YourIdealCat

InsightsintoBreedandGenderDifferencesin

CatBehavior

YourIdealCat

InsightsintoBreedandGenderDifferencesin

CatBehavior

BenjaminL.Hart,DVM,PhDLynetteA.Hart,PhD

PURDUEUNIVERSITYPRESSWestLafayette,Indiana

Copyright©2013byBenjaminL.Hart.Allrightsreserved.PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.

LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationDataHart,BenjaminL.Youridealcat:insightsintobreedandgenderdifferencesincatbehavior/BenjaminL.Hart,DVM,PhD,andLynetteA.Hart,PhD.

pagescm.—(Newdirectionsinthehuman-animalbond)Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.ISBN978-1-55753648-8(pbk.:alk.paper)—ISBN978-1-61249-255-1(epdf)—ISBN978-1-61249-256-8(epub)1.Cats—Behavior.2.Catbreeds.I.Hart,LynetteA.II.Title.SF446.5.H3732013636.8—dc23

2012034713CoverandinteriorillustrationsbyEmmaMooring

Contents

PrefaceChapter1

HowtousethisbooktoselectyouridealcatChapter2

ChoosingandwelcomingyournewcatChapter3

BehavioraldifferencesbetweenmaleandfemalecatsChapter4

Raisingkittenstoemphasizegoodbehavioranddiscourageproblembehaviors

Chapter5Historicalbackgroundofcats

Chapter6Understandingbehavioralcharacteristicsofcats

Chapter7Behavioralprofilesofcatbreeds

Chapter8Whycatsdothat:Purring,yawning,eatinggrass,andflippingoutoncatnip

EpilogueAnnotatedbibliographyIndex

Preface

Kittensaresuchwinningcreaturesthatwecan’thelpfallinginlovewiththem.Butifyouarethinkingofwelcominganewkittenorcatintoyourhome,donotunderestimate the careful consideration needed to make your selection. Thekittenyouchoosetodaywillgrowintothecatthatcouldbeyourcompanionforthenextfifteentotwentyyears.

Anumberof experiences and thoughts come tomind in selecting a kitten.Youmayhave really lovedaSiameseyouoncehad,but thevocalizationmayhavebeenabittoomuch,andperhapshegotintourinemarking.Acatbreederyou knowmay extol the virtues of the Ragdoll, another popular breed. Yourcousinhasfallen in lovewith thewild looksof theBengal.Canasamplingoffriendsgiveyouenoughinformationaboutallof themainbreedsofcats?Andhow can you evaluate the books that discuss the good points of the variousbreeds? The truth is, no one person can be the sole authority on all breeds.Breeders may have a bias, or at least a loyalty, toward their own breeds.Likewise, authors writing about certain breeds undoubtedly have their ownbiases.

Thepurposeof thisbook is tohelpyou, theprospectivekittenoradultcatcaregiver(owner),selectthebreed,orbreedtype,andgender—neuteredmaleorspayedfemale—bestsuitedtoyourpersonality,otherfamilymembers,andyourenvironment, whether an apartment, a condominium, or a suburban home. Ahastilymadeuninformeddecisionbasedonseeingacutekittenmightleadtoanunhappy relationshipwith your cat.By carefully choosing a breed andgenderusing the information in thebehavioralprofilesprovided in thisbook,youcananticipateahappyandlovinglong-termrelationshipwithyournewfelinefamilymember. For those of youwho already own a cat, orwho have established abreed loyalty, the behavioral profiles can still offer useful information forunderstandingthevagariesofcatbehavior.

Naturally, people partially choose a cat because of its size, hair coat, or

distinctive coloration. But the main reason for choosing a particular felinecompanionshouldbeitsbehavior.We,theauthors,arebehavioralscientistswhobelieveingivingadvicethatisbasedondataandsoundreasoning.Therationaleandmethodologyusedtoobtaintheinformationprovidedinthisbookhavebeenestablished, and the information is scientifically accurate and presented in areadilyunderstandableformat.

Before discussing behavioral traits and breed differences, we includechapters on how to use the information provided to select a feline companion(Chapter 1), choosing and welcoming your new cat (Chapter 2), behavioraldifferences between neuteredmale and spayed female cats to consider duringyourselectionprocess(Chapter3),raisingcatstoemphasizegoodbehavioranddiscourageproblembehaviors(Chapter4),andthehistoricalbackgroundofcats(Chapter5). InChapters 6 and7, themain body of this book,we discuss thespecificbehaviorsofbreeds.Thebookisroundedoutbyafinalchapteronsomeintriguingcatbehaviors:whytheypurr,yawn,eatgrass,andflipoutoncatnip.

In the spiritofmaking thisbookuser friendly,wedonotprovide researchliterature citations within the text. However, we do provide an annotatedbibliographythatreaderswhowantmoreinformationmayfinduseful.

•••

Wewishtoextendourthankstothemanycolleaguesthathelpedmakethisbookpossible.Thedatacollectionandentryfromeightytelephoneinterviewstodevelopbreed-specificbehavioralprofileswastheresultofeffortsbyDr.GretelTorresde laRivaandDr.ShannonReed.Dr.NeilWillitsof theUniversityofCalifornia, Davis, Department of Statistics performed the data analyses andprovided statistical consultation. Dr. Torres de la Riva also helped in theconstructionofthebehavioralprofilegraphsandthebehavioraltraitgraphs.Ouroffice manager, Marty Bryant, helped to coordinate team responsibilities andprovided copy editing. The editors and staff at Purdue University Press,particularlyKelleyKimm,HeidiBranham,andCharlesWatkinson,broughttheirmany talents into the final editing, design, and production phases. All of theartwork,which so accurately portrays the essence of the various feline breedsandbehaviors,isthecontributionofEmmaMooring.Specialthanksareduetotheeightydedicated,andverypatient, felineveterinarypractitionerswhomweinterviewed forbehavioral characteristic rankingofbreeds andgenders.Thesepractitionersareintheuniquepositionofhearingmanycatcaregiversboastorcomplain about the behavior of their cats.Without them this bookwould nothave been possible. Financial support, making possible the collection and

analysisoftheuniquedatasetoncatbehavior,wasprovidedbyagrant(#2009-36-F) from the Center for Companion Animal Health, School of VeterinaryMedicine,attheUniversityofCalifornia,Davis.

Chapter1

Howtousethisbooktoselectyouridealcat

Let’ssaythatyou’vedecidedyouwantakitten,butyoudon’tknowwhatbreedto choose, or whether to choose a male or a female. You read about specialfeaturesofsomebreeds,suchasonethatisexceptionallyaffectionate—areallapcat—andanother that ishairless,butwarmand friendly.Someofyour friendsmaysaythatyoucannotpredicthowakittenwillturnout—acatisacatisacat.Othersmay tell you to just stickwith a female, or amale, andyou’ll be fine.Consultingcat loverscanbeconfusingbecauseyouarebound togetdifferingopinions.

Askyourveterinarian,“Whatisthebestbreedofcat?”andyouarelikelytohear,“Thisquestionisimpossibletoanswer,becausethereisno‘best’breed.”Abreedthatmightbeidealforsomeonewholivesaloneandisawayatworkmostdaysisdifferentthanabreedthatmightbeidealforafamilywithchildrenwhocanbeexpectedtoplaywiththecatdaily.Somepeoplewanttoavoidtheheavy-dutygroomingthatsomecatsneed;othersplacebehaviorhighabovegrooming.

This book presents a data-based approach to describing the behavioraldifferences amongbreeds and shows you how to evaluate these differences toselect your ideal cat. Also presented are some essential differences betweenneuteredmaleandspayedfemalecats.

There are a number of considerations with regard to choosing yourcompanioncat.Certainlyyoumightconsiderbodysize,hairlength,coatcolor,potential allergies of human family members, and whether you wish to get apurebred or a generic domestic shorthair (DSH) or domestic longhair (DLH).Butwhilesizeandcolormightbe important toyou,weareconvinced that thesingle most important factor contributing to the richness of your interactions

withyourcompanioncatisthecat’sbehavior.Thisbookprovidesprofilesofthebehaviors that are of most interest to those wishing to choose a cat, such asaffection toward family members, aggressiveness toward family members orothercats,activitylevel,litterboxuse,tendencytourinemarkinsidethehouse,and even tendency to go after songbirds, for those whose cat is allowed toventureoutside.Becausewewanttoenhanceyourappreciationandknowledgeof felinebehavioral traits,wehavepresented thebehaviorprofiles ina readilyaccessible format that includesboth text andgraphs.Youcan see frombrieflybrowsingthroughChapter7thattherearemajordifferencesamongmanyofthecommonbreeds,givingyou theopportunity tocreateandselect fromamongashortlistofthebestbreedsforyou,andenablingyoutoadviseothersonbreedselection.

A goodway to first approach selecting a cat is to consider the behavioralcharacteristicsthatarethemostimportanttoyou.Somepeoplemightlikeacatthatisveryaffectionate,perhapsalmostclingy,andthatcanbecountedupontowelcomevisitors,andevensitintheirlaps.Othersmightpreferabitmoreofawildstreak.Almosteveryonewantsacat that isreliable inusingthelitterboxand that does not take up the nasty habit of urine marking in the house. Byselectingapurebredkitten,youhavesomeideaofthebehaviortoexpectwhenthekittenmatures.WiththeDSHorDLHthereismuchlesspredictabilitywithregardtofuturebehavior.Chapter6containsgraphsthatrankbreedsoneachofthefollowingtwelvecharacteristics:

Affectiontowardfamily FriendlinesstowardvisitorsAggressiontowardfamily FearfulnessofstrangersAggressiontowardothercats LitterboxuseActivitylevel UrinemarkinginthehomeVocalization FurniturescratchingPlayfulness Predationonsongbirds

Let’s say you are especially interested in a high level of affection, a lowtendency for aggression towardpeople, andgood litter boxuse.You couldgothroughthegraphsonthesethreecharacteristicsinChapter6andselect,say,theeightbreedswiththemostfavorablerankingsinallthreelists.ThenyoucouldlookcloselyatthebreedprofilespresentedinChapter7tofurthernarrowthelistofstrongcontenders.

Very important is the sex of the kitten, which is discussed in Chapter 3.Gaininganunderstandingofthedifferencesbetweensexesalonecanmakethisbookwellworthreading.Becausesuchahighproportionofcats inourhomes

are neutered or spayed, the gender differences we discuss are all based onneuteredmalesandspayedfemales.Whiletherearedefinitedifferencesbetweenneutered cats and those left intact, especiallywith regard tomales, the age atwhichacatisneuteredorspayedmakesnodifferenceinitsbehavior.

The breed information in this book is based on the rankings assigned byeighty male and female feline veterinary practitioners. These authorities aremembersoftheAmericanAssociationofFelinePractitionerswhoseeavarietyofbreedsandbreedtypesdailyandlistentotheirclientsboastorcomplainabouttheir cats’ behaviors. The methodology used to determine these rankings isexplainedinChapter6.

It is essential to emphasize that the information contained in the breedprofilesdoesnot representourownopinions; in fact,wearewaitinguntil thisbookispublishedtochooseourfirstcat.Thatsaid,webelievethatnobreedisinherently any better than another, but rather that there is a niche for eachparticularbreed.Ultimately,whatmakestheidealcatforyoudependsuponwhoyouare.Differentbreedsaresuitedfordifferentenvironments,personalities,andlifestyles.

Chapter2

Choosingandwelcomingyournewcat

Generalprinciplesforchoosingakitten

Sourceofthekitten

By far, most people looking for a cat think of getting the generic domesticshorthair(DSH)ordomesticlonghair(DLH),andtheyareoftenattractedtotheideaofadoptingfromashelter.Othersmayfindanabandonedcatandwanttotake it in. Still othersmay be familiar with a litter of kittens that a friend orneighborhasandwishtobringonehome.Ifyouchooseacatfromafriendoraneighbor’s litter, andyouknow themother,youcanget some ideaofhow thekittenwillbehaveasanadult.Unfortunately,withmostcatsavailableinshelters,andwiththosethatareabandoned,youdonothavetheopportunitytoobservethebehavioroftheparents.

Itisnosecretthattheidealsourceforakittenisahealthylitterraisedbyanattentivemotherinahouseholdwheregoodnutritionandkindtreatmentprevail.Ifakitten’smothershowssignsofnotbeingadequatelycaredfor,itislikelythatthekittenisalsonotwellcaredfor.Foralltheappealthatrescuingakittenfromneglected treatment may have, this does increase the risk that the kitten willgrowuptohavesomebehavioralproblems.

Litterrunts

Mostlitterruntsturnoutfine,butaruntdoesstandagreaterchanceofhaving

future emotionalproblems thandootherkittens from the same litter.The runtmay have experienced harassment by its littermates, and this could have anenduringeffectonbehavior.Thereisalsothepossibilityofunder-nutrition,sincearuntislessabletocompetewithitslittermatesforfood.

Gettingalongwiththedog

Ifyouparticularlywant a cat thatgets alongwellwithyour residentdog,youwouldbewelladvised togetyourkittenfroma litter thathashadexposure todogsfromaveryyoungagesothatitishabituatedtothissometimesstrangeandoverwhelmingcaninestimulus.Atleastintroduceyourkittentothedogassoonas possible. It is almost guaranteed that a cat will not be at ease living in ahouseholdwithadogifthecatisfirstintroducedtodogsasanadult.

Orphanedkittens

Orphaned kittens are another consideration.When amother cat disappears, orthe kittens are removed before they are weaned, they may be deprived ofimportantmaternalinteraction.Regardlessoftheamountofcuddlingwemaytrytogive,thereisnosubstitutefortheconstantinteractionbetweenakittenandanatural mother. The task of bottle feeding orphaned kittens is laborious, andthereforesometimeslittersaresplituptoreducethefeedingburden.Whenthishappens the kittens’ interactions with littermates are also reduced. Orphanedanimalsraisedwithoutmothers,andwithouttheirlittermates,haveatendencytobeoverlycautious, fearful,andaggressiveasadults.Although this tendency isstronger indogs than it is incats, it is something to take intoconsideration. Ifyoudecidetogowithanorphanedkitten,trytogetonethatwasraisedwithoneormoreofitslittermatesandwithasmuchhumancontactaspossible.

Advantagesofselectingapurebred

Since almost all purebred kittens come from breeders, you often have theopportunity to observe the behavior of the mother, sometimes the father, andmaybeevenmembersofprevious litters.Ofcourseweallknow thatpurebredkittenscomewithapredictablesetofbreed-specificgenesleadingtopredictablebodyconformationandhaircoat. InChapters6and7we reveal that purebredkittensalsocomewiththegeneticbasisforquitepredictablebehavioraltraits.

Ageofadoptionofyourkitten

Atwhat age shouldyoubring a newkitten into your home froma breeder orshelter?Itisgenerallyagreedthatthebestageisaroundeightweeksbecausebythenakittenissocializedwithothercatsandwithpeople,andmaybeevenwithadog,initsbirthhome.Andeightweeksleavesenoughtimeinthecat’searlylife for socialization in the new homewith different adults, possibly children,andmaybeadog.Whilethereissomeflexibilitywithregardtothebesttimeforadoption,themainthingtokeepinmindisthatifyouhaveahomeenvironmentthat includesyoung children, dogs, or other cats, youwant to be sure that theadoptedcat,asanadult,willbecomfortable in theenvironment. Introducingakittentoyourhomeateightweeksofagewillmorelikelyleadtothecatbeingateasethanwouldintroducingasubstantiallyolderone.

Selectingakittenfromalitter

Sometimes, especiallywith a breeder, you have several kittens in the litter tochoosefrom.Thisbringsuptheissueofkittentemperamenttests.Temperamentisgenerallyamuchlargerissueinselectingadogthanacat,butifyouhavetheopportunity toselectakittenfroma litter, thispossibilitymaycomeup.Thereareno scientific studies that show thatkitten temperament tests are reliable inpredicting anything about adult behavior. There is simply too muchdevelopment,fromthestandpointofbehavioralandphysiologicalgrowth,forustobeabletopredictthebehaviorsthatakittenwillexhibitasanadult.That’snotto say thatwithina litter thekittenswill notdiffer fromeachother; theywellmight. However, it appears as though the behavioral differences apparent inkittensdonotnecessarilycarryoverintoadulthood.

That said, when selecting a kitten, you cannot avoid finding some kittensmoreappealingthanothers.Althoughyourinitialimpressionofakittenisnotavery reliablepredictorof itsbehavior as anadult, there isnothingwrongwithchoosingthekittenthatyoufindmostappealingduetoitscolor,bodysize,oritsbehavior.Asamatteroffact,werecommendthisbecauseyouaremostlikelytobondwellwithakittenthatappealstoyou.

Whataboutconductingabatteryofgenetic(DNA)testsonakittentopredictadultbehavior?Whileacompletegeneticbehavioralprofileisawaysoff,weareconvincedthatinthenottoodistantfuturegeneticistswillstartpiecingtogethervarious tests thatwillallowthosewishingtoadoptakitten togetagoodidea,via genome analysis, of how the kitten will behave (e.g., activity level,aggressivetendencies,anddegreeofaffection)asanadultcat.

Akindofevaluationthatmakesalotofsenseistoobservethebehaviorof

themother, father,andevensiblings fromprevious litters.Because themothercontributeshalfthegenesandisusuallyavailable,ifyouarelookingatalitter,mostofyourattentionshouldbefocusedonher.Considerherreactiontobeingheld,brushed,andapproachedbystrangers.Askaboutanyproblemswithlitterboxuse. If thebreeder says something like, “Well,we’vehad someproblems,butmostlywehave it solved,” it shouldbe takenas awarning. If thebreedersaysthatthey’vehadsomeproblemswithurinespraying,thattooisawarning.Keep in mind that females are much less likely to engage in urine markingbehavior than males, so if a mother engages in urine marking behavior, thisshouldbeafactortotakeintoaccount.

With purebreds, you might ask about the behavior of the kittens fromprevious litters. Youmight even ask to telephone the caregivers of these catsfrom previous litters. Ifwhat you discover about these siblings from previouslittersmatcheswhat you’re looking for, youwill have the best genetic profileavailable for your prospective feline companion.Also, if you are looking at apurebred,askaboutthehealthofthemotherandfathertodetermineiftheyhaveanymedicalproblemsassociatedwiththeirgeneticline.(SeethebreedprofilesinChapter7forbreed-relateddiseasepredispositions.)

AdoptinganadultcatYoumayconsiderselectinganadultcatbecauseitseemsthatthereislesstogothroughbynothavingtoputupwithkittenplay,suchasbeingtackledaroundthe ankles, or to worry about training a kitten to use a litter box. However,adopting an adult cat has its ownpitfalls.Anolder catmaynot adapt to yourhouseholdaswellasakittenwould.And,especiallyifyouadoptfromashelter,the catmay have behavioral problems that youwill not know about until youactuallyhaveit inyourhomeforsometime.Youmaydiscover,belatedly, thatthecatisaninveterateurinemarker,andthatmaybewhyitwasavailableattheshelter.Or, itmightbeoneof thosecatswithaweakened sanitary instinct forusing the litter box. An adult cat also may show an almost irreversible fear-relatedaggressivebehaviortowardchildren,adog,orevenanothercat inyourfamily.Thinkingthatitmayjusttakesometime,youmightkeepthecataroundfor a month or two, only to find that it does not become accustomed orhabituatedtothenewenvironment.Anoptionwouldbetoadoptfromashelterinwhichthepersonnelhaveobtainedinformationaboutthecat’shistory.Keepinmind,however,thatthepersonwhorelinquishedthecatmaynothavedisclosedproblembehaviorsbecauseheorshetrulywantsthecattobeadopted.Anotheroptionistotakeinacatfromashelteronatemporarybasis,gettingeveryonein

yourfamily,andtheshelter,toagreethatthisisatrialadoption.Afteracoupleof weeks, you should know if the cat is going to confront you with seriousproblems.Meanwhile, allow the cat to experience the full range of stimuli inyour home, including exposure to other pets, children outside the home, andothersthatitmayencounteronaregularbasis.Itcouldbethatthereisadoginyour home thatmakes it extremely difficult for the cat,whereas it could be aperfectcompanioninahomewithoutadog.

Whenyouareconsideringadoptinganadultcat,beitaDSHorapurebred,youshouldbewellacquaintedwithitsbehavior.Theproblemwithadoptinganadultcatfromashelteristhatyoudonothavetheopportunitytoobserveitinitsprevious home. In an ideal situation you would be able to see the cat in itscurrenthomeenvironmentandtalktothefamilymembers.Andifitlookedlikethekindofcatthatwouldfitinatyourhome,thenyouprobablywouldbesafeinadoptingit.

GettingafelinehousemateforaresidentcatManypeoplewhohaveonecatthinkthattheyshouldperhapsaddanotheroneasa companion, based on the assumption that cats get lonely if left alone. Thecaveat is thatcatshaveaninherent lonerstreakinthemthatvariesfromcat tocatbutwhichdifferentiatesthemfromdogs.Ifyouweretoaskyourresidentcatifheorshewouldlikeafelinehouseholdcompanion,there’saverygoodchancethat the responsewould be “No, thank you,”meaning that the cat is perfectlyhappyalone.Asamatteroffact, theresidentcatmightfeelprettyantagonistictowardthenewfelinefamilymember.Addingasecondorthirdcatisoftenthecauseofproblems,suchasfightingorurinespraying.However,manysituationsinwhichacatisbroughtintoahouseholdwithoneormoreresidentcatsworkoutfine.

BringinghomeyournewcatTheprincipleshereapplytobringinghomeapurebredcatfromitsbirthhomeaswellasbringinghomeaDSHorDLHfromashelter.Thediscussionisframedinterms of introducing a kitten to your home, but it applies equally well tointroducinganadultcattoyourhome.

