BEHAVIOR

Cats are graceful, sinewy and powerful creatures, and we understandably marvel at their natural athleticism. The feline physique is built of strong hindquarters and a supple spine, which allow them to effortlessly jump horizontally and vertically. Amazingly, a cat is capable of jumping up to five to seven times its own height - usually lightning fast and whisper-quiet.

Ah, serendipity! On the same day I spoke with Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a post appeared in the Facebook group, CatCentric, asking if the members allowed their cats up on counters and if it's an acceptable behavior.

As it turned out, the question drew over 265 comments within 24 hours, so clearly it's a hot topic. The comments covered a broad spectrum of opinions from "Never, Gross, Unsanitary" … to "It's their home and they do as they please que sera, sera attitude" … and all points in between.

Cats are curious, fascinating, mysterious creatures and were constantly learning more about them - sometimes, its like solving a mathematical equation. For example, jumping. We know that, by nature, cats are three-dimensional animals that incorporate vertical space as part of their territory both as a predatory skill and as a protection to escape predators.

Q My cat can be snoozing, but if I take a piece of paper or cellophane or foil and form it into a wad, she instantly wakes up and looks like she is ready for a hunt. She loves crinkly sounds and will run after a paper ball if I toss it down the hallway. If I rattle a paper grocery bag, she comes running. She will actually jump inside the bag if I leave…

Q My cat, Peaches, is a Siamese mix. She loves to cuddle with me, but sometimes when I am petting her, she bites me. Occasionally it is hard enough to break the skin. Why does she bite, and can I train her not to bite after 12 years of living with me? …

Q My cat, Lucy, uses the doggy door to go into our fenced backyard. We have a bird feeder out there, and every once in a while, I discover a dead bird on my pillow. I almost faint at the sight. I want to scold Lucy, but she looks at me with such pride. Lucy is about eight years old, but she is as healthy as a kitten. Why is she doing this?

Q We adopted a healthy 12-week-old kitten. At first, we kept him in the bathroom at night and when we were not a home. He peed in the litter box but pooped in the bathtub. Now that he is older, he has full run of the house. We keep the litter box clean, scooping it every day, but he still poops on the tile floor next to the litter box. I am tired of cleaning…

Q I have a sweet, shy Persian named Princess and a bold Abyssinian named Max. I bouth Princess first before purchasing Max as a kitten about a year ago. Princess is three. They get along fine until Princess tries to use the litter box. Max seems to enjoy stalking her and pouncing on her when she tries to go. The litter box is located in the corner of the closet in the spare bedroom. I…

Q My longhaired cat, Pretty Kitty, seems to groom her beautiful silver coat all the time. She is an indoor-only cat nearing her fifth birthday. At least once or twice a week, I can count on finding a hairball coughed up on the carpet. She never seems to pick floors that are easy to clean, like the tile in the kitchen. She gets regular checkups, and my veterinarian has not found any health problems. So…

Your cat may be a mild biter during play or she may be one who means business when she chomps down, inflicting pain and drawing blood. In either case, biting behavior must be corrected.

First, figure out the trigger. Does she bite your hand when you're playing with her? One of the most common mistakes people make is to use their fingers as toys to entice cats to play. This may have seemed harmless enough when your cat was a kitten, but as she grew and developed adult teeth, those bites probably started to hurt more. Unfortunately, if you used your fingers as toys, you sent a message to her that biting flesh was acceptable. In her mind, if biting flesh is okay during play, then it's also okay for her to bite when she needs to communicate other things as well. Some cats bite to solicit playtime. From previous experience, they learned that biting gets a response from the cat owners and a toy is tossed for them. Unfortunately, that just reinforces the biting behavior. In this way, she has trained you.

Why, oh why, does loud purring have to occur at 1 A.M. just when I fall asleep? Why can't my cat just purr at dinnertime or during evening TV-sofa time? Purring is that unusual vibration that is produced by nerve stimulation to the voice box muscles and the diaphragm (that sheet of muscle that separates your organs in your chest from your abdomen). The frequency and pattern of purring occurs between 25 and 150 hertz. so it can be loud enough to wake you up when Max is sleeping on our head. Purring can occur during both inspiration and expiration and may look like your cat is

Cats are aloof, fastidious, independent creatures who don't like to answer to anyone. Your cat can hear you calling her; she just may not feel like answering. That said, don't give up. With appropriate training, your cat may soon recognize her name and come to you when called. If you want to train your cat to come to you when you call her, start by using a short name with a vowel at the end (like…