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Understanding Behavior for Successful Grooming
I believe the most important skill needed for successful cat grooming is a solid understanding of feline behavior. By recognizing their unique needs and creating an environment suited for them, the stress-level for the cat and groomer can be significantly reduced.
Cats thrive on familiarity with routine, environment, human/animal contact, sounds and smell. When exposed to variances with any or all of these stimuli, many cats will have a tendency towards Fight or Flight. A cat needs to feel a sense of control for confidence, calmness and cooperation. They prefer high places to perch which gives them a sense of security and authority over their domain. Cats are extremely frightened by noise and can potentially react in a violent way including flailing, scrambling, clawing, biting and/or jumping when exposed to new sounds, particularly loud, abrupt noises.
Cats are incredibly sensitive to energy, all energy be it positive, negative, calm, assertive, aggressive, frustrated. To create the purr-fect environment, the following should be considered. A dog-free zone in a small room. Minimal distractions including outside activites and interruptions. Soft, calming background music. Minimal ledges, countertops and shelving. Quality lighting with mirrors. Tools readily available. A towel handy so the cat can hide under it if desired. Placing the table in a corner to limit the opportunity for escape. Some cats are highly food motivated. If the owner permits, offering treats throughout the groom during acclimation may accelerate the cat's acceptance of the entire process. As a consistent treat at the end of every groom, many cats will anticipate this positive offer. About 80% of cats have a fondness for catnip. The effect is usually relatively short, lasting for only a few minutes. After two hours or less, susceptible cats gain interest again. A few cats may become aggressive on catnip, so this should be given after the groom.
Cats are contant communicators utilizing body language, scent, vocalization and energy transference. They utilize a complex combination of multiple subtle and obvious visual signs to relay a mesage and to avoid or end a physical confrontation. To accurately read cat body language look at the whole body including the face, posture and tail & whisker position. The groomer's body language is equally important for success and must always be non-threatening. Avoid prolonged eye contact with a cat. Slowly blinking while gazing into space above the cat while yawning may help a cat to relax.
What are their eyes are telling us? Dilated pupils indicate the cat is stressed, scared, nervous, tense, apprehensive and/or defensive with a flight versus fight attitude. Narrowed pupils indicated offensiveness, aggression and a fight versus flight attitude. When the eyes are diverted, the cat is timid and looking for an escape route. Prolonged direct eye contact by a cat means a Challenge! Slightly closed eyes indicate a calm, relaxed cat.
The ears are controlled by 32 muscles and a cat can swivel its ears 180 degress and move them up and down. When the ears are up and forward, panning around, the cat is alert and curious. If the ears are facing forward, but tilted slightly back, the cat is content and relaxed. Slightly tilted back means the cat is unsure. If one ear is flattened, the cat is ambivalent, often shifting the ear as it ponders its situation and/or surroundings. Positioned back and slightly flat indicates stress. Watch out when the ears are flat back against the head as this is a sign of possible aggression.
Almost 10% of a cat's bones are in its tail. The domestic cat is the only species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. The tail is used to maintain balance in addition to expressing emotions. A motionless tail says the cat is calm. When slowly swaying, the cat is contemplative. If the tip of the tail is twitching, the cat is excited. But when the tail is lashing, the cat is frustrated and/or angry. Always allow the cat to move its tail as needed. It's a release for the negative energy the cat may be experiencing.
Posturing is an obvious display of a cat's emotional state. If a cat is frightened, the hair stands up fairly evenly all over the body, but when the cat is threatened or ready to attack, the hair stands up only in a narrow band along the spine and tail. Defensive aggression is displayed by crouching with the legs pulled in under the body, laying the ears back, tucking the tail and rolling slightly to the side. The "Halloween" posture will likely signal an impending attack. A frightened cat may alternate between watching your moves and looking for an escape route.
Vocalization is a key indicator of the mood, temperament and tolerance of the cat (and the groomer!). Tone of voice means a lot. Both cats and people use a slightly raised tone of voice to indicate friendliness while a lowered tone of voice indicates displeasure. Talking to the cat and using the cat's name often is important in establishing a positive connection. But note if the cat responds best when you speak or when you are silent and respect it's preference.
