BEHAVIOR

You’re a two-cat or multi-cat household, and all of your felines do fine together. They don’t mind looking out the same window at the same time and even do some hanging out and playing together. Then one of them goes to the vet. Or both go, or they all spend a couple of days at a boarding facility. When the one cat or the group of cats arrives back home, you might assume there’d be relief at the routine going back to normal, but instead, things turn aggressive between the pets. There’s swatting, maybe biting and scratching. It’s as if the cats never knew each other—even if they were taken for their appointment in the same carrier! 

It’s untrue that cats are universal water haters. Sure, no cat wants to be unceremoniously dumped in the sink and have water and suds poured all over him willy nilly, but felines’ reputation for being aquaphobic is belied by the facts. Consider that many people think cats can’t swim. But cats in general can swim just fine, and some breeds actually enjoy it. Among them: the Turkish Angora and the Turkish Van.

Behavioral scientists call them Frenetic Random Activity Periods, but you probably know them as the zoomies. We’ve all seen them. A cat goes from lounging languidly to tearing back and forth with no warning. It’s more common in kittens and other young cats, but many cats never grow out of the behavior completely. What drives it?

If you’re in the mood to pay your cat some nice attention with stroking and cooing, it might not be the right time. You have to wait till he’s in the mood. Never try to chase or otherwise pursue your pet in a bid for togetherness. It will backfire.

It can be hard to find room in the house for all your cat’s stuff: scratching post, food and water bowls, toys, bed, litter boxes. Many people relegate many or all of those resources to a back hallway, a staircase landing, or a mudroom off the kitchen. It’s understandable. It keeps the items close by yet more or less out of sight. But from your cat’s point of view, narrow areas like that make unnerving choices.

Q: Sometimes marijuana is smoked recreationally in our home, and I am worried as our cat does not seem herself when that happens. Am I imagining it, or could there really be some effects?

Perhaps you already know that if your cat’s pupils have dilated even though the amount of light in the room has not lessened, it could indicate that that she is feeling anxious. Or that if she hides or tucks her tail under, she is afraid. But there are other signs of fear that are easier to miss because they don’t necessarily look like dread or discomposure. It’s important to know them so you can work to soothe your pet out of her stressed state—or at least understand that she is going through something unnerving and let her be.

Q: My wife and I have noticed that when we put on soft classical numbers, our cat seems to settle in and become calmer. Are we imagining this, or might she actually be responding to the music?