may to have to give them up

Hi Lynn,
The advice asterisked below was written by Pam Johnson- Bennet the
well known cat behaviourist . You can buy her books Think Like a Cat
and Psycho Kitty on line from amazon.com They are written with
indoor cats in mind.


*It's natural for a cat to be on alert at various times throughout the
night or in the wee hours of the morning. Some cats will stay
patiently on the bed until that magic hour of either 4am or 5am and
then they just can't sit still another second. That prey-drive kicks
in and can't be controlled. Some cats patrol the house, looking for
any opportunity to pounce on something. Also, for some cats, they
start getting active several hours before they know a meal will be
arriving. In the wild, this would be a natural behavior because they
have to go through the physical hunt before they get to feast on the
prey. For an indoor kitty, even though he may not have to hunt for
food, his instincts still tell him to start warming up the engine.

You may be able to address some of this behavior by satisfying the
prey-drive in your cats at night. To help a kitty's internal clock you
need to understand what I call the "cycle of four". This is based on
the natural cycle of hunting, feasting, grooming and sleeping. This is
the order that cats go through during a typical day and most
especially, at night.
In the wild, a cat would stand the best chance of hunting between dusk
and dawn because that's when prey is most available. Your kitty has
probably spent most of the daylight hours napping and is ready for
some serious hunting. Even if you play with both of your cats in the
evening, if it's done too early, the internal clock won't be affected
in the positive way you want.
Training, if based on the cycle of four is very easy and effective.
Right before you go to bed, conduct an interactive play session. They
key is to do the session as close to bedtime as possible. For us, the
evening represents the end of our day and we're getting relaxed but
for the cat, the evening means activity. If you do a playtime with
your cats when you get home from work, do another one right before
bed. Use a fishing pole toy so you can more realistically imitate
actual prey.
Make the game as close to a real hunt as possible in terms of how you
move the toy. This will let a kitty have mental activity as well as
physical. Cats don't chase prey to exhaustion, but rather, they hide
behind things and get closer and closer until they reach that "ambush"
distance and then they pounce. This is the *hunt* part of the cycle of
four. To address the *feast* part, offer your kitty a treat after the
game. You can also feed a portion of dinner at this time. If you feed
on a schedule, divide up the day's normal ration so you can save a
little bit to offer right before bed. If you leave food down
free-choice, take it up early in the evening so you can make a big
production out of putting it back down after that final play session
(it helps to refresh the food at that time as well).
The third part of the cycle of four involves *grooming*. After hunting
and devouring prey, the cat grooms himself to remove all traces of
scent. He then moves into the fourth stage which is *sleep*. With a
satisfied prey-drive and a full tummy, your cat will look forward to
sleeping through the night and probably will wake up later in the
morning. He'll probably be less likely to roam the house in the dark,
but even if he does, he'll most likely be in a more relaxed mood.
It's also a good idea to conduct at least one other playtime during
the day to keep your kitty's prey-drive satisfied. You can do this
playtime before you go to work in the morning or when you come home at
night. Since a cat is a predator, it's important to offer several
opportunities during the day to satisfy that prey-drive.



