Why Do Some Cats Bite When You Pet Them?

Many of us who are parents to cats notice that when we pet them, they sometimes turn around a bite our hands. Why do cats do that? Dog parents smugly state that their dogs wag their tails, pant and lick their hand. They claim that dogs don't bite the hand that pets them. While this is not a competition between cats and dogs, I'll give the dogs this one. I had a beautiful dog for many years (she passed away at 12) and she never bit me when I petted her. However, each and every cat (except one) has nipped at my hand.

So, why do cats bite the hand that pets them? As usual, I decided to do a little research to see if I can find the answer. From what I can tell, it looks like experts do not agree on the reasons for this pet-then-bite behavior, therefore many theories abound regarding what is called petting-induced aggression.

One theory is that unlike dogs, which are more social, petting may be something outside of a cat's normal instinctive behavior. A suggested remedy is that cats need to be socialized to people as very young kittens. Even 5 minutes of human contact each day of a cat's life up to 7 weeks of age will produce a much more trusting cat than those cats that did not have human contact until they were older than 7 weeks. However, this remedy does not explain all petting-induced aggressive behavior since properly socialized cats can still display this behavior. And this remedy does not help those of us who adopted adult cats.

Some experts theorize that a cat may bite once the petting exceeds her sensitivity threshold. While the cat enjoys the human contact at first, the repetitiveness of the petting becomes irritating and the cat turns and bites as a way of saying "Enough". Another theory is that the petting not only causes irritation but that it may also cause static electricity or actual pain because of the cat's nervous system. Or, sometimes the cat may have a pain in a particular area and your touch or even the belief that you will touch that area may trigger the aggressive behavior.

Sometimes cats may find petting so pleasurable that they actually fall asleep (with open eyes). If they wake up suddenly, they may not recognize that they are being petted and may believe that you are trying to confine them. Instinctively they may bite and run before they are fully aware that they were being petted. The final theory I found is one of control. Some cats need to control the situation where they determine when the petting starts and when it stops. What is perceived as petting-induced aggression is a way for the cat let you know who is in charge. I think behavior is more in line with my experience.

No matter the reason for the petting-induced aggression, there are some things that you can do to decrease the chance your cat will suddenly bite you while being petted.
It is important to find out if your cat has a medical condition that may cause pain when he is being petted, therefore take him to the vet for a thorough examination. Petting may cause the pain to worsen or the cat to become anxious that you may touch a painful area.

Like it or not, we just need to realize that some cats simply do no enjoy being petted. Cats are unique and while some cats enjoy human contact, love to cuddled and petted, others do not like human-initiated contact. These cats may enjoy some human closeness like sitting on your lap, but they don't want to be picked up and petted. We need to understand that just like you cannot change the basic personality of humans with whom we interact, you will not be able to change the basic personality of your cat and need to accept him as he is.

While we may miss the warnings, cats seldom suddenly turn and bite. An observant cat parent will notice the following clues before the aggressive behavior starts:

• ears may go flat or back
• stiffening of the body
• twitching of the skin or tail
• dilated pupils
• a low growl
• unsheathing of the claws

If you see any of these signs, stop petting immediately and allow the cat to leave.

Once you are aware of the warning signs, you can begin to predict your cat's petting tolerance level. Begin by timing from when you begin to pet your cat to the first instance of the warning signs. You can do this over the course of a week or so. Then, the next time you pet, make sure that you do not exceed this time limit. However, while timing may provide a good guide you still need to watch out for the warning clues.

You can also change the way in which you pet your cat. Some cats may prefer to receive short small strokes; others prefer to be scratched under the chin or between the ears. Not all cats enjoy whole-body petting. Try to pet you cat using the different methods. It should become pretty clear very quickly which methods are tolerable and which are not.

If your cat does bite during petting, please do not physically correct her as this may cause more aggression. However, you can reward your cat for not biting; you can give your cat a treat after each stroke she tolerates. Over time, your cat may associate the petting with treats and, barring any pain, may experience an increased petting tolerance threshold.

