats don't respond quite so positively to a stranger saying their name is because the sound is slightly different to that of their owner. Domestic cats are very acutely attuned to frequency of sounds. There is obviously a specific frequency and tone to a cat owner's voice which is registered very precisely in their cat's memory.

The Japanese scientist thinks, like me, that cats are unable to be self-aware or self-conscious. She said: "There is no evidence that cats have the ability to recognise themselves like us". This means that their recognition of their name is different to when humans recognise the sound of their name. Humans recognise their name by its meaning. They know that it's a word which is a reference to them. Cats can't do this because they don't understand the English language or any other language. They are not linguists and not self-aware but they are highly tuned to sounds as they are to smells and visuals especially at dusk in the dark conditions.

Lastly, commonsense states that cats respond to the sound of the name because they associate the sound with something positive and pleasant, normally food, a cuddle or perhaps play.

Developing human-cat routines over years

Although like many others I realise that routines are very important in a domestic cat's life, it was only this morning that it dawned on me that I have developed these routines to the point where my cat predicts my movements and desires. He does things before I ask him to because he understands the routines that exist between us.

Gabriel in my garden years ago. Photo: MikeB

You achieve these routines by being with your cat every day all day over a period of many years. Further, the human has to have a set routine in life as many retired people have incidentally, integrated into which are the routines and lifestyle of your cat. Eventually your cat understands what you will do next and pre-empts it. I will give two examples which apply to me but each person and their cat will have their own examples which are just as valid. It is harder for full-time office workers to develop these routines. For retired people it happens naturally. But you have to be a concerned cat guardian.

Sitting on my lap

When I watch television my cat sits on my lap. That is a very commonplace occurrence anywhere on the planet. When I turn off my television my cat jumps off my lap. The two events are linked. My cat knows that I have stopped watching television and that I will get up from my armchair and do something else such as make a cup of tea and return to the television. The important point is that my cat knows that when the television becomes silent it is time for him to get up off my lap. He does it without any encouragement.

Sitting on my lap in bed

The same sort of rules apply when he sits on my lap while I am in bed. He knows that after I have worked on my computer on the website and I put my laptop computer down it is his turn to come up to my lap and ask for some combing which I'm delighted to give him. This happens every day and once I have stopped combing him I communicate with them for a while and let him sit on my lap for five more minutes. After this time he knows that it is time for him to get off my lap and jump off the bed. He does this without me asking him. I don't have to indicate to him that I'm going to get up by moving my body. He jumps off and walks off the bed before I do anything. He knows through his internal clock and by routine and habits that it is time for him to leave the bed.

These are two examples of routines in which a domestic cat has become fully integrated into the routines of his human companion. It is a great form of communication between two entirely different species of animal. There are other forms such as the sounds we make and the sound that our cat makes to us such as a meow which is a demand for food normally. And there's cat and human body language as well which is a part of the communication process between two different species. But routines play a vital role.

Reasons why the family cat prefers the husband over the wife

Bearing in mind that domestic cats rely on their sense of smell to identify objects and people, one reason why a family cat might prefer the husband over the wife is because the wife wears perfume and the husband does not wear aftershave. 

Wife feels like she is a 'side chick' to her husband because the family cat prefers him. Photo: Imgur.

I would argue that it is far more common for a woman to mask their body odour compared to men. This may be having an important impact on the relationship between domestic cats and family members. 

I am speculating, of course, and I am not saying that domestic cats prefer husbands to wives. Far from it because when you research this point you will find that people are looking to Google for answers as to why a domestic cat prefers their girlfriend, or their roommate, or somebody else and it is always gender unspecific. 

This is not about human gender; it is, I believe, more about body odour! But there are many other factors why a cat prefers somebody over another person. It is about chemistry and we know that the word "chemistry" in relation to affection for a significant other is a very vague term. It means a bundle of factors that we can't necessarily specify.

But this 'chemistry' will be different the cats compared to people. The lives of people are dominated by what they see, for cats their sense of smell is certainly as important as their eyesight or perhaps more so. This is why you will see domestic cats constantly sniffing the legs of their human companion even when they know full well who that person is. They seem to be constantly reaffirming that this is the person they know. And they like the scent of that person. It's a reassurance.

Just this morning when I fed my cat with a treat after I came in from buying a newspaper, he sniffed at my leg on more than one occasion. I know that he loves the way I smell. It is just the way it is. And I don't wear aftershave. I never have. 