Probablytheveryfirstconsiderationistoiletingbehavior.Thelastthingyouwantisforyournewkittentobereluctanttousethelitterbox.Kittensandcatswantwhatisfamiliar.Youwillwanttofindouthowregularlythekittenusesalitterbox.Assumingthatthekittenisusingalitterboxregularly,andthereforeisaccustomed to thesmellofa familiar litterbox,aswellasaparticular typeof

litter,askthebreederorshelterifyoucanhavetheoldlitterboxinexchangefora newbox.And, ask if you can take home some of the soiled litter to use asstarterlitter, thencontinuetousethesametypeoflitter.Ifyouwanttochangelitter type,dosograduallybymixing theold typewith thenew type.Keep inmind that as nice as a familiar smelling litter box can be, an odor that is toostrong can be repulsive. Regular daily cleaning, including removing solids assoonasconvenient,isrecommended.ProblemswithlitterboxhygienearedealtwithinChapter4.

Anotherconsiderationisscratchingbehavior.Findoutifthekittenisstartingtouseascratchingpost(orboard)and,ifso,keepinmindthateachscratchingpost has a certain odor or smell on it deposited by the glands in the feet thatscratchit.Thisodoriswhatattractsacatbacktothatscratchingplaceoverandoveragain.Thereisnotonlyavisualmarkcreatedbyscratching,butachemicalmark—afelineIDnumber,asitwere.Therefore,whetheradoptingakittenfromabreederorashelter,ask tobuy thescratchingpost that thekittenwasusing.Thiswillbeanimportanthouseholdfurnishingthatwillhelpyourkittentofeelat home, and your kitten will probably go to the familiar scratching post asopposed to thearmofyournewlyupholsteredchair toworkover thoseclaws.Eveninthehome,catsrepeatedlygobacktothesamescratchingplacebecauseit helps to freshen up that important chemical scent mark that lets any catswandering through know that this place is occupied—never mind that this isunnecessary. Problems that occur with scratching behavior are dealt with inChapter4.

There isvaluein thinkingaboutwaystowelcomeyournewkittenoradultcatintoyourhome,aswellasinchoosingacatthatisagoodfitforyourhomeenvironment.Catshaveakeensenseofsmell,andbyprovidingfamiliarsmellsin the all-important litter box and scratching post, you are helping your newkittenorcattofeelmoreateaseinitsnewhomeandalsolesseningthechancesthat itwill engage inhouse soilingand inappropriate scratching. Itwillnotbelongbeforeyournewcat’s favorite sleepingareascontain familiarodors.Andcatsoftendeposittheirscentbyrubbingtheircornercheekglandondoorways,stairs,andwalls,furthermarkingtheirterritoryandhelpingthemtofeelathome.

Chapter3

Behavioraldifferencesbetweenmaleandfemalecats

Manypeoplewhoareconsideringadoptingacatmaynotrealizetheimportanceof considering whether to get a male or a female. Yet, as we discuss in thischapter,therearemajordifferencesinbehavior,andthedifferencesapplybothtopurebredcatsandtocatsyoumayobtainfromashelter.

Most people adopting a kitten are aware that males are more likely thanfemalestourinemarkinthehouse,andthat,ifneutered,thelikelihoodofurinemarkingisgreatlyreduced.However,keepinmindthatevenneuteredmalesaremuchmorelikelytourinemarkthanfemales.Urinemarkingisseeninabout10percent of males, whether they are neutered as early as 8 weeks of age orneuteredasadults,evenaftertheyhavetakenupthehabit.

But the issue of selecting amale or female kitten goes far beyond that ofurine marking. In this chapter we provide more details on the essentialdifferences between males and females. As throughout this book, males areconsideredneuteredandfemalesspayed.

Inourtelephoneinterviews,thefelineauthoritieswereaskedtorankspayedfemalesversusneuteredmalesonthesametwelvecharacteristicsastheyrankedthe breeds. The question about gender differences was presented before thebreeds were ranked, and the gender comparisons were independent of breeddesignation.Thegraphonpage17coversthetwelvebehavioralcharacteristics,which are describedmore thoroughly in Chapter 6. The characteristics are asfollows:

Affectiontowardfamily FriendlinesstowardvisitorsAggressiontowardfamily Fearfulnessofstrangers

Aggressiontowardothercats LitterboxuseActivitylevel UrinemarkinginthehomeVocalization FurniturescratchingPlayfulness Predationonsongbirds

In the graph, the vertical axis represents the point at which there is nodifferencebetweenneuteredmalesandspayed females.Whenahorizontalbarextendsinthemalesextypicaldirection,thismeansthatmalesaremorelikelyto express this behavior than females, and the longer the bar, the greater thedifferencebetweenmalesandfemales.Whenthebarisinthefemalesextypicaldirection, thismeans that femalesaremore likely toexpress thebehavior, andthelongerthebar,thegreaterthedifference.

Particularly relevant are the differences in friendliness toward visitors,affection toward family, and fearfulness of strangers, aggression, and urinemarkingbehavior.Malesoutrankfemalesinbeingmoresocial,affectionate,andplayful,andofcoursemorelikelytourinemark.Femalesoutrankmalesinbeingmoreaggressivetowardbothcatsandpeopleandmorefearful,andtheyhaveanedgeinlitterboxuse.Theaggressiontowardfamilymembersmaybevariable,and the catwill likely be aggressive at times but not at other times. Inmanyinstances,especiallywithyoungchildrenaround,acatbreedandgenderwithaverylowtendencyforaggressionisthebestselection.

Graphshowingbehavioraldifferencesbetweenneuteredmaleandspayedfemales.Theverticalaxisrepresentsnosexdifference.Whenthebarextendsinthemalesextypicaldirection,malesaremorelikelytoexpressthisbehavior;whenthebarextendsinthefemalesextypicaldirection,femalesaremorelikelytoexpressthisbehavior.Thelongerthebarineitherdirection,thegreaterthedifferencebetweenthesexes.

Probably whatmost cat caregivers noticemore than anything else is howaffectionatetheircatis.Whetheryouwantyourcattobebestfriendswithyourchild,oryouwantittocurlupinyourlap,assuringaffectionfromyourcatcanmeanalot.Thatsaid,affectionisnottopsoneveryone’sprioritylist.

Sociability is important when there are frequent adult visitors, or childrencomingovertoplay.Afamilycatthatisfriendlytowardvisitors—evenstrangers—isusuallyviewedfavorably.

Lack of fearfulness of strangers goes along with being socially outgoing.Whenfriendscometovisityou,yourcatcanbeoutgoingandsocialwiththem,

be indifferent, or be fearful and hide. For the most part, we like our cats towelcomeourvisitors,butifthatistoomuchtoask,atleasttonotbefearfulandhide.

Clearly thechoiceofgendercanbeabitcomplex. Introducinga relativelynonaggressiveandoutgoingmalecattoamulti-cathomehasitsappeal,butthiscouldbeaskingfor troublebecauseinter-cat interactionsare themaincauseofurinemarking,which is themost common feline problem behavior forwhichveterinarians and other animal behavior authorities are consulted. Introducingthemore affectionate, nonaggressive, outgoing, and playfulmale into a homewhereheistheonlycatislesslikelytoleadtourinemarking.Still,therearenoguarantees. If urine marking does occur, keep in mind that psychotropicmedications are available. (See the annotated bibliography for additionalreading.)

Chapter4

Raisingkittenstoemphasizegoodbehavioranddiscourageproblembehaviors

Whenraisingakittenwearelogicallyconcernedwithitswell-beingandmakingsure itsphysiologicalneedsaremet.Butkeep inmind that timespentshapingyourkitten’sbehaviorisalsoagoodinvestmentineffort.Studiesshowthatearlylearningexperienceshavemorestayingpowerthanlaterlearningexperiences.Inthischapterwediscusstheimportantissuesoflitterboxuse;outdooreliminationtraining, for thosecatswithaccess to theoutdoors; avoiding triggers forurinemarkinginthehome;directingscratchingbehaviortoanappropriateobject;andencouraging friendly behavior toward children, and even dogs, by takingadvantageoftheearlyexperienceeffect.

When it comes tobehavior, thereare twocomplementaryapproaches.Oneapproachistoselectabreedorgenderthatisrankedfavorablyonthebehavior—not necessarily at the top or bottom, but at least midway in the desireddirection. The other approach, discussed in this chapter, is to stage theenvironment inyourhomeandmonitoryourownbehavior toemphasizegoodbehaviorsanddiscourageproblembehaviorsinyourcat.

LitterboxuseOne behavior that endears cats to us is the ease with which they can behousetrained. Just provide a litter box and commercial litter and the cat istrained.Keepinmind,however,thathousesoilingisnotuncommonincatsand,infact,isoftenareasonthatcatcaregiversseekprofessionalhelp.Takingalookatwhatgoesoninnatureisuseful.

Out in the wild, virtually all felids carry at least a light load of intestinalparasiticworms.Thesewormsreproducebydepositingeggsinthestools.Whenthestoolsareafewdaysold,theeggshatchintowormlarvaethatareinfectiveto cats. These squigglyworm larvae latch ontowhat is passing by, and if thelarvaeareluckythepasserbyisacat.Thelarvaeattachtothecat’shairandarethengroomedoffandswallowed,andthecatistheninfected,orre-infected.

Catslivingoutdoorsalotofthedaytendtohavespecifictoiletareas,whichhave a bit of the smell of feces and urine that indicates a place to eliminate.These areas are away from sleeping and resting places.By going to the toiletarea,diggingahole,covering thestoolorurine,and thengettingoutof there,infestation with worm larvae is minimized. From the cat’s point of view, theneighbor’ssandboxisanidealtoiletarea.

Anestablishedtoiletareahasatelltalestoolandurineodor.Notanodorthatwe can easily detect, but one that cats, with an olfactory sense thousands oftimesbetterthanours,can.Theindoorlitterbox,evenwhenkeptcleanbyourstandards,smellsclearlylikeatoiletareatothecat,andthecatisattractedbackto that area for future business. If the toilet area is used toomuch, and fecaldroppings are getting too concentrated, not only is the odor going to be verystrong,but, innature, infectiveparasitic larvaecanbecometoonumerous.Theoverusedtoiletareaindicatestothecata“parasiteminefield.”Extrapolatethistothelitterboxthatiscleanedtooinfrequently:Thecatdoesnotwanttousethattoiletarea;bettertousethelivingroomcarpetinthecorner.Nevermindthatthecat does not have intestinal parasites (which cats generally cannot feel)—thecat’sinstinct,fromancestorsthatalmostalwayshadsomeparasites,istoactasthoughitandothercatshaveparasites.Catsareinstinctuallyguidedbytheodorprinciple; an appropriate toilet area should have a small bit of fecal and urineodor,butnotastrongodor.

Additional litter box principles to keep in mind are that once a cat isaccustomed to a certain type of litter or litter box, it is best to keep thisconsistent. In Chapter 2, on choosing and bringing home your new cat, wementionedtheadvantageofbringinghomethecat’s litterboxandsomeof thesoiledlitterasa“starter”forthelitterboxinthenewhome.Ifyoucannotgetthelitterbox,atleastbringbacksomemildlysoiledlitter.(Ifsomeonesaysyouarecrazy,explainabit—youmayhelp thenextpersonselectingacat.) Ifakittenjust shows up at your door, it is useful to know that most cats have a litterpreference,withthefineclumpingclaylitterfavoredmostfrequently.

If anewlyacquiredkitten isnotusinga litterbox regularly,youcanoffertwoorthreetypesoflitter,indifferentboxes,toseeifoneispreferred.Also,ifyouhaveamulti-cathome,donotexpectallcatstousethesamelitterbox.Just

assumethatthenewcatwillpreferitsownlitterandlitterbox.Giventheprinciplesoftoileting,attentiontolitterboxhygieneisimportant

inreducingthelikelihoodofinappropriateelimination.Thelitterboxshouldbecleaned of allwastematerial at least on a daily basis; twice a day is the bestpractice.Ifthelitterboxitselfbecomesvisiblysoiledwithfecesitisnecessarytowash thebox.Anddonotmake themistake thatsomecatcaregiversdobyplacingthelitterbox,fooddish,andwaterbowlalltogether.Havingtoeatanddrinkrightnexttowhereonepoopsandpeesisnomorefittingforacatthanaforperson.

Ifyouareselectingapurebredcatitwillbeusefultoknowthatsomebreedsseemtoexcel ineaseof litterboxuseandsomeareknownforbeingdifficult.Known for beingmost difficult is thePersian, and known for being relativelygood at litter box use are the Tonkinese, Burmese, and Russian Blue. Ourauthorities ranked the domestic shorthair (DSH) as the easiest in litter boxtraining.CheckouttherestofthebreedswithregardtothisbehaviorinChapter6.

Finally,whenyouhave todealwithan“accident”or two,whereacathaschosenanalternativetoiletareainthehome,reevaluatethelitterboxprinciplesandmakeusingthelitterboxmoreappealing.Then,becauseresidualurineandfecalodorsindicateatoiletarea,itisimportanttoimmediatelycleanthesoiledareaandmakeitunavailabletoyourcat(forexample,bycoveringtheareawithplastic sheeting).Do not expect that just thoroughly cleaningwill do the job;whatlooksandsmellscleantouscanstillhaveatoilet-areaodortothecat.

Outdoorlitterarea

Catsthatareexpectedtoeliminateoutdoorspresentasomewhatdifferentsetofconcerns.Theycanbeencouragedtouseoneortwospecifictoiletareasoutsidebydiggingashallowholeatleastthesizeofalargelitterboxandaddinganinchortwoofsand.Tofurtherindicatethatthisisatoiletarea,youcouldaddsomefecal-orurine-tainted litter tobegin theorientation.Once it is being used, thisareacanthenbecleanedandscoopedoutinthesamemannerasalitterbox.

UrinemarkingInexpectingcatstousethelitterboxweareaskingthemtodointhehomewhattheynormallydoinnature.Inexpectingcatstonoturinemarksomefurnitureorwallofthehouse,weareaskingthemtonotdointhehomewhattheynormallydo in nature. In nature, urine spraying by cats is a type of territorialmarking,

mostly performed by tomcats.Urine for cats represents a fingerprint, and catscan identify the smell of individual cats by their urine. By urine markingprominentobjects in its territory,acat familiarizes itselfwith itsown territoryand home range. The pervasive urine odor probably makes a cat more self-assured and comfortable, and it also communicates the cat’s presence to othercatsinthesurroundingarea.Catsdonotmarktheboundariesoftheirterritoryasonewould put up a fence, but rather theymark prominent objects within theterritory. Urine marking by females is also undoubtedly useful during thebreedingseasonforattractingmaleswanderingthroughtheirterritory.

Weuse the termsurinemarkingandurinespraying interchangeably.Whilethesprayingofaverticalsurface,suchasawall,isbyfarthemostcommontypeofurinemarking,sometimescatsuseasquattingposturetodepositabitofurineonhorizontalitems,suchasthecaregiver’sclothesorbedlinens.Clearlythough,thecatisnotfindinganalternativetothelitterbox,whichisstillusedformosturinations. One can even see urine marking on a horizontal object and urinespaying on a vertical object by the same cat. In urine marking as typicallyexpressedinurinespraying,thecatapproachesaverticaltarget,brieflysmellsitandthenturns,liftingthetail,andspraysabitofurineontheverticaltarget;theurinarybladderisusuallynotemptied.

Urinemarking,whichisdifferentthanhorizontalinappropriateurinationoutsidethelitterbox,canbedecreasedbyavoidingaltercationsbetweencats.

Because urinemarking is primarily amale behavior, wemostly avoid theproblem by just selecting a female or by neutering a male. Males may beneuteredbeforepubertyorasadults,evenaftertheytakeupmarking.Ifdoneonadult cats that have begun marking, neutering is effective in eliminating theprobleminabout90percentofcats.Theextentofexperienceanadultmalehasinengaging inurinemarkingappears toplaynorole inwhetherornot thecatwillbeoneofthepersisting10percent.Formalesneuteredbeforepuberty,onecanexpectabout10percent to takeupurinemarkingin thehouseasanadult.Whilefemalesarenotfoundurinemarkingnearlyasmuchasmales,afewdotakeitup.

Hereisanotherareawherebreedidentitymakesadifference.TheDSHranksattheverytopinurinemarkingthehouse.TheBengal,inkeepingwithitswildminiature tiger persona, is second, followedby theDLHandSiamese.With areputationforbeingleast likelytourinemarkare thehairlessSphynx,CornishRex,Ragdoll,andBurmese.CheckChapter6forarankingofallbreeds.

In raising a kitten, keep in mind that the onset of spraying is most oftenrelatedtounfriendlyoraggressiveinteractionswithothercats.Acommoncauseistheintroductionofanewcatintothehousehold.Sometimescatscanbeseenstaring at another cat through a window and getting upset. This could be aprelude to marking the house, and in some cases blocking visual access tooutsidecatsisadvisable.

Inthehomeyoushouldnotletaggressiveinteractionsbetweencatscontinue,especiallyifoneofthecatsisamale.Makearrangementssothatthecatshavetheir own living area with food, water, and a litter box. Don’t wait for urinespraying to start up. Some caregivers have creatively created separate spaceswiththeuseofascreendoor.Thecatscanstillseeandsmelleachother,butnotfight.Ifallgoeswell,thecatsgraduallycanbeallowedphysicalcontact.

InappropriatescratchingAssomecatcaregivershavelearned,amildmanneredcatcanmakequickworkof a nice couch or easy chair. However, this behavior can be directed to anacceptable site, usually a scratching post.Aswith litter box training, taking alookatwhatgoesoninnatureisuseful.

Manyoutdoorcatshaveafavoritescratchingtreethatisprominent,andthecat repeatedlyworksover the trunkof this treewith its claws.Becauseof thescratchedappearance,thetreeisaterritorialmarker,readilyvisibletoothercatsthat might venture through. In the process of scratching trees, a cat rubssecretions fromglands in the front feetonto the tree trunk.Thus thescratchedtrunkgainsanolfactorysignaturethatcanberecognizedbyothercatsandthatletsvisitorsknowtheterritoryisoccupied.Aterritorialmarkermustberenewedif it is going to continue to communicate that the territory is occupied, so thefelineterritoryownerisattractedbacktothesametreetorestoreboththevisualandchemicalmarks.

Scratchinganobject,especiallyatreetrunk,isawayforcatstomarktheirterritory.Thisleavesavisualscratchmarkandanolfactorysignature,butthesemustbefrequentlyrenewedtoremaingoodmarkers.

Scratching,whetheronatree,scratchingpost,orcornerofachair,alsohasthe functionofconditioning theclaws.Theclawsarenotsharpenedasaknifebladewouldbesharpened,butfrayed,wornouterclawsareperiodicallypulledoffbyscratching,thusexposingnew,sharpclawsbeneath.Theseremovedwornclaws can be seen at the base of a scratching post. Cats can also remove thefrayedouterclawswiththeirteeth;thisishowtheyhandletheclawsofthebackfeet.Scratchingisanatural,normalbehaviorandsomethingforwhichweneedtofindanacceptableoutlet.

Inthehomemostcatsmusthavesomesortofscratching“tree”asaterritorialmarker.Thegoalistogetthemstartedonatreesubstitute,ascratchingpost,fromthebeginning.

Eveninsidethehome,catshaveastrong,innatetendencytoestablishatleastone scratching-related territorial mark. If we are not careful, this will be thecornerofachairorcouchthatsticksoutintoaroomand,tothecat,wouldbevisibletostrangecatswalkingthrough,whichiswhatamarkerisfor.Assoonasacatstartsscratchingaparticularobject, ithaskindofcommitteditself,andittendstopersistinscratchingthatobject,comingbacktoitagainandagain.

Whenbringinganewkittenhome,bethinkingaboutthescratchingbehaviorasmuchas thelitterbox.Youshouldnotwaituntil thecat isfullygrown,andcapableofseriousdamage,beforetrainingittoscratchonaparticularobject.InChapter2onbringinghomeyournewcat,werecommendedalsobringinghomethescratchingpost thekitten isusing.Thispostwillbeanaturalone foryourkitten to staywith in its newhome.Place the post prominently in an area thekittenfrequents,at least initially.Oncethekittenisusingthescratchingpost itcanbegraduallymovedtoalessconspicuouslocation.

When looking for a new scratching post, select one with a covering thatallows for some nice long scratching. For a kitten it is useful to position thescratching post horizontally to make it easy for the kitten to develop anattachment to it. It alsomakes sense todemonstrate scratchingby rubbing thekitten’sfrontfeetonthepost.Thekittenwillnotgetyourpointaboutscratching,butbyrubbingthekitten’sfeetonthepostyouaredepositingsomeodorsfromtheglandsinthefeet,andthisshoulddrawthekittentothepost.

Ifsomescratchingoccursonapieceoffurniture,thescratchedareashouldbecoveredimmediatelywithasheetofplastictopreventfurtherscratchingandshouldbekeptcovereduntil thecat isregularlyusingthescratchingpost.Youcould place the post in front of the scratched furniture, or, if possible,temporarilymovethefurnituretoanotherlocation.

Because cats tend to scratch just after awakening, they often develop apropensityforscratchingobjectsneartheirsleepingareas.Therefore,itmaybehelpfultoplacescratchingpostsinthoseareas.

A good size for a scratching board is 6 to 8 inches in width by 12 to 16inchesinlength.Theheightshouldbeadjustedasthecatgrows.Thebestheightonce the cat is grown is about 12 inches off the floor so that the cat maycomfortably rest on its back feet while scratching. Gaining in popularity arescratchingboardsmadeof corrugatedcardboard.Thecardboard scratchermaybeplacedon thefloororattached toaverticalsurface.Whenitcomes timetoreplaceacardboardscratcheritwouldbewisetobesprinklepiecesofcardboardwiththecat’sfootodorfromtheoldscratcherontothenewone.Thematerialona scratching post should be something a cat likes.Most commercial posts arecoveredwithcarpet,whichactuallyistoodurable.Asacoveringbecomeswornoutandstringy,thecatlikesitbetter.Poststhataremadeofsoftwood,suchaspine,cedar,orredwood,aregoodchoices,especiallyifroughenedupwithawirebrush.

Youmightbesurprisedtolearnthattherearedifferencesbetweenthebreedswith regard to scratching up the furniture. The most likely to be problemscratchers are theBengal, followed by theAbyssinian andSiamese. The leastlikelyarethePersian,thehairlessSphynx,andtheCornishRex.