Instructions on Interactive Playtime (m)
Interactive playtime serves many functions. It may seem like a simple
game but it's actually a powerful behavior modification tool. It can
build confidence, ease tension, help erase boredom, help a cat out of
depression, aid in weight loss, help during new cat/people
introductions, help with litter box problems (yes, that's true!), and
it's a big aid when introducing another cat into the home. The reason
is that it changes the cat's mindset. When you bring out an
interactive toy, you stimulate the cat's prey drive. He stops thinking
about whatever was worrying him and shifts his focus to the *prey*. He
starts developing positive associations with the playtime and that'll
go a long way in helping with litter box problems, multicat tension,
etc. This form of distraction and redirection is one of the most
effective ways to change unwanted behavior. It's also the best way to
help gain the trust of a fearful cat or one who hasn't gotten to know
you yet. He'll begin associating you with positive experiences while
being able to stay within his *comfort zone*.
An interactive play session involves the use of a fishing pole type
toy. There are many different kinds on the market. There are several
benefits to using this type of toy. First, it puts a distance between
your hand and your cat's teeth. This makes for a safer play session.
If you have a cat who bites, or if you've allowed your cat to bite
your hands in past play sessions, using an interactive toy teaches him
that only toys are to be bitten and never human flesh. The fishing
pole toy also allows you to move the toy like prey. Cats don't enjoy
the same type of playtime as dogs, so in order for a session to be
completely enjoyable and beneficial, you need to stick with what is
natural to a cat. When a cat hunts in the wild, he stalks his prey. He
spends a lot of time hiding behind a rock, a bush or a tree as he
watches his prey. He sneaks up to a safe *ambush distance* and then
pounces on his victim. Unlike a dog, a cat doesn't chase his prey to
exhaustion. His lungs are built for sprints and not long distance
running. So when you do your play sessions, don't have your cat
running long marathons throughout the house. That's not fun for the
cat. The point of interactive play sessions is for it to be
enjoyable - not frustrating.
A common mistake many people make when engaging in interactive play
sessions is that they keep the toy in motion all of the time.
Remember, you should be trying to simulate an actual hunt. In the
wild, a mouse or bird wouldn't be moving all of the time. The mouse
might hide behind something or the bird would land in order to nibble
some seed. It's during those times that the cat can do his planning
and inch closer. Even though a hunt is a very physical thing, for a
cat, it's also a mental exercise. He has to use his skills to be as
silent and quick as possible. He has to judge the ambush distance and
develop excellent timing and aim. That takes a lot of mental skill.
That's where interactive playtime can create confidence. Let your cat
have plenty of captures. Let the toy hide behind the chair leg so your
cat can sneak up and pounce. Don't dangle the toy in front of your
cat's face and don't make the game too hard. No prey in its right mind
would deliberately hang out right in front of the enemy. And no cat in
his right mind would endlessly chase a bird who never lands. Remember:
let your cat have plenty of captures. This is supposed to be fun for
him!!
Play sessions should last about 15 minutes each. Two sessions a day
would be terrific. If your cat keeps you awake at night, then do a
session right before bed. An important part of the game is the *wind
down*. At the end of the game, wind the action down, almost like a
cool down after an exercise. The reason is to simulate dying prey.
This will allow the cat to relax as she realizes he has captured his
prey. If you don't slow down the action, the cat will still be revved
up at the end of the game. If you simulate dying prey at the end, the
cat will feel very satisfied. When it's over, you can even give your
kitty a tiny treat. In the wild, the natural order is hunt, feast,
groom, sleep. The cat captures his prey, devours it, then he cleans
all traces of prey from himself, and off he goes to sleep.
Suggestions for interactive toys: There are so many toys out there.
When you go to the pet supply store, try to look at the toy and
imagine what type of prey it could be. Some great toys include Da Bird
and the Cat Dancer. Da Bird (yes, it really is "Da")has feathers on a
swivel device so it looks and sounds like a bird in flight as you move
the wand through the air. The Cat Dancer is a wire toy that can be
moved to simulate a cricket jumping in the grass or a fly buzzing
around. These two toys are all-time cat favorites! There are also many
more out there. I like to vary the toys so my cats can enjoy hunting a
*mouse* one day and a *bird* the next, or maybe a *snake* or
*grasshopper*. Be creative.
When you've finished your play session, be sure and put the toys away
so your cat doesn't chew on any stringed parts and also to keep the
sessions very special.
If you have more than one cat, try to do some individual play sessions
so the cats don't have to worry about another kitty barging in on the
fun. You can also do group sessions but you should either have another
family member help out or you'll have to hold a toy in each hand. This
way, the cats don't have to compete. It'll seem awkward at first, but
you'll get the hang of it. Group sessions help cats learn to associate
each other with positive things and not feel competitive. *


--
Alison
http://catinfolinks.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/
http://doginfolinks.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

"ensoul" wrote in message
ups.com...
Moe & Rudy, 8 months old brothers, neutered, we got them from the
SPCA
they told us the 2 were very loving, NOT

they fight and leave marks on each other, ever night they tear the
apartment apart; they knock over plants, break knick knacks, have
even
destroyed CD's, we live in an upstairs apartment anf of coarse they
like to sit in the open windows but now they're trying to push out
the
screens

sometimes they are loving toward us, other time we get
stratched...my
hubby has cancer a strach can mean an infection and that's dangerous

they take clean clothes from the basket and drag them around, the
knock
over lamps, the trash can and even chairs, only at night

we can't let them in out bdrm at night because we get no sleep
w/them
tearing everything apart

I love them dearly, what can I do? what can I do? I'm deseparate

lynn

"ensoul" wrote in message
ups.com...
Moe & Rudy, 8 months old brothers, neutered, we got them from the
SPCA
they told us the 2 were very loving, NOT

sometimes they are loving toward us, other time we get
stratched...my
hubby has cancer a strach can mean an infection and that's dangerous


lynn

Sometimes cat that are being stroked or petted can become over
stimulated and
suddenly beocme aggressive, usually there are signs such as their tail
swishing. The best thing to do is to stop petting before the cats get
too aroused.
When you play with the cats don't let them play with your hands and
use toys such as fishing rod types. I found soft stuffed toys useful
for young cats to attack and direct their aggression onto.
Alison

"Alison" wrote in message
...


wrote in message
ups.com...

ensoul wrote:
I thank you all for the suggestions, this is small apartment

And people wonder why I have the criteria I do for adoption...

-L.

This is what can happen when cats are kept totally indoors and not
given enough stimulation and exercise. What's sad is people
suggesting the cats are medicated with out considering the fact that
the life style of the cats is contributing to this behaviour .
Alison




I agree that cats should not be medicated without considering contributing
factors, but being indoors has absolutely nothing to do with it! They need
adequate space, interactive toys (as Lyn suggested), lots of attention, good
nutrition, etc.

MaryL

My cats --
Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf
Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o
Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e