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How to Tell if Your Cat is Happy and Healthy

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cat

How to Tell if Your Cat is Happy and Healthy

Our feline companions are experts at subtle communication. As cat owners, it’s important to understand their behaviours and physical characteristics to ensure they are happy and healthy.

A content, well-cared-for cat displays certain signs that indicate their well-being. On the other hand, recognising signs of illness early on can make a significant difference in your cat’s health and longevity. This guide will help you identify key indicators of both a healthy and a sick cat.

Here are some common signs of a happy and healthy cat:

  • Bright and Clear Eyes: A happy cat will have bright, clear, and alert eyes, free from any discharge or irritation. This is a strong indicator of their overall well-being.
  • Healthy Coat: A content cat will have a clean, smooth, and shiny coat, free from dryness, flakes, or irritation. Regular grooming is a sign that your cat is feeling good physically and mentally.
  • Normal Appetite: Healthy cats will show interest in their food and maintain a regular eating schedule. A steady appetite and healthy weight are strong indicators of your cat’s well-being.
  • Playfulness: A happy cat will engage in play, chasing toys or interacting with family members. Playfulness shows your cat is both physically and mentally stimulated.
  • Content Purring: Purring while being stroked or relaxing is one of the most classic signs of a happy cat. It means they feel safe, secure, and content in their environment.
  • Kneading: Cats often knead soft surfaces with their paws—a comforting behaviour rooted in their kittenhood. If your cat is kneading, they are likely feeling relaxed and happy.
  • Social and Affectionate: A happy cat will seek affection and attention from their caregivers. Rubbing against your legs, sitting on your lap, or nuzzling are signs that they feel secure in your presence.
  • Normal Litter Tray Usage: A healthy cat will use the litter tray regularly without issues. Consistent litter tray habits are a key sign of good health.
  • Relaxed Body Language: A content cat will exhibit relaxed body language—lounging comfortably with a calm demeanour. Their tail might be held high or gently swaying.
  • Stress-Free Grooming: Cats are meticulous groomers. If they are happy, they’ll groom regularly without over-grooming, which can be a sign of stress or anxiety.
  • Vocalisation: A happy cat may meow softly or chirp, especially when greeting their owners or engaging in playful activities. These vocalisations show they are comfortable and engaged.
  • Curiosity and Exploration: Happy cats will explore their environment confidently. Their curiosity reflects their mental well-being and shows that they feel secure.
  • Stretched Out Posture: Cats often stretch their bodies fully after waking up. This relaxed posture indicates comfort and a sense of security in their surroundings.

Recognising a Sick Cat and When to Seek Help:

While cats often hide their discomfort, there are several warning signs that indicate a potential health problem. Pay close attention to changes in behaviour, as early intervention is key to a positive outcome.

Here are common signs that your cat might be feeling unwell:

  • Changes in Eating Habits: A loss of appetite, or refusal to eat, can be an early sign of illness. Any drastic change in eating habits warrants attention.
  • Lethargy: If your usually active cat becomes uncharacteristically tired or sleeps much more than usual, this could be a sign that something is wrong.
  • Vomiting or Diarrhoea: Persistent vomiting or diarrhoea can indicate various health issues and may lead to dehydration. Seek veterinary attention if this occurs frequently.
  • Weight Loss or Gain: Sudden changes in weight, without changes in diet or activity level, are often signs of underlying health issues.
  • Changes in Drinking Habits: Increased thirst or a noticeable decrease in water intake could point to health issues such as kidney disease or diabetes.
  • Changes in Grooming Habits: If your cat stops grooming or starts over-grooming to the point of bald patches, it could indicate stress, skin conditions, or other medical issues.
    Breathing Difficulties: Laboured, rapid, or open-mouthed breathing is a serious sign that requires immediate veterinary attention.
  • Coughing or Sneezing: Persistent coughing or sneezing, along with nasal or eye discharge, may indicate respiratory infections or allergies.
  • Urinary Issues: Difficulty urinating, frequent urination, blood in the urine, or urinating outside the litter tray are signs of possible urinary tract infections or blockages.
  • Fever: Warm ears, a dry nose, or a body temperature above normal can signal a fever, which may be due to an infection.
  • Hiding or Withdrawal: Cats often isolate themselves when they feel unwell. If your cat is suddenly hiding or withdrawing from their usual activities, it could be a sign they are sick.
  • Unusual Vocalisations: Changes in vocal behaviour, such as excessive meowing, growling, or howling, could indicate distress or pain.
  • Swollen or Painful Areas: Any signs of swelling, pain, or discomfort in specific areas of your cat’s body should be checked by a vet.
  • Dull Coat: A change in coat condition, such as excessive shedding, dandruff, redness, or sores, may indicate a health problem.
  • Bad Breath: Foul-smelling breath can be a sign of dental issues or other underlying health concerns.

