besc BH by kelsie martin

-Normal and atypical behaviour
-Causes of atypical behaviour
-How gender, age etc can affect behaviour
-How they communicate
-Signs of stress

A way that you can tell that a cat is stressed is by if its fur sticks up or if it hisses, it often flicks and twitches its tail when it is getting annoyed.

There is a wide variety in what is normal for cats, and many things come down to personality. Still, some things are always abnormal, and they include:

Pica, or eating non-food items
Wool sucking or fabric chewing
Unusual fears, anxieties, or phobias
Obsessive-compulsive disorders

Cats are social animals, not always the solitary creatures as once thought, and the lack of appropriate socialization from 3-16 weeks of age may contribute to the development of some abnormal behaviors. Boredom and stress can also be contributors. Genetics may play a role in basic personality type and some compulsions. Medical problems can cause other strange behaviors.

As they age, cats often suffer a decline in functioning, including their cognitive functioning. It’s estimated that cognitive decline-referred to as feline cognitive dysfunction, or FCD-affects more than 55% of cats aged 11 to 15 years and more than 80% of cats aged 16 to 20 years.

These can cause stress from cats:

-having new carpet installed

-loud music being played

-dirty litter box conditions

-change in food brand

-change in litter brand or type

-travel

-new furniture

-being denied access to particular hiding places

-appearance of a strange cat in the yard

-a barking dog

-visitors in the home

-repairs being done in the home

Signs of stress in cats:

-loss of appetite

-excessive grooming (which may result in a condition known as psychogenic -alopecia)

-less interaction with family members

-hiding

-change in the relationship with companion cats

-elimination outside of the litter box

-aggression

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