The range of factors which make up the chemistry between cat and person will include such things as: the sound of the person's voice, the way they handle their cat, whether they genuinely like their cat or not, whether they have raised their cat from a newborn kitten and so on. But I believe, to return to the beginning, that perhaps the most dominant factor is the scent of a person.

And the fact that cats can have chemistry with a human once again reaffirms that they are sentient beings. There are still people who believe that cats are not. But a recognition that domestic cats are sentient is so vitally important to their welfare. Once you accept that they are sentient beings with feelings it changes your perception of animals and it should make us more sensitive towards their needs and welfare.

Domestic cat's small size compared to humans' is a factor in our relationship

A study about aggressiveness in domestic dogs confirms what I have believed for a long time, namely that the relatively small size of the domestic cat in relation to the size of humans is an underlying factor which influences our relationship. What I say is that the domestic cat lives with the human-animal which towers over him or her and this can make them feel vulnerable sometimes, which in turn can lead to an underlying level of anxiety which may manifest itself in terms of defensive aggression.

Domestic cats often have to look up at their human towering over them. Photo: Pixabay.

I think it is a plausible suggestion because if we imagine ourselves living with creatures 10 to 20 times bigger than ourselves it would certainly have an impact upon our sense of security, well-being and emotional state. It would have an impact upon the relationship in general.

It is up to human caretakers to ensure that they overcome this imbalance in size through a particularly gentle approach to interactions with the domestic cat companion. Also, it pays sometimes to get down to the same level as the domestic cat or to allow the cat to come up to the level of their human companion. The latter can be achieved if cat owners allow their cat to sleep on their bed with them. The human bed is a natural level up but it is sad to report that a lot of cat owners, even concerned cat owners, don't allow this.

The human bed is a natural place for a domestic cat to be. They can immerse themselves in the scent of their human and exchange this scent by depositing their scent onto the bed and receiving body odours of their human companions onto their fur. This is a delight for a domestic cat and it is reassuring.

So back to the dogs which I mentioned at the beginning of this article. A study that was conducted at the University of Helsinki found that in general the more aggressive dogs were the smaller ones while, conversely, the least aggressive were the larger dogs.

This, I would argue, fits in with the human analogy namely that men who are challenged vertically, to use politically correct language to be more aggressive than those who are tall or of normal height. The size and height of male humans is quite an important factor in their lives. The small individual needs to prove their worth and they can become more competitive, sometimes overly competitive and this can manifest itself in aggression. I think that is a fair analogy.

And another reason why domestic cat might become anxious because of vulnerability is because they depend entirely on their human caretaker. They put all their eggs into one basket. So they depend upon a giant to feed them, to keep them warm, to allow them to feel secure and provide emotional comfort. It's a slightly dodgy situation for a top predator to live with.

The most aggressive dogs are for example the miniature poodle, the miniature schnauzer, German shepherd, Spanish water dog, Chinese crested dog, for example while the least aggressive are dogs such as the Labrador retriever, golden retriever, Shetland sheepdog, Staffordshire bull terrier, Jack Russell terrier and the smooth collie.

So what can people do about this? At least be aware of it and modify behaviour when and where necessary to try and overcome this inherent physical barrier to the relationship. It certainly pays to get down to the level of your cat, sometimes. I know that in my personal experience my cat thoroughly enjoys it when I do this. 

His behaviour changes and it is noticeable. And when he is on my bed with me, either with me in bed or on top of the duvet cover, it is noticeable that he likes it. The message is clear because he trills and purrs and demonstrates excitement. I think it is because I am at his level, at his height and no longer dominating him through my physical presence.

9 possible signs your cat has Covid-19

First things first: in the USA, according to the Humane Society there have been 49 confirmed cases of Covid-nineteen in cats and 35 confirmed cases in dogs. As there are around an estimated 94 million domestic cat companions in the US, you can see that this is not a problem that people should get wound up about. At the moment it seems that the chances of your cat contracting Covid-19 are extremely, almost infinitesimally small.

A high temperature is the first sign that your cat or dog might have Covid. Image: PoC.

