I would love to have a cat again someday . I became interested in cat behaviour because of Kims hrealth and behaviour problems . i thought I knew about cats but until i did abehaviour couse with COAPE I didnt know how much I didnt know .
Cats seem to be the poor relation , there are less books about them and less research about them than dogs!
Kimmikins
Administrator Scrumpy Jack and Sara's treat dispenser
Chilling after a day of blip control
Posts: 1,628 Dogs I'm owned by: Scrumpy Jack - 8 year old Westie
Sara - 2 year old streetdog
I think because dogs are so reliant on us, their problems lend better to books and we're so interlinked with them. The independence of cats is probably their downfall in terms of being good material for writing anything!
I read another review where it says that the early chapters deal with the history of the cat and the 'demonization' it has suffered throughout the ages so I wouldn't like that. Although I'm a 'happy cat person' I have no doubt I am viewed as a crazy cat woman living alone in a multi cat household. I love to study my cats and their behaviour and I think cats have lots to say through their body language and I like to think I have a good understanding through my own daily observation.
I'd be interested to hear about it if you do decide to buy it. But there's no real point until I get kitties!
Today I decided to pop into a branch library where I'm sure the 'book buying librarian' is a cat lover as I have never seen as many cat books in one place as at this library. And sure enough there it was on the shelf - it was bought by the library in September 2013 and has only been taken out the once - presumably by the 'book buying librarian'. So I can read it without having to buy it so good result. So I'll let you know what I think are points of interest.
Kimmikins
Administrator Scrumpy Jack and Sara's treat dispenser
Chilling after a day of blip control
Posts: 1,628 Dogs I'm owned by: Scrumpy Jack - 8 year old Westie
Sara - 2 year old streetdog
Quote: ' The importance of the socialization period to a kitten's future welfare cannot be underestimated. In just six short weeks, beginning as it turns two weeks of age, this period constructs the foundations for all its subsequent social life. If the kitten is unlucky enough to have no brothers and sisters, and has no other kittens nearby, its view of what it is to be a cat is incomplete; although cat mothers will play with single kittens , they are much less inclined to do so than other kittens.'
And that's all it said!! Prior to bringing Evie home I had tried to research the lack of siblings on a kittens development but there didn't seem to be any and I was worried it could have implications for the kitten's development.
I was particularly interested to learn more as Evie was a single kitten and her Mum didn't play with her and she knew no other cats so obviously when she came to me she was initially overwhelmed by the presence of other cats. I took it slowly for her and although Lola disliked her intensely when she first saw she soon started to play with Evie. Unfortunately at only 18 weeks of age poor Evie started to call so had just learnt to play when her hormones kicked in and then she started teething. So she was spayed and from then she stopped playing altogether. She wouldn't play with Lola and I couldn't get her to play. She just ate and slept and turned into a lazy fat little cat. When Evie was 11 months old I brought home her sister Emu from the next litter who had been socialized with 3 sisters and kittens from another litter as I hoped that she would encourage Evie to play. Luckily it did and Evie and Emu play together every day and she has become a 'complete' cat with a few foibles - such as vocalised grumbling when she enters a room, passes close to one of the other cats, her dish is to near another cat etc, it's as though she grumbles to establish her personal space due to her lack of sharing.
I do believe that without Emu arriving when she did Evie would have been a much sadder little cat as she didn't seem to have any confidence and displayed very little personality. It would be helpful if there was more information on the subject of single kittens.
Kimmikins
Administrator Scrumpy Jack and Sara's treat dispenser
Chilling after a day of blip control
Posts: 1,628 Dogs I'm owned by: Scrumpy Jack - 8 year old Westie
Sara - 2 year old streetdog
Evie was very lucky to have found her home with you I wonder how many others would have put in as much effort to her development as you; many would have left her to her lazy ways and not tried to enrich her life!
Evie is a proper little madam now and has even learnt how to be naughty, she lost over half a pound within a couple of months. I agonized over getting Emu in case it made Evie feel even more alienated but in the end I trusted my instincts thank goodness.
My next chapter is Cats Together so I'll see how it fits in with my experience of cats together.
Sounds like its an interesting book and good that your reading it as an already experienced cat owner as this will help you judge the validity of what your reading in some areas and be willing to accept any new information it may offer you, look forward to the Cats Together review!
Here goes: I've finished reading the book and I don't think the 'Feline Enigma was Revealed' in this book. I didn't read much of what I haven't read before. The section on how the cat became domesticated was rather vague. The book referred to Wildcats, hybrids, feral cats, cat colonies, domestic non pedigree cats and pedigree cats in that descending order. To be honest I don't think you can learn about your cat by just reading a book, it's interesting to read a book and helps you to focus on the cat but you need to read The Cat. I think cats have very communicative body language and each cat has different ways of dealing with life and different reactions to things. I think it comes down to you to know your cat or cats. I don't find them the 'difficult' subjects as referred to in the book. The book fixes it's focus on the stress and anxiety suffered by cats living in close proximity either within the household or within the neighbourhood and the ensuing territorial disputes. I'm not saying these don't exist but they should be by no means the defining factor a cat's life and their lives should be full enough to deal with them as a minor irritation at most and hopefully not have them at all.
Obviously I have added kittens to resident cats and there is a lot of written information on how to integrate them and hopefully they will accept each other. I can't say I ever have a fixed strategy I check out the kitten and the cats and take it from there. Lola for instance when I brought her home and I took her into the room with the other cats she immediately jumped up on the settee where they were sleeping, they didn't even move to show curiousity and with 2 - 3 hours she was sleeping in bodily contact with them. That was unusual and surprised me but obviously it wouldn't have been right to keep her separately for the first few weeks as she loves the other cats. Then Evie the single kitten was terrified of most things even noises and a room full of cats was probably her worst nightmare. Each day I took her into the room with the other cats (she growled non stop) and sat with her first in my arms and then close by and then encouraged the other cats to play until she showed interest. At some point I moved her into the room and made her a bed in an box on a cat activity centre (so high up and enclosed) but she found she could climb into a drawer by getting in the back of the drawer so I made that into her bed. Lola on this occasion had a very strong reaction to Evie but this was probably provoked by Evie's defensive growling, but nevertheless Lola although mega growly kept her distance and within a week they were playing really rough games together (not fighting!!) Emu came and was fine with being with the other cats from the first day although not sleeping with them and again I gave her the high up enclosed bed but she chose the drawer that had been previously occupied by Evie. Evie soon started to play with Emu and continues to do so but will not allow Emu to sleep with her although both Evie and Emu sleep happily with the other cats.
And then there is Leroy the Bengal who probably needs a book to himself!
I would love to have a cat again someday . I became interested in cat behaviour because of Kims hrealth and behaviour problems . i thought I knew about cats but until i did abehaviour couse with COAPE I didnt know how much I didnt know .
