Animal Talk – July 2019

I

would definitely be very cautious when getting a new cat! Many dogs will chase unknown cats, but

live happily with a cat who is introduced correctly and carefully. Cats coming onto the property are

intruders, whereas a companion cat is not a stranger or a threat. If your dog has chased cats, however,

I would be wary of introducing a new cat – if he has practised the behaviour for a few years, learning

has occurred and he may behave similarly with an introduced cat.

Your best option, should you desire to adopt a cat, would be to discuss his behaviour with a positive

reinforcement behaviourist who can objectively assess the risks involved. The safety of the cat is

always the first priority and much thought and care should go into deciding whether to adopt a cat into

a home with a dog.

Katherine Brown, behaviourist

Another cat?

Our dog doesn’t allow cats on the property anymore, but he loved

our cat who died a few years ago. Can we have a cat again?

Problem solvers

Are cats good at

problem solving?

C

ats are good at solving problems

and also have the ability to combine

a learnt skill with insight into solving a

problem – whether it is jumping from one

platform to another to find a treat hidden

in a jar, or pulling boxes on wheels. In a

test of pulling boxes, cats were able to

teach themselves that by pulling a box to

an area where food was suspended out of

reach, the box could be used as a platform

to gain access to the food.

Small animal veterinarian

Cat fangs

Why do today’s cats need fangs?

A

lthough domestic cats can potentially live without canine

teeth (if fed the correct diet), they are still true carnivores,

and given the opportunity, will hunt and kill small prey. The

canine teeth (fangs) are used to kill and shred the prey. They can

also use these teeth to shred any large pieces of meat they get

fed. When cats chew food they use a cutting rather than grinding

action, and their sharp teeth are used for this purpose. Cats also

use their teeth for self-defence and will bite if threatened.

Dr Vanessa Mcclure, Veterinarian