AggressivebehaviorEpisodes of aggressive behavior in cats generally are considered lessproblematic than litter box issues, urine marking in the home, or tearing upfurniture.Wemostlyseemtoknowifacatcanbetestyorlikelytoscratchusifpicked up. The other problemsmentioned cannot be handled by just ignoring

them.Perhapsthebiggestissuewithacatthattendstowardaggressionisthatweoften want to have an affection-loving cat—maybe like our last cat—but thecat’s aggressive nature does not allow this. If having an affectionate cat isimportanttoyou,givesomethoughttogettingamale,aswellasabreedknownfor being nonaggressive, such as the Ragdoll, Burmese, or Maine Coon, asopposed to theBengalorAbyssinian.Themost aggressive cats tend tobe theleastaffectionate.

Oneareainwhichearlyexperiencemakesabigdifferenceis inpreventingaggressiontowardchildren.Youngchildrenespeciallycanbeperceivedbycatsas quite different from adults, and a cat may struggle or behave aggressivelywhen a child tries to hold it, whereas with adults the same cat could beabsolutelynonaggressive.Here iswhere front-loading thekittenwithexposureand handling by children from the first day can pay off. If your family isexpecting a child but none is present, borrow a relative’s child frequently forkittenhandlingsessionsandgivethechildareward,suchasM&Ms,forbeingreallygentle;wesuggestoneM&Mperminuteofgentlehandling.

•••

Many problems can be avoided by investing time in shaping your kitten’sbehavior.Another approach is to select abreedorgender that is lessprone toengage in these behaviors. InChapter3we discussed gender differenceswithregardtosomeofthesebehavioralconcerns,andbreeddifferencesarerevealedinChapter6andrepresentedintheprofilesinChapter7forallof theproblembehaviors discussed in this chapter. In addition, several books listed in theannotated bibliography offer very useful advice, and keep in mind thatbehavioralspecialistscanbeconsultedforseriousproblems.

Chapter5

Historicalbackgroundofcats

Beforewe delve into breed-specific behavioral characteristics in the next twochapters,itisusefultoreviewtheintriguinghistoricalbackgroundofcatbreedsandbreed types.Particularly interesting is thatsomecommonbreedsdatewaybackinhistorytoancientPersiaandSiam,whileothersstemfromtheeffortsofbreedersinthe1950sand1960s.

But firstwe look justat thedomesticationof thecat,whichbeganroughly10,000 to 11,000 years ago,when humans stopped hunting and gathering andadoptedamoreagriculturallifestyle.Assettledhumanslearnedtogrowgrains,andgrainsbecameadietarystaple,thesmallwildcatshangingaroundthefarmswerebeneficialforthecontrolofrodents,whosavoredthesamedietarystapleashumans. From about this time on, cats tied their evolutionary fate to humansettlements and, you might say, vice versa. Many of these cats eventuallybecamehouseholdpets,andtheprocessofdomesticationbegan.

Recentgenetic research reveals thatdomesticcats,asweknowthem,stemfromasingledomesticationeventintheNearEast.Theearlydomesticatedcats,beingattachedtotheirhumans,spreadtovirtuallyallpartsofAsiaandEuropealong trade routes between ancient civilizations. Eventually, geneticallydistinguishablegroupsofcattypesaroseinAsia,EastAfrica,theMediterraneanBasin,andWesternEurope.ThecatsthatwereintroducedtoNorthAmericaaspart of the settlers’ possessions were those closely linked to the WesternEuropeancats.

An interesting aspect of cat domestication is that as global migrationcontinued, many developing breeds remained quite similar to their felidancestors in form and function. Compared with the dog and other commondomesticated animals, themodern cat is not as fully domesticated, or altered,genetically.Catsofmanybreedsthatbecomeferal,livingontheirown,areself-sufficient with hunting skills, and in many villages around the world catscontinuewiththeworkofcontrollingrodentpests.

Whenwereadabouttheearlydevelopmentofdogbreeds,wediscoverthatthe overwhelming emphasis has been on breeding working companions.

Through selective breeding for “hardwired” working behavioral roles, dogbreeds have become specialized in body form and behavior for such tasks asherding sheep, pointing to and retrieving game birds, chasing foxes, andprotectingthepropertyfromintruders.Forearlydomesticcats,theworkingroleofhuntingdownrodentpestscamenaturally,andthiswastheonlyjobthatwasever expected.Over time, of course, people got rid of open grain storage androdentpestsprettymuchbecameathingofthepast.Thevaluedworkingroleofcatchingrodentpestsshowsupnowinthecatbringinghometheratandleavingitonthedoorstep.

At the timethat felinepestcontrolonfarmsbecameless important,peoplebegantorealizethatbyselectivebreedingtheycouldchangebodystyleandsize,haircoat,andmanyaspectsofbehavior.Muchselectivebreedinghasbeenforasenseofgraceandbeauty,atleastintheeyesofthehumanbeholder.

Variousbodystyleshavebecomeassociatedwithcatsincertainpartsoftheworld. Subsets of cats that had similar body styles, and that had undergoneintensive selection for maintaining those signature body styles, became theancestral purebred or pedigree cats. The ancestral purebredsmade up the firstgroupof breeds recognizedby the cat fancy associations.Thedevelopmentofnew body styles has been rather rapid recently because the selection hasoccurredwithjustasinglegene,ratherthanwithmultiplegenes,whichisamorecomplexprocess.

The oldest identifiable cat breed is the Persian, with the stocky body andlong hair giving the breed its graceful look. Apparently the early breedersthoughtastub-nosed(brachycephalic)headtypewasattractiveandconcentratedon the signature look.Obviously here is a family cat that couldn’t helpmuchwith the rodent pest control if it wanted. As the name implies, the PersianoriginatedinancientPersia(nowIran).

Inanotherpartoftheancientworld,Siam(nowThailand),breederswentintheoppositedirectionofthePersianbreedersandselectedforalong,sleek,lithecat with large pointed ears, almond-shaped blue eyes, and a wedged-shaped(doliocephalic) head. Both the Siamese and Persian are very old identifiablebreeds,and theyexemplify therangeofbody types thatgowayback in felinehistory.

ThebodystylecharacteristicsofthePersianandSiamesebreedsarepairedup with major differences in behavior. Persians are the lowest ranking of allbreeds we looked at in activity level, playfulness, vocalization, furniturescratching, and predatory behavior. In contrast, the Siamese is the highestrankingofallbreeds invocalizationandamong thehighest ranking inactivitylevel,playfulness,andfurniturescratching.TheSiameseisalsoaboveaveragein

goingaftersongbirdsandcertainlyretainsitsrodentpestcontrolpredisposition.Ifneedbe,theSiamesecouldstillbecountedupontoprotectthegrainstorage.

As imaginations grew in cat breeding circles, selective breeding for bodystyleproducedlargecatsthatthrivedincoldwinters,suchasthetaillessManx,theNorwegianForestCat,andtheMaineCoon,thelatterbeingthelargestofallcats,andlargerthansomedogs.Otherbreedersweredeterminedtogetahairlesscat,resultingintheSphynx.

Breed development continues today, with some breeds quickly becomingverypopular.One is theRagdoll,outofSouthernCalifornia in the1960s,andknownforitsaffectionatenatureandverylowlevelofaggressiontowardothercatsorpeople—acatyoucanpushacrossthefloorwithaslipper,likearagdoll.Themodern contrast to theRagdoll, and also fromSouthernCalifornia in the1960s,istheveryactive,beautifullystyledBengal,theoppositeoftheRagdollinbehavior,withaggressivetendenciestowardothercatsandpeople,withlittleinterest in affection, and mostly wanting to make an urban forest out of thefurnitureinyourhome.AlthoughthisbreedgotitswildcatboostfromtheAsianLeopardCat,thefoundersofthebreedseemedtothinkreferencetotheBengaltigerwasmoreromantic.

The intent of this chapter is to briefly discuss the interesting historicalbackgroundofmodern-daycats—fromancient,slow-movingPersiaandSiamtomuch less ancient, andmuch less patient, SouthernCalifornia.Over time, catfanciershaveproventobeaboutasdiverseinenvisioningtheiridealcatasdogfanciers have in envisioning their ideal dog. In Chapter 7, where we discussindividualbreeds,youwillseethateachhasaparticulardevelopmentalstory.

Chapter6

Understandingbehavioralcharacteristicsofcats

Whenpeopleselectadog,thequestionsaskedaboutbehaviorinvariablyreflectwhatisknown,orassumed,aboutbreeddifferences,eveniftheintentistogetadog from a shelter. We know that behavioral differences among dog breedsusually reflect someutilitarian role in the breed’s background such as herdingsheep,retrievinggameforhunters,andchasingratsoutofburrows.

Whenitcomestocats,mostpeoplearenotasfocusedonbehavior,perhapsbecause theyarenot awareof the realbehavioraldifferences that exist amongthevariousbreedsofcats.WeknowthataCollieisnotnearlyasactiveasaJackRussellTerrier,and thataGoldenRetriever ismoreaffectionate thanaHusky,butwemaynotknowtheextenttowhichanAbyssinianismoreaggressivethanaBurmese,orthedegreetowhichtheManxislessaffectionatethantheRagdoll.Interestingly,thebehavioraldifferencesamongcatbreedsseemtobetheresultofanintentionalfocusonbreedingforcertaincompanionablebehaviors,aswellaslooksandbodystyle.

In this chapterwe focuson twelvebehavioral characteristicsof cats to seehow fifteen of the most commonly recognized breeds, as well as the genericdomestic shorthair (DSH) and domestic longhair (DLH), differ. The graph foreachbehaviortraitranksthebreedsandshowsthedegreetowhichbreedsdifferin that behavior. The underlying assumption is that behavior differences, likebodystyle,arelargelygeneticallybased.

Wecanimaginetheday,whenmoreadvanceshavebeenmadeinbehavioralgenetics,thatwecoulddoaDNAanalysisofakittenofunknownparentageandgetapreviewofthebehaviorsthatwouldlikelyemergeasthekittenbecomesanadult.Thisbringsus to thepointofdiscussinghowthedataon thebehavioraltraits were obtained. Vague descriptions such as “good natured,” “self-confident,”“versatile,”“cute,”“dignified,”and“wonderfulcompanion”arenotveryusefulwhenyouwantspecificinformation,suchaswhetherabreedhasatendencytobeaffectionate,goodatlitterboxuse,noteasilyprovokedtourinemarking,ornotlikelytobeaggressivetowardpeople.

Reflectingthestatisticalanalysesthatwereusedtoanalyzeourrawdata,as

explainedbelow,thebehavioralcharacteristicsvaryinpredictivevalue.Thatis,a trait with a high predictive value (represented by the statistical notation “Fvalue”)isbetteratdistinguishingbetweenbreedsthanatraitwithamuchlowerpredictive value. The following twelve traits are listed in decreasing order ofpredictivevalue.

TraitswiththehighestpredictivevalueVocalization (Fvalue=22.0)Activitylevel (Fvalue=18.6)Predationonsongbirds (Fvalue=18.2)

TraitswithmoderatepredictivevalueAggressiontowardfamilymembers (Fvalue=8.8)Affectiontowardfamilymembers (Fvalue=8.6)Playfulness (Fvalue=7.8)Aggressiontowardothercats (Fvalue=7.4)Litterboxuse (Fvalue=6.9)Furniturescratching (Fvalue=6.3)Urinemarkinginthehome (Fvalue=5.7)

TraitswiththelowestpredictivevalueFriendlinesstowardvisitors (Fvalue=4.3)Fearfulnessofstrangers (Fvalue=3.4)

HowtherankingswereobtainedInthebehavioraltraitscoveredhere,breedsarerankedonascaleofonetoten,withonedesignatingthelowestrankandtenthehighestrank.Whetherarankofoneortenismoredesirabledependsonthebehaviorandthepreferencesofthepersonusingtherankings.Forexample,almosteveryonewouldwantakittentoranktopsinlitterboxuseandlowinurinemarkingtendency.Butwhenitcomesto activity level, some people prefer an inactive cat that mostly lies around,whileotherswantanactivecatthatprovidesabitofentertainment.

In addition to breed differences, gender also plays a role in behavior. InChapter3wediscusseddifferencesbetweenneuteredmalesandspayedfemaleswithregardtothesesametwelvebehaviortraits,andyouwillwanttoconsider

thesedifferenceswhenmakingyourbreedselection.The graphs in this chapter represent the cumulative rankings of eighty

veterinarians specializing in feline practice—both male and female felinepractitioners,randomlychosentorepresenteastern,central,andwesternareasofthe United States—whom we consider to be unbiased authorities on breeddifferencesincats.Ifanyoneshouldhaveanoverallunderstandingofdifferencesbetweenthevariouscatbreedsandbetweenthesexes,itistheseauthorities.

Eachpractitionerwasinterviewedfortwentytothirtyminutes,duringwhichtimethepractitionerwasgivenabriefdescriptionofeachofthetwelvebehaviortraits. The practitioner was first asked to compare neutered male and spayedfemalecatswithout reference tobreed, and then to ranka listof sevenbreeds(fivepurebreds,chosenrandomlyfromthemasterlistoffifteenpurebreds,plustheDSHandDLH).Acomputerprogramthenassembledtheindividualrankingsfrom all authorities, for all breeds, and for all twelve behavior traits, andcalculatedanaveragescoreforeachbreed,plustheDSHandDLH.Thescoresobtainedarewhatstatisticiansrefertoastheleastsquaresmean.Thismeanwasthenadjustedtofallintherangeofonetoten,withonethelowestrankingandtenthehighestranking.

Thesegraphsdepictrelativeranks,notabsolutescores.Thus,forthetraitofaffection,ascoreoftendoesnotmeanperfectlyaffectionateandascoreofonedoesnotmeanacomplete lackof affection.A low-ranking scoreon litterboxusedoesnotmeananabsenceof litterboxhabits,nordoeshaving thehighestrankingonlitterboxuseindicateinfallibilityinthisregard.Thegraphsspecifythatthereisarangeinthetraitamongbreeds,asexperiencedbycaregiversandconveyedtotheirfelineveterinarians.Thus,selectingabreedthatrankshighinaffectionmakessenseifwhatyouwantisaveryaffectionatecatthatlovestobeheld.Butallbreedshavethepotentialtobeaffectionate,eveniftheyareinthelowest ranks. The graphs portray relative tendencies, not absolute differences.And,it isveryimportant tonotethat thereis individualvariabilitywithineachbreedwithregardtoeachcharacteristic.

HowtoevaluatetherankingsAsmentioned, therankingsof the twelve traitsareaveragesexpressedas leastsquaresmeansadjusted to rank thebreeds fromone to ten,with tenbeing thehighest ranking. In termsof statisticaldifferences, for anybehavioral trait, thethreehighest rankingbreedsareusuallydifferent than the three lowest rankingbreeds. Those in themiddlewill not differmuch fromone another, but couldwelldifferfromthehighestand/orlowestrankedbreeds.Thelengthsofthebars

in thegraphs tellyoua lot.Whenabar is considerably longeror shorter thanotherbars,itisaclearsignofastatisticallysignificantdifference.

Using the graphs in this chapter, together with the graphs in Chapter 7,allowsyoutosearchforyouridealcat.Ifyouaregoingtoeitherselectorruleout abreedbasedonaparticular trait, the trait shouldhaveahigh,or at leastmoderate,predictivevalue.Itfollowsthattheenvironmentwillhavemoreofaneffectonthetraitsthatdonotdistinguishthemselvesaswellamongbreeds.Asyouwill see inChapter7, somebehavioral traits go together.The affectionatebreedsareusuallytheleastaggressive,forinstance.

Finally, it is important tore-emphasizethat therearebehavioraldifferencesamong individual cats within a given breed. These differences are a result ofparticular blood lines, the behavior of the mother and father, and theenvironmentofthebreederinshapingtheearlyexperience.Thesettinginwhichyouplaceakitten—yourhome—willalsoaffectbehavior.

BreeddifferencesinthebehavioralcharacteristicsFor each behavioral characteristic a questionwas presented to the authorities.Theauthoritieswereaskedtocomparemaleswithfemalesandtothenrankthesevenbreedsassignedtothem.

VocalizationPredictivevalue:highest

Manycompanioncatsare soquietyoumayhardlyknow theyarearound.Butthen there are the cats that, according to caregivers, seem to be incessant“talkers.”

MostpeopleknowthattheSiamesearethemostoutspokenofcatbreeds.Asa reflection of this common knowledge, the trait of vocalization turned out tohave thehighestpredictivevalueofall traits.Thismeans that ifyouareusingthe information in this book to help you select a kitten to be the least, or themost,vocalasanadult,yourselectionshouldbeaccurate.

So,let’ssayyouwantavocalcat,butyoulikethelooksandotherbehaviortraitsofaTonkinese.Youcanbet thatcatsof thisbreedwillbeprettyvocal—they let you know they are around—but not as noisy as the Siamese. ThequietestbreedsarethePersian,MaineCoon,andRagdoll.

The following statement was presented to the ranking authorities: “Somecats,asadults,appeartobenaturallymoretalkativethanotherswithregardtofrequency and intensity of vocalizations. While some cat caregivers mayencourage or discourage this behavior, theremay be gender aswell as breeddifferences in this regard.” The authoritieswere asked to first comparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

VocalizationLowestranked:PersianHighestranked:Siamese

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytobevocal.

ActivitylevelPredictivevalue:high

Generalactivityreferstohowmuchacatmovesaboutwithoutbeingstimulated,aswellasitstendencytobeactivatedbyastimulus,suchassomeonedraggingalampcordacross the floor.This characteristic isoneonwhichprospectivecatadopters are going to differ with regard to what they find desirable. Someadopterswillpreferahigh levelofactivityand loveseeing thecat raceacrosstheyard,whileothersarejustashappywithaninactivecat.Mostfolkswillbehappywithamoderatedegreeofmovingabout.

TheBengal andAbyssinian standout as themost activebreeds.Thesearethecatsthatliketomakeathree-dimensionalforestoutofourbookshelvesandmantelswhennotracingacross thefloor.The leastactivebreed is thePersian,whichyoucanalmostguess justbylookingat itsbodytype.TheRagdollalsoscoreslowinactivitylevel,probablytakingtohangingaroundandbeingpettedrather than exploring the environment. The DSH and the DLH rank at themoderatelevel.

Becausethepredictivevalueofthistraitishigh,youwillbemoresuccessfulinpredictingakitten’sactivitylevelasanadultthanyouwouldbepredictingakitten’s level of fearfulness as an adult,which is a traitwith a low predictivevalue.Traitswiththehighestpredictivevaluearelessinfluencedbyenvironmentandtrainingthanthosewithalowerpredictivevalue.

The following statement was presented to the ranking authorities: “Somecats appear to be naturallymore active—theymove aboutmore, or aremorerestless than others—and theremay be gender aswell as breed differences inthis regard.” The authorities were asked to first comparemales with femaleswithout regard to breed and then to rank the seven breeds assigned to themwithoutregardtogender.

ActivitylevelLowestranked:Persian•Highestranked:Bengal

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytobeactive.

PredationonsongbirdsPredictivevalue:high

It can be heartbreaking for some of us to see a young fledgling taken, eventhough the cat is simply being a “normal cat.” Of course this problem isnonexistent if thecat isneverallowedoutside.But thismaynotbe feasible insomeinstances.

Thebreedshighest insongbirdpredationarethosethataremostactiveandwild in behavior, the Bengal and Abyssinian. The DSH and DLH also rankrather high. Those with the lowest tendency to prey on songbirds are therelatively inactive Persian and the Sphynx. The Ragdoll, followed by theCornishRex,rankrelativelylowinthistrait.Giventhehighpredictivevalueofthistrait,youshouldbereliableinselectingabreedofkittenfromthelowendifyoudonotwantthecattobeapredatoranditwillhaveaccesstotheoutdoors.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Forcatsthat have access to the outdoors, some, as adults, appear to have a strongertendencytopreyonsongbirdsthanothers,andtheremaybegenderaswellasbreed differences in this regard.” The authoritieswere asked to first comparemaleswith femaleswithout regard tobreed and then to rank the sevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

PredationonsongbirdsLowestranked:Persian•Highestranked:Domesticshorthair

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytopreyonsongbirds.

AggressiontowardfamilymembersPredictivevalue:moderate

Here is a behavior that can be directed toward just one or several familymembers;thebehaviormaybevariable,andthecatislikelytobeaggressiveatsometimesbutnotatothertimes.Wedonotnecessarilymeanoutrightbitingorscratching,butthreateningbymeansofpostureorgrowling.Theaggressionmayrangefromrathermildtoverynoticeable.

Especiallyifyouhaveyoungchildren,youmaywanttochooseabreedwithaverylowtendencyforaggression.Accordingtoourauthorities,theRagdollisclearlytheleastaggressive;justlookatthegraphandtherelativelengthofthebar.Also having a low tendency toward aggression are the Sphynx,Burmese,andMaineCoon.

Selecting a cat just for its awesomewild looks, such as theBengal or theAbyssinian,cangetyouamoreaggressivecat,whichisfineifyouknowwhatyouaregetting,butwhichcouldspelltroubleifyouarenotexpectingthis.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Whilewerecognizethattheremaybeexperiencesthatinfluenceaggression,somecats,asadults, appear tobenaturallymoreaggressive towardhuman familymembersthan others in terms of growling, scratching, and biting, and there may begenderandbreeddifferencesinthisregard.”Theauthoritieswereaskedtofirstcomparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

AggressiontowardfamilymembersLowestranked:Ragdoll•Highestranked:Bengal

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytoshowaggressiontowardfamilymembers.

AffectiontowardfamilymembersPredictivevalue:moderate

Probablywhatmostofusnoticemorethananythingelseishowaffectionateourcatis.Whetherwearereadingabook,curleduponthecouchwatchingthelatestfeatureofrealityTV,orsharingourbedwiththefelinefamilymember,assuringaffectionfromourcatcanmeanalot.Inanimalassistedtherapy,nonjudgmentalaffection represents the therapeuticmission of the cat. TheRagdoll, the breedhighestrankedonthistrait,iswellknownforbeingaffectionate.TheDSHandtheBurmesearethenextmostaffectionate.

