There are numerous behavior issues that can interfere with the special bond that exists between animal and human.

        Our goal at Chicagoland Veterinary Behavior Consultants is to diagnose these issues and educate you as to why they 

        are occurring and what we can do to improve the relationship with your pet. The links that follow will direct you to some

        articles dealing with various types of behavior problems. We hope that this information will give you an better understanding

        of your pet's behavior.

Intercat Aggression
Intercat aggression is more a description of what is happening rather than a diagnosis. There are many reasons why cats interact aggressively. They may include:

 

  • Fear of the Other Cat in the Household
  • Dominance Struggle
  • Play Aggression
  • Territoriality


Treatment of intercat aggression really depends on which of these situations exists in the household. For example:

Fear of another cat may be dealt with by simply confining the cats away from one another when unsupervised. Use of a bell on the aggressor's collar may help signal the victim when the aggressor is approaching. Interrupting inappropriate aggression with spray bottle of water and vinegar. Rewarding with treats or play any observation of calm, relaxed behavior when the cats are in each other's presence. Use of multiple litter boxes distributed throughout the house may give the victim more options to eliminate without increased risk of facing off with the aggressor.

A couple notes here. 1)The rule of thumb for litter boxes is 1 box per cat in the household plus one additional. These should be spread out throughout the house on multiple levels to increase three dimensional space for the cats. Do not group boxes in one area. You are essentially just creating one LARGE litter box t=rather than multiple ones. 2)In a situation in which one cat is stalking another, often the use of a covered box is not indicated. The aggressor many times will wait outside the box and pounce on the unsuspecting victim as he/she emerges from the covered box. For this reason, it is advised to use only open litter boxes in this circumstance.

Dominance Struggles are dealt with by again providing an appropriate litter box environment. Using aversive sprays and rewarding appropriate behavior as noted above. Use of food desensitization trials in which the cats are fed at a great enough distance apart then gradually (a few inches per day) the food bowls are brought closer together. A word of caution here. You should begin with each cat in a carrier and bring the carriers closer together. Then repeat the process but now with the doors of the carriers open. Then, finally, with the cats out of the carriers. It is wise here to fit both cats with harnesses and leashes during the steps in which they can gain access to one another. Holding the leashes or securing them to an immovable object will help prevent injury. In order to increase the motivation of the food, only feed the cats during the trials and feed something very palatable (ex. canned diets). Keep cats separated when unsupervised. If all else fails, placement of one of the cats may be indicated.

Play Aggression is merely the normal "ruff and tumble" activity that occurs with kittens. Kittens must learn predatory and hunting behavior and the best learn this through pseudo hunting activities with each other. To the uninitiated, this can seem to be the real thing with hissing, spitting and pouncing. The key is that the posture is different than real fighting. Ears are up and relaxed, tails are swishing in a non-chalant manner, and the kittens readily re-engage their activity with each other rather than run off and hide. There is rarely a "stand offish" display by one kitten with the other leaving the scene. Do not interfere unless there is a history of injury occurring.

Territoriality is merely the establishing of defined, protected territories within a living space. This is seen in the outdoors by males establishing "harems" of females in various areas and regularly visiting these sites to protect them against intruding males. In the home environment, the resourses guarded include food, elimination areas and access to attention from the humans in the household. Again, attention to litter box placement is critical, appropriate punishment and reward, and belling the aggressor are all helpful strategies. In severe cases, placement of one of the cats may be necessary. 


 

Animal News

animal behavior news from mongabay.com
  • Coral reef survival depends on the super small, an interview with Forest Rohwer
    If you take a teaspoon and dip it into the ocean what will you have? Some drops of lifeless water? Only a few decades ago this is what scientists would have said, however, the development of increasingly powerful microscopes have shown us a world long unknown, which has vital importance for the survival of one of the world's most threatened and most treasured ecosystems: coral reefs. A single milliliter of water is now known to contain at least a million living microbes, i.e. organisms too small to see without a microscope. After discovering their super-abundant presence, researchers are now beginning to uncover how these incredibly tiny life-forms shape the fate of the world's coral reefs.
  • A slow comeback for the endangered Eurasian otter in France
    In the late 1970s, the fate of the Eurasian Otter (Lutra lutra) in France was very gloomy. By just looking at the otter's range map, one could see that most of the country was left with vast regions devoid of a species that was once found in every region. Estimations barely reached 1,500 otters left in the wild for the whole country. Today, 2,000 to 3,000 individuals are believed to room in creeks and rivers mostly in the Massif Central, the Atlantic side (Bretagne) and western area, in particular in the wetland of Poitevin. The upward trend in population size is good news and a step towards reconstituting sustainable populations, however, the overall population is still critically low. By contrast, in the early 1900s otters were quite abundant in France with over 50,000 wild animals.
  • The biology and conservation of declining coral reefs, an interview with Kristian Teleki
    Coral reefs are often considered the "rainforests of the sea" because of their amazing biodiversity. In fact, coral reefs are one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth. It is not unusual for a reef to have several hundred species of snails, sixty species of corals, and several hundred species of fish. While they comprise under 1% of the world’s ocean surface, one-quarter of all marine species call coral reefs their home. Fish, mollusks, sea stars, sea urchins, and more depend on this important ecosystem, and humans do too. Coral reefs supply important goods and services–from shoreline protection to tourism and fisheries–which by some estimates are worth $375 billion a year.
  • Stunning monkey discovered in the Colombian Amazon
    While the Amazon is being whittled away on all sides by logging, agriculture, roads, cattle ranching, mining, oil and gas exploration, today's announcement of a new monkey species proves that the world's greatest tropical rainforest still has many surprises to reveal. Scientists with the National University of Colombia and support from Conservation International (CI) have announced the discovery of a new monkey in the journal Primate Conservation on the Colombian border with Peru and Ecuador. The new species is a titi monkey, dubbed the Caquetá titi ( Callicebus caquetensis). However, the announcement comes with deep concern as researchers say it is likely the new species is already Critically Endangered due to a small population living in an area undergoing rapid deforestation for agriculture.
  • Hunting threatens the other Amazon: where harpy eagles are common and jaguars easy to spot, an interview with Paul Rosolie
    If you have been fortunate enough to visit the Amazon or any other great rainforest, you've probably been wowed by the multitude and diversity of life. However, you also likely quickly realized that the deep jungle is not quite what you may have imagined when you were a child: you don't watch as jaguars wrestle with giant anteaters or anacondas circle prey. Instead life in the Amazon is small: insects, birds, frogs. Even biologists will tell you that you can spend years in the Amazon and never see a single jaguar. Yet rainforest guide and modern day explorer Paul Rosolie says there is another Amazon, one so pristine and with such wild abundance that it seems impossible to imagine if not for Rosolie's stories, photos, and soon videos. This is an Amazon where the big animals—jaguars, tapir, anaconda, giant anteaters, and harpy eagles—are not only abundant but visible. Free from human impact and overhunting, these remote places—off the beaten path of tourists—are growing ever smaller and, according to Rosolie, are in danger of disappearing forever.
  • Captive orangutans: enriching bodies, minds, and lives
    Visitors to the Orangutan Care Center and Quarantine (OCCQ) are always delighted by the sight of playful young orangutans. Hairy orange youngsters swinging through the branches or tossing balls around always induce fits of cooing and camera clicking. These activities appear to be so natural that it is easy to forget these are orphans in rehabilitation school and one of the main classes is Enrichment. The term enrichment has become a catchword in the world of captive animal husbandry in the past few years and for many organizations, enrichment has become a new focus as more and more research reveals how critical enrichment is to the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of captive animals.
Websites by Simplweb