"In The Inner Life of Cats, acclaimed nature writer Thomas McNamee helps us decipher the thoughts and motivations of these often inscrutable creatures, digging deep into emerging (and forgotten) research to reveal what might be driving our cats' actions. McNamee consults the experts, decodes cats' befuddling behaviour (why are they always drawn to the one 'non-cat' person in the room?), and celebrates the unsung heroes who are starting to give us glimpses into what drives our cats to do the things they do."
Are you reading alongside us? Please let me know what you think of the book in the comments.
Favourite posts and the latest news about dogs and cats this month.
Some of my favourites from around the web this month…
“It hit me that there is such a massive disconnect between what people think their dogs are doing and saying and what is really happening, and everyone suffers because of it. “ Marc Bekoff interviews Tracy Krulik about the impetus for iSpeakDog.
It’s been a busy month! Companion Animal Psychology turned five, I have a new blog at Psychology Today called Fellow Creatures, and I’m delighted that Greystone Books have agreed to publish my book Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy.
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The olfactory enrichment cats love but you’ve (probably) never heard of.
A new study tests domestic cats with four different types of olfactory enrichment: catnip, silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle and valerian. Tigers and bobcats were also tested. The results show almost all domestic cats love at least one of these.
These compounds are safe and not addictive, meaning owners have an easy way to provide enrichment to their cats (provided they can get hold of them).
“This research gave us insight in how many cats in the USA go crazy for catnip and plants that can have a similar effect on cats. Catnip was loved by many, but so was silver vine, a plant that is very popular in Japan, stinky valerian root and the wood of Tatarian honeysuckle. Sadly, about 1 out of every 3 cats doesn't like catnip. It's not a choice; it's genetically determined. The good news is that this study demonstrates that most of these cats WILL LOVE one or more of the other, SAFE, plant materials that were just mentioned.
“These plant materials are a lot of fun for your cat at home, but they may also be helpful when socializing scared cats, for trap-neuter-return programs, training (e.g. redirecting scratching behavior) and possibly even for reducing stress during for example medical procedures (e.g. giving a pill), transportation and (medical) boarding. So much research that needs to be done!
“The results from our small survey learned us that most veterinarians in the USA, including ones specialized in cats, do not know about the existence and effects on cats of these plants. This is why we love to reach out to people who care about the well-being of cats.
“Finally, also for cats who DO like catnip, it can be super exciting to receive something new that they may like. If you enjoy drinking a glass of red wine, that doesn't mean you won't like a glass of champagne, does it? It probably depends on the moment. It's the same for cats. The best thing about being a cat in this particular case is that you don't have to worry about becoming an alcoholic or getting a hangover; all these plant materials come without any known negative side effects.”
So whether or not your cat likes catnip, it’s worth giving these a try.
Zappa loving a silver vine wood stick. Photo: Sebastiaan Bol.
Sebastiaan Bol says his cats love silver vine, as you can see from the photo of Zappa enjoying her silver vine stick.
"Pretty much every day I see how much two of our six cats love the silver vine wood sticks. Multiple wood sticks are available to them all the time, but they really seem to pick their moment. It's adorable to watch and it makes me so happy to see them enjoy it so much."
The study tested 100 domestic cats with all four of these compounds. The cats were mostly moggies and they included cats at a sanctuary, waiting for adoption at a rehoming centre, at a cat-friendly veterinary practice and cats in their own homes. Five of the cats were adopted before completing the study, so the final sample was 95 cats.
The compounds were presented in two ways: in a sock, or on a piece of carpet. If the cat did not notice the arrival of the compound, it was moved one time to see if it would attract their attention, but cats were not chased with the items – it was up to them whether to interact with it or not. An empty sock was used as a control, but the person coding the responses did know which substance it was.
You have probably seen the classic kitty response to catnip, which includes licking, sniffing, drooling, rubbing the head or chin on the catnip, rolling, and raking (bunny-kicking the back legs). But not all cats respond to catnip, and this study found that about a third of cats did not respond to it.
Silver vine was a favourite, with 80% of the cats responding to silver vine. About half of the cats responded to valerian, and half to Tatarian honeysuckle. In fact, only six of the cats did not respond to any of the smells.
Reproduced from Bol et al (2017) under Creative Commons licence CC4.0
Young and old cats were equally likely to respond. The scientists also found similar responses in cats considered friendly, shy, or somewhere in between. This suggests that this olfactory enrichment is suitable for all cats.
The study was conducted because there are anecdotal reports of cats responding to these substances (and to a fifth one, Indian nettle root, that was not tested). In Japan, silver vine is popular for cats and is known as matatabi. However, the scientists asked 38 vets and 6 vet techs who specialize in cats if they knew about this, and almost all said no. So you can be forgiven for not knowing about it too.
The chemical which causes the effect in catnip is called nepetalactone. Silver vine contains six compounds that are similar, and one is also found in valerian.