Butaffectiondoesnottopeveryone’sprioritylist.Somecaregiversenjoyjustwatching a catwith striking looks, such as themuch less affectionateBengal,movingaboutthehome.Affectionwouldbenice,butcatscanbeappreciatedintheirownright.Onecouldsaythesameforthelow-rankingtaillessManx.Thesecats have a following perhaps based on their distinctive looks. An interestingquestionishowthehairlessSphynx,whichmightnotlooklikeitwouldbeveryaffectionate,anddefinitelyfeelsdifferent to thetouch,ranks.Accordingtoourauthorities,theSphynxranksinthemiddle.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Whilewerecognize that theremaybeexperiences that influenceaffection, somecats,asadults, appear to be naturally more affectionate toward family members thanothers,andtheremaybegenderaswellasbreeddifferencesinthisregard.”Theauthorities were asked to first compare males with females without regard tobreed and then to rank the seven breeds assigned to them without regard togender.

AffectiontowardfamilymembersLowestranked:BengalHighestranked:Ragdoll

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytoshowaffectiontowardfamilymembers.

PlayfulnessPredictivevalue:moderate

We all expect kittens to play a lot.But if catsweremore like us, theywouldoutgrowmuchoftheirplayfulness.Asitturnsout,inthedevelopmentofsomebreedswehaveemphasizedplayfulnessinthecatsasadults,whileinotherswehaveselectedforalessplayfulpredisposition.

Somepeopleloveplayfulnessintheiradultcatandencourageitbyprovidingtoysandjoiningintheplay.ClearlythemostplayfulistheAbyssinian,alsooneofthemostactivebreeds.NotfarbehindaretheDSHandtheBengal.Rankingvery lowinplayfulness is thePersian,which is the leastactivebreed.Alsoonthenon-playfulsideare theSphynxand theNorwegianForestCat,whichalsoranklowinactivity.

The following statement was presented to the ranking authorities: “Somecatsmayappeartobenaturallymoreplayful,asadults,thanothers,withhumanfamilymembersorwithother cats, and theremaybegenderaswell asbreeddifferences in this regard.” The authoritieswere asked to first comparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

PlayfulnessLowestranked:Persian•Highestranked:Abyssinian

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytobeplayful.

AggressiontowardothercatsPredictivevalue:moderate

Inamulti-cathousehold,acat thatgenerallygetsalongwellwithothercats isless trouble than one that is habitually threatening others. Aggression towardothercatsisnotinfrequentinmulti-cathomesandoftenjustreflectstheasocialpredispositionofthefelineancestorsthatlivedasolitarylifestyleinAfricaandhadatendencytofendoffstrangers.Indomesticcatswehaveselectedforsomebreedstobemoresociallyacceptingofothercatsinthehousehold.

IfyouhavealreadylookedatthebreedgraphsinChapter7,youwillnotbesurprisedtofindthat theRagdoll is theleastaggressivetowardothercats.TheCornishRex,Burmese,andSphynxalsorankat thelowend,butnotnearlyaslow as the Ragdoll. The rather wild Bengal ranks the highest in aggressiontowardothercats,andnotfarbehindaretheSiameseandAbyssinian.TheDSH,Oriental,andDLHalsorankatthehighend.

The following statement was presented to the ranking authorities: “Somecatsseemtobenaturallymoreaggressivetowardothercats,withatendencytoreadilygrowlorstartfights,whileothersmaybefriendliertowardothercatsinthe same house, and theremay be gender aswell as breed differences in thisregard.”Theauthoritieswereaskedtofirstcomparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregard to breed and then to rank the seven breeds assigned to them withoutregardtogender.

AggressiontowardothercatsLowestranked:Ragdoll•Highestranked:Bengal

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytoshowaggressiontowardothercats.

LitterboxusePredictivevalue:moderate

Becausecatstendtohavefastidioussanitarybehavior, theycanmakeanideal,low-maintenance,housematewithnowalksrequiredforelimination; justcleanthe soiled litter twice a day. Here is a behavior—digging a hole and buryingfecesandurine—thatworkswellnotonlyinnaturebutalsoinourhomes.But,beware, not all cats are the same in this regard.According to our authorities,who hear about litter box issues when they arise, there are real differencesamongbreeds.

The impressive thing about the litter box use graph is the rather tightgroupingofbreeds,withtheexceptionofthePersian,whichclearlyrankslow.Thisbreed,arguably theoldestandbredovercenturies for inactivity,seems tohavecarriedwithitsomeinactivitywithregardtolitterboxuse.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Whilewerecognizethattheremaybemanagementfactorsthataffectlitterboxuse,somecatsnaturallyseemtotaketousingalitterbox,andtomaintainingthissanitarybehavior,more than do other cats, and theremay be gender aswell as breeddifferences in this regard.” The authoritieswere asked to first comparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

LitterboxuseLowestranked:Persian•Highestranked:Domesticshorthair

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytousealitterboxconsistently.

FurniturescratchingPredictivevalue:moderate

Otherthanurinemarking,probablynobehaviormakesacatlesswelcomeinourhomes than tearingup thefurniturebyclawingorscratching.Tocats, theyarejustmarking their territory soother catswandering through can see and smellthatBenny theBengal liveshere.After all, this iswhatcatsdo innaturewithtrees in their territory.Oncecatsbegintoscratchanobject, theystaywith thatobject. In nature this means that the same tree is repeatedly scratched,maintainingthescratchedappearanceaswellasthescentfromthefootglands.Thesameholdswith the territorymarker that is in the livingroom.Andthat’swhythecornersofthecouchorchairsgettorntoshreds.

Thebreed that is tops infurniturescratching isalso themostactive,and ifyou will, wild-like—the Bengal. Not too far behind are the Siamese andAbyssinian. The least likely to engage in furniture scratching is the ratherinactivePersian,followedbythehairlessSphynxandtheCornishRex.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Evenwithaccesstoanappropriatescratchingobject,suchasascratchingpost,somecatsmayhavea stronger tendency thanothers to scratchhousehold furniture, andtheremaybegenderaswellasbreeddifferencesinthisregard.”Theauthoritieswereaskedtofirstcomparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

FurniturescratchingLowestranked:Persian•Highestranked:Bengal

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytoscratchfurniture.

UrinemarkinginthehomePredictivevalue:moderate

Here is a behavior that virtually all cat caregivers want to avoid. This is anatural, innate behavior for the ancestral cat, one of a number of forms ofterritorymarking.Asstatedinearlierchapters,severalfactorsinfluencewhetherornotacatwillurinemarkinthehome,butthemainfactorisgender.Malesaremuchmorelikelythanfemalestourinemark.Urinemarkingbehaviorinmalesis highly dependent on the sex hormone, testosterone. Cats are seasonallyreproductive, and testosterone levels in males vary by season. During the offseason, urine marking is not so prevalent. Most neutered males do not urinemark, but enough of themdo that this behavior is themost common problembehaviorforwhichmedicaltreatmentissought.

DSHcatsare rankedhighest inurinemarking,with theBengal,DLH,andSiamese not far behind. The least likely to urine mark is the Sphynx. (Wewonder if being hairless in some way is incompatible with urine spraying; itwouldcertainlylookembarrassing.)TheCornishRexandRagdollalsoranklowinurinemarking.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Whilewerecognizethatthereareenvironmentalfactorsthatmayleadtourinemarkinginthehome,somecatsaremorelikelythanotherstoengageinthisbehavior,andtheremaybegenderaswellasbreeddifferencesinthisregard.”Theauthoritieswereaskedtofirstcomparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

UrinemarkinginthehomeLowestranked:Sphynx•Highestranked:Domesticshorthair

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytourinemarkinthehome.

FriendlinesstowardvisitorsPredictivevalue:low

When people come over to visit and your cat just takes to them, showing itsaffectionbyrubbingagainstthemandaskingtobepetted,yourvisitorscanfeelmorewelcome. In fact, visitors can easily take this as validation that they aretrusted by animals and, therefore, seen as a good person.A family cat that issocialtowardvisitors,orevenstrangers,isusuallyfavored.

Consideringthelowpredictabilityof this traitwecanassume,at least, thatthehigh-rankingRagdollandMaineCoonkittenswillgrowuptobewelcomingof guests, as long as experiences with visitors are positive, and that the low-ranking Persian, Sphynx, and Exotic kittens, as adults, are least likely to besocial.ThePersian’stendencytobetheleastsocialfitswithitstendencytobefearfulofstrangersaswell.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Whilewerecognize that there are factors that may alter the degree to which a cat issocially outgoing, some cats appear to be naturallymore friendly than otherswithrelativestrangers,andtheremaybegenderaswellasbreeddifferencesinthis regard.” The authorities were asked to first comparemales with femaleswithout regard to breed and then to rank the seven breeds assigned to themwithoutregardtogender.

FriendlinesstowardvisitorsLowestranked:Persian•Highestranked:Ragdoll

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytobefriendlytovisitors.

FearfulnessofstrangersPredictivevalue:lowest

When friends come to visit you, your cat can be outgoing and social, orindifferent, or fearful and hide. For the most part, we like our cats to bewelcomingwithvisitors,but if that is toomuchtoask,at leastnot fearfulandhiding.

Clearly, themost fearful cat is the Persian; one could say, they just like acalmhome—novisitorstoupsettheroutine,thankyou.

The least fearful, by quite a margin, is the Ragdoll; you could say theyconsider visitors fun—the more to pet and hold you. The Maine Coon andTonkinesearealsoontheleastfearfulside.Allofthissaid,thistraithastheleastpredictivevalueofall.Inotherwords,selectingabreedonthebasisofnotbeingfearful,islessreliablethanselectingabreedonthebasisofothertraits.Keepinmindthatthemoreearlyexperienceakittenhasinbeingintroducedtovisitors,the less fearful theywill be as adults.Themain takeawaymessage is that thePersianisatoneendofthescaleandtheRagdollattheother.

Thefollowingstatementwaspresentedtotherankingauthorities:“Whilewerecognize that there are factors that may alter the degree to which a cat isfearful,somecats,asadults,appeartobenaturallymorefearful,standoffish,orwithdrawnthanotherswithregardtopeoplevisitingthehome,andtheremaybegenderaswellasbreeddifferencesinthisregard.”Theauthoritieswereaskedtofirstcomparemaleswithfemaleswithoutregardtobreedandthentorankthesevenbreedsassignedtothemwithoutregardtogender.

FearfulnessofstrangersLowestranked:Ragdoll•Highestranked:Persian

Rankingofthebreedsfromleasttomostlikelytobefearfulofstrangers.

•••

The twelvegraphs in thischapterprovidea fairlyaccurateoverallviewof thebehavioral differences amongbreeds.Theremaybe some surprises here, evenforthosewhohavealotofexperiencewithcats.Rememberthatthesegraphsdonot reflect the opinions of the authors but instead represent the statisticalconsensusofeightyfelineauthorities.Andanimportantpointtokeepinmindisthatsuperimposedonthebreeddifferencesareindividualdifferencesstemmingfromenvironmentalfactorsandgeneticvariabilitywithinabreed.

Combining the data on each behavioral trait for the different breeds is thefeatureofthenextchapter.

Chapter7

Behavioralprofilesofcatbreeds

Thecollectionofbehavioralprofilesthatfollowisacentralfeatureofthisbook.Itisessentialtokeepinmindwhattheseprofilesmeanandwhattheydoanddonot tell you. The graphs represent not the authors’ opinions but the results ofinterviewing eighty small-animal veterinarians specializing in felinemedicine.These authorities were divided between men and women from the eastern,central,andwesternpartsoftheUnitedStates.Eachwasaskedtorankalistofsevenbreedsoneachofthetwelvebehavioraltraits,discussedinChapter6.Ofthesesevenbreedstorank,fivewerebreedsofcatschosenatrandomfromthemaster listof fifteenpurebreds,plus thegenericdomesticshorthair (DSH)anddomesticlonghair(DLH).Sometimesthetermdomesticmediumhair(DMH)isusedbysome,butthisisuncommonandauthoritieswerenotaskedtoranktheDMHcat.

These authorities were not allowed to include cat breeds of their ownchoosing, so the evaluations should be relatively free of personal biases. Acomputerprogramwasdesignedtoprocesstheeightysetsofrankingstocreateaseries of rankings for all fifteen purebreds plus the DSH and DLH. Theserankingswerethenusedtogenerateabehavioralprofilegraphforeachbreedorbreedtype.

HowtousethebehavioralprofilesYouwill probably enjoy thumbing through theprofiles to look at someof thebreedswithwhichyouarealreadyfamiliar,andyoumaywanttocomparehowcloselythebehavioralprofilesmatchyourexperiencewithindividualcats.Keepin mind that there is variation among individual cats within a breed and thattheseprofiles represent a statistical consensusof eighty felineauthorities,whohaveseenmanycats fromeachpurebredbreed,aswellas theDSHandDLH.Yourrecollectionsaboutthebehaviorofaparticularcatofacertainbreedthuswill not necessarilymatch the profile presented here. Likewise, if you are anauthorityyourselfononeormorecatbreedsandfeel thatsomeof theprofiles

areoutoflinewithyourownexperience,rememberthattheserankingsarenottheopinionsoftheauthorsbutastatisticalconsensusofauthorities.

While the breed profiles approximate the relative differences betweenbreeds, do not take the graphs too literally. The difference between a breedranking third on a trait versus one ranking fourth or fifth is probablyinsignificant.Youcan,however,probablycountonthedifferencesinbreedsthatrankatthelowestendofascaletobequitedifferentfromthebreedsthatrankatthehigherend.Ifhavingacatthatishighlyaffectionateisatoppriority,lookatbreedsrankinginthetopone-thirdoftheaffectionscale.

Included in the breed profiles are references to body size, hair coat, andmedical problems that seem most prominent for that breed and presumablyreflectageneticpredisposition.

Anotherfactor,justasimportantindeterminingacat’sadultbehavior,isthespecificgeneticcontributionmadetoananimalbyitsmotherandfather.If thebehaviorofthemotherandfatherseemtomatchthebehavioralprofilepresentedhere, there is a very good chance that the kitten you choose will as an adultbehavealongthesamelinespredicted.

Throughoutyour selectionprocess, if abreeder expressesopinionsabout abreedthatdifferfromtheprofilepresentedhere,recallthatyouarehearingthatone person’s opinion. In fact,we suspect that some breederswill be unhappywithvariousrankings.Nobreederislikelytobedelightedthathisorherbreedisrankedhighonurinemarkingor aggressive tendencies.However, theway thebreedsarerankedissimilartohowaclassofstudentstakinganexamisranked.Notallstudentscanget the topscore; there isastudentwith thehighestscoreandonewith the lowest. Ifyou’re lookingfor thebestbreedswithregard toaparticulartrait,lookatthosethataretopranked.Butifatraitisnotofparticularimportancetoyou,therankingmaynotmakeanydifference.Ourphilosophyisthat different breeds of cats are suited for different environments, and that foreach breed there is a particular home or environment for which it is quitesuitable.

Thefifteenpurebredbreedsarediscussedinalphabeticalorder,followedbytheDSHandDLH.

AbyssinianTo quote one authority, “Living with an Abyssinian is like living with amonkey.” This is a reference to the Abyssinian’s well-known reputation forbeingamongthemostactiveofcatbreeds,andalso to itshavingbeenbred toretainitssomewhatwildlooks.Thereputationforahighactivitylevelisverifiedbythebreedprofilegraph,withitsactivitylevelbarneartheverytop.Youcanseewhytheyareoftenlikenedtomonkeys.

Abyssinians can dictate your home decorating style. These cats operate inthree-dimensionalspace,notsurfacearea.Forgetputtingupknickknackshelveswithfamilyglassheirloomsandinsteadonlydisplayitemsthatcanwithstandabounceonthefloor.Aficionadosofthisbreednotonlyreferredtothehighlevelofactivitybutalsothelightning-fastmannerthatcharacterizestheAbyssinian’smovement about its environment. Fans of this breed emphasize that it isnecessarytoprovideaverticalstructureoracatpostortwofortheAbytoenjoy.

The Abyssinian is one of the breeds named after the country in which itpresumably lived prior to its introduction to Europe—in this case Abyssinia(now Ethiopia). While history has it that the breed was from Abyssinia andbrought to England in the 1870s, more recent genetic tracing locates theAbyssinian’s origin inSoutheastAsia and around the IndianOcean,without aspecific country identified. Abyssinians are known for their long legs andmodifiedwedge-shapedhead.Theircaregiverstendtoliketheratherwildlook,but actually there are other breeds, particularly the Bengal, closer in geneticproximitytooneofthewildcats.

Aswell as rankingat the top (alongsideBengals) forall-outactivity level,theAbys are not great lap cats, although they are far from bottom ranking inaffection, and you can expect to get in some warm petting. Aby caregiversundoubtedly love the playfulness of this breed, which is tops. But be fore-warned—theAbysrankquitehighinaggressiontowardbothhumanandfelinefamilymembersandthereforefeelmostathomebeingtheonlycatinthefamily.

Abyssinian•Thinandsleek•Active•Playful•Aggressive•Notalapcat

RankingoftheAbyssinianonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Take note that theAbyssinian is in the top group in terms of tendency toengage inurinemarkingbehavior. It isalso top ranked in furniturescratching.Songbirdpredation,forthoseAbysthathaveaccesstotheoutdoors,isrankedatthe top,again,somethingyoumightexpect fromsuchanactivecat.Given theAby’s tendency toward urine marking, here is a breed in which selecting afemalemakessense.Ontheotherhand,selectingamaleprovidesanedgewithregardtomoreaffectionandlessaggression.

Becausetheyareoftheshorthairvariety,Abyssiniansrequirelittlegroomingbeyondjustregularpetting.Withregardtogeneticallyrelatedmedicalproblems,a kidney disease referred to as renal amyloidosis has been reported, as havecardiomyopathyandsomeskinproblems.

BengalImagineasceneinwhichaminiatureAsianleopardpeersoutfrombehindthevases,photographs,andplantson themantelmountedaboveyour fireplace. Ifthis scene appeals to you, andyou’re not looking for this leopard cat to sit inyourlaporinsistonsnugglingwithyou,thentheBengalmaybeforyou.Asamatteroffact,theBengalisthecatformany,anditisoneofthefastestgrowingbreedsinpopularityofrecentyears.

TheBengaliscloselyrelatedtotheAsianLeopardCat,awildcatthattracesitsancestrytoIndia,overtoChina,anddownthroughtheMalaysianpeninsula.Themostprominentfeatureofthisbreedisitshaircoatandcoloration.Thefurisverydense,and thespots,or rather rosettes,andstripeson theBengalwereselectedtocloselymimicthoseoftheleopard.Breederswantedthiscattolookdifferentfromallotherdomesticcats.

So how did this breed get started? Authorities attribute the origin of theBengaltoJeanMillofSouthernCaliforniawho,in1963,actuallyownedawildfemaleAsianLeopardCat,similartooneshehadspottedonatriptothejunglesof Southeast Asia. In those days Leopard Cats were sold in pet shops thatspecializedinsellingexoticanimals.Ms.MilladdedablackmaleDSHtokeepherwildLeopardCatcompany.Theoffspringof thematingweresterilewhenbredtogether,butfemalesofthatfirstgenerationwerebredagaintoDSHmalestoproduceatleastsomefertileoffspring.FurtherselectivebreedingwithanothermaleLeopardCat,obtainedfromazooinIndia,broughtouttheverydistinctiveleopard-like colorations we are familiar with today. The intention of earlybreederswastotrytocreateacatwiththewildlooksofaleopardandthecalmertemperamentofthedomesticcat.

As initially developed, theBengalwas, by definition, a hybrid.Over timethisdesignationwillprobablynolongerhold,butduetoitshybridbackgroundtheBengal hasnot been acceptedby the largest cat registry, theCatFanciers’Association (CFA). However, the International Cat Association and theAmericanCatFanciersAssociation(ACFA)doregisterthisbreed.

While fanciers of the Bengal like to refer to this cat as being completelydomesticated, a glance at the behavioral profilemay give you some pause. Itscoreslowestonaffectiontowardfamilymembersandthehighestonaggressiontowardfamilymembersandaggression towardothercats. Italsorankshigheston activity level. Even if some fanciers of this breed disagree with ourauthorities’ rankings, it isgenerallyacknowledged thatBengalsareveryactivecats,andalsoveryplayful.Youwillwanttoprotectyourpreciousknickknacks

frombeingknockedofftheshelfbyyourBengaldashingfrom“limbtolimb”initsurbanforest.

As you might expect from this description of the Bengal, the behavioralprofile reflects activities that benefit cats in the wild, particularly the highestranking for marking their territory by scratching (the corner of the couchsubstitutes nicely for a tree) and top ranking for spraying urine. Andwhen itdoesgetaccess to theoutdoors,ourdata suggest that theBengal isoneof thebreedsmostlikelytopreyonsongbirds.

The short hair coat of theBengal needs relatively little upkeep.Aweeklybrushingcouldbenice,butdon’tstrugglewiththecattogetthisdone.Afterall,wildcatsdowell innaturewithself-grooming.Infact theratherroughtonguesurfacewith papillae does an excellent job of keeping the coat of shorthairedcatsingoodshape.

While no specific disease vulnerabilities are apparent at this time, aninteresting feature stemming from its Asian Leopard Cat ancestry is that theBengalseemstohaveanactualimmunitytofelineleukemiavirus,anditisoftenusedinresearchstudiesonthatdisease.

BengalLeopard-likebeauty•Active•Aggressive•Notaffectionate

RankingoftheBengalonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

BurmeseTheBurmeseisoneofseveralbreedsthattakesitsnamefromthecountryfromwhich it was initially introduced to the United States in 1930. In this case apsychologist,JosephThompson,broughtthefirstBurmese,namedWongMau,intotheUnitedStates.WongMaubecamethefoundationfortheBurmesebreedin the States. As Thompson suspected, the Burmese was actually a hybridbetween theSiameseandanunknowncatofdarkcolor.Thename“Burmese”referstothecat’sbeautifulandsplendidappearance.