Some physical facts:
The normal heart rate for a cat is 140-220 beats per minute (2x that of a human). Normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Farenheit. Respiratory rate varies from 30 breaths per minute (in a sleeping cat) up to 100+ (in an agitated or injured cat). Their skeleton is comprised of 244 bones on average, with a range of 230-250.
Cats have a visionary field of approximately 200 degrees compared to 180 in humans. Their hearing range reaches 1.5 octaves above a human's range and one octave above a dog. Their sense of smell is fourteen times superior to a human's with twice the number of smell-sensitive cells in their noses. In addition, they have a scent organ in the roof of their mouth commonly referred to as the Jacobson's Organ. Cats possess numerous touch receptors including the whiskers, paw pads, skin & coat. Whiskers, or vibrissae, are used to assist the cat with navigation and sensation. On average there are twenty-four movable whiskers in four rows on each upper lip on both sides of the nose, a few on the cheeks, above the eyes, on the chin, the inner wrists and the back of the legs. Loaded with nerve endings, these whiskers provide an enourmous amount of information about the environment.
The teeth are highly specialized and the "fangs", or carnassial pairs, effectively shear meat. The tongue has small, sharp, backward-facing hooks called papillae. There are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the back of a cat and about 120,000 per square inch on its underside. The coat consists of three types of hairs: 1. Primary, or guard hairs, are the thickest and are straight and taper evenly to a fine tip 2. Awn, or secondary, hairs are thinner and possess swelling below the hair tip 3. Down hairs, also a type of secondary hair, are the thinnest hairs and are envenly crimped or undulated.
Some interesting facts:
The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wild Cat. In 1987, cats overtook dogs as the number one pet in America. A cat's brain is more similar to a man's brain than that of a dog. A domestic cat can sprint at about 31 miles oer hour. Cats lack a true collarbone and can generally squeeze their bodies through any space they can get their head through. Cats lick people as a sign of affection. If your cat is near you and her tail is quivering, it's the greatest expression of love your cat can give you.
Cats are quite amazing!!! While this is simply an overview of cat behavior and physical attributes, I hope you'll find this information interesting and useful. Cat grooming is not the same as dog grooming, not even close. While you may use many of the same products and tools with cats as dogs, the handling & restraint techniques and environment are totally unique to their specific needs.
Purrs, love and happy cat grooming to all!!!!
Stacey
Cats thrive on familiarity with routine, environment, human/animal contact, sounds and smell. When exposed to variances with any or all of these stimuli, many cats will have a tendency towards Fight or Flight. A cat needs to feel a sense of control for confidence, calmness and cooperation. They prefer high places to perch which gives them a sense of security and authority over their domain. Cats are extremely frightened by noise and can potentially react in a violent way including flailing, scrambling, clawing, biting and/or jumping when exposed to new sounds, particularly loud, abrupt noises.
Cats are incredibly sensitive to energy, all energy be it positive, negative, calm, assertive, aggressive, frustrated. To create the purr-fect environment, the following should be considered. A dog-free zone in a small room. Minimal distractions including outside activites and interruptions. Soft, calming background music. Minimal ledges, countertops and shelving. Quality lighting with mirrors. Tools readily available. A towel handy so the cat can hide under it if desired. Placing the table in a corner to limit the opportunity for escape. Some cats are highly food motivated. If the owner permits, offering treats throughout the groom during acclimation may accelerate the cat's acceptance of the entire process. As a consistent treat at the end of every groom, many cats will anticipate this positive offer. About 80% of cats have a fondness for catnip. The effect is usually relatively short, lasting for only a few minutes. After two hours or less, susceptible cats gain interest again. A few cats may become aggressive on catnip, so this should be given after the groom.
Cats are contant communicators utilizing body language, scent, vocalization and energy transference. They utilize a complex combination of multiple subtle and obvious visual signs to relay a mesage and to avoid or end a physical confrontation. To accurately read cat body language look at the whole body including the face, posture and tail & whisker position. The groomer's body language is equally important for success and must always be non-threatening. Avoid prolonged eye contact with a cat. Slowly blinking while gazing into space above the cat while yawning may help a cat to relax.
What are their eyes are telling us? Dilated pupils indicate the cat is stressed, scared, nervous, tense, apprehensive and/or defensive with a flight versus fight attitude. Narrowed pupils indicated offensiveness, aggression and a fight versus flight attitude. When the eyes are diverted, the cat is timid and looking for an escape route. Prolonged direct eye contact by a cat means a Challenge! Slightly closed eyes indicate a calm, relaxed cat.