Silver vine is available in different forms, including wood sticks, powder, normal fruit, and fruit galls (where midge larvae have matured). The scientists found cats were more responsive to the fruit galls than the normal fruit. Unfortunately this makes it more difficult to commercially prepare silver vine on a large scale, since not very much is known about the silver vine gall midge and it also requires another plant as part of its life cycle. If you are looking to try it with your cat, the powder (which is the powder of the silver vine fruit galls) is probably the best place to start.
Tatarian honeysuckle is available as sticks or as blocks of wood. It will last forever, although you may need to wash it from time to time (after your cat has drooled on it a lot). If your cat stops responding to it, you can shave a bit of wood off to give it a fresh edge again.
Valerian root is available in some cat toys.
Catnip, of course, is available as plants for your garden, as a dried herb (including with additional scents), and in many different cat toys.
The scientists tested catnip and silver vine on nine tigers at Big Cat Rescue, where keepers gave it to the animals. One tiger had a little interest in catnip, but the others were not interested. Four tigers were not interested in silver vine – and five of them took an active dislike to it. So it does not make good enrichment for tigers.
They also tested bobcats. Four bobcats responded to silver vine, and one to catnip, and their response was similar to that of the domestic cats. If you take a look at the paper (which is open access), you can see a photo of a bobcat rubbing her chin and cheeks on a paper bag that contains silver vine.
The video below, which was made several years ago, shows some of the cats at Big Cat Rescue responding to catnip.
A chemical analysis of all four substances shows the concentration of the chemical compounds which cats are probably responding to.
All four of these substances cause euphoria in at least some cats, with most cats responding to silver vine. So it is worth trying them out to see if they make your cat happy too.
The scientists conclude that “Olfactory enrichment using silver vine, Tatarian honeysuckle or valerian root may, similar to catnip, be an effective means to improve the quality of life for cats. Nearly all cats responded positively to at least one of these plants.”
Reference Bol, S., Caspers, J., Buckingham, L., Anderson-Shelton, G. D., Ridgway, C., Buffington, C. T., ... & Bunnik, E. M. (2017). Responsiveness of cats (Felidae) to silver vine (Actinidia polygama), Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and catnip (Nepeta cataria). BMC Veterinary Research, 13(1), 70. Open access here. Photos: HHelene (top) and itakephotos4u (Shutterstock.com). Photo of Zappa, Sebastiaan Bol.
Companion Animal Psychology is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Companion Animal Psychology is also a participant in the Etsy Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Etsy.com.
Cats getting “eufloric”. Mikel Delgado reviews a new study on how cats respond to catnip, valerian, silvervine and honeysuckle. Do your cats get olfactory enrichment?
Meanwhile in Ottawa, the SafePet program helps look after the pets of women leaving domestic violence. Ayala Sher has been honoured by the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association for her work in founding the program.
And since dog training is not regulated, we also get stories like this: Woman charged after taping dead rooster to dog’s neck. 7News reports that she faces a possible penalty of a $1000 dollar fine and 90 days in jail.
BC targets irresponsible breeders with changes to animal welfare legislation. The amendments allow for the establishment of an external regulatory agency that includes inspectors who would be responsible for enforcing standards of care for breeders”
The most common pet toxin is human prescription medicines. The list of the top 10 pet toxins of 2016 is compiled by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
On Tuesday, March 28th, Lori Nanan of iSpeakDog is giving a free webinar aimed at teaching people how to better understand their dogs. The webinar is hosted by the Academy for Dog Trainers. Although the live webinar is already full, those who sign up will be sent a link to the recording.
Companion Animal Psychology is about to reach an important milestone. Stay tuned…
Companion Animal Psychology is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
It’s important to provide cats with the right kind of scratching post – and reward them for using it.
Inappropriate scratching is a fairly common complaint about cats. That’s inappropriate from the owner’s perspective, because from the cat’s point of view they are just doing what comes naturally. Research by Colleen Wilson DVM et al tells us what kind of scratching post to provide in order to keep both cat and owner happy.
Cats scratch in order to mark their territory. It leaves a visual signal to other cats, as well as scent from glands in their paws. Scratching may also help them look after their claws, since it can remove old claw sheaths. Cats stretch out their claws and front legs when they scratch. Cats like to scratch repeatedly in the same place, and if the place they choose is your furniture, that’s not so good for the furniture.
Earlier research found that cats will use scratching posts if they are provided but did not look at the type of posts cats prefer. The new study suggests that both the types of scratching post and the use of positive reinforcement are important ways to prevent cats from scratching your furniture.
The scientists conclude,
“The ideal scratching post to recommend to a cat owner to help prevent inappropriate scratching is one that includes rope as a substrate, is upright vertical, 3 ft or higher, has two or more levels and a base width of between 1 and 3 ft.”
The internet survey of 4105 cat owners asked people about the kind of scratching posts they provide, which one their cat prefers, and whether or not their cat scratches inappropriately. The most commonly provided posts were not the same as the kind of posts that were linked to lower levels of inappropriate scratching, suggesting many owners are not providing the right kind of post for their cat.
