The Cat Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [8]
5. The way we fold clothes warm from the dryer instead of diving headfirst into them
6. The time we spend working to remove the glorious trail of cat hair from around the house when they know they can replace it all in 6.4 seconds
7. That we think those decapitated rodents left on the back porch are presents for us
8. That we ignore the primary uses of the computer and TV, both of which are for napping
9. That we choose not to walk around on top of the countertops, which is where all the best views are to be had, not to mention treats
10. Our never-ending devotion and eternal servitude to them (Actually, cats don’t so much laugh at this last one as encourage it.)
Guilt-ridden or Just Plain Bored?
Q Increased work demands have recently called for me to travel a lot more, and my cat, Keeper, a beautiful Bengal, is sometimes home alone for a night. I have friends who stop by to feed him if I am gone more than overnight, but he is still alone more than he used to be. When I came home from my last trip, he had shredded the toilet paper, clawed a corner of my couch, and tipped over a container on my desk that sent paper clips flying all over the floor. When I saw this, I marched up to him and yelled at him. He fled and hid under the bed for a while. Are cats capable of plotting revenge, and do they feel guilt when they do something we don’t want them to do?
A In the animal kingdom, humans have a monopoly on feeling guilty. Cats, dogs, and the rest of our animal companions do not experience or express guilt. It is tempting to anthropomorphize your cat, giving him human reasons for his misdeeds and for running away when you chastised him. But the truth is that guilt is self-reflective, an emotion only people feel, according to top psychologists.
Guilt is a human response to behavior that we recognize as wrong or socially unacceptable. Cats do not have the capacity for that type of abstract thinking. However, cats are definitely capable of experiencing fear and submission. It is easy to confuse feline fear with guilt.
In Keeper’s case, he is most likely bored by those long stretches of being home alone. Bored cats, especially active breeds like Bengals, will look for ways to amuse themselves, even if that something (clawing couches, turning toilet paper into confetti, and pawing piles of paper clips) is not desirable from your point of view. In other cats, these actions could illustrate separation anxiety. Whether a cat is bored or anxious depends on his temperament and relationship with his owner.
Keeper cowered and hid under the bed when you yelled because he was frightened of your angry voice, not because he was feeling guilty about his “bad” behavior. He had no idea why you were angry, only that you were acting scary and threatening.
My recommendation is first to take away feline temptations. When you’re not home, shut the bathroom door, put a covering on your couch to stop his claws, and tidy your desk. Next, provide Keeper with acceptable outlets for his boredom. These might include battery-operated toys that move when he touches them, a sturdy window perch for him to keep tabs on the neighborhood, or a circular trackball toy that encourages him to paw at the ball. You could try turning on the radio or television to add some sound to ease his solitude. There are videos of fish and birds and other cat-enticing images that might occupy his attention in your absence.
When you do come home from those business trips, ignore any messes and greet Keeper with happiness and affection. Spend some time playing with him and petting him so that he doesn’t feel alone even with you back in the house. You may discover that he comes rushing up to greet you after an absence.
Why Cats Mask Their Pain
Q I was shocked the other day to discover a deep gash near my longhaired cat’s hind leg. When my veterinarian shaved the area and examined it, she told me it was an infected cat bite. She cleaned the wound, closed it with stitches, and prescribed medication. It was obvious that Freckles was in a lot of pain, but she