Tips and tricks from Samoa Gem to help cope with cat or kitten behaviour

Start improving your communication with your cat by learning your cat's body language. You will enjoy it so much more if you can understand how to communicate with your cat.   Your cat communicate to you by using gestures and body language The sweeping of the tail or rubbing of the cheeks, pricking of the ears, meowing or purring  - each has a significance of its own.

The tail seems to be the most important part of your cat’s body used in body language. A broad sweeping of the tail symbolizes annoyance or impatience.  A rapid sweeping of tail back and forth, shows an extreme agitation in your cat.  If your cat extend its bristled tail upwards with a curved back, then your cat is in a conflict with another cat. Body held low, ears to the back and the tail stiffly extended  indicates attack. Lowering the tail between the legs shows submission. A raised tail indicates that your cat is in a friendly mood and wants to play and a slight twitching of the tail while laying down near you shows that the cat wants to be with you.

Outstretched legs will denote self-confidence.   Bent legs denote defending of self or attack.  Stiff straight legs standing on tiptoe usually goes with the arched back and bushy tail. This is  more in the line of fear than attack.

If the cat’s ears are back then the cat feels shame or remorse. Ears pricked up will denote interest or a playful mood. It is easy to translate when the ears are sideways and turned down as this usually goes with stalking and the whole body of the cat shows that.

If you cuddle the cat ignoring the body language that he wants to be left alone then the cat might give you a soft bat with its paws, without extending the nails.  However if the cat is really annoyed, mostly towards dogs or other cats it will bat with the nails extended drawing blood.

Your cat will often rub its cheeks against you  to leave scent markers indicating his relationship with you.

Kneading with both paws on a person or soft surface is usually a sign of affection or contentment.  It is not quite clear why a cat will sometimes choose go out of the way to show affection to complete strangers and usually strangers who do not like cats.

It is a mystery why  cats would run away from the cat loving guests and choose to sit on the lap of that one person who do not like cats. Showing off ?   Trying to win the person over?  Sense of  humor ?

We will have to learn more body language to understand the fine   points of  the inner self of the cat.

 

Running up curtains or furniture.

A heavy kitten will not run up curtains, but if they do run or play where you do not want them to play, hang a few balloons.  Blow up a few balloons and hang them to dangle on strings. A kitten can not resist anything dangling in front of them.   They will try to play with the balloons and burst one or two.  The loud bang will be enough to keep them away from that spot.

These two 9-10 month old kittens (Cornish Rex and American Curl) decided to race up the trellis at the back door with a friend watching on the outside as referee.   No harm done.

 

I am not going to try to cure a cat, I am not qualified to do that.

For example on vomiting -  there are so many reasons why it happens that there seems to be no cure.  Here a few tips, but you have to take your cat to the vet to get proper treatment.

Vomiting and regurgitation. There is a difference between vomitting and regurgitation but I will comment to both at the same time here.   This can have many physical reasons, but it is most of the time stress related.  It can also be an allergic reaction or just a reaction where the food irritate the stomach (most often dry food on an empty stomach).  Small light meals should be given.  Especially on an empty stomach in the early morning.  First give a spoon full wet food, or a few = 6 pellets(kibbles) dried food.  Wait for 5 - 10 minutes before giving more food.

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