While this breed was recognized early on by the CFA, it was one of thebreeds thathad somedifficultywith the registrationauthoritiesbecause itwasundergoingcontinuouscrossingbetweenbreeds. In1947theCFAwithdrewitsrecognitionof theBurmese,but recognitionwas restored in1953.Bynow theBurmesehasbodystylecharacteristicsthatdifferentiateitfromtheSiamese.Foronething,itisconsiderablyheavierthantheSiamese,andithasaroundedheadthat fits with its overall round conformation. American breeders haveintentionallybredforabodystylethatismuscular,almostBulldog-like,butwithasweetroundfacewithroundeyes.InanutshelltheBurmesecanbedescribedasawell-roundedcatthatiswellknownforitsloveofaffection.Becauseofitsratherstocky,muscularbuild,well-roundedeyes,andhighrankinginaffection,somepeoplerefertotheirBurmeseastheir“lovebug.”

The Burmese comes in a number of color variants, and here is where catfanciers get a little romantic about their names. You’ll find colors such asplatinum,lilac,champagne,fawn,chocolate,andcinnamon.Whateverthecolor,the Burmese short hair coats are relatively lowmaintenance; stroking the catoften is about all it takes. If youwant to go the extra distance you can get arubberbrushtogetalittlebitbettergrooming.

BurmeseStocky•Muscular•Affectionate•Goodlitterboxuse

RankingoftheBurmeseonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

You would think that with its Siamese heritage, the Burmese would rankhigh invocalization, but it is ranked as averagebyour authorities.This breedrankshigh inaffection towardhumanfamilymembers,behindtheRagdollbuthigher than the Siamese. To the delight of many Burmese caregivers, itstendency to use the litter box ranks at a high level, and its urine markingtendency is low.Thisbreed is rathermoderatelyranked inmostother traits.Amajor departure from its Siamese heritage is its lower level of activity. YourBurmese is likely to enjoy curling up in your lapmore than climbing on thekitchenshelves.

TheBurmeseisabreedwithalowlevelofgeneticdiversity,whichresultsinmorefrequentoccurrencesofgeneticallyrelateddiseases.AconditionknownastheBurmeseheaddefect,whichcausesepisodesoflowbloodpotassiumlevels(hypokalemia), and gangliosidosis, a neurological disease characterized bymuscletremorsandlossofcontrol,areofparticularconcern.Therearegenetictestsfor theseconditions,whichshouldbetakenintoaccountduringthekittenselectionprocess.

CornishRexIf you talk to someone about cats in general, and show them a picture of theCornishRex,they’relikelytomentionsomethingaboutitsalienlooksduetoitsoversized-lookingears,prominentRomanegg-shapednose,thinboneystructure,andunusualwavyhaircoat.Thisbreedlackstheouterguardhairs,andeventhemiddlecoatoffurseenonmostcats,sowhatisleftisathinundercoatofdown.TheCornishRexlooksmostliketheSphynx,whichevenlacksthedownlayer.

ThehistoryoftheCornishRexisthatitwasdiscoveredinalitterofkittensborn in the 1950s on a farm in Cornwall, England. This breed carries aspontaneousgeneticmutationthatcausesthethinhaircoatandwhiskerstogrowinpatternedwavesinsteadofstraight,anditisthiswavy-haircharacteristicthatwas selected for among early breeders.Geneticists discovered that the gene isrecessive;thus,theonlywaytogetthewavy-hairpatternistobreedamaleanda female that both have the wavy-hair pattern. The name Rex was borrowedfromabreedofrabbitsaffectedbyasimilarwavy-hairmutation.

TheCornishRexisrenownedforitsclimbingactivity,andsomerefertoitasthe“high flyingbreed” for itsability to jumpfromthe floor to thecaregiver’sshouldersinoneboundingleap—andenjoyaridearoundthehouse.

ItissaidthattheCornishRexisthe“greyhoundofthecatfancy,”referringto its greyhound-like looks and predisposition to be quite active. (But if youwantareallyactivebreed,takealookattheBengalortheAbyssinian.)Itrankson the low side in aggression toward other cats and rather moderately withregard to aggression toward family members, fearfulness of strangers, andvocalization.Urinemarking,tothesatisfactionofmanyCornishcaregivers,isata low level, as is furniture scratching and songbird predation. Litter box usestandsoutasonthehighside.

One thing to keep in mind with the Cornish Rex is the lack of hair coatinsulation and the need to keep the environment warm, or at least to providewarmspots.Nospecificdiseasevulnerabilitiesareapparentatthistime,butthisbreedcanbeparticularlysusceptibletoserioussideeffectsofcertainanesthetics;ifananestheticisneeded,adviseyourveterinariantoerronthesideofcaution.Because it does not shed fur, the Cornish Rex has a reputation for beinghypoallergenic. However, although perhaps not as readily as do most otherbreeds,itcancauseanallergicreactioninsomepeoplebecausetheallergensareinthedander,andlikeallcatstheRexshedssomedandereveryweek.Buttheyareeasytobathe,andthereforetheallergensmaybeheldundercontrol.

CornishRex•Thin•Romannose•Wavyhair•Active•Goodlitterboxuse

RankingoftheCornishRexonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

ExoticDespiteitsname,theExotic,orwhatissometimescalledtheExoticShorthair,isnotreallyallthatunusual.Infact,withitsappealingteddybearlooks,thisisoneof the fastest growingbreeds inpopularity.TheExotic represents an excellentexample of an attempt to develop a breedwith very specific looks, above allelse.Specifically, it isacatwithaPersianheadandbodyshapebutwithshorthair.Persianshaveaboutthelongesthairofanybreedandareknownforbeingratherdemandingofupkeep.IfyouhaveeverwonderedwhatthePersianlookslike underneath all that long hair, take a look at the Exotic. In fact, a gooddescriptionoftheExoticisthatitisaPersianwithshorthair.

Oneonlygets cats thathaveanew trait, suchas a change inhair coat,bycrossingthemwithanotherfelid,usuallyothercatbreedsorbreedtypes,andinthis case it was mostly DSHs that were crossed with Persians. In the CFA aspecialrulewaspassedtoallowregistrationtoanycatthatwasacrossbetweenaPersianandashorthair(whilepresumablymaintainingthePersianbodytype);thus thedoorwasopenedfor theExotic.Becauseof themuchlessdemandingupkeep in grooming, sometimes the Exotic is referred to as the “lazy man’sPersian.”

Here is awordabout thegeneticsof shorthair and longhair characteristics.Thegeneforshorthairisdominantoverthegeneforlonghair,whichmeansthatsinceashorthaircatmaycarryoneshorthairandonelonghairgene,eventwoshorthair parents can give rise to longhair offspring.This sometimes surprisesthebreeder.TheExoticlinewillremainshorthairaslongasoneoftheparentshas two shorthair genes. Although shorthair Exotics can give rise to longhairoffspring from time to time, the CFA only accepts the shorthair Exotic forofficialregistrationandassignsthelonghairtothecategoryof“other.”

ExoticSnubbynose•Teddybearlooks•Moderatebehavioraltraits

RankingoftheExoticonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

TheExoticisknownforbeingheavybonedwiththecobby,roundedheadof

thePersian.Thismassiveheadshouldhaveashort, snubby,broadnosewithabreakcenteredbetweentheeyes.Itissaidthatmenwhodonotlikethefrou-froulooks of the Persian but who do go for the Persian’s rugged, pug-nose faceparticularlytaketothem.OneauthorityintheExoticcircleclaimsthattherapidrise inpopularityof thisbreed isbecauseof thenumberof two-careercoupleswho, although they like the Persian’s looks and personality, are not able todevote the time andupkeep that aPersian requires.Although easily cared for,Exoticsarenotabsolutelycarefreeanddoshedfromtimetotime.

Bycomparingbehavioral profiles,we can see that the activity level of theExoticisquitealothigherthanthatofthePersian.Thisbreedranksataratherlow levelwith regard to affection toward familymembers and is not likely towanttocurlupinyourlaporbecarriedaround.AndlikethePersian,theExoticismoderate in aggression toward human and feline familymembers, not veryfriendlytovisitors,andrankshighinfearfulnessofstrangers.

Some have claimed that the reason the Persian does not seem to be asaffectionateasotherbreedsandisnotalwaysseekingawarm,cuddlylap,isthatwithitslonghaircoat,iteasilygetstoowarm.ThatthisshorthairversionofthePersian also ranks below average in affection reveals that this trait is not afunctionofheatingup,butatruebehavioralcharacteristic.

Withregardtomedicalproblems,Exotics,likePersians,canbepredisposedtopolycystickidneydisease.Breedershaveworkedtoidentifyandeliminatethecats that are positive for this trait. Because of the short nose, and the breakbetween the forehead and just behind the nose, the Exotic, like its Persiancousin,canbesusceptibletotearingintheeyes,whichrequiressomeattention.

MaineCoonYoumaybeoneofthoseindividualswholiveinafamilyinwhichoneofyouwantsacatandtheotheradog.Ifyou’relookingforacompromise,especiallyin termsofsize,consider theMaineCoon.Femalesrangeinsizefrom9to16pounds,withmalesrunningashighas18poundsatmaturity,largerthanmanysmallbreedsofdogs.Thiscompromiseinchoosingthebigandbrawnycathassettledmanyadebate.MaineCoonsare,infact,thelargestofthepurebredcats.

Now,inadditiontothelargesizeandheavybuild,acharacteristicofmanyindividuals in thisspecies isaringtail,veryreminiscentof thatof theraccoon.Youcanimaginehowalargecatlikethiswitharaccoon-liketailgaverisetothelegendthatthisbreedoriginatedfromanaccidentalcrossbetweenaDSHandaraccoon.Notonlydidtheraccoon-liketailcontributetothiscat’sname,butthepawdexterityofMaineCoons,notunlike thatof raccoons,perhapshasaddedmore credibility to the legend. SomeMaine Coons even have a fondness forwater,whichtheyexpressbyscoopingitupwiththeirpaws.

Forthosefanciersofthisbreedforwhomtheideaofbeinghybridizedwiththe raccoon is too far-fetched, the version about Captain Coon of BiddelfordPool,Maine,maybemoreappealing.Thegoodcaptainissaidtohavebeenveryfond of the longhaired cats that he acquired during his travels to and fromEurope. The longhaired kittens he brought home were often called “Coon’scats.”Themixingof these seafaring catswith the localmousers inMaine aresaidtohaveproducedthebigcatsweknowtoday.

ThetruthofthematteristhatlonghaircatsarrivedinthenortheasternUnitedStatesfromEurope,andwhencrossedwith local farmcats,someof the largerprogenygaverisetotheearlyMaineCoons.ThechallengingMainewintersdidtheirownbitofnaturalselection,anditwasthelargesizeandlongshaggycoatthat repelledwater, plus the insulated bushy tail, that helped the fittestMaineCoonssurviveandoutbreedcompetingcats. Inaddition, their tufted-hairpawswerewellsuitedfornegotiating theruggedterrain insnow.Theprogenitorsofthis breedwere often referred to asMaine Shags because of their full shaggycoats, completewith ear tufts andhair tufts between their toes, and theywererenownedfortheirhuntingprowess,andtheirsize.The“coon”partofthenamewasaddedonlater.

TheMaine Coonwas registeredwith the CFA in 1999 and became, for awhile, the second most popular cat, after the Persian. This popularityundoubtedlyspringsfromtheirlargesize,whichhasendearedthiscattomany.Abreed somewhat closely related to theMaineCoon is theNorwegianForest

Cat,which,withitsheavycoatandlargebodysizeallowingittowithstandharshwinters in Norway, may have even been partially a forerunner to the MaineCoon.

The behavioral profile of the Maine Coon is more or less an exercise inmoderation. It ranks secondmost friendly, right behind theRagdoll, and verylow in fearfulnessof strangers, sohere is a cat that is likely to approachyourvisitors,andiftheyareunsuspecting,donotbesurprisedifmuchoftheensuingconversationrevolvesaroundthebigcat.

TheMaineCoonranksroughlyin theupperonethird in termsofaffectiontoward family members and fairly low in aggression toward both familymembersandothercats.Itisoneoftheleastvocalbreeds.

Withregardtomaintenance,thefirstthingtokeepinmindisitslargesize.Thismeansabigscratchingpost,abigtransportcarrier,abiglitterbox,andabig lap for theMaineCoon to sit on.Youmight think that the long hair coatwouldcreatesomemaintenanceproblems,butseveralauthoritiesstatedthatthiscoat is relatively easilymaintained. TheMaine Coon can be groomedwith amedium-to wide-tooth comb and, on occasion, a wire pin brush to preventmatting.

MaineCoonLargestbreed•Affectionate•Friendly•Goodlitterboxuse

RankingoftheMaineCoononthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Incontrasttothetendencyindogsforthebiggestbreedstolivetheshortest,theMaine Coon lives quite long, fifteen to twenty years.What the large sizedoes create is a susceptibility to hip dysplasia, a joint condition seen in largebreedsofdogs,buthardlyevermentionedwithregardtocats.TheparentsofthelitterfromwhichyougetyourMaineCoonshouldhavehadtheirhipsscreenedfor hip dysplasia. Maine Coons are also prone to a condition known ashypertrophiccardiomyopathy,sobesuretoaskthebreederiftheparentsofthelitterhavehadtheirheartscheckedforthiscondition.

ManxTwothingsmaystrikeyouwhenyoufirstrunacrossthisbreed:oneisthename,andtheotherisitsuniquenessforbeingtheonlybreedbornwithoutatail.Thename“Manx”referstothecat’sancestrygoingbackafewhundredyears.TheManxwasdevelopedasaworkingfarmmouserontheIsleofManwhichliesoffthecoastofEngland.This isa sturdybreed, strongenough toendure thecoldandrainyBritishweather,anditisknownforitshuntingskills.

Itwas in the1800s that thisbreedwas represented in the first cat show inLondon, and then they made their way to the United States. The Manx wasamongthefirstbreedsregisteredwhentheCFAwasincorporated.

TheperfectlyroundedrumpinyourclassicManxisduetotheslightlytallerhind legs and lack of a tail. With regard to the tailless attribute, there is avariationinthetailwithinthebreed.Therearethosethathavenotailvertebraeatall;thoseinwhichyoucansee,orfeel,asmallbumpwherethetailwouldbe;andthoseinwhichthetailmaybeuptoaninchlongwithafewvertebrae.Thecatswithabsolutelynotailarecalled“rumpy,”andtheoneswithasmallbumparecalled“rumpy-risers.”Bothof thesevariantsareacceptableforregistrationandshow,but thosewithashortvisible tail, rangingfromabobcat-style toanevenlongertail,arenotacceptableforshoworregistration.

Talesabouttails:Thereareinterestingstoriesabouthowthetaillessqualitycame about.One is that asNoahwas closing the door of the ark, and as twoluckycatswereallowedin,Noahaccidentallyclosedthedooronthecats’tailsand ever after this catwas tailless. The other story is that catswere interbredwith rabbits and became tailless that way. (The slightly longer hind legs isanothertraittheysharewithrabbits.)

StillanotherfablecomesfromCelticfolklore.ItissaidthatCelticwarriorsaddedcattailstotheirhelmetsforgoodluck.Inthosedaystailremovalwasabitriskyforcats.Whenamutationcamealongfortaillessness,theseparentswereabletoreproduceandleavemoreoffspring,sothereplacementcatsontheIsleofMan became tailless. Regardless of the real tale, it is known that the Manxtaillessgenewasaspontaneousmutation thatoccurredon theIsleofManandthenspreadthroughouttheresidentcatpopulation.

Examiningthebehavioralprofile,youwillseethereisstillareflectionoftheManxasaworkingcat;itisnotknownforbeingoneofthecuddlierbreeds,withaffectiontowardfamilyrankingatalowlevel,andfriendlinessrankingnotmuchhigher. TheManx is a quiet breed, with vocalizations at the lower level. Theotherbehavioralcharacteristicsrankatmidrangeorjustaboveorbelow.

TheManx is one of the most long-lived breeds, commonly living twentyyearsormore.ThetypicalManxhasashorthaircoat,butsomearelonghaired;bothtypesareregisteredasManxintheCFA,butinseparatedivisions.

Becausepeople interested in adopting aManx expect a completely taillesscat, breeders in theUnitedStatesmay have the tails docked as a kitten.Mostbreeders will disclose to the pet adopter if the cat has also been surgicallydocked to assure the typicalManx. The breeding for taillessness seems to beintertwinedwithsomeothergeneticfactorsrelatingtothedistalendofthespinalcolumn,andonceinawhileitcanleadtoaspinalcolumndefectthatcancauseincontinence and partial paralysis, which the caregivers will not know aboutuntil the cat is around four months of age. You might want to research thisfurtherifyouareconsideringchoosingaManx.

ManxTailless•Sturdy•Quiet•Notaffectionate

RankingoftheManxonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

NorwegianForestCatWhatyouimmediatelynoticeinthisbreedisthedramaticwintercoat.Lookataglobeandyou’llseewherethiscatoriginated,anditisnotfarbelowtheArcticCircle.Thedense,richfurcoatwithawoolyundercoat,coveredwithlongguardhairsthatarewaterrepellent,hascertainlyplayedaroleinthiscat’spopularityandsurvivalintheNordicarea.

In Norse mythology the goddess Freyja, one of the most splendid of thedeities, had as hermode of transportation a chariot pulled by twoNorwegianForest Cats. Historians believe that Romans initiated the development of theNorwegianForestCat,or“Wegie,”byintroducingthecommonEuropeancattoNorway about a thousand years ago, and it wasn’t long before the harshNorwegianclimateledtoselectionofonlythosecatswithlongthickcoatsandruggedbodiesthatcouldsurviveinthenorthernforest.

DespiteitsdramaticgoodlooksandtheNorsemythology,whatyouhaveinthebehavioralprofileoftheWegieisacatthatranksasmoderateinmosttraits,withvocalizationatthelowlevel.

As for upkeep, Wegies require frequent brushing, especially during thespring when shedding is at its peak. Fortunately the shedding is over withquicklyandyoudonothavetoputinthisamountofeffortthroughouttheentireyear.InthesummertheWegielooksalmostlikeacompletelydifferentcat.Theshedding of the winter “overcoat” leaves just the short coat with only fewvestigesofthewinterhaircoatgrandeur.

Withregardtogeneticallyrelatedmedicalproblems,Wegieshaveapossibleglycogenstoragedisease incertain lines.This ratherdeadlydiseaseaffects thekittenseitherbeforethey’rebornorshortlyafterward.

NorwegianForestCatDramaticwintercoat•Moderateinbehavioraltraits

Rankingof theNorwegianForestCat on the twelvebehavioral traits.Thehigher the ranking, themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

OrientalTheOrientalisasleeklooking,sinuouscatwithlongtaperinglinesandahardmuscularbody,andsomecatfanciershavereferredtoitssveltebodyasgivingtheappearanceofagility. Itshead is like thatof theSiamese, longandwedge-shaped,withstraightlinesextendingintolarge,flaredears.TheOrientalcomesinmore than300 colors and typically has short hairwith noundercoat. Somevariantsofthisbreedhavelonghair.

Incontrast to someotherbreeds, inwhich thenamereveals theorigin, theOriental did not come from the ancient Orient. Actually, it is not an ancientbreed at all, but rather is a newcomer to the cat world, resulting from thehandiworkofBritishbreederswhobeganexperimentingwithcrossbreedingtheSiamesebackinthe1960s.

Legend has it that Baroness von Ullman of Wolf Springer Cattery inEngland,whilesittingaroundawarmfireonacoldwintereveninginthe1950s,hadthevisionofdevelopingabreedthatlookedlikeaSiamesebutdidnothavethe signature coloring or seal point. She tried crossing the seal point SiamesewithaRussianBlue,aswellaswithsomeotherbreeds,andeventuallycreatedacatwiththebodyofaSiamesebutwithamuchdifferenthaircoatpattern.Whileintending to retain the Siamese body type and personality, early breeders out-crossedtheirOrientalswithotherbreeds,includingtheAbyssinian.AsOrientalsbegan trickling into the United States, the breed eventually grew enough inpopulation that in1977 theOrientalShorthairwasaccepted into theCFA.TheOrientalLonghairwaslateraccepted.

Read a little bit about theOriental and you’ll find descriptions such as “itmoveswithathleticgrace,”“lovesattention,”“hasanirrepressiblepersonality,”and“bondseasilywithpeople.”Lookingat thebehavioralprofilegraph,whatyou see is a cat that ranks high in activity level and vocalization. As itsenthusiastsmaintain, theOriental is a breedwithwhich you need a cat-proofhouse.AndjustlikeitsSiamesecousin,itlikestotalk.Infact,theonlycatthatrankshigheronvocalizationistheSiamese.

OrientalSleek•Sinuous•Muscular•Active•Vocal

RankingoftheOrientalonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Orientals rank above average in litter box use, and according to ourauthorities, moderate with regard to urine marking behavior. This breed ismoderate in affection toward family members and is less aggressive than theSiamese with both human and feline family members, and according to ourauthoritiesittendstobelessfearful.Ifyou’relookingforaslim,well-muscled,talkative, affectionate, and activemember of the family, theOriental could beyouridealcat.

As for upkeep, this is one of the more easily cared for cats. Occasionalbrushingwitharubberbrushisusuallysufficienttokeepitingoodshape.

Atthistimeverylittleseemstobereportedwithregardtogeneticallyrelatedmedical problems, but you should be on the lookout for the same healthproblemsthatmightplaguetheSiamese.

PersianWhat stands out for this breed is its very distinctive face, and the mostdistinguishingfeature is thedeepbreakjustbehindthenosethatalmostmakestheprofilelookliketheletter“B.”MembersofthePersianfanclubmentionthattheirlarge,roundeyesgivethemaverysweetexpression,andit’snotunusualtohearPersian fanciers refer to themas stunninglybeautiful.Abitmore straightanatomicaltalkcomingfromtheCFAreferstothePersianashavingaflatfaceandastubbednose.AnotherdistinguishingfeatureofthePersianistheverylonghair.This is abreed that’s amediumsizewitha short, cobbybodyandheavyboning.Theearsareparticularlywidesetonthehead.

