Halloween is scary enough without having to worry about the safety and wellness of your pet. The Humane Society of Missouri wants you and your pets to have an exciting holiday, no matter your plans and submits the following tips to remind pet owners of the small things they can do to prevent any mishaps and ensure everyone is having …
How to Recognize Pain in Aging Cats
As cats age, we generally see changes in their behavior. The wild and crazy playful activities we associate with kittens gives way to adult cats sleeping in the sun and prowling around the house. We commonly presume senior cats will take even longer naps in the sun or on our beds. It is important, however, to differentiate normal feline behaviors …
Cat Behavior Problems — Obesity and Behavior
My cat is overweight, and I have tried putting him on different diets from the veterinarian but without success. Is there anything else I can do to help him lose weight? Losing weight is often a difficult process and animals, like people, often take weeks or months to shed those unwanted pounds. Feeding a prescription weight reduction diet is certainly …
Cat Behavior Problems — Scratching Behavior
Why do cats scratch? Scratching is a normal feline behavior. Although scratching does serve to shorten and condition the claws, other important reasons why cats scratch are to mark their territory (both visibly and with the scent of the foot pads) and to stretch. Some cats may increase their territorial marking (e.g. scratching, urine marking) in situations of anxiety or …
Cat Behavior Problems — Fears and Phobias
My cat seems to be afraid of people and/or other animals. Why might that be? There are many reasons that cats can develop such fears. Your cat may have had limited exposure to people and other animals when it was young. Socialization is an important aspect of raising a kitten. Research studies have indicated that cats that are handled frequently …
Cat Behavior Problems — Chewing and Sucking
During exploration and play, kittens (and some adult cats) will chew on a variety of objects. Not only can this lead to damage or destruction of the owner’s possessions, but also some chewing can be dangerous to the cat. Because some forms of excessive licking, chewing, and sucking can be caused by health problems such as gastrointestinal disorders, all possible …
Cat Behavior and Training — Neutering and Behavior
Most male animals that are kept for companionship, work, or food production (stallions, dogs, tomcats, bulls, rams and boars) are neutered (castrated) unless they are intended to be used as breeding stock. This is a common practice to prevent unacceptable sexual behavior, reduce aggressiveness, and prevent accidental or indiscriminate breeding. The intact male (tomcat) is likely to roam, fight with …
Behavior Counseling — Compulsive, Stereotypic and Displacement Disorders
What is a displacement behavior? Displacement behaviors are usually normal behaviors that are performed at an inappropriate time, appearing out of context for the occasion. Displacement behaviors arise from situations of either conflict or frustration. Conflict refers to the situation in which an animal is motivated to perform two or more competing behaviors (e.g., approach or withdraw, greeting but fear …
Behavior Management Products
What products are available to help prevent undesirable behavior? There are numerous products on the market that have been designed to help prevent undesirable behavior in pets. Leashes, harnesses, and head halters are needed to keep pets under control, especially when outdoors. A crate, cage or X-pen provides a safe comfortable home for the dog when the owners are not …
Behavior Problems — Getting Started
Why might my pet have behavior problems? Jumping up, pulling and lunging, digging, garbage raiding, stealing, chewing, barking, house soiling, and even some forms of aggression such as possessiveness and territorial guarding may all be normal for a dog or cat, but are unacceptable behaviors to most owners. Treatment of these problems will focus on environmental management and behavior modification, …