cat

Being able to identify the signs of both happiness and illness in your cat is crucial for their well-being.

Regular check-ups and close attention to changes in your cat’s behaviour will ensure they lead a long, happy life by your side.

Source: Cape of Good Hope

Cat Ear Emotions: How Cat Ears Move With Their Mood

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Ear

Cat Ear Emotions: How Cat Ears Move With Their Mood

Cats are expressive creatures who use verbal and nonverbal language to communicate with their pet parents. Learning how to interpret your feline friend’s behaviour will reveal a lot about their cat ear emotions and the important role ears play in conveying information.

Just as cat tail language reveals what a cat is thinking and feeling, cat ears move with emotion, too. “Like a sophisticated satellite dish turning to pick up a signal, the cat’s external ear, or pinna, rotates up to 180 degrees to locate and identify even the faintest of squeaks, peeps or rustling noises,” said Animal Planet.

With close observation, you’ll notice a pattern of various cat ear emotions revealed by even the subtlest gesture.

Neutral
When a cat’s just being a cat, their ears are facing forward in what’s called the neutral position. Neutral ears indicate that a cat is feeling happy and relaxed and wants to chill out. When your cat’s ears are in neutral, it’s a great time to take advantage of their friendly mood, so now’s the time to carefully pick up that cat and get your snuggles!

Straight Up and Forward
A cat will move its ears into this alert position when they want to pay closer attention to what’s going on around them. Your cat wants to know, “What’s that noise? Who’s there? What’s going on?” Sometimes, their ears are even facing different directions! Cats who are inclined to patrol their home exhibit this ear position and make great guard cats. In addition to “confident, curious cats,” pointed out PAWS Chicago, “a cat who is hunting or playing will also keep [their] ears forward to collect as much auditory information as possible to execute a successful pounce.” Are your cat’s ears pointed up? Engage them in some fun.

Ear

Twitching
A cat whose ears rotate with quick, sudden movements is a cat who is on a mission. As an extension to the “straight up and forward” move, a cat will move their ears back and forth (and shake their backside) when they’re ready to execute the attack. This is another great opportunity to indulge your cat’s hunting instincts, being sure to direct their attention to toys and not your feet. If your cat twitches frequently and paws at their ears, contact your veterinarian to rule out ear mites or other underlying health problems.

Low and Sideways
If your cat’s ears are flattened against their head in “airplane mode” — as if they’re about to take off in flight — it means that they’re frightened or nervous, and it could lead to aggressive behaviour. When a cat’s ears are in this position, the cat is telling you that they’re uncomfortable and need some space. Your cat may hide in their favourite spot until they’re feeling more secure, so it’s important to respect their bubble and their privacy.

Low and Facing Out
In this position, a cat may be signalling that they’re not feeling well, said Best Friends Animal Society. Cats are experts at hiding an illness, but this ear position helps to identify if they’re under the weather. If you suspect that your cat isn’t feeling so hot, pay close attention to other possible signs of illness, including observation of their eyes and tail, and share your concerns with your veterinarian.

Ear

Low and Flat
There is no doubt about which cat ear emotions are associated with this position. Basically, it translates to “step off” and is indicative of potential aggressive behaviour to come, including biting or scratching. In multiple cat households, you may see this when cats are tussling. If it happens, keep an eye on the cats and discourage aggressive play. It’s in the best interest of humans to walk away from a cat when their ears are in this position, or you could risk getting injured.