The best way to protect your cat, I would have thought, is to protect yourself by following the well-publicised procedures. And in the USA a high percentage of cat owners keep their cats inside full-time which must protect them from this disease. That said, Newsweek have written about the nine signs that your cat has Covid so I will reproduce them here just for the sake of completeness. I think it's nice to know these just in case you and your cat are unlucky.

It's probably worth saying that one of the signs of Covid in people is a lack of taste and smell which are two symptoms that we can't know that I cat suffers from because the only way of finding out is to ask your cat! Perhaps we should assume that those symptoms are also present (which may affect their appetite) to which you can add the following:

1. A fever. A fever is when the body temperature exceeds the normal temperature for an adult cat which is between 100-103° Fahrenheit with an average of 101.5 degrees F. How do you tell that your cat has a fever? Well of course you can measure the temperature and I have a page on that was you can see by clicking here. But what are the outward signs? A veterinary website tells us that they are: loss of appetite, depression, lack of energy, decrease drinking, decreased grooming, rapid breathing and shivering;
2. Coughing. The should be persistent coughing which will be different to the sort of sound a cat makes when the vomiting up a hair ball which is not coughing at all;
3. Difficulty in breathing with shallow breath;
4. Lethargy. Lethargy is a classic symptom of a cat feeling ill and it should be noticeable to most cat owners who are reasonably emotionally close to their cat;
5. Sneezing;
6. Runny nose;
7. Eye discharge;
8. Vomiting;
9. Diarrhoea.

There has been quite a lot of talk about cats and dogs getting Covid which I think is out of an abundance of caution because there is precious little evidence that pets transmit the disease to people living in the same household.

It's a shame that they get it at all because this is a human-created global problem. It is through human carelessness that this has happened although the World Health Organisation is still trying to find out where it started without the cooperation of the Chinese! That I think tells us a story.

If the above signs are present then the usual procedures concerning people should apply to a cat or dog. This means isolating the animal but before that you have to get confirmation from a veterinarian that your dog or cat does indeed have Covid. Nothing stupid should happen. No one should panic or do anything which would harm the companion animal in any way.

P.S. in Siamese and other pointed cats if they have a temperature it may affect the color of their non-pointed coat. It might be lighter.

Covid-19 is stopping people smoking which benefits cats and dogs

Cigarette smokers are more vulnerable to Covid-19 than non-smokers. The fear of getting Covid-19 and becoming seriously ill is driving a significant percentage of smokers to stop the habit in the UK. The reduction in the number of smokers is considered to be phenomenal by the director of policy at Action on Smoking and Health, Hazel Cheeseman. More than 643k gave up in the 12 months to August compared to 307k in 2019.

Nearly one in four people trying to stop smoking achieved their objective. An app, the Zoe Covid symptom tracker, reveals from data collected from more than 2.4 million UK participants that cigarette smokers were twice as likely to end up in hospital with Covid-19 compared to non-smokers.

Cigarette smoke is dangerous to pets. Photo: Pixabay.

In addition to the fear of Covid-19 it is believed that the change in lifestyle due to lockdowns may have kickstarted a desire to stop smoking. The normal cues and triggers to smoke may have been removed from the lifestyle of smokers in which case they smoke less or stop entirely. 

Perhaps it is fair to say that quite a lot of people have re-evaluated their lifestyles anyway during the lockdown. This has given people the opportunity to slow and think. It is believed, too, that more people believe that there should be a greater commitment to the environment from the government. People started to enjoy cleaner air and a quieter environment. It is a shame that humans were unable to carry those benefits forward into the future.

Nonetheless, I think we can celebrate an improvement in the welfare of thousands of companion cats and dogs in the UK because they will be breathing cleaner air thanks to the belated desire of their owners to stop that ghastly habit. Cigarette smoke contains around 7,000 noxious substances, many of which poisonous to people and their pets.

Coronavirus facemasks have taken away our smile

This is not directly about cats or any other animal except the human-animal! But Giles Coren made a nice point in his amusing column in The Times newspaper today. Actually it was his cat Mo Tenzing who had the idea. With the coronavirus pandemic going on and on and on and with the prospect of wearing masks more and more and more we are going to lose our smile. And the smile is a very important aspect of human body language. It signals friendliness. We use it instinctively all the time to instigate friendly interactions with other people. I wonder whether this might be contributing to the additional stress encountered by many citizens of many countries? Is Britain going to become less friendly and more hostile because of face coverings? Another negative spin off from this damnable virus. Another is face mask pollution.

