Practical feline behaviour understanding cat behaviour and improving welfare

Index

AAFP (American Association of Feline
Practitioners) 151
ABTC (Animal Behaviour and Training
Council) 169, 169
ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) 83
acupuncture 176, 177
adoption 188–189
adrenal glands 83
adrenaline 83, 172
African wildcat (Felix silvestris lybica)
3, 5 , 5 , 6, 22, 42, 49, 62
age-related issues 79, 81–82, 89
aggression 31, 33, 58, 145
and breeding 121, 124
defensive 150, 247–248
and epigenetics 67
in hand-reared cats 66
human-directed 11, 91, 150,
247–249, 247 , 248
maternal 59, 65, 72, 121,
124, 129, 129
misinterpreted as play 45, 46, 48, 75,
200–201, 251–252
in multi-cat households 45
and pain 80
self-directed 89
and stress 90–91
and visits to vet’s 151, 152, 153,
155, 158
and visual signals 30, 31 , 32
and vocalizations 23, 26
see also fighting
air-fresheners 155, 159
air-righting reflex 19–20, 20
alleochemicals 35
allogrooming 33, 34–35, 45
allorubbing 33–34, 34 , 45, 173
ambush attacks 48, 184, 224, 231
American Association of Feline Practitioners
(AAFP) 151
amino acids 51–52, 58, 175
Animal Behaviour and Training Council
(ABTC) 169, 169
anoestrus phase 60, 62
anogenital reflex 69
anthropomorphism 11

anxiety 67, 81, 82, 90

in kittens 26

medications for 171 , 175

separation 50, 51

and spraying 38–39, 91

Arabian wildcat see African wildcat

aromatherapy 176–177

Artemis (Greek deity) 8

arthritis 79

associative learning 100–112

and classical conditioning

100–101, 111

and counterconditioning 111

and food treats 101, 104, 108, 111, 114

and modifying unwanted behaviour

see unwanted behaviour,

modifying

and operant conditioning/instrumental

learning see operant

conditioning

and redirecting behaviours/alternative

targets 112

and shaping behaviour/successive

approximation see shaping

behaviour

attachment 10–11

attitudes towards cats 10–11

historical 7–8

autonomic nervous system 83

avoidance behaviours 47, 94

babies/children 149, 227–229

Bach flower remedies 174–176, 177

balancing skills 69

Bastet (Egyptian deity) 7, 8

bedding 182, 182 , 187

behavioural first aid 165–168, 245–250

advice to give/not to give in 167

and cat’s needs 166–167

and client expectations 166

and client’s needs 166

and time/resource limitations 165–166

behavioural pharmacology 169–170,

171–172, 173

see also pheromonatherapy

265

Note: bold page numbers indicate figures; italic page numbers indicate tables.