When it comes to understanding a cat’s body language, the ears have it. Cat ears move with emotion and purpose, opening up the lines of communication between you and your furry friend.

Source: Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Horses have amazing healing powers

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horses

Horses have amazing healing powers

You may be able to fool yourself, but you cannot fool a horse.

“Horses change lives. They give our young people confidence and self-esteem. They provide peace and tranquillity to troubled souls, they give us hope.” – Toni Robinson.

For decades now, horses have been included in therapy, but what is it about horses that helps people heal?

Horses have been used in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) since the early 1970s. Horses are highly attuned to emotional energies and can sense what we’re feeling – sometimes even more acutely than we do.

Humans have become quite adept at hiding their true feelings from each other – sometimes, even themselves. But we cannot fool a horse. Horses can sense our deepest emotions and mirror them back to us, often showing us what we have been avoiding.

Obviously, getting to this level of trust with an animal takes time, but that is part of the healing, empowering process. 

Beneficial to children

horses

Equine therapy has proved of tremendous benefit to children with ADHD, autism, eating disorders, depression and anxiety, as well as those suffering abuse.

The many ways of interacting with a horse – from offering it carrots and apples, feeding, grooming, and cleaning up after it to leading it around on a long line, saddling up and riding it help to develop children’s self-awareness over time.

In communicating with a horse, they learn patience, attention, compassion, and responsibility, leading to a greater understanding of themselves and others.

Source: JHB SPCA

Deciphering your cat’s ear language

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Cat

Deciphering your cat’s ear language

Cat Ear Emotions: How Cat Ears Move With Their Mood

Cats are expressive creatures who use verbal and nonverbal language to communicate with their pet parents. Learning how to interpret your feline friend’s behaviour will reveal a lot about their cat ear emotions and the important role ears play in conveying information.

Just as cat tail language reveals what a cat is thinking and feeling, cat ears move with emotion, too. “Like a sophisticated satellite dish turning to pick up a signal, the cat’s external ear, or pinna, rotates up to 180 degrees to locate and identify even the faintest of squeaks, peeps or rustling noises,” said Animal Planet.

With close observation, you’ll notice a pattern of various cat ear emotions revealed by even the subtlest gesture.

Neutral

When a cat’s just being a cat, their ears are facing forward in what’s called the neutral position. Neutral ears indicate that a cat is feeling happy and relaxed and wants to chill out. When your cat’s ears are in neutral, it’s a great time to take advantage of their friendly mood, so now’s the time to carefully pick up that cat and get your snuggles!

Cat

Straight Up and Forward

A cat will move its ears into this alert position when they want to pay closer attention to what’s going on around them. Your cat wants to know, “What’s that noise? Who’s there? What’s going on?” Sometimes, their ears are even facing different directions! Cats who are inclined to patrol their home exhibit this ear position and make great guard cats. In addition to “confident, curious cats,” pointed out PAWS Chicago, “a cat who is hunting or playing will also keep [their] ears forward to collect as much auditory information as possible to execute a successful pounce.” Are your cat’s ears pointed up? Engage them in some fun.

Twitching

A cat whose ears rotate with quick, sudden movements is a cat who is on a mission. As an extension to the “straight up and forward” move, a cat will move their ears back and forth (and shake their backside) when they’re ready to execute the attack. This is another great opportunity to indulge your cat’s hunting instincts, being sure to direct their attention to toys and not your feet. If your cat twitches frequently and paws at their ears, contact your veterinarian to rule out ear mites or other underlying health problems.

Low and Sideways

If your cat’s ears are flattened against their head in “airplane mode” — as if they’re about to take off in flight — it means that they’re frightened or nervous, and it could lead to aggressive behaviour. When a cat’s ears are in this position, the cat is telling you that they’re uncomfortable and need some space. Your cat may hide in their favourite spot until they’re feeling more secure, so it’s important to respect their bubble and their privacy.

Low and Facing Out

In this position, a cat may be signalling that they’re not feeling well, said Best Friends Animal Society. Cats are experts at hiding an illness, but this ear position helps to identify if they’re under the weather. If you suspect that your cat isn’t feeling so hot, pay close attention to other possible signs of illness, including observation of their eyes and tail, and share your concerns with your veterinarian.