The Persian is among the most ancient of cat breeds, and as the namesuggests,mostauthoritiesbelieveitoriginatedinandaroundPersia(nowIran).Otherssaynooneknowsforsure,andtherearesometheoriesthatthebreedwasdeveloped from generic longhaired cats in Turkey that were crossed withlonghairsinPersia,Burma,China,andRussia.ThePersian’sinitialappearancein Europe was around the sixteenth or seventeenth century. Upon arriving inEurope theyenjoyedconsiderablepopularityand, infact,werepartof thefirstcat show at theCrystal Palace inLondon in 1871,where theywere exhibitedunder thename“LongHair.”Whenitwas imported into theUnitedStates,andthe CFAwas launched, the Persianwas accepted as one of the initial breeds.Currently the Persian is one of the most popular of the purebred cats in theUnitedStates.

Persianscomeinanarrayofcolorsandpatterns;amongthefavoredcolorsaresilverandgolden.Onecat fanciersays thatwhenyoupair thenicegoldencolorwiththeaquacoloredeyes,thelooksare,“justtodiefor.”Thelovelyeyeshave a special feature in that they have a natural mascara, with little blackeyelashes and amascara outline that surrounds the eyes and extends to otherpartsofthebody.

ThebehavioralprofileofthePersianisaboutasdistinctiveasitsappearance.Perhaps the termusedbyonePersianenthusiast, “Zenmaster”—masterof thetranquil spirit—says it all. This may be another way of saying that these arequietcatsthatenjoyharmonywiththeirfamilies.Takealookattheprofileandyouwillbeimpressedwithallthebehavioraltraitsthatwouldseemtogoalongwithbeingverylaidbackandhardlydisturbedbyanything,asonewouldexpectfrom a Zen master. While it ranks as moderate in affection, with regard toactivity level, vocalization, playfulness, friendliness toward visitors, and evenfurniturescratching,thePersianranksthelowestofallthebreeds.Persiansare

knownforbeingratherfearfulofvisitors(andarerankedveryhighinthistraitbyourauthorities),whichseemstogoalongwithaquietdemeanor.Ifyouwantalaidbacksymbolofpeaceandtranquility,thinkofthePersian.

However, keep in mind that your Persian’s lack of general activity mightextend to the litter box; the Persian ranks the lowest of all breeds in its use.Expect to put an extra bit of effort toward facilitating litter box use, such asfindingthefavorite typeof litter,keepingtheboxclean,andmakingiteasytogetto,aswediscussedinChapter4.

Unlikesomeotherbreeds, thisisnotanoutgoingcat.However,whileonlymoderatelyaffectionate,yourPersianwantstobearoundyou.Buttakenotethatthere are a couple of precautions to heed. The Persian ranks midway inaggressiontowardfamilymembersandaggression towardothercats.Also, thelaid back behavior does not apply to urinemarking in that our authorities feltthatthePersiancouldbeactivatedtourinemarkinthehouse,rankingitintheupperone-thirdofallbreedsinthisregard.Becauseinteractionswithothercatsare a primary trigger for urine marking, here is one breed that is a goodcandidateforbeingtheonlycatinthefamily.

PersianDistinctiveface•Longhair•Inactive•“Zenmaster”

RankingofthePersianonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Almost all devoted Persian cat fanciers know that these are high-maintenanceanimals.Itissaidthatunlessyouarewillingtospendqualitytimegroomingthecatalmosteveryday,thisisnotthebreedforyou.ManyPersianshave constant tears under their eyes, so facewashingwith awarmwashclotheverydaytoremovethismoisturehelpsquiteabit.Persianshavebothacottonyundercoatandasilky topcoat.Theundercoatmatseasilyandrequiresupkeepwith ametal comb.Most Persian cat caregivers also say that the cat needs abathingeveryfewweeks.Toavoidsomeofthisdemandinggroomingyoucouldhave your Persian’s hair clipped to what’s called the “lion cut,” in which thebodyisshaved,leavingafluffyheadandtailhair.Here’swhereit’sbesttoletaprofessionalgroomerdotheworkforyou.Recognize,however,thatyouarenotgoingtoconveythesweet,stunninglybeautifulZenmasterlookofthiscatifitsports a lion cut. An option to the lion cut is to just clip the cat’s underside,whichdoesn’treallychangethewayitlooks,butyou’reeliminatinghairballsinaplacewherehairballmatsarelikelytoform.

Asforgeneticallyrelatedmedicalproblems,cardiomyopathyandpolycystickidney disease are conditions reported for Persians. This is one of the breedswhere the polycystic kidney disease is diagnosed in a DNA test, and many

breedershavetheirkittensDNAtested.

RagdollThe Ragdoll is one of the newest breeds and one that was developed in theUnited States, in SouthernCalifornia. The origin of this breed is attributed toAnnBaker,whohappenedtonoticethatoneoftheoffspringofaneighbor’scatseemed tohaveaverydocilepredisposition.Shebred thiscatwithoneofherPersians and found, to her delight, that the offspring had an exaggeratedtendency to go limp in your arms, just like a child’s ragdoll. AdditionalcrossbreedingtookplacewiththeBurmeseandotherbreeds,withtheemphasisalwaysondocilityandtheloveofbeinghandled.TheRagdollisoneofthemostrecently registeredbreedsandalsooneof the fastestgrowing inpopularity, asjudged by registration in the CFA. The Ragdoll is even more popular in theUnited Kingdom and is a rapidly growing breed in the International CatAssociation.

Thename“Ragdoll”stuckwiththisbreedandperhaps,morethananyotherbreed,thenamereflectsthebehavior.TheRagdollisprobablythebestexampleofintentionaldevelopmentofacatbreedforaparticularbehaviorasadefiningendpoint;colorandhaircoatwereofminorconcern.Fanciersofthisbreedliketo talkabout its tendency togo limp,even to thedegree that it canbepushedacrossthefloorasyoutrytoopenthedoor.

YoucanexpectyourRagdoll togreetguestsas theycometo thedoor,andevenperhapstobekeenonthegameofplayingfetch.SomeauthoritiessaythatwiththeRagdollyougetpuppy-dog-likequalitieswithouthavingadog.Otherssaythisbreedgivesanewmeaningtotheterm“petunderfoot.”Ragdollsexcelat taking it easy. You could even find a number of Ragdolls in a multi-cathousehold piled on top of each other. A Ragdoll can make an excellentcompanionforanelderlypersonwhodoesnotwanttohaveanactivecat,orforthosewhodonotwantacatthatmightbeknockingvaluableknickknacksofftheshelf.

Onelookatthebehavioralprofileconfirmsthisbreed’sreputation.Notethatthe Ragdoll ranks at the bottom in aggression toward family members,aggressiontowardothercats,andfearfulnessexhibited tostrangers.Andwhilethisbreedfarexceedsothers inaffection towardfamilymembers (ifyou leavetheroom,yourRagdollcouldwellseekyououtandwanttobeheldorpetted),youcouldsaythattheylovesocializingwithvisitorsalmostasmuch.Theyranktops in friendliness, andmay even seem unafraidwhen being introduced to adog,so,ofcourse,cautionisadvisedhere.

Ragdollsarenotveryactiveorvocalandaremoderatelyplayful.Theyrank

amongthelowestinurinemarking,furniturescratching,andsongbirdpredation.Theirlitterboxuseisrankedabovemidway,soyoucanexpectfairlyfastidiouslitterboxbehavior.

Anumberofcolorpatternsarefoundinthisbreed;perhapsoneofthemostdistinguished is the crème colored cat with Siamese points on the shoulder.Othercolorsareblue,chocolate, lilac, red, fawn,andcinnamon.The longhaircoatisofthenon-mattingtype,butperiodicbrushingishighlyrecommended.

This is a breed that takes quite awhile to fullymature, and full size isn’treacheduntilthecatisthreetofouryearsofage.

In terms of genetically related diseases, this breed is fairly free of mostailments,butaheartdiseaseknownascardiomyopathyissometimesfound.Youshould find out if the breeder has been testing the parents with ultrasoundscreeningforhypertrophiccardiomyopathyonanongoingbasis.

RagdollRelaxed•Affectionate•Friendly•Nonaggressive

RankingoftheRagdollonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

RussianBlueImagine the ballerina of the cat world—lithe, muscular, and elegant—withbeautiful green eyes against its grey coat, and you havewhat fanciers of thisbreedconsidertobeunlikeanyotherpurebredcat.Nowaddinashinythickhaircoatwithaluxurioussoftfeelmoreorlesslikesilk,andabuilt-in“smile”thatisn’treallyasmilebutratherhassomethingtodowiththeshapeofthefaceandisnonethelessquite intriguing.It’snowonderthatRussianBlueenthusiastsgotosomeendstodescribethisbreed’sbeauty.

The Russian Blue is one of the oldest of the purebreds, with breedrecognition inEnglanddatingback to the1800s.The legendssurrounding thisbreedareaboutas romanticas thedescriptionsof itsbeauty.One is that thesecatswerecherishedinthecourtsoftheRussiantsars.AnotheristhatCossackscarried Russian Blues on their shoulders as they rode into war. The mostplausible explanation of the origin of this breed is that in themid-1800s catscame from Northern Russia on sailing ships bound for England. The thickdoublecoat(thisisacatwithwhichyoucantraceyourinitialinitsdensecoat,anditwillremainthereuntilsmoothed)wasappropriateforthiscat,whichwasadaptedtothenorthernclimes.

Thename“RussianBlue”hasstuckwiththisbreed,whichbegsthequestionofwhyitiscalledbluewhenitisreallygrey.Theanswerseemstobethatgreyisnot a particularly endearing description for a hair coat color, and breederspreferredthemoreromanticbluename.RestassuredthatyourRussianBluewillnothaveabluecoatandindeedwillbeaniceshadeofgrey.

TheRussianBluehasbeendescribedbyenthusiastsas“affectionate,active,playful, at home in an orderly quiet household, and not terribly outgoing.”PerhapsthisisanotherwayofsayingthatthebehavioralprofileoftheRussianBlue is reallyquitemoderate inmost respects, and a look at theprofile graphconveys this description. Two strong positive characteristics are that it rankshigh in litter box use and low in urine marking behavior. Russians can besomewhatshyandwaryofvisitors,but thereseemstobeaconcertedeffort tochangethisthroughselectivebreeding.

RussianBlueLithe•Muscular•Thickcoat•Notlikelytourinemark•Goodlitterboxuse

RankingoftheRussianBlueonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

The thick double coatmight lead you to believe that this is a fairly high-maintenancecat,butinfact,fanciersoftheRussianBluefeelthatitisoneofthelow-maintenance breeds, where even daily petting seems to do the trick. Justwipingthemwithadampclothwillremovetheloosehair,andthatshouldbeit.Toaddtothegoodnews,nospecificdiseasevulnerabilitiesareapparentinthisbreedatthistime.

Ifacatwiththegraceofaballerina,withoneofthesleekesthaircoatsyoucould expect to find, plus a very appealing face, and a moderate behavioralprofileappealstoyou,theRussianBluecouldbeyouridealcat.

SiameseImaginealong,sleek,lithecatwithlargepointedears,almond-shapedblueeyes,andawedge-shapedheadcompletelyrelaxedandathomeinapalaceinancientSiam.Thisprettymuchepitomizes thevisionof thiscat,at least tofanciersofthe Siamese. This breed originated in Siam (nowThailand),whichmakes theSiameseoneof themostancientandclearly recognizablebreeds in theworld,and it has become an icon to cat fanciers and even the public in general.TheSiamesewas one of the founding breeds of the CFAwhen it began.With itsdistinctivemarkings, color points on the ears, wedge-shaped head, and rathertubularbody,theSiameseisimmediatelyrecognizable.SomepeopleclaimthattheSiameselooksverydainty,butthenintheirnextbreathtellyouthatthecatisverymuscular.

ASiamesewas the personal pet to the royal family of Siam and, as such,enjoyedalifeofluxuryandpampering.ForaperiodoftimetheSiamesewas,infact,strictlykeptwithinSiam,andnotallowedtoleavethecountry.That’soneof the reasons we have little concrete information as to the timeline ofdevelopmentofthisbreed.Astheworldgotsmallerandglobaltradedeveloped,itbecamecustomaryfortheroyaltyordignitariesofonecountrytopresentgiftsunique to their country to the royalty or dignitaries of the countrywithwhichtheyweredoingbusiness.ThefirstSiamesecatthatarrivedinEnglandin1884wasagift fromtheKingofSiamto theEnglishAmbassador toSiam.Not toolongafter,intheearlytwentiethcentury,aSiamesewasgiventothefirstladyofthe United States, Lady Lucy Webb Hayes, wife of President Rutherford B.Hayes.Not long after the introduction of the Siamese to theworld, the breedbegantoappearincatshowsandgrewinpopularitytobecomeoneofthemostfavoredpurebredcatsinboththeUnitedStatesandEngland.

Look at the behavioral profile and you’ll see that this breed,while not asdocile,affectionate,ornonaggressiveasmanyofitsfelinecounterparts,certainlydoesnotdeservethebad-catreputationpopularizedbytheWaltDisneymovieofthemid-1950s,Ladyand theTramp.Thismoviefeatured twoSiamese,SiandAm,whoslitheredandprowledabout,vandalizinghomesandblamingLadyforalltheirbaddeeds.

Probably the signature behavior of the Siamese is frequent and loudvocalizations;inthisitistops.Siameseaficionadosmaytellyouthatthereasontheyvocalize somuch is that they are trying to talk, a reflectionof their longhistory as a companion to human caregivers. Others will tell you that theSiamesehelpedguardtemplesandotherhighplacesbyalertingguardswhena

strangerwasnearing the temple.Thismay explainwhyyourSiamese likes toclimb about and, of course, vocalize—how else would she communicate thatthere’stroubleafoot.

WhenreadingabouttheSiamese,yougettheideathatthereisnoendtotheflattering, descriptive terms used to refer to this breed. Likemany breeds, theSiamese is often referred to as having a people personality, craving affection,and thriving on relationships. The well-known vocalization behavior issometimesreferredtoas“chitchat,”givingahumanattributetothistrait.

Siamese do like to move around, ranking behind only the Bengal andAbyssinian in activity level. This breed also ranks high in aggression towardothercats.Aproblemforsomepeoplewillbearelativelyhighrankinginurinemarkingbehavior,andalsoahighrankinginfurniturescratching.WhatattractsmanycatfanciersisthattheSiamesehasatleastamoderaterankinginaffectiontowardfamilymembers,playfulness,friendlinesstowardvisitors,andlitterboxuse,anditisonlymoderatelyrankedinpredationonsongbirds.Allinall,thisisa behavioral profile that can easily make a cat with a distinctive look andbackgroundaverycommonbreed.

Siamese•Longandsleek•Distinctivemarkings•Vocal•Active•Tendencytourinemark

RankingoftheSiameseonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Withregard tocare,Siameseare relativelyeasy togroom,andwitha littlebrushing, regularly trimming the nails, and cleaning out of the ears, they arewhat some people call a “wash-and-wear cat.” Disease predispositions in thisbreedarenotremarkable.

SphynxHereyouhaveabreedthatisfamousforitsattention-gettinglooks.Itishairlessexceptforalittlepeachfuzzhereandthere,andsometimesafewfurtufts,allofwhichmaketheearsreallystandout.TheSphynx’shairlessnessistheresultofagenemutationthatwasseeninlittersfromtimetotimearoundtheworld.Thus,tracking down the particular progenitors of the Sphynx before the mutationoccurred isdifficult.Oneversionof theoriginof theSphynx is that thebreeddevelopedwhentwohairlessfemalekittenswereborn,andthebreeder,inturn,bred these with a Devon Rex, and perhaps some other shorthair breeds. Thehairlesstraitcontinuedinthoseselectedasthefoundersofthebreed.

The name “Sphynx” has nothing to do with the breed being of Egyptianorigin,butcanbetracedbacktoaCFAmember,DavidMare,whoin1973saidwhenhefirstsawthiscatthathewasremindedofanEgyptiancatstatueintheLouvre,whichhethoughtborearesemblancetothebreed.Mr.Mareofcourseknew that the actual sphinxes in the valley of the Nile were not cats, but hethoughtnonethelessthat“Sphynx”wouldmakeawonderfulbreedname,andthenamestuck.

There are several things to say about thehairless characteristic.Whenyoupet theSphynx, theskinfeelsquitedifferent thanthatofothercats.Becauseitlacksahaircoat,thiscatrequiresawarmenvironment,andyouarelikelytofindthat your Sphynx wants to cuddle up quite often to keep warm. Your initialimpression might be that this is a low maintenance pet. However, the oilproducedinitsskinisnotabsorbedbyfurandthereforetendstobedepositedonfurniture,aswellasonlaps.Also,theoilyskinactslikeamagnetforgrimeanddirt andmay leaveadirty spotwhere theSphynx regularly liesonbeddingorfurniture.So, insteadof thefurgroomingthat is requiredformanybreeds, themaintenanceissoapywashing,everyweekorso.

Another misconception about the Sphynx is that these cats arehypoallergenic. Because they still produce dander proteins and therefore havedanderintheirsalivafromgrooming,likeothercatstheyareallergenictothosesusceptiblebecauseitisthedanderproteinsthatareallergyproducing.However,thereisanupsidetohavingahairlesscat:Therearenohairballstoworryabout,noshedding,andhappily,nofleas.

Lookingatthiscat,youmightfeelthatitisperhapsskittish,abitwild,andunfriendly, but in fact, fans of this breed refer to the Sphynx as loving andpatient, which is reflected in the behavioral profile asmoderately affectionateand relatively low in aggression toward family members. They are also

moderatelyplayful.Theyranklowinfriendlinesstowardvisitors,althoughtheyarenotparticularlyfearful.

Give the Sphynx high scores in the household sanitation area; they arerankedastheleastlikelyofallbreedstoengageinurinemarkingbehaviorandarenearthetopinlitterboxuse.Andtheirlowrankinginfurniturescratchingisanotherhouse-friendlytrait.

BecausetheSphynxhastiestotheminimal-hairedDevonRexandCornishRex breeds, you should be aware of the possibility of serious side effects tocertain anesthetics known for affecting the Rex cats, and if an anesthetic isneeded, advise the veterinarian to be cautious. Other than this concern, andperhaps a bit counterintuitive given the looks of the Sphynx, no particulardiseasepredispositionsareapparentatthistime.

WhatitallboilsdowntowiththeSphynxisappreciatingtheiruniquelooksandfamily-friendlybehavioralprofile.WeencourageyoutogetanEgyptiancatstatuetoberemindedoftheratherroundaboutwayyourSphynxgotitsname.

Sphynx•Hairless•Oilyskin•Playful•Leastlikelytourinemark•Goodlitterboxuse

RankingoftheSphynxonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

TonkineseIn numerous articles in Cat Fancy and other publications, writers exuberantlytalk about how the Tonkinesemakes an ideal pet, stating that this breed getsalongwithchildrenandisfriendlytoothercats.Onefanciercharacterizesitas“aratherchattybreed,”whichmakessensebecausetheTonkineseisrankedjustbehind Siamese and Oriental in vocalization. Another fancier gives thevocalization tendency a romanticized twist, describing these cats as “smoothtalkers.”

TheTonkinesewastheresultofratherenterprisingbreedersinCanadainthe1960swhostartedbreedingSiamesewithBurmeseandendedupwithacatthatisintermediateinbodysizeandmorestockythantheSiamese.Whileoneofthebreeders initially suggested the name “Tonkanese,” the name Tonkinese wassettled upon, reflecting this cat’s ancestral origins in Burma (Burmese) andSiam/Thailand(Siamese)andtheirproximitytotheGulfofTonkin.ThischoiceofnamewasprobablyinfluencedbytheprevalenceoftheGulfofTonkinnameduring theVietnamWar in the1960s.Thenamestuck,and theTonkinesewasregisteredwith the Canadian Cat Association (CCA) in 1971 and the CFA in1978.Tonkinese come in fourbase coat colors (platinum, champagne,natural,andblue)andthreecoatpatterns(point[liketheSiamese],mink,andsolid[liketheBurmese]).

OvertheyearstheTonkinesehasgrowninpopularity.Thisbreedranksfairlyhigh in affection, activity level, vocalization, playfulness, and friendliness andlow in fearfulness. And, according to our authorities, the Tonkinese excels atlitterboxuseandhasalowtendencytourinemark,moresimilartotheBurmesethan theSiamese,which rankshigh inurinemarkingbehavior. Ifyouwantanactive, playful, affectionate cat that feels free to vocalize and is friendly tovisitors,theTonkineseisabreedcertainlyworthconsideringasyouridealcat.

TonkineseWellbuilt•Friendly•Notlikelytourinemark•Goodlitterboxuse

RankingoftheTonkineseonthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Regardingupkeepandmaintenance,caregiversoftheTonkinesearethefirstto say that this is one of those “wash-and-wear” breeds that is relatively lowmaintenance,mayberequiringonce-a-weekbrushing.Perhapsbecause this isanew breed, without a long history in breed restriction, there seem to be noparticulardiseasepredispositionsthatareapparent,otherthanagumcondition,gingivitis,whichseemstoplaguetheOrientalbreedsandmeritsattention.Whoknows,youmaywanttotakeupthechallengeoftryingtobrushyourcat’steeth.Goodluck.

DomesticshorthairWe cannot talk about cat breeds without discussing the generic and mostcommondomesticcat,theonethatisvirtuallytreatedasabreed—thedomesticshorthair(DSH).ThelonghairedcousinoftheDSHisreferredtoasthedomesticlonghair (DLH). (Domestic medium hair [DMH], the name for the mediumlengthhaircoatstyle,isatermmuchlessused.)TheDSHisalmostalwaysthecat you see featured inmagazine or television adswhen cats are used to helppromoteproducts.(Thisisnotsowithdogs:almostalldogsusedinadvertisingareofanidentifiablebreed.)

WecannotrefertotheDSHwithoutmentioningthecloselyrelatedAmericanShorthair,whichisapurebredcatandoneoftheoriginalbreedsacceptedbytheCFAbackin1906.TheAmericanShorthair,whichwedonotcoverasaseparatebreedinthisbook,actuallyarosefromearlyDSHfarmandhousecatswhenagroup of breeders wanted to consolidate what they thought were the mostdesirablemorphologicalcharacteristicsandstarted selecting foracat thatbredtrue to theirexpectations.TheAmericanShorthair issaid tobeoneof the twobreedsnativetotheUnitedStates,sharingthisdistinctionwiththeMaineCoon.The American Shorthair comes in a variety of colors, and the DSH an evengreatervariety.

