![\"Cat](\"https:\/\/www.drphilzeltzman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/Cat-in-a-box.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHaving a happy, un-stressed cat is easy to do.<\/p>\n
Below are 5 secrets to help you achieve kitty Zen*.<\/p>\n
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1. Provide a safe place<\/strong><\/p>\n Every cat needs a safe and secure place\u00a0where (s)he\u00a0can retreat to and\u00a0feel protected. It can also be used\u00a0as a resting area. Kitty\u00a0should have the ability to exit and enter the\u00a0space from at least 2\u00a0sides if it feels threatened. Most cats prefer a\u00a0space large\u00a0enough to fit only themselves, that has sides around\u00a0it, and that is raised off the ground. 2. Provide multiple and separated key environmental\u00a0resources<\/strong><\/p>\n What on earth are key environmental\u00a0resources? Separation of these resources reduces the risk of competition,\u00a0stress and stress-associated diseases (e.g. bladder disease).<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0Provide opportunity for play and predatory behaviors<\/strong><\/p>\n Play and predatory\u00a0behaviors allow cats to fulfill their natural instinct\u00a0to hunt. Play can be stimulated with\u00a0the use of interactive toys that mimic preys, such as a toy mouse that is pulled across a floor\u00a0or feathers on a wand that is waved through the air. Allow your cat to capture the\u00a0\u201cprey\u201d\u00a0every once in a while\u00a0to prevent frustration.<\/p>\n Early in a cat\u2019s life, introduce interactive\u00a0play, so they learn to avoid going after your hands and feet for play. Using food puzzles\u00a0or food balls can mimic the action of hunting for prey, and\u00a0provides more natural eating behavior. You can encourage your\u00a0cat\u2019s interactive play by rotating your cat\u2019s toys, so they don’t get bored.<\/p>\n Use treats to reward and provide positive reinforcement for appropriate play. If you have more than one\u00a0cat, remember to play with them individually.<\/p>\n And because I am a surgeon, I have to remind you to never leave cat toys unattended, especially anything that looks remotely like a string or a ribbon. They can be swallowed by your cat – or your dog.<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0Provide positive, consistent, and predictable human\u2013cat social\u00a0interaction<\/strong><\/p>\n A cat’s individual preferences determine how much they like human\u00a0interactions such as petting, grooming, being played with,\u00a0being talked to, being picked up, and\u00a0sitting or lying on a person\u2019s lap.<\/p>\n To a large extent, this depends on whether, as kittens, they\u00a0were introduced to and socialized with humans during their period of socialization from\u00a02 weeks to 2 months of age. Remember that every cat interacts differently and respect your\u00a0cat\u2019s individual preferences.<\/p>\n Remind guests and all household\u00a0members not to force interaction and instead let the cat initiate, choose, and control the\u00a0type of human contact.<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0Provide an environment that respects the importance of the cat’s sense of smell<\/strong><\/p>\n Smell\u00a0and chemical information is a primary means by which cats assess\u00a0their surroundings and\u00a0affirm their sense of security and comfort within their living quarters. It is important for pet owners or other humans to avoid introduction introducing odors or substances (e.g.\u00a0detergents, medications, foods, laundry or unfamiliar clothing) that compete with or disrupt the cat’s sensory perception of its environment. When a\u00a0cat encounters an unpleasant or threatening smell,\u00a0the stress can cause\u00a0problem behaviors.<\/p>\n Marking is an important form of olfactory communication. A fundamental principle of maintaining a secure in familiar sensory environment is not to punish cats for house soiling.<\/p>\n These are 5 great tips to remember to keep your cat happy and healthy.<\/p>\n Until next time,<\/p>\n Phil Zeltzman, DVM, DACVS, CVJ<\/p>\n * The following 5 tips are inspired from\u00a0a document published by the\u00a0American Association of Feline Practitioners.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Having a happy, un-stressed cat is easy to do. Below are 5 secrets to help you achieve kitty Zen*. 1. Provide a safe place Every cat needs a safe and secure place\u00a0where (s)he\u00a0can retreat to and\u00a0feel protected. It can also be used\u00a0as a resting area. Kitty\u00a0should have the ability to exit and enter the\u00a0space from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-74","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nGood examples of safe places are a cardboard box, a cat carrier, and a\u00a0raised cat perch. There should be at least as many safe places, sized to\u00a0hold a single cat, as there are cats in a household. Safe places should be\u00a0located \u00a0away from each other, so that cats can choose to be on their own if they feel like it.<\/p>\n
\nThey include include food, water, litter box,\u00a0scratching posts, play areas, and resting\u00a0\/sleeping areas. These resources\u00a0should be separated from each other, so that cats have free access without\u00a0being challenged by other cats or other potential threats (like a dog!).<\/p>\n