Giles Coren. Photo in public domain. Is that a smile Giles?

Giles Coren could not get the human-to-cat slow-blink, friendly greeting to work. His cat, Mo Tenzing, simply wouldn't respond to it by reciprocating his love blink. I get that because it doesn't always work.

The key really is to develop a routine, friendly interaction with your cat and that can be done with sounds and body language. It does not have to be a slow-blink as recommended by many cat behaviourists and which has been proved to work by scientists in a study. You can elicit the same reaction from your cat by making a friendly sound which he recognises as being friendly and when accompanied by friendly body language. 

Your cat will get into a rhythm when you make this sound (whatever it is as long as it sounds warm and friendly) he will slow-blink towards you. I can pretty well guarantee that. But don't expect it to happen every time because domestic cats are not robots and you can't just push a button and expect them to do something.

Why do cats lick you?

Photo: iStock

Why do cats lick you? It's an often asked question and it is equally often answered so I will be brief, very brief. Domestic cats do not relate to us as if we are a different species of animal to them. Therefore, we conclude that they believe that we are large domestic cats, specifically a mother cat who cares for them in feeding them and providing security and warmth. On that premise, we "lick" them by stroking them with our hands. Or we groom them with our flea combs. They sense that we are licking them. In return they lick us. It is part of a mutual bonding process and it is called allogrooming. It is as straightforward as that and I hope that you find the answer useful.

Feeding a stray cat is effectively adopting that cat

I think it's true that if you feed a stray cat you are very close to the moment of adopting the cat. Even if you don't actually take the cat in and treat that cat as your own, you are adopting the cat, aren't you?

A journalist, Tim Kreider, writing for the New York Times made a good point. He said that people have “a reservoir of affection". People need to express their affection and in the absence of a person, perhaps child or a lover, they give their affection to a companion animal.

I'm thinking of Sarah Hartwell (of Messybeast.com) who says that cats just happen. They are just there and I'm fairly certain that Sarah Hartwell a well-known cat lover and author has never purposefully adopted a cat because it just happened.

People with this reservoir of affection see in a vulnerable kitten or cat a receptacle for their affection although they probably don't realise it.

I think it happened to me when I adopted Charlie. My mother had just died and I was at her home looking over some furniture which I could take; the usual thing. I had no intention whatsoever of adopting Charlie. I didn't even think about him but there he was looking sheepish in the corner of a room with anxiety written all over his face.

There was nothing I could do other than take him home with me despite the disruption that it was bound to cause together with the long-term responsibilities which I had inexplicably taken on. It must have been that reservoir of affection that I needed to offload onto somebody. At the time I did have a girlfriend but I guess I wasn't allowed by her to deliver enough of my affection to her.

When people have to care for a person who is ill and that caring goes on for a long time then the reservoir of affection runs dry and the process becomes work, painful and irritating. I suppose each person has a different amount of affection in their own reservoir.

You can look at this “reservoir of affection" from the other side of the coin. If we have a reservoir of affection which we need to give to others then it follows that people receive affection from others and therefore need it. They need to be nurtured.

The question is whether a companion animal can nurture a person and I am I not sure that they can sufficiently and this is where there is a possible weakness in the relationship between companion animal and person.

Do you think that a cat companion is able to fully nurture a person? Does a cat have a reservoir of affection which they wish to give to their human guardian?

I do believe though that people have this reservoir of affection and they have a need to nurture others. In fact you can go further than that and say that under normal circumstances a person needs to have responsibilities and those responsibilities extend to looking after another; a companion animal or a person.

Goldfish Handbag

Here is a goldfish handbag photographed at the Brit Awards:

Comment from one FB visitor:

Cruel maybe next time someone could put her in a plastic bag and carry her around,see how she likes it!!!

What has this got to do with cats? It is about attitude. If celebrities do this to animals it devalues animals and encourages people who admire celebrities to treat animals as accessories and inanimate objects.

That mentality can then be carried forward to how we relate to the domestic cat, which translates to a lack of respect and lowering standards of cat caretaking.

Goldfish handbags are bad. It has been manufactured by a person who has no scruples with regard to animal welfare. The person carrying it has the same lack of scruples and concern. They are more concerned about standing out and being noticed.

As for goldfish, we are just learning that fish feel and remember more than we realised. One day fishing will be seen as cruel.