83% of people provided more than one scratching post, and 89% said their cats used a scratching post at least once a day. Indoor cats were more likely to use a scratching post – but no more likely than cats allowed outdoors to scratch inappropriately.
61% of owners provided a carpet scratching post, 58% provided rope (sisal), 42% cardboard, 15% wood, and 4% other (the numbers do not add up to 100% because many people provided more than one type of post).
Owners said their cats preferred to use a rope scratching post. There was an age difference with older cats (10 years or more) being reported as preferring carpet.
Cats were equally reported to like a simple vertical post and a cat tree with two or more levels. Again there was an age difference, with cats 9 years or younger said to prefer a cat tree with two or more levels, followed by a vertical post; while cats 10 years or older were said to prefer a vertical post more. This may reflect age differences in agility or health.
Just over half of the owners (52%) said their cats scratched inappropriately. Many of these people said a scratching post was provided close to (within 5 foot of) the inappropriate scratching place.
The results get interesting when comparing the posts provided in homes where cats did not scratch inappropriately compared to the homes where they did. Those people who provided a rope scratching post were the least likely to have a problem with scratching. As well, cat trees with one or more levels were associated with low levels of problem scratching. Since cats like high up spaces, this is also a good way to provide enrichment for your cat.
Cats were also less likely to scratch inappropriately if they had a tall post that was more than 3foot high. This is useful to know because many posts for sale in pet stores are shorter than this. Scratching posts that hang from or are affixed to the wall were associated with high levels of inappropriate scratching, suggesting that many cats do not like this kind of post.
Most people who saw their cat scratching inappropriately either told it off, removed it or redirected it, but neither of these strategies had any effect on scratching behaviour. However, if people rewarded their cat for using the scratching post, they were significantly less likely to have a problem with inappropriate scratching. For the purposes of this study, rewards included food/treats, petting, and praise.
These results suggest that if your cat is scratching inappropriately, you should do two things. First of all, improve the scratching posts available to them. Although cats may have individual preferences, it seems like a good idea to have a tall rope (sisal) scratching post as well as a cat tree with different levels on it. Secondly, when your cat scratches the post, give them a reward such as a cat treat or some wet food.
This is an especially helpful study because so many people took part. It would be very interesting to see it followed up with experimental work that provided new scratching posts to cats.
Sadly, a number of people who took part in the study could not be included in the analysis because their cat was declawed. Onychectomy (as declawing is technically called) is illegal in many countries. It is a painful, irreversible procedure that may leave cats with phantom pain that in turn may cause behaviour problems. Please do not declaw your cat; if you are having problems, seek out a qualified feline behaviour consultant.
Scratching is a natural behaviour for cats and they need a ‘safe’ outlet for it. This study is very useful because it tells us what kind of scratching posts we should provide – and that we should reward our cats for using them.
What type(s) of scratching posts does your cat have?
Reference Wilson C, Bain M, DePorter T, Beck A, Grassi V, & Landsberg G (2016). Owner observations regarding cat scratching behavior: an internet-based survey. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 18 (10), 791-7 PMID: 26179574 Photos: Africa Studio (top) and Stefano Garau (both Shutterstock.com).
Companion Animal Psychology is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Companion Animal Psychology is also a participant in the Etsy Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Etsy.com.
Trump shutting down the USDA animal welfare info as reported by TeenVogue. Some information has since been put back, but not the missing puppy mill reports, says ASPCA.
86,000 Hong Kongers get minor injuries from domestic animals every year and cats are the most common culprit followed by dogs. Playing with the pet was the most common activity immediately prior to the attack.
French Bulldogs are increasingly popular in the UK, and that’s a welfare issue, explains Pete Wedderburn.
Dogs Trust joins the Sort Our Shelters campaign to license shelters in Scotland.
Upcoming Events
The Delta Institute Dog Behaviour Conference 7 – 9 April 2017 in Sidney. Keynote speaker Dr. Alexandra Horowitz; other speakers include Dr. Julie Ashton, Dr. Vanessa Rohlf, Dr. Melissa Starling, Dr. Bradley Smith and Dr. Gaille Perry.
These two research studies are currently looking for participants:
US Pet Owners: This survey aims to investigate the use of the internet by U.S. pet owners to find pet health information. It will take 5 - 10 minutes to complete. More information is available on the first page of the survey
UK Pet Owners: This survey aims to investigate the use of the internet by UK pet owners to find pet health information. It will take 5 - 10 minutes to complete. More information is available on the first page of the survey.
Several friends of Companion Animal Psychology have shared photos of their happy dogs with me, and it makes me very happy to see all these photos.
If you want to stay up-to-date with the science about dogs, cats and the human-animal bond, subscribe to Companion Animal Psychology. Subscribers can send me their comments simply by hitting the reply button – it comes straight to my in box.
by Thomas McNamee.
by Thomas McNamee.
by Patricia McConnell.
by Alexandra Horowitz. Highly recommended.
by Frans de Waal.