Cat expert sheds light on feline mysteries

Animal behavior guru breaks down common misconceptions about cats

Pam Johnson-Bennett spends her days helping people figure out their cats' baffling behavior.

She's not a volunteer ? in fact, she is a renowned professional in the field of cat psychology. Johnson-Bennett is a certified animal behavior consultant, the author of six books, including, "Cat Vs. Cat, "Think Like a Cat" and "Psycho Kitty," which have been translated into several languages. In addition to living with and loving cats, Johnson-Bennett makes cat-related television and radio appearances, including CNN and the National Geographic Channel. She is a frequent contributing expert for "Newsweek," "Prevention," and other magazines. She is the resident cat expert for "Cat Fancy" magazine's Web site, wwwcatchannel.com.

Elaine Weil, the local cat expert who offered her thought on cat behavior last week, says she is a fan of Johnson-Bennett and owns several of her books.

Johnson-Bennett says the most important thing to remember about any kind of cat behavior is the context.

"You absolutely have to remind people you have to take the circumstances into consideration," she says.

In reaction to last week's "Feline Body Language Key" in The Leaf-Chronicle, Johnson-Bennett has a few thoughts to add.

We wrote that "rubbing the cheeks, backs of paws or hindquarters against a person or object" indicates "marking as part of the cat's territory, which can make the cat instantly more comfortable with new objects or people."

Johnson-Bennett expands on the assertion.

"Flank rubbing is usually done by a lower-ranking cat to a higher-ranking cat as an acknowledgement of the determined status," she says. "A cat may flank rub an owner's leg when the owner is heading toward the kitchen in anticipation of food while showing the respect of the owner's status."

Purring, which normally indicates pleasure, can have more complex causes, she says. Cats who are in pain, ill or near death may purr, possibly because purring has a calming effect on cats.

A cat's tail held at half-staff and moving slowly from side to side may indicate mild interest, as we wrote, but depending on the circumstance, may also indicate anxiety, Johnson-Bennett says.

The most common issue she runs into in her consulting practice is people's misconceptions about the ways their cats should or should not behave. Johnson-Bennett said the most widespread misconceptions are:

Cats are asocial.
Cats are actually very social creatures and they thrive on companionship. One reason many people may think they are asocial and solitary is because cats tend to hunt alone. Because cats are not big animals, they hunt small prey. A mouse wouldn't go very far if it had to be shared by three cats at once.

Cats can't be trained.
Cats are actually extremely easy to train if you use the appropriate method. Too many times we assume a cat's misbehavior is spiteful and then the training method used is based on punishment. Cats do not willfully misbehave just to annoy us. If your cat is eliminating outside of the litter box, it isn't because he's angry at you. It's probably because there is an underlying medical condition such as lower urinary tract disease, there is a problem with the lack of cleanliness of the box or the type of litter used, or there has been a change in the household dynamic.

Having a cat means a smelly litter box.
The only reason a litter box would stink is if the owner doesn't clean it. Litter boxes should be scooped of waste at least twice a day. A thorough scrubbing of the box should be done monthly if using scoopable litter and weekly if using regular clay. If you follow that schedule, you won't have a stinky litter box.

One of the all-time unfair misconceptions about cats is that they steal the breath from babies.
What we now identify as SIDS is probably what cats were blamed for because of the fact that some cats may enjoy curling up next to a warm, cuddly baby. Since infants are unable to roll over and adjust their positions, it isn't a good idea to allow your cat to sleep in the crib regardless, but it's also not a good idea to have anything else in the crib with a baby ? even a stuffed toy.

Cats will self-regulate when it comes to mealtime.
People leave mounds of food available, expecting cats to self-regulate. If every cat could self-regulate their appropriate amount of food, we wouldn't be seeing so many overweight cats. Some cats can free-feed and others need to be fed on a schedule. Until your cat can use the can opener himself, you are responsible for how much he should eat to maintain his healthy weight.

Male cats can cause problems by spraying.
In actuality, both male and female cats spray.

Cats thrive on milk and tuna.
Once weaned, a cat becomes lactose intolerant. If you offer cow's milk to your kitty, it will usually result in diarrhea. Don't offer milk in place of water. Cats need to drink water. They don't need to drink milk. Owners also mistakenly assume their cats should eat tuna. Tuna has a very strong flavor and can actually be addictive. I have seen many cats who become finicky eaters because they only want tuna. Cats are carnivores and they need to eat meat. Fish is not a normal diet for cats.

Cats remain mysterious for many people, even "cat people."

Reference: www.theleafchronicle.com

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