If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Ping Tweed: re. KFC's biting (long)
LO there, hope the bleeding's stopped :-)
This extract might help: It's is a verbatim (apart from typos, they'll be mine) extract from the 1991 book "The Cat's Mind" by Dr Bruce Fogle DVM MRCVP, London vet & prolific author. Pelham Books paperback, ISBN 07207 2050 8. It's a good informative read, btw, & you might find a 2ndhand copy via www.abebooks.com ************************************************** PETTING AGGRESSION Your cat is on your lap almost dozing and you are absently petting it. It is a gratifying behaviour on your part because it lowers your blood pressure, skin temperature & heart rate. When you behave in the same way with your dog, it too goes into a state of near-reverie and if you stop it nudges you with its head or uses its paw to convince you to continue, for it too benefits from the contact comfort you're offering it. All social engage in mutual grooming and benefit both psychologically and physiologically. But suddenly bites your hand and jumps down. Why do some cats behave in such an apparently insincere way? There are several possible reasons for this unpleasant behaviour. Dogs are pack animals that sleep together in physical contact, think together as a team and develop a dominance/subdominance/subordinance heirarchy that they conform to rigidly and demonstrate by kowtowing to the leader and licking his face. Physical contact is a common theme in many of their behaviours. Cats mutually groom each other, but on closer examination it is usually only the females who groom and they do so only in conditions where colony life occurs, when a large food source is nearby. When they groom each other they do so for limited lengths of time. Otherwise physical contact is kept to a minimum. With the exception of those inhabiting certain cold sub-Antarctic islands feral cats do not sleep in physical contact with each other. That behaviour is a consequence of early learning in house cats and has been accentuated by selective breeding. Contact comfort is enjoyable to cats. That's why they rub against our legs when we come home. But too much of a good thing can lead to aggression. The cat's mind enters a state of conflict. On the one hand the cat enjoys physical contact: on the other is it an independent animal which seldom has physical contact except when fighting or mating, and even when mating there are fixed emotions and fighting. The cat controls this contradiction within itself when its owner is showing it affection until, suddenly and impulsively, it feels irritated, bites, and jumps down from the lap where it had seemed settled. Dr Bonnie Beaver (sic) feels that petting aggression might be a form of fear-induced behaviour. She says that, because of cats' world-class ability to catnap, they might fall asleep for a few seconds while being petted. They then wake up to the sensation of something causing physical contact - in most circumstances a sign of danger. They then instinctively bite & jump down, but even on the way down to the ground they've become conscious enough to realize that there was no danger and upon landing they show no further signs of fear. TREATMENT The best method of controlling this form of aggression is to control your urge to pet your cat for long periods of time. Single short strokes that mimic the licking of another cat;s tongue are the best, and these should be restricted to a length of time shorter than that which you know provokes this seemingly irrational behviour. ************************************************** Hope this helps to reassure you. I've observed similar behaviour myself with several "rescue" cats whose early life was shrouded in mystery, but who were likely to be poorly socialised (vis a vis humans) in that vital first 8 weeks of life. They'd accept, even come up to encourage, a stroke or cuddle, but within a few minutes would nip or swipe to say "enough already" before running just a few steps away. They'd then settle down nearby as though nothing was wrong, and might even come back later for another - short - pet. The trick was to stop before they'd had enough: this never seemed to upset them. Good luck, anyway. Let us know how things go. Purrs & best wishes Gordon & the TT (who are all too well socialised to be bitey) (PS obviously KFC now stands for Kitty Ferocious Character) :-) -- Feline family viewable at: http://community.webshots.com/user/exocat |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Exocat" wrote in message .. . LO there, hope the bleeding's stopped :-) Yes, thank you ;-) This extract might help: Thanks, it gave me a new slant on things. It's is a verbatim (apart from typos, they'll be mine) extract from the 1991 book "The Cat's Mind" by Dr Bruce Fogle DVM MRCVP, London vet & prolific author. Pelham Books paperback, ISBN 07207 2050 8. It's a good informative read, btw, & you might find a 2ndhand copy via www.abebooks.com I'll try and get one! ************************************************** PETTING AGGRESSION snip interesting article for brevity I'm probably taking too many liberties with Kitty. Because BF will let me pet him quite safely I'm anxious for Kitty to know that she's not getting her nose pushed out because of another cat. I need to be more careful. ************************************************** Good luck, anyway. Let us know how things go. Don't suppose she'll change now.. (PS obviously KFC now stands for Kitty Ferocious Character) :-) Guess so! All that typing much appreciated. Tweed |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
"Exocat" wrote in message .. . LO there, hope the bleeding's stopped :-) Yes, thank you ;-) This extract might help: Thanks, it gave me a new slant on things. It's is a verbatim (apart from typos, they'll be mine) extract from the 1991 book "The Cat's Mind" by Dr Bruce Fogle DVM MRCVP, London vet & prolific author. Pelham Books paperback, ISBN 07207 2050 8. It's a good informative read, btw, & you might find a 2ndhand copy via www.abebooks.com I'll try and get one! ************************************************** PETTING AGGRESSION snip interesting article for brevity I'm probably taking too many liberties with Kitty. Because BF will let me pet him quite safely I'm anxious for Kitty to know that she's not getting her nose pushed out because of another cat. I need to be more careful. ************************************************** Good luck, anyway. Let us know how things go. Don't suppose she'll change now.. (PS obviously KFC now stands for Kitty Ferocious Character) :-) Guess so! All that typing much appreciated. Tweed |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Christina Websell wrote:
"Exocat" wrote in message .. . LO there, hope the bleeding's stopped :-) Yes, thank you ;-) I just thought of something that is evident to anyone who has spent much time with cats, but you say you understand dogs and their body language better. I'm sure you must have noticed, though, that when a cat swishes its tail, it means the exact opposite from when a dog wags its tail, i.e. the cat is upset and/or angry. So if Kitty FC starts flicking her tail, it's a sign that she is getting annoyed. Oh, you probably knew this already, just thought I'd mention it. -- Marina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Christina Websell wrote:
"Exocat" wrote in message .. . LO there, hope the bleeding's stopped :-) Yes, thank you ;-) I just thought of something that is evident to anyone who has spent much time with cats, but you say you understand dogs and their body language better. I'm sure you must have noticed, though, that when a cat swishes its tail, it means the exact opposite from when a dog wags its tail, i.e. the cat is upset and/or angry. So if Kitty FC starts flicking her tail, it's a sign that she is getting annoyed. Oh, you probably knew this already, just thought I'd mention it. -- Marina, Frank and Nikki marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
|
#7
|
|||
|
|||
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Ping Tweed - OT | CatNipped | Cat anecdotes | 155 | September 23rd 04 06:55 PM |