Feline Safety Part II

In the last post I talked about cat safety and mentioned some of the things that both kids and adults should know about cats in order to keep human skin safe, and to ensure that the cat is comfortable with an interaction as well.  Here are a few additional pieces of information. 

When cats are lying on their backs they are in a defensive position – they are NOT asking for a belly rub.  In this position they have use of all their weapons:  4 claws and teeth.  Leave your cat alone when he does this.   Yes -- this was in the last post, but it's important enough to state another time.  A lot of people get bit or scratched when they mistakenly think the cat is asking for a belly rub. 

 

When cats get wound up because they see other cats or animals outside the window stay clear.  Sometimes cats get frustrated because they can’t get outside at the other animal and might bite anyone who gets close to them.  This is very similar to a person who's having a bad day and is crabby to the people around them, even if those people have nothing to do with why the day is going so badly.  While dogs will also display redirected aggression on occasion, it is much more common in our feline friends. 

Cats don’t wag their tails like a dog, however you can tell how a cat is feeling by looking at his tail. A cat with a tail that is rapidly twitching or lashing it back and forth is agitated and should be left alone.  A cat who is happy and relaxed will have a relaxed body posture and will slowly twitch his tail.  

Below is a diagram on cat body language which illustrates a little better how to read your cat's mood.   Now go grab that fishing pole toy and have fun with your feline friend!