Cat

Low and Flat

There is no doubt about which cat ear emotions are associated with this position. Basically, it translates to “step off” and is indicative of potential aggressive behaviour to come, including biting or scratching. In multiple cat households, you may see this when cats are tussling. If it happens, keep an eye on the cats and discourage aggressive play. It’s in the best interest of humans to walk away from a cat when their ears are in this position, or you could risk getting injured.

When it comes to understanding a cat’s body language, the ears have it. Cat ears move with emotion and purpose, opening up the lines of communication between you and your furry friend.

Source: Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Why you shouldn’t give your birds attention when they scream

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bird

Why you shouldn’t give your birds attention when they scream

One of the most common reasons for parrots being surrendered is their screaming.

It is important to understand the reasons why your parrot is screaming and how to handle each scenario. Listen closely to your parrot and you’ll quickly realize that their screaming is due to either being bored, seeking attention, being injured, stressed, not feeling well or an expression of joy.

We unintentionally teach our parrots to scream when we pay attention to their screaming bouts. Research shows that if we want this behaviour to continue then we need to pay attention to it. We fail at trying to control the situation by yelling back at the parrot or by running to them every time they scream. We are positively reinforcing their bad behaviour by going to parrots and giving them the attention, they are demanding. Birds are very clever, they quickly learn that screaming will lead to attention, in this way they are training their owners instead of the other way around.

Yelling at your parrot when they are screaming, isn’t helping you at all. In the wild parrots ‘scream’ to locate each other or to communicate with each other about food, predators and they also ‘chat’ at dusk (flock calling). So, if you think they will respond to your yelling by being quiet you are mistaken, all you are doing is reinforcing their screaming as they take that that you are busy having a conversation with him/her. They see it as bonding time!

So, what can I do to decrease my parrot’s screaming bouts? One way is by rewarding them when they are playing by themselves and being quiet. The best way to respond to screaming is to ignore the screaming and positively reinforce quiet behaviour by paying attention to them during the times when they are playing quietly. After a while, they will notice that screaming does not accomplish the same response from you, and that quiet behaviour leads to the attention they desire. Rewarding positive behaviour is acceptable and ignoring unacceptable behaviour is the best way to deal with problem behaviours in parrots.

Written by: Marianka Meiring
Source: Cheeky Beaks

Want to bond with your pet? Try ‘dog-speak’

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Image: Pixabay

Adopting a baby-like tone when talking to a dog can help owners bond with their pets, scientists have found.

Most owners can be found changing their voice when talking to their pets, often mirroring the same exaggerated high-pitched sounds that parents use with their children.

Now scientists at the University of York have found that so-called ‘dog speak’ is important for helping owners bond with their animals.

Dr Katie Slocombe from the University of York’s Department of Psychology said: “This high-pitched rhythmic speech is common in human interactions with dogs in western cultures, but there isn’t a great deal known about whether it benefits a dog in the same way that it does a baby.”

Researchers carried out a series of speech tests with adult dogs, where they were given the chance to listen to one person using dog-directed speech containing phrases such as ‘you’re a good dog’, and ‘shall we go for a walk?’, and then another person using adult-directed speech with no dog-related content, such as ‘I went to the cinema last night.’

Attention during the speech was measured, and following the speech, the dogs were allowed to choose which speaker they wanted to physically interact with.

The team found that dogs not only paid more attention to ‘dog speak’, but were motivated to spend more time with the person who had spoken to them in that way.

Alex Benjamin, PhD student from the University’s Department of Psychology, said: “We found that adult dogs were more likely to want to interact and spend time with the speaker that used dog-directed speech with dog-related content, than they did those that used adult-directed speech with no dog-related content.

“When we mixed-up the two types of speech and content, the dogs showed no preference for one speaker over the other. This suggests that adult dogs need to hear dog-relevant words spoken in a high-pitched emotional voice in order to find it relevant.

“We hope this research will be useful for pet owners interacting with their dogs, and also for veterinary professionals and rescue workers.

“We wanted to look at this question and see whether social bonding between animals and humans was influenced by the type and content of the communication.”

The research was published in the journal Animal Cognition.

Source: The Telegraph

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