The ears are controlled by 32 muscles and a cat can swivel its ears 180 degress and move them up and down. When the ears are up and forward, panning around, the cat is alert and curious. If the ears are facing forward, but tilted slightly back, the cat is content and relaxed. Slightly tilted back means the cat is unsure. If one ear is flattened, the cat is ambivalent, often shifting the ear as it ponders its situation and/or surroundings. Positioned back and slightly flat indicates stress. Watch out when the ears are flat back against the head as this is a sign of possible aggression.
Almost 10% of a cat's bones are in its tail. The domestic cat is the only species able to hold its tail vertically while walking. The tail is used to maintain balance in addition to expressing emotions. A motionless tail says the cat is calm. When slowly swaying, the cat is contemplative. If the tip of the tail is twitching, the cat is excited. But when the tail is lashing, the cat is frustrated and/or angry. Always allow the cat to move its tail as needed. It's a release for the negative energy the cat may be experiencing.
Posturing is an obvious display of a cat's emotional state. If a cat is frightened, the hair stands up fairly evenly all over the body, but when the cat is threatened or ready to attack, the hair stands up only in a narrow band along the spine and tail. Defensive aggression is displayed by crouching with the legs pulled in under the body, laying the ears back, tucking the tail and rolling slightly to the side. The "Halloween" posture will likely signal an impending attack. A frightened cat may alternate between watching your moves and looking for an escape route.
Vocalization is a key indicator of the mood, temperament and tolerance of the cat (and the groomer!). Tone of voice means a lot. Both cats and people use a slightly raised tone of voice to indicate friendliness while a lowered tone of voice indicates displeasure. Talking to the cat and using the cat's name often is important in establishing a positive connection. But note if the cat responds best when you speak or when you are silent and respect it's preference.
Some physical facts:
The normal heart rate for a cat is 140-220 beats per minute (2x that of a human). Normal body temperature is 100.5 to 102.5 degrees Farenheit. Respiratory rate varies from 30 breaths per minute (in a sleeping cat) up to 100+ (in an agitated or injured cat). Their skeleton is comprised of 244 bones on average, with a range of 230-250.
Cats have a visionary field of approximately 200 degrees compared to 180 in humans. Their hearing range reaches 1.5 octaves above a human's range and one octave above a dog. Their sense of smell is fourteen times superior to a human's with twice the number of smell-sensitive cells in their noses. In addition, they have a scent organ in the roof of their mouth commonly referred to as the Jacobson's Organ. Cats possess numerous touch receptors including the whiskers, paw pads, skin & coat. Whiskers, or vibrissae, are used to assist the cat with navigation and sensation. On average there are twenty-four movable whiskers in four rows on each upper lip on both sides of the nose, a few on the cheeks, above the eyes, on the chin, the inner wrists and the back of the legs. Loaded with nerve endings, these whiskers provide an enourmous amount of information about the environment.
The teeth are highly specialized and the "fangs", or carnassial pairs, effectively shear meat. The tongue has small, sharp, backward-facing hooks called papillae. There are approximately 60,000 hairs per square inch on the back of a cat and about 120,000 per square inch on its underside. The coat consists of three types of hairs: 1. Primary, or guard hairs, are the thickest and are straight and taper evenly to a fine tip 2. Awn, or secondary, hairs are thinner and possess swelling below the hair tip 3. Down hairs, also a type of secondary hair, are the thinnest hairs and are envenly crimped or undulated.
Some interesting facts:
The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wild Cat. In 1987, cats overtook dogs as the number one pet in America. A cat's brain is more similar to a man's brain than that of a dog. A domestic cat can sprint at about 31 miles oer hour. Cats lack a true collarbone and can generally squeeze their bodies through any space they can get their head through. Cats lick people as a sign of affection. If your cat is near you and her tail is quivering, it's the greatest expression of love your cat can give you.
Cats are quite amazing!!! While this is simply an overview of cat behavior and physical attributes, I hope you'll find this information interesting and useful. Cat grooming is not the same as dog grooming, not even close. While you may use many of the same products and tools with cats as dogs, the handling & restraint techniques and environment are totally unique to their specific needs.
Purrs, love and happy cat grooming to all!!!!
Stacey
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