In the end, only you know your cat and while you can try all of the suggestions, you may have a cat that simply does not like to be petted. While it is hard to resist that fuzzy little belly, chin, neck, etc., you may simply have to find another more mutually enjoyable way of expressing your affection to your cat.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5224517

How to Overcome Your Fear of Cats Watching You

Some people think cats are cute, others (usually including cats themselves) think they are superior beings. And some people are unfortunate enough to suffer from a fear of cats or - slightly more unusual - a fear of cats watching them. Cats can get creepy like that and they don't have the same social skills we have to know that it's not the done thing.

So, what can you do if you suffer from a fear of cats watching you? It's not like you can do that thing from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and hide behind a towel. That would just look weird.

And cats don't react the same way as dogs, who tend to break eye contact if you stare back at them.

Possibly the best thing to do is ignore the feline that's eyeing you up. If you're able to do that, it's certainly what I'd suggest that you do first.

Next, if you're able to move away from the cat, that will obviously work. But often the creatures are found at friend's houses so that isn't always a good option.

Obviously keep your distance from the cat as much as possible. A lot of our fear comes from the sharp claws and teeth that these supposedly domesticated creatures have and - more importantly - are quite happy to use on anything within easy reach.

If your cat-caring friend is open to persuasion, you could talk to them about cats being one of the main ways that humans get exposed to toxoplasmosis. But most cat lovers won't hear a word said against their supposedly friendly creature, so the chances of that working are slim. But at least it gives you a reason for your fear that is grounded in science and may cause a few of your friends who are sitting on the decision fence about whether or not to look after a cat (since no-one really owns these surprisingly independent creatures) then that may help by not increasing the chances of you encountering a cat.

Another option is to reduce your fear by using a technique such as hypnosis.

This works by you either visiting a local hypnotherapist or, as is increasingly common nowadays, just downloading a pre-recorded MP3 and playing it to yourself a few times.

Hypnosis works with your mind to change how you react to cats. You're unlikely to end up being a cat lover just by listening to a hypnosis track but that's not really the idea of doing so - it's more to get you so that you don't freak out if one of those felines deems to be in the same room as you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7670273

Understanding How Cats Sweat

A lot of people assume that most animals do not sweat. But when there is a really hot day you cannot help but to wonder, do cats sweat? On a 90 degree hot and humid day, you will see your dog panting, tongue out, drinking a lot of water while your cat can be in the corner as if the weather could not bother him at all. The surprising answer is that yes, cats do sweat. But how can you ever see that sweat?

Different Type Of Sweat
Think of the way that a human sweats and then picture your cat; it is a completely different process. Cats sweat but not as humans do throughout the whole body. Your sweat serves to control your body temperature. When your body brings moisture to your skin that gives you the cooling feeling as the sweat evaporates. You have sweat glands all over your body and cooling happens at the surface of your skin. Cats, on the other hand will not show the sweat in the same way. You will not see them panting or sweating but you will see them grooming.

How Do They Sweat Then?
Cats sweat through a very small surface area which is in their paws. That is all they do. Vets will tell you that this type of sweat is not effective in regulating body temperature. You should not expect the simple act of sweating through the paws of your cat to be enough to cool them down. In fact, this type of sweat does almost nothing at all. Another reason why you do not see the sweat on your cat is because they will groom their paws as soon as they feel the sweat coming.

So How Do You Keep Them Cool?
On a hot summer day you still need to keep your cat cool to prevent dehydration and a trip to the Veterinary Hospital. Even though cats sweat you will still need to make sure that they are cool during the summer. You can give your cats a shady spot so they can rest. If you have hardwood floors or tile that may be the perfect location to keep your cat. You will notice that they will lie on the hardwood floors during the hottest days. They will also seek the shady spots around your home.

How Does A Cat Stay Cool?
A cat's body temperature depends on what its brain tells it. If there is a spike in the temperatures or if a cat has been playing or exercising the brain will tell the body to lose some of the body heat. Some of the methods which they will use include panting, dilating its blood vessels which allows the heat to leave the cat when the blood is closer to the surface. Though cats do not like water, on really hot days, they will seek it and get wet. When cats sweat, they will stretch the body and that also helps them keep cool. If a cat cannot cool down by itself, you should take it to your veterinary.