Toexplainalittlebitmore,catsoriginallyarrivedintheUnitedStatesfromEurope by boat (including on theMayflower). These cats were used to keepdown rodents on the ships, and then around the farms in the New World.ApparentlyanoffshootoftheBritishShorthair,thesecatswerefairlyuniforminbody style.Eventually these catswerebredwithSiamese andPersians,whichintroducedquite abit ofvariability.Mostly the scales tipped in favorof thosewhoreallylikedthelooksoftheBritishShorthair.

IntheDSHyouwillseeagooddealofvariety,reflectingcrossbreedingthatproduces litters thatcanbequitediverse. In thisbookweprovideabehavioralprofileoftheDSHthatourauthoritiesfeltwasfairlyrepresentativeofthetypicalshorthairfoundinmosthomesandanimalshelters.DSHshavealsofoundtheirwayintoourlivesasferalcatsfedbycatloversthroughouttheworld.

TurntotheDSHbehavioralprofilegraphandyoufindarelativelymoderateprofilewithstrongrankingsinaffectiontowardfamily,playfulness,friendliness,andactivitylevel.Aggressiontowardfamilymembersisintheupperone-halfofbreeds,asisaggressiontowardothercats.Therearetwoelementstofocusoninthe behavioral profile. One is that theDSH seems to have retained its stronginstinctforsanitarybehavior,beingrankedtopswithregardtolitterboxuse.But

notealsothatthisisthetop-rankedbreedforurinemarkingbehavior.Thiscanbea seriousconcern,especially ifyouareplanning togetamalecat,becausemales, neutered or not, aremuchmore likely to urinemark in the house thanfemales,andthisincludesevenmalesneuteredasearlyaseightweeksofage.Ifyou reallywant to reduce thechanceofurinemarkingbyacat inyourhome,considera female.Youcanalso lookatbreeds that rankmuch loweronurinemarking.

Finally, the DSH is your classic songbird predator. If you are concernedabout doing everything you can to keep songbirds around your property,especially those young fledglings, consider making your DSH an indoor-onlycat.Ifyouenjoyagardenwithsongbirdsandstillwantyourcattobeoutdoorssome,thereareotherbreedsthatrankmuchlowerinthistrait.

Thegeneticallyrelateddiseasepredispositionslistedinthepurebredprofilesare specific to eachparticular breed.Because theDSH is, by definition, not apurebred,wecannotpoint toparticulardiseasevulnerabilities.This shouldnotbe taken to imply that the DSH does not have genetically related diseasevulnerabilities,butthattheseareonacase-by-casebasis.

Domesticshorthair

•Notapurebred—physicalandbehavioraltraitsvary•Tendencytourinemarkbutgoodlitterboxuse

Rankingofthedomesticshorthaironthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

DomesticlonghairThis cat is the longhaired cousin of the DSH. African wild cats, the mainprogenitorsofthemoderndomesticcat,wereallshorthairs.However,haircoatmutations occur from time to time. The gene responsible for long hair isrecessive,meaningthatanyparticularcatneedstwocopiesofthisgeneinordertohavelonghair.Hence,longhairedcatsaremuchlesscommonthanshorthairedcats.

Therehasbeenagooddealofinterestonthepartofcathistoriansastotheoriginofthelonghaircharacteristicandhowitbecamewidespread.Sometraceitback to Persian ancestry and the introduction of longhaired Persian cats toEuropethatinturnbredwiththeresidentshorthairs.Otherssaythatthelonghairmutation arose at the same time in three different areas: Russia, Persia, andTurkey.StillotherssaythatthelonghairmutationoriginatedinRussia,whereintheSiberianwinter,thehaircoatwouldserveanycatwellintermsofsurvival.FromRussiathislonghaircatthenspreadintoTurkeyandPersia,givingrisetothelonghaircatsfromtheseregions.

Regardless of the true story, longhair catswere first seen inEurope in the1500s, originally in Italy and then in France. Sometimes theywere given thenickname“angora,” referring to theoldTurkishcityofAngora (nowAnkara).FromFrance they then reachedBritain.Somewherearound themid-nineteenthcentury,catenthusiastsbegandistinguishingtheTurkishangoracatsfromotherlonghaircatscomingfromPersiaandRussia.

In thisbookwedealwithanumberofbreeds thathavebothshorthairandlonghair versions. The DLH historically represents a mixture of breedings ofseveraltypesoflonghaircats,wherefromtimetotimetherecessivegenecropsup.Thishappensoftenenough thatevenDSHbreedingscanresult in longhair(DLH)cats.

Domesticlonghair•Notapurebred—physicalandbehavioraltraitsvary•Tendencytourinemarkbutgoodlitterboxuse

Rankingofthedomesticlonghaironthetwelvebehavioraltraits.Thehighertheranking,themorelikelythecatwillexhibitthistrait.

Interestingly, there is no correspondingCFA-recognized breed to theDLHliketheAmericanShorthaircounterparttotheDSH.InthecoldclimatessuchasMaine,Alaska, and northernMinnesota, longhair cats have a definite survivaladvantage, and this has been the secret to thewell-established permanency oflonghairinsomeofthebreeds.

Turningtothebehavioralprofile,whatweseeisaslightlymoderatedversionof the shorthair profile,with urinemarking third from the highest, behind theDSHandtheBengal.TherankinginlitterboxuseissomewhatbelowthatoftheDSH.TheDLHisalsorankedsomewhat lowerthantheshorthairversionwithregard to affection and aggression, activity level, vocalization, furniturescratching,andevenpredation.

Keepinmindthattheverylonghairedcatsdonotmakegoodoutsideanimalsbecausetheirhaircoatsareverypronetomatting,andbeingoutdoors tends tomake upkeep more difficult. There are authorities that say they should begroomed forhalf anhourperday,whichprobably exceeds the timebudgetofmanywould-becaregivers.Atanyrate,thereisadefinitetradeoff.InlookingattheDLHasyournewfelinehousemate,keephaircoatmaintenanceinmind.Asmentioned for the DSH, this breed is, by definition, not a purebred, and we

cannotpointtoparticulardiseasevulnerabilities.SomeindividualDLHcatsmaywellhavegeneticallyrelateddiseasevulnerabilities,buttheseareonacase-by-casebasis.

Chapter8

Whycatsdothat:Purring,yawning,eatinggrass,andflippingoutoncatnip

This chapter applies to all breeds and both genders. It is about the intriguingthingsthatcatsdothatendearthemtous,makeuswonderaboutcatbehavior,andevenentertainus.Weareenthusiasticaboutendingthisbookbyaddressingthe questionweoften ask about our cats:Whydo they do that?Wehave onecaveat, however, regarding the explanations we provide as to why cats purr,yawn,munchongrass,andflipoutoncatnip.Theresearchisnotyetdefinitiveand is still ongoing; our interpretations fit bestwith the science available andseemtomakethemostsense.Tenyearsfromnowwecouldbeadjusting,oratleastfine-tuning,someexplanations.

WhycatspurrPerhapsthemostuniqueandendearingbehaviorofcatsispurring.Butwhydocats purr? Dogs don’t, horses don’t, sheep don’t, people don’t. But someanimals, such as other felids, dopurr—we’ll get to that.Thenext question is,howdocatspurr?

Yes,apurringkittycanmakeitlooklikepurringisallaboutcontentment,butthereismoretoitthanthat. The low-pitched 25 Hz fundamental frequency of purring appears to play a role in woundhealingandmaintainingmuscularandbonestrength.

Asitturnsout,newanswerstothesequestionshaverecentlyemergedduetothecuriosityofscientists.First,hereisabitonthemechanismofhowcatspurr.Recordings show that purring is producedby a signaloriginating in thebrain,innervating muscles of the larynx, causing muscle twitches at the rate of 25cycles per second (25 hertz [Hz]), which produce a vibration at the samefrequency. Because this is such a low frequency vibration, what we hear is aharmonic, that is, a multiple of the basic 25 Hz, such as 50 Hz or 100 Hz.However,thecatactuallyfeelsthe25Hzvibrations.Interestingly,purringoccursduring both inspiration and expiration. And, cats can purr while they meow.Kittenspurratthesamelowfrequencyasadultcats;sizemakesnodifference.

Whileyoumight thinkof purring as awayof communicating a feelingofcontentment,thatisnotthecompletepicture.Aninsightintothereasoncatspurrcomesfromresearchontheuseoflowfrequencyvibrations,aroundthe25Hzfrequency just mentioned, by physical therapists on humans for promotingwoundhealing,relievingpain,increasingmusclemass,andhelpingintherepairof tendons andmuscles. It is postulated that the same effects onmuscles andbonescanoccur in catsduringpurring.Whenawild felidgoes for the all-outchase for a dinner, and comes back with sore muscles and overly stretchedtendons,purringishealing.

Veterinariansarewellawarethatcatsfrequentlypurrwheninjuredorsick—even on the exam table. And they often purr when giving birth.While theseexamplescertainlydonotrepresentcontentment,neitherdotheymeanthatthesickorinjuredcatthatpurrsispsychotic.Accordingtothehypothesishere,catsare using the instinctual behavior inherited from their wild ancestor thatpromotesbodyhealing.Thesickorinjuredcatthatpurrsisasmartcat.Andyes,there is an advantage tomothers purringwith their kittens; it likely helps themother to recover from the trauma of giving birth and the kittens to growstrongerbones.

Aside from helping to repair injured tissue, purring also has a function ofpreserving muscle mass and bone strength. Cats purr a lot while just lyingaround—undoubtedlyevenwhenwedonotknowaboutit.Whilefelidsareyourprototypical couch potato, they do not lose muscle mass and body conditionfromdoingnothinglikeushumans.Wouldthatwemerehumanscouldpurr!

What felids purr? Since the writings of Darwin it has been known thatseveral wild felids, including pumas, cheetahs, and ocelots, purr. Darwinbelieved that lions, jaguars, and leopardsdonotpurr.Hereagain,Darwinwasright.Researchhasaddedbobcats,lynx,andtheAfricanwildcatancestorofthedomesticcattothelistofpurrers,andtigerstothelistofnon-purrers.Thelargefelidsthatpurrdosoataboutthesame25Hzfrequencyasthedomesticcat.

Astowhysomefelidspurrandothersdonot,wecanpointtotheinterestingfactthatthosefelidsthatpurrcannotroar,andthosefelidsthatroarcannotpurr.Itboilsdowntothedegreeofossificationinthebonesofthelarynx(thehyoidapparatus,tobeexact).Tomakealonganatomylessonshort,thespecieswithafully ossified, or stiff, hyoid apparatus purr and they thus enjoy the purring-relatedhealthbenefits.Thespecieswithanon-ossified,elastic,hyoidapparatusroarbutcan’tpurrorenjoythebenefitsofpurring.Lookatitthisway,ifroaringgoodandloudgetsyouyourwaymoreoftenwithregardtoresourcesinnature,youmustgiveup thebenefitsofpurring.Likemost things in life, felidscan’thaveitbothways.

WhycatsyawnHere is a behavior thatwe share not onlywith our cats, but our dogs, horses,cows, sheep, and even birds.We can look at whywe yawn to come upwithinsights.

According to the leading old-school theory, we yawn because of a lowoxygenlevel in theblood,andyawningopensup theaeratingsacs(alveoli)ofthelungsandoxygenatestheblood.Thetheorygoesthatwhenouranimals(orwe)areinactive,suchasjustbeforegoingtosleep,oruponwakingup,ourlungshavenotbeenfullyusedandthe“involuntary”yawnfillsunusedalveoli,gettingthemactiveagainandincreasingbloodoxygenlevelsuptonormal.Theproblemis,bloodoxygenandcarbondioxidelevelsarethesameinsleepyasfullyawakeanimals,andifyouadministeroxygentothesleepypersonoranimal,yawningstill occurs. Besides, unborn fetuses even yawn.Yawning, as it turns out, hasnothingtodowithoxygenatingtheblood.

Lookfamiliar?Catsyawnjustlikeus—uponawakeningandwhendrowsy.Yawninghasnothingtodowithoxygenatingtheblood.Itisnowbelievedthatyawningactivatesasleepybrain,presumablybycoolingitviathevascularsupply.

Recently, researchersput forth the theory thatwhat yawning reallydoes isactivatethebrain,anditdoesthisprimarilybycoolingthebrain.Whenwe,orourcats,are inactive,suchaswhen justwakinguporwhile resting—or in thehuman instance, listening to a boring talk—the blood flow to the brain slowsdown.Sincethebrainproducesmoreheatthantherestofthebody,agoodbloodflow is essential because the blood pulls heat from the brain, keeping it fromoverheating.Whenwearerestingorbeingboredandthebloodflowslowsabit,thebraintendstoheatup.

Now the brain, like any high-powered computer, works best when cooler.When we, or our cats, are sleepy, a good yawn increases the blood-coolingmechanism,revvingupthecomputer,andwecanputoffsleepingawhile.Thesamethinghappensuponawakening,whenthebrainneedsaboost.Thecoolingofthebrainbybloodflowrequiresthatthebloodiscooledbeforeitentersthebrain,andthishappensprimarilybycooledvenousbloodcomingfromthenasalarea, cooling arterial blood coming in around the base of the brain.Yawning,withthejawsheldopenforafewseconds,helpstocoolthisnasalvenousblood.

Inhumans,greatapes,andpossiblydogs,yawningiscatching—youyawn,Iyawn.Whilenoonehasshownthatdogs“catch”theyawnsofotherdogs,thereissomegoodevidencethatdogscancatchhumanyawns.Wedonotknowaboutcatscatchingyawnsofothercatsortheirhumancaregivers.Withhumansthereisalsothenotionthatyawningreflectssomeempathywithfellowhumans,whileothers claim that by catching another’s yawn, you are getting your brainactivatedtoo,justincasesomethingdangerousisaroundthecorner.

WhycatseatgrassandhouseplantsIf you have been around cats much when they have access to grass orhouseplants,youprobablyhaveseenthemmunchingaway.Bothcatsanddogsare commonly observed to eat grass and other plant items that have nonutritionalvalue.Theexplanationshaveoftenbeenthatplantsprovidefiberorthattheanimalisfeelingillandeatinggrassinducesthemtovomit.Ifyouhaveseencatseatgrass,itislikelythatyouhavenotdetectedanysignsofillnessandhavenotseenthemvomitregularlyafterward.

Sowhat is the explanation for grass and plant eating? For one thing, it isknownthatwildfelidsandcanidsinnatureareknowntoeatgrass.Forexample,grass is seen in 5 to 10 percent of the scats of cougars and wolves. Mostdomesticcatseatgrassastheirpreferredplant.

Planteating,especiallygrasseating,isabehaviorseeninotherfelidspecies.Planteatingafewtimesaweek is a normal behavior of healthy cats and seems to be related to an instinct inherited fromancestralcatslivinginthewildthatservestokeepintestinalwormstoaminimum.

Togetmoreinformationonplanteatingbycatsfromhundredsofcaregiversinapositiontoobservewho,where,andwhentheircatsateplants,welauncheda web-based survey and got close to 1,500 useable survey responses on bothoutdoorandstrictlyindoorcats.Weparticularlyfocusedonwhethercaregiversobserved signs of sickness before their cats ate grass, signs of vomitingafterward,anddiet.

Grass was the most frequently eaten plant, but not the only plant eaten.Contrarytopopularbelief,onlyabout10percentofcatcaregiversreportedthattheir cats frequently show signs of illness prior to plant eating, and only 20

percent reported that their cats regularly vomit afterward. Therefore, weconcludethatgrassandplanteatingisnotrelatedtoillness,andonlysometimesisfollowedbyvomiting.Andwefoundnorelationshipbetweentypeofdietandplanteating,whichdoesnotlendsupporttothedietaryfiberidea.

The best explanation for grass and plant eating is that this is a normalbehavior, not associated with illness or a dietary need but an instinctualpredisposition, inherited fromwild felid ancestors. Innature, felids are alwaysexposed to intestinal parasites, so basically all wild cats carry some intestinalparasite load.There is reason to believe, especially basedon researchonwildchimpanzees, thatgrasseatinghasan intestinalparasitepurgingeffect.That ispresumably why cougars regularly eat grass. Grass eating is a type of self-medication—herbal medicine if you will. Grass and plants are nature’s de-wormingmedicine.

Onemoreinterestingfindingisthatyoungcats, thoselessthanoneyearofage,eatgrassmorefrequentlythandoadultcats.Theexplanationforthisisthatinnature,young, rapidlygrowingfelidsaremorevulnerable thanadultcats tointestinalparasitesthatstealnutrition.So,havinganinstinctivedrivetoeatgrassforintestinalparasitepurgingmakessense.

Herearesomepracticalprecautionstotake.Foronething,chemicalsappliedtolawnscanbetoxic.Youmightcontrolwhat isputonyourlawnandrestrictthecat’saccessforabitafterspraying;ofcourseyoudonotnecessarilyknowabout the neighbor’s lawn.This is another reason to have the cat live indoorsonly.However, the indoorenvironmenthas its risks too.Manyhouseplantsaretoxictocats.Ifyourcathastheperfectlynormaldrivetoeatplants,andgrassisnotavailable,thecatmayturntomunchingoneofyourhouseplants.Notthatthehouseplantsarelikelytobefatalifeaten,buttheycancausevomiting,diarrhea,excessivesalivation,andirritationofthelips.Sohereisagoodreasontoprovideyour indoor cat with a grass garden: you humor their instinct and provide anappealingalternativetohouseplants,toxicornot.

Evenwithanindoorgrassgarden,somecatsmayexperimentabitandtryahouseplant also.This is especially trueofyoungcats, or evenkittens, that aredrawntomoreofavarietyofplantstoeat.Bevigilantandkeepthehouseplantsoutofreach.Hereisalistofsomeofthepoisonousplants:

Azalea/Rhododendron MarijuanaAmaryllis PeaceLily(MaunaLoaPeaceLily)AutumnCrocus CastorBean OleanderChrysanthemum Pothos

Cyclamen SagoPalmEnglishIvy ScheffleraKalanchoe Tulip/NarcissusBulbsLilies Yew

Ifyoususpect thatyourcat (ordog)haseatenapoisonousplant,callyourveterinarian and theASPCAAnimal Poison Control Center hotline (888-426-4435).

WhycatsflipoutoncatnipAllcatcaregiversknowthatmanycatslovecatnip,orseemto,andevenflipoutover it.Why is this? Do all felids respond this way? Is there some adaptivefunction?Aretheyreactingtowhattheysmell,orisitamarijuana-likereactionto the catnip they consume? As it turns out, here is a behavior in which wecannot point to a possible adaptive benefit; the behavior seems to have noevolutionarysurvivalvalue.However,thebehavioris“normal”inthesensethatlotsofcatsreacttocatnip,anditisnotrelatedtoanymedicalproblem.

Herearesomeusefulinsightsintothisstrange,felid-specificbehavior.Firstof all, only 50 to 70 percent of cats respond to catnip. For those that do, thecatnip reaction typically involves sniffing and then chewing the catnip source,generallyaclothmousestuffedwithdrycatnipleaves.However,catsrespondtocatnipnomatterhowitispackaged,orwhethertheleavesarefreshlypickedordried.The initial reaction to the catnipmayprogress to rubbing their chinsorcheeks on the source, and rubbing their bodies on the ground alongside themouse,reminiscentoffemalecourtshipbehavior.Somecatsprogresstobattingthemouselikeakittenplayingwithaleaf.Alsocommonispawinganddiggingat themousewith the hind legs, and/or biting into it—behaviors that are verylikethewayacatbitesintoarodentprey.Thesecatnipreactionsoccurmoreorlessatrandom.Thenthereisasatiationeffect,sothatthereactionlastsonlyfivetofifteenminutesandcannotbeevokedagainforanhourorso.

Scientistshavediscoveredthattheactiveingredientthatcatsrespondtoisatypeof lactonecallednepetalactone.At thispoint, thebestexplanation for thearrayofresponsesisthatcatnipactivatesdifferentareasofthebrainthatcontrolfemale courtship-like behavior, kitten-like play, and predatory behavior, atrandom.Weknowfromresearchthatthecatnipreactionismediatedbythesenseofsmell;catnipdoesnothavetobeingested,andisusuallynoteaten.

Aredomestic cats the only species that respond to catnip?As it turns out,several felids other than domestic cats are known to flip out on catnip: lions,

leopards,jaguars,bobcats,pumas,andocelots.Sohowdid cats and catnipget together?Youwould think that if cats and

other responding felids grew up and livedwhere catnip grows theywould bealways trippingout—kittenswouldbeneglected,catswould lose theiredge inhunting, and the catnip loversmight lose their territory.Not surprisingly then,thecatnipplant(Nepetacataria)and theancestraldomesticcatandother felidspecies that respond to this plant are native to different continents. Catnip isnativetoEurasia,andthecatnip-respondingfelidsarenativetoNorth,Central,and South America and sub-Saharan Africa. Interestingly, the tiger, which isnativetoEurasia,wherecatniporiginated,doesnotrespondtocatnip.

Catsandtheirbelovedatcatnipevolvedondifferentcontinents;theymetupinEuropeandNorthAmericabyaccident.Theattractionofcatstoallformsofcatnipseemstobeincidental.Thereisnoadaptivefunctiontocats’flippingoutoncatnip,forcatsortheplant.

Enter the human factor. People have transported both cats and the catnipplantaroundtheworld:Wehumansbroughtcatsandcatniptogether.Thecatnipreaction appears to be an incidental, functionless result of our mingling withnature.Nowcatshaveaccesstotheplantifitisprovidedbyhumancaregivers.

Thestrangereactionofcatstoacatnipmouseorloosecatnipleavesseemstoresultfromtherandomactivationofneuralcircuitsassociatedwithcourting,play,andpredationbehaviors.

