Environmental Influences on Cat Behavior

Although I had always leaned more towards the environmental influences on behavior, I actually acquired the perfect test subjects for a study to prove this theory when I brought home the litter of kittens I found at the lab 13 years ago. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that we kept three of the kittens for ourselves and gave one of the males to some friends of ours. This turned out to be a perfect opportunity to observe how much influence the nurture part of the equation really would have in the personality development of these four kittens.

Early on, my friend had trouble with her kitten. She and her husband had two neutered middle aged cats already, both of whom were very nice. She would call me in a panic a few times a week over her inability to control this small kitten. "He's growling at everyone when I feed him!" She complained; when I told her to pick up his food and not let him eat it until he stopped growling, though, she refused. "He's got a sock in his mouth and is growling! He won't let me take it!" Take the sock away, I said. She claimed she couldn't. When he got bigger, he would beat up on the other males. One of them actually ran away for a while because she and her husband would not stop this behavior.

Mind you, we had three of these kittens at our house, all doing the same things but being taught the difference between what was acceptable and what was not. By the time these cats were a year old, our cats were sweet and friendly, while their brother, having learned he could do whatever he wanted, terrorized the other two cats in their household and drew blood from anyone silly enough to try to pet him. Of course, when people would ask my friend if her cat would bite or scratch, she would invariably say, "no", despite the livid marks on her own arms. If I was there, I would tell them the truth and let them make their own decision. She never cared for that!

Certainly, this proves that environment and training have more impact on the behavioral maturity of animals than heredity does. This makes perfect sense to me, since, now matter how well-bred an animal may be, there is no way for it to know the house rules unless taught. Young children and animals need direction and training to teach them how to behave later in life, when their youth and immaturity will no longer be an adequate excuse for bad behavior. Only an exemplary individual would be able to discern proper behavior in the absence of education.

While it is true that the older an animal gets, the harder it is to break bad habits (seems I've heard this about humans, too). It is not impossible, however, and patience and persistence on your part will reap great benefits if, for example, you adopt an older cat with ingrained habits you don't approve of. Be firm, gentle and loving and your cat will respond. Cats are smart, and will soon realize that doing things your way is the path to happiness!
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Turning Kittens into Pussycats

Everyone knows how much fun kittens are. Not only are they cute, cuddly, squeaky and goofy, but they do the craziest things: Climb your pant leg, knock over lamps as they wildly chase each other around the living room, stuff like that. What may seem cute and not-very-destructive when an animal weighs one pound will not be quite as attractive in a cat ten times that size. Therefore, it is up to you to make sure that the unfettered energy of youth does not translate into bad habits carried into adulthood.

Let's take the example of your kitten using its claws to climb your leg. Kittens don't know how to sheath their claws, and they are too small to jump onto furniture, counters, or whatever. So, they just climb. This gets them where they need to go, and exercises their leg muscles as well as those that support the claws; it is also good practice for learning to climb trees. There comes a time, though, when they are too big for this behavior and it becomes destructive. Unless you want your cat to climb your drapes, your shower curtain, etc., you must break this habit quickly. When our cats were several weeks old, J. and I pet-sat for the friends who took the fourth kitten from the litter. Imagine my surprise when, as I'm preparing his food, this cat starts climbing my leg! I had broken my kittens of that habit early on. I unceremoniously swiped him off my leg, saying, "NO!" The next time he looked like he was about to try it again, I pointed my finger at him, again saying, "NO!" He didn't do it again.

You also must teach your kitten to "play nice", or you will wind up with many scratches on your hands. When kitty starts using his claws, gently squeeze his paws. When he starts getting overwrought, stop playing; continuing will only ruin the training. He will soon learn to play without scratching or (god forbid) biting you. When your kittens' roughhousing gets too wild, break it up before any injuries occur. There will always be disagreements in the multi-cat household, but they will be less serious than if you just let them fight it out. Be a referee; it's your job to teach them what the house rules are.

Growling (another sign of aggression) must also be curbed. If cats growl at each other, break it up. Many kittens tend to growl when fed, even when fed alone. If this happens, pick up the bowl until the growling stops, then give it back. Do this as many times as it takes (it won't take very many); you should never have to worry about your cat nailing you if you take his food away. Of course, you probably won't need to ever do that. The point is that you are the boss, not the cat. Do the same thing if she growls while carrying a toy; remember, starting this training when they are young will both save you injury and teach the animal who sets the rules. Animals who think they can dominate you are not fun to have around, particularly when they grow up!
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How to Avoid Getting "Nailed" by an Angry Cat

Cats, well known for their independence, grace as well as loyalty to their humans, are also known for being a bit mercurial. Able to change moods as quickly as a New England weather system, it behooves those who love them to learn how to read their emotional signals so that we don't wind up with arms and hands full of scratches and scars. While we all know that a hissing, growling cat with hackles raised is dangerous, there are subtle signs one must recognize, as well. Here are some tips for avoiding injury at the paws of your own cats, as well as those you don't know as well.

For your own pets, training is key. Teach your kittens (or adult adoptee) right away that swiping with claws extended is not acceptable. Take their paws each time in your hand and gently hold until the claws retract, all the while saying "No" (or some sound they will associate with this behavior) firmly. If you have been playing with them, stop. They'll get the idea, as long as you are consistent and don't react angrily. Another tip: Don't over-stimulate your cat during playtime so that he gets out of control. Just as children need to be taught by their parents to control their emotions in order to function in society, pets need to be taught this as well, so that owner and pet can develop an mutually trusting relationship.

As for other people's cats, I have learned to believe owners who tell me that their cat may scratch, although I don't necessarily trust when they tell me they don't! I remember years ago, while J. and I were visiting a friend of his, their cat jumped onto my lap. The woman told me, "Be careful! She'll scratch you when she's had enough." I immediately stopped petting the cat, who soon grew bored and left. I hear this often from people. I never assume that I know enough about cats to read the signs of discontent before getting nailed. I just leave the cat alone.

Some friends of ours took the fourth kitten from the litter I found at work all those years ago. While our three are sweet and never bite or scratch, they did not train their kitten and he became a monster. Neither J. nor I ever touched that cat. One day as she and I were sitting on her front porch, the cat came along all lovey-dovey, rubbing against my legs. Naturally, I ignored him. "Go ahead and pet him," my friend said. I demurred, and she insisted he wouldn't scratch me. I knew this not to be true, although she never seemed to "get it". I told her to go ahead and pet him herself, then. As she bent down to do so, I saw what she did not: The sudden stare, flick of the tail and quick pulling back of the upper body. Then, whack! He scratched the length of her arm, and she was his owner! I'd seen him do this to others, as well. He never scratched me, though.

Of course, accidental scratches may occur, which is why you should keep your cat's claws clipped. If you do find yourself with a curved claw in your arm, don't pull away. Calmly pull the cat's paw toward you while lifting the claw out. Of course, if you follow my advice, you should never find yourself in this situation!
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