Hereisanewtwisttothecatnipstory,presentedhereasamerepossibility.Basedonhowacatoftenbatsaroundand“plays”witharealmouseithasjustcaught, in a catnip-like fashion, it is quite plausible that there is a connectionbetweentheeffectsofcatnipandtheeffectsofmiceoncats.Miceareknowntoproducelactonesinskinsecretions,especiallywhentheyarestressed.Itislikelythatthelactonesecretionofastressedmouseisenoughlikenepetalactone,thatwhenmicearecaughtandstressedbyacat,theyproducethissecretionandthecat goes through a “catnip reaction” that distracts them from themouse longenoughtogivethemouseachancetoescape.Thiscatnip-mimicsecretionwouldbe the mouse’s “magic potion,” offering a last chance to escape. No wonderdriedcatnipisalmostalwayspackagedasaclothmouse.

EpilogueThepopularityofcatsinAmericanhomes,andinthoseinotherdevelopedcountriesaroundtheworld,hasgrowntothepointthatcatsnowoutnumberdogsasthemostcommonhumancompanionanimal.Thereasonsarenumerous,butcertainlyabigfactoristhatinthemoderneraweareawayfromourhomesmanymorehoursduringtheweekandourlivingspacesaresmaller.Thismakescatstheperfectcompanionanimal.Butwe,ascaregivers,differinwhatwevalueinacat.

The close proximity with which cats share our lives, and the rather long

durationoftheirtimewithus—sometimesasmuchastwentyyears—meansthattheir behavior impacts us and affects what we gain personally from thisrelationship. In this bookwe discussed how recognized breeds, aswell as thesexes,candiffersubstantiallyintheireverydaybehavior.Bypresentingthisdataour intention was not to gloss over the importance of individual differenceswithinabreedorgender.Rather,theprofilesinthisbookaregeneralizationsthatpointtomajordifferencesbetweenthebreedsandgenders.

Givenwhat cats canmean tous, andhowwediffer inwhatwe findmostrewardinginourexperienceswiththem,ourgoalwiththisbookwastoprovideyouwithbreedandgenderbehavioralprofilesthatwillhelpyoutoselectthecatbest suited to your personality, lifestyle, and home environment.Welcoming anewkittenorcatintoyourhomeisanimportantstep.Wetrustthatourtipsmaymake that transition easier for you and your new companion, and that ourthoughtsonraisingcatstoencouragethebehaviorswelikeanddiscouragethosewedonot likemayalsoprovetobeuseful.Wehopewehavehelpedyoufindandenjoythefriendshipofyouridealcat.

Annotatedbibliography

I.GeneralbooksaboutcatsClutton-Brock,J.Cat.NewYork:DorlingKindersley,1991.Clutton-Brock contributes to the DK Eyewitness Books, almost equallyfocusingonwildanddomesticcats.Eachtopicgetstwopages,forexample,catcharacteristics;shorthairs;longhairs;caringforyourcat,whichdepictstheitemsrequiredforcatcare.

Edwards, A. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cats, Cat Breeds & Cat Care.London:HermesHouse,2006.This book comprehensively discusses care of cats and then introduces thelonghair, semi-longhair, and shorthair groups of breeds, aswell as the non-pedigreed cats. The beautiful photographs clarify specific behaviors andtechniquesofcare.

Hart,B.L.,L.A.Hart, andM. J.Bain.CanineandFelineBehaviorTherapy.2nded.Ames,IA:Blackwell,2006.Thisisacomprehensivetextmeantforveterinariansthatdealswithproblembehaviorsofcatsaswellasdogs,byprovidingbackground informationandthen discussing the diagnosis of problem behaviors, followed by treatmentguidelines. Two chapters are devoted to the interactions of pets with theirhuman companions, emphasizing the benefits of pets to humanmental andphysicalhealth,anddealingwithpetloss.

Hofmann,H.TheNaturalCat:UnderstandingYourCat’sNeedsand Instincts:Everything You Should Know about Your Cat’s Behavior. Stillwater, MN:VoyageurPress,1994.Hofmann begins with cats depicted in religion and art, as well as their

evolution. Most of the book is devoted to the behaviors of cats from aneverydayperspective:eatinganddrinking,grooming,sleeping,courtship,andoldage.

Leyhausen,P.CatBehaviour:ThePredatoryandSocialBehaviorofDomesticandWildCats.NewYork:GarlandSTOMPress,1979.Leyhausen’s classic work is famous for its diagrammatic illustrations ofoffensiveanddefensivebodyposturesandfacialexpressionsofcats.Anyoneinterestedinpredatoryorsocialbehaviorofcatswillenjoyreadingthisbook.

II.ChoosingandwelcomingyourkittenHart, B. L., and R. A. Eckstein. “The Role of Gonadal Hormones in theOccurrenceofObjectionableBehaviours inDogsandCats.”AppliedAnimalBehaviourScience52(1997):331–344.Thisresearchpapernotesthatexperienceandageatthetimeofcastrationdonotpredictwhichcatsordogswillbeaffectedbycastration.

Siino,B.S.TheComplete Idiot’sGuide toChoosing aPet.NewYork:AlphaBooks,1999.Thisbookconsidersavarietyofpetsandpresentsashoppinglistofessentialsuppliesforeach.Theauthorscorescatsasmidrangeonthetimecommitmentrequired,withfairlyeasyfeedingandcleanup.Theyarescoredmoderateonsuitabilitywithchildrenfiveyearsandolder,andlowforchildrenunderfiveyearsofage.Basedontheinformationinthisbook,somebreedsthatarehighon affection and low on aggression may work out quite well with youngchildren.

III.HistoricalbackgroundofthedomesticcatEventhoughthecatistheworld’smostpopularpet,onlyrecentlyhavescientistsbegun putting together the ancient origin and developmental history of thedomestic cat. Judging by the cat images in ancient Egyptian artwork, we allassumedthatEgyptianswerethefirsttokeepcatsaspets,startingaround3,600years ago. Recent advances in deciphering the feline genome reveal thatdomestication actually began about 10,000 years ago in the Middle East. ArathertouchingpictureoftheancientdomesticationthatfitstheDNAdatawasthediscoveryofa9,500-year-oldburialsiteon the islandofCyprus,whereanadultpersonwas laid to rest in agrave togetherwith an8-month-old cat.The

human and catwere oriented in the same direction, revealing a bond betweenthem.Readmoreabouttheoriginofthedomesticcatinthefollowingsources.

Clutton-Brock, J.Cats: Ancient and Modern. Cambridge: Harvard UniversityPress,1993.

Driscoll, C. A., J. Clutton-Brock, A. C. Kitchener, and S. J. O’Brien. “TheTamingoftheCat.”ScientificAmerican300,no.6(2009):68–75.

Kitchener, A. The Natural History of the Wild Cats. Ithaca, NY: CornellUniversityPress,ComstockPublishingAssociates,1997.

Lipinski,M.J.,etal.“TheAscentofCatBreeds:GeneticEvaluationsofBreedsandWorldwideRandom-bredPopulations.”Genomics91(2008):12–21.

IV.Breed-specificbehavioralprofilesThefollowingresourcesprovidedmuchofthemethodologyforthisbook.

Hart,B.L.andL.A.Hart.ThePerfectPuppy:HowtoChooseYourDogbyItsBehavior.NewYork:W.H. Freeman andCo., 1988.Reprinted,NewYork:Barnes&NobleBooks,2001.

Hart,B.L.,andM.F.Miller.“BehavioralProfilesofDogBreeds.”JournaloftheAmericanVeterinaryMedicalAssociation186(1985):1175–1180.

V.Whyandhowcatsdothat

Whycatspurr

Purringisaprominentandmysteriousbehavior,butlittleconcreteinformationisavailableonthewhysofpurring.ThereferencebelowbyPetersdealswiththemechanism and differences in felid species that do and do not purr.As to thefunction, an acoustic researcher, Elizabeth vonMuggenthaler, first discoveredthe similaritybetween the frequencyofvibrations in a cat’s purring and thoseused in human physical therapy for promoting wound healing and to reduceswellingandrelievepain.

Peters,G.“PurringandSimilarVocalizationsinMammals.”MammalReview32(2002):245–271.

vonMuggenthaler, E., andB.Wright. “Solving theMystery of theCat’s Purr

Using theWorld’s Smallest Accelerometer.”Acoustics Australia 31 (2003):61.

Whycatsyawn

The most prominent theory for yawning, cooling the brain to rev-up the“computer,”isprofiledbyinvestigatorsactivelyworkinginthisfield.

Gallup,A.C.,andG.G.Gallup.“YawningandThermoregulation.”PhysiologyandBehavior95(2008):10–16.

Gallup, A. C., and G. G. Gallup. “Yawning as a Brain Cooling Mechanism:NasalBreathingandForeheadCoolingDiminishtheIncidenceofContagiousYawning.”EvolutionaryPsychology5(2007):92–101.

Whycatseatgrassandhouseplants

Theapparentdrivethatcatsanddogs,ascarnivores,seemtohavetoeatplants,especiallygrass,hasbeenanotheranimalbehaviormystery.Astrongindicationthat the behavior could be an instinct of felids and canids living in nature forcontrolling intestinal parasites comes fromobservations of chimpanzees.Readmoreaboutwhycatseatgrassandotherplantsinthefollowingsources.

Hart, B. L. “Why Do Dogs and Cats Eat Grass?” Veterinary Medicine 103(2008):648–649.

Huffman,M.A.,andJ.M.Canton.“Self-inducedIncreaseofGutMotilityandthe Control of Parasitic Infections in Wild Chimpanzees.” InternationalJournalofPrimatology22(2001):329–346.

Sueda,K.L.C.,B.L.Hart,andK.D.Cliff.“CharacterisationofPlantEatinginDogs.”AppliedAnimalBehaviourScience111(2008):120–132.

Whycatsflipoutoncatnip

This is a behavior that has no adaptive function; in fact, from the behavioralstandpoint, the reaction is downright weird. Nonetheless, many cats seem toenjoycatnipleaves,whetherfresh,dry,packagedinamouse,orloose.Thekeytounderstandingthecatnipreactionisthegeographyoftheoriginofthecatnipplantandof the felids that respond tocatnip.The followingsourceprovidesareviewofthecatnipreactionandthetypeofplantsthatevokeit.

Tucker,A.O.,andS.S.Tucker.“Catnipand theCatnipResponse.”EconomicBotany42(1988):214–231.

Index

NOTE: Entries inboldface signify breeds covered in depth in the text; page numbers in italics refer tographs.

Abyssinian,68–70,69;activitylevelof,42,43,68,77,106;affectionof,49,68;aggressionof,30,35,46,47,52,53,70;breedingand,92;fearfulnessof,63;friendlinessof,61;historyof,68;litterboxuseof,55; playfulness of, 50,51, 70; scratching by, 29, 56,57, 70; songbird predation of, 44,45, 70; urinemarkingof,59,70;vocalizationof,41

activity level, 42, 43; breeds known for high, 69, 73, 79, 93, 107; breeds known for low, 97; asconsideration,2,3;genderdifferencesin,16–18,17;predictivevalueof,36

adultcat,adoptionof,9–11affection,48,49;breeddifferencesin,36;breedsknownfor,75,85,101;breedsknownforlackof,69,73;asconsideration,2,29–30;genderdifferencesin,16–18,17,29;predictivevalueof,37

Africanwildcats,118age:ofadoption,7–8;ofneutering,3,24,116;lifespanand,88,133aggression,29–30;breedsknownforhigh,30,46,52,69,73;breedsknownfor low,46,52, 101; genderdifferencesin,16–18,17;predictivevalueof,37;towardfamilymembers,2,3,30,46,47;towardothercats,2,3,25,52,53;trainingfor,30

AmericanAssociationofFelinePractitioners,3–4AmericanCatFanciersAssociation(ACFA),72AmericanShorthair,115,120AsianLeopardCat,34,71,72

behavioralgenetics,36,67Bengal,71–72,73;activitylevelof,42,43,72,77,106;affectionof,48,49,72;aggressionof,30,34,46,47,52,53, 72; fearfulness of,63; friendliness of,61, 72; history of, 34, 68, 71; litter box use of,55;playfulnessof,50,51,72;scratchingby,29,56,57;songbirdpredationof,44,45,72;urinemarkingof,25,58,59,72,120;vocalizationof,41

breeders:historyof,31,33–34;questionstoask,7,9BritishShorthair,115Burmese,74–76,75;activitylevelof,43,76;affectionof,48,49,74,76;aggressionof,30,35,46,47,52,53;breedingand,99,112;fearfulnessof,63;friendlinessof,61;historyof,74;litterboxuseof,22,55,76; playfulness of, 51; scratching by, 57; songbird predation of, 45; urine marking of, 25, 59, 76;vocalizationof,41,76

CanadianCatAssociation(CCA),112

CatFanciers’Association(CFA),72,74,80,84,87,92,95,99,105,109,112,115,120CatFancy,112catnip,121,129–32,140children,1,46;gettingalongwith,19,30,112claws,sharpening,26–27.SeealsoscratchingCornishRex, 77–78,79, 110; activity level of, 43, 77; affection of, 49; aggression of, 47, 52, 53, 77;fearfulness of,63, 77; friendliness of,61; history of, 77; litter box use of,55, 78; playfulness of,51;scratchingby,29,56,57,78;songbirdpredationof,44,45;urinemarkingof,25,58,59,77;vocalizationof,41,77

DevonRex,109,110DLH.Seedomesticlonghairdogs,6;comparedtocats,32,35;earlyexposureto,7,19;gettingalongwith,10domestic longhair (DLH), 2, 5, 115, 118–20,119; activity level of, 42,43, 120; affection of, 49, 120;aggression of, 47, 52, 53, 120; fearfulness of, 63; friendliness of, 61; litter box use of, 55, 120;playfulnessof,51;scratchingby,57,120;songbirdpredationof,44,45,120;asunpredictable,3;urinemarkingof,25,58,59,120;vocalizationof,41,120

domesticmediumhair(DMH),115domesticshorthair(DSH),2,5,115–16,117,118;activitylevelof,42,43,116;affectionof,48,49,116;aggressionof,47,52,53,116;breedingand,71,80,83;fearfulnessof,63;friendlinessof,61,116;litterboxuseof,22,55,116;playfulnessof,50,51,116;scratchingby,57;songbirdpredationof,44,45,116;asunpredictable,3;urinemarkingof,25,58,59,116,120;vocalizationof,41

DSH.Seedomesticshorthair

Exotic,80–82,81;activitylevelof,43,82;affectionof,49,82;aggressionof,47,53,82;fearfulnessof,63,82;friendlinessof,60,61,82;litterboxuseof,55;playfulnessof,51;scratchingby,57;songbirdpredationof,45;urinemarkingof,59;vocalizationof,41

fearfulness,3,17,62,63friendliness,3,18,60fur,asconsideration,2.Seealsolonghair;shorthair

gender:differencesbetween,1–3,9,15–18,17,24,37,38,59;fixedcats,3,17,37,58,116genetics,36;behaviordifferencesas,67;DNAtestsand,8,76,98;researchon,32grass,eating.Seeplants:eating

health,ofparents,9,67.Seealsomedicalissueshistory,31–34,52,115,118,137–38;ofpurring,123–24.Seealsonaturalhabitshunting.Seerodentcontrol;songbirdpredation

InternationalCatAssociation,72,99

lapcat.Seeaffection:breedsknownforlitterboxuse,20–22,54;breeddifferencesin,36,55;breedsknownfor,22,54,75,79,85,103,111,113,117,119;asconsideration,2–3,9,22;genderdifferencesin,16–18,17;predictivevalueof,37;trainingfor,11–12,19,20–22

longhair,80,83,84,88,90,92,95,100;breedsknownfor,91,97;geneticsof,80,120

MaineCoon,83–86,85;activitylevelof,43;affectionof,49,84;aggressionof,30,46,47,53,84;fearfulnessof,62,63,84;friendlinessof,60,61,84;historyof,34,83–84,115;litterboxuseof,55,84;playfulnessof,51;scratchingby,57,84;songbirdpredationof,45;urinemarkingof,59;vocalizationof,40,41,84

Manx,87–88,89;activitylevelof,43;affectionof,35,48,49,88;aggressionof,47,53;fearfulnessof,63;friendliness of,61, 88; history of, 34, 87; litter box use of,55; playfulness of, 51; scratching by, 57;songbirdpredationof,45;urinemarkingof,59;vocalizationof,41,88

medical issues: Burmese head defect, 76; cardiomyopathy, 70, 98, 100; feline leukemia virus, 72;gangliosidosis,76;gingivitis,114;glycogenstoragedisease,90;gumcondition,114;hipdysplasia,86;hypertrophiccardiomyopathy,86,100;hypokalemia,76; intestinalparasiticworms,20, 128; paralysis,88;polycystickidneydisease,82,98;renalamyloidosis,70; spinal columndefect, 88; tearing,82, 98;vomiting,128–29

multi-cathome,11,18,52;litterboxesin,21;urinemarkingin,25

naturalhabits:catnip,130,140;depositingfecalmatter,20–21;eatingplants,126,128,139–40;hunting,31,32;scratching,25–27,56;urinemarking,23,58

neuteredmales.SeegenderNorwegianForestCat,90,92;activitylevelof,43;affectionof,49;aggressionof,47,53;fearfulnessof,63;friendlinessof,61;historyof,34,84,90;litterboxuseof,55;playfulnessof,50,51;scratchingby,57;songbirdpredationof,45;urinemarkingof,59;vocalizationof,41,90

Oriental,92–94,93;activitylevelof,43,94;affectionof,49,94;aggressionof,47,52,53,94;fearfulnessof,63,94;friendlinessof,61,94;historyof,92;litterboxuseof,55,94;playfulnessof,51;scratchingby,57;songbirdpredationof,45;urinemarkingof,59,94;vocalizationof,41,94,112

orphan,6–7outdooreliminationtraining,19,22–23outsidecats,2,120,128.Seealsooutdooreliminationtraining

Persian,95–98,97;activitylevelof,33,42,43,96;affectionof,49,96;aggressionof,47,53,96;breedingand,80,99,115;fearfulnessof,62,63,96;friendlinessof,60,61,96;groomingof,80;historyof,33–34,95,118;litterboxuseof,22,54,96;playfulnessof,33,50,51,96;predatorybehaviorof,33;scratchingby,29,33,56,57,96;songbirdpredationof,44,45;urinemarkingof,59,96;vocalizationof,33,40,41,96

plants:eating,121,126–29,139–40;poisonous,128–29.Seealsocatnipplayfulness,3,50,51;breedsknownfor,50,69,111;genderdifferencesin,16–18,17;predictivevalueof,37

purebredcats,2;advantagesof,7;historyof,33–34,102;litterboxuseof,22;aspredictable,3.See alsobreeders;andnamesofspecificbreeds

purring,121–24,138–39

Ragdoll,99–100,101;activitylevelof,42,43,99,100;affectionof,34,35,48,49,76,99,100;aggressionof,30,34,46,47,52,53,100;fearfulnessof,62,63,100;friendlinessof,60,61,84,99,100;historyof,34,99;litterboxuseof,55,100;playfulnessof,51,100;scratchingby,57,100;songbirdpredationof,44,45,100;urinemarkingof,25,58,59;vocalizationof,40,41,100

rodentcontrol,31,32,115;breedsknownfor,34RussianBlue,102–4,103;activitylevelof,43,102;affectionof,49,102;aggressionof,47,53;breedingand, 92; fearfulness of, 63; friendliness of, 61, 104; history of, 102; litter box use of, 22, 55, 104;playfulness of, 51, 102; scratching by, 57; songbird predation of, 45; urine marking of, 59, 104;

vocalizationof,41

scratching,25–29;breedsknownfor,29,56;offurniture,3,27,28,56,57;genderdifferencesin,16–18,17;predictivevalueof,37;asterritorialmarking,25–26,27,56;trainingand,12,19,28–29

shelters,adoptingfrom,5,10,35,116shorthair,70,72,74,88,92,108;geneticsand,80Siamese,105–8,107;activitylevelof,34,43;affectionof,49,106;aggressionof,47,52,53,106;breedingand,74,92,112,115;fearfulnessof,63;friendlinessof,61;historyof,33–34,105–6;litterboxuseof,55,106;playfulnessof,34,106;scratchingby,29,34,56,57,106;songbirdpredationof,34,45, 108;urinemarkingof,25,58,59,106;vocalizationof,33,40,76,94,106,112

sociability: breeds known for, 60, 62, 85, 101, 113; fear of strangers, 3, 17, 62,63; friendliness towardvisitors,3,18,60,61;genderdifferences in,16–18,17;humancontact,7;predictivevalueof,37.Seealsoaffection;aggression

songbirdpredation,44,45;breedsknownfor,34,44;asconsideration,2,3;genderdifferencesin,16–18,17;predictivevalueof,36

source:ideal,5–6,10–11;orphan,6–7.Seealsobreeders;sheltersspayedfemales.SeegenderSphynx,109–10,111; activity levelof,43; affection of, 48,49, 110; aggression of, 46,47, 52,53, 110;fearfulnessof,63,110;friendlinessof,60,61,110;historyof,109;litterboxuseof,55,110;playfulnessof,51,110;scratchingby,29,56,57,110;songbirdpredationof,44,45;urinemarkingof,25,58,59,110;vocalizationof,41

territorialmarker:scratchingas,25–26,27,56;urinemarkingas,23,58,72tests,8Tonkinese,112–14:activitylevelof,43,112;affectionof,49,112–13;aggressionof,47,53;fearfulnessof,62,63;friendlinessof,61,112,114;litterboxuseof,22,55,112;playfulnessof,51,112;scratchingby,57;songbirdpredationof,45;urinemarkingof,59,112;vocalizationof,40,41,112–14

trialadoption,10

urinemarking,9,23–25,58,59;breedsknownfor,25,58,107,117,119;breedsknownfornot,58,111,113;asconsideration,2,3;genderdifferencesin,15,16–18,17,24,58,116;predictivevalueof,37;preventing,19;asterritorialmarking,23,58,72

veterinarian:asauthority,3–4;questionstoask,1vocalization, 3, 40,41; gender differences in, 16–18,17; predictive value of, 36; quiet breeds, 40, 89;talkativebreeds,40,93,107

yawning,121,124–26