The Secret Life of Cats

T H E S E C R E T L I F E O F C AT S

In comparison with the young cat of six to eighteen months old,
or even the adult up to the age of eight, old cats present very few
behaviour problems indeed. The sagacity of age that old people
usually acquire through a lifetime of experience applies perhaps
even more to the older cat. It has learned how to behave in the
human den, when to be part of the social scene and when not, how
to let everyone know what it wants, when it wants it, and how to
occupy the best spot for snoozing where it won’t be disturbed or get
into anyone’s way. In fact, the older cat gets easier to look after as
time goes on. Behaviour problems as such are far more likely to
arise as signs of illness of the body ‘wearing out’ or just through the
cat’s greater need for company and reassurance. Behaviour
problems in young or adult cats stem from inabilities to learn
about house-training, or recover from training breakdowns caused
by nervousness or conflicts with other cats. They may spray urine,
defecate openly or scratch marks on furniture or walls around the
house. These are all signs that they are under social threat from
the presence of other cats indoors or out, or, most commonly,
because they perceive their den to be under some irresolvable
challenge because someone has moved the furniture, or had a
friend or dogs to stay. Most upset can be caused when the security
of the home has been destroyed by installing a cat-flap in the door,
so the cat’s bed, food bowl and owner’s lap are suddenly available
to all its rivals.

Without doubt, the most common behaviour problem in older
cats is that of the nocturnal yeller. Many owners will report that
their cat stared to call out to them for attention and affection since
it became an older member of the feline community – and many
such calls occur at night. Owners find themselves woken in the
night by plaintive cries from their pet. On the first occasion, they
leap out of bed to see what has upset their much-loved cat – a

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sudden illness or afflictions of age. When they find the cat,
however, it is often just outside the bedroom door or pacing around
downstairs, but looking the same picture of elderly health as it did
at teatime.

Usually, owners find that the cat is not in any physical distress
at all, and does not even seem to want anything in particular,
such as to be fed or let out. Once they have stroked it and asked
it what the matter is in a concerned voice, it settles down quietly
and goes back to sleep. All it wanted was a little physical
reassurance and protection in the lonely silence of the night and
to be ‘tucked in’ again.

However, for the cat, two major events have occurred. First, the
ageing animal has conceded to itself that, after years of being
independent and perhaps rather aloof, even shunning attention
from its owners when it wanted solitude, the time has come when it
values their presence. Through feeling lonely or a little insecure, the
older cat has now accepted that some of that warm human contact
could make everything right. If it can get its owners to be present,
the cat can leave all vital decision-making to them for a while.

The second major event to notice is that the clever cat has now
trained its owners, in true Pavlovian style and with all the skill of
a champion dog handler, to respond to its demands. It has realised
that, with one pitiful cry, its owners will leap to its side at any time
of the day, but especially at night, to supply heaps of reassuring
comfort. So, facing up to making a major decision – such as ‘shall I
lie next to the radiator or in my favourite sun spot?’ – it will utter
the same cry. Now the clever cat is assured that its owners will
come and help it make up its mind by finding the most comfortable
bed or offering the better option of a good cuddle and then being
put where it will be most content.

Age brings its own rewards for the cat, especially once it has

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learned how to use its voice to full effect, when it can no longer
physically attract its owners’ attention by either jumping on them
or rubbing around their legs. As for the night-time problem, some
owners place the cat basket next to the bed and deal with waking
without having to get out from the warm covers. Others have used
a baby communicator and talked to the cat over the intercom when
it wakes; others leave on a radio or get a heated pad for the cat to
sleep on – better than doing what one lady did every night which
was to get up and replace the water in the cat’s hot water bottle
when it called her! Others, realising there is nothing physically
wrong with the cat, have closed their ears, put their heads under
the pillows and tried to hold out so that the cat does not learn to
do this every night by being rewarded by their presence – they will
tell you, however, just how persistent cats can be!

A cat’s behaviour pattern varies according to the seasons, the
weather, weekends or family activity. It will also vary according
to whether food is provided in distinct meals or, as is the case
with many dry diets, permanently on offer for free-choice
feeding. As the pet gets older, it will tend to sleep more at those
times when it would have been out hunting and generally co-
ordinate its time in the home with the presence of the owners.
Even if it doesn’t interact socially with them as much as it used
to, the important thing is that they are there, providing security
and available for social contact if the older cat feels the need for
some affection. The older the animal becomes, the more likely it
is that it will look for its owners when disturbed or startled, or if
it simply wakes up and finds itself alone, which after all, is most
likely to occur at night.

So, if your old cat suddenly becomes a nocturnal yeller, and
disturbs your sleep, it may be time to let it sleep in the bedroom and
derive comfort from your immediate presence if it happens to wake

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in the night. But if you don’t want to do this, try to ignore the cries
for a while. If you get up, remember that you are simply rewarding
the cat’s lack of confidence and ensuring that it can rely on you
even when there is no real need. The longer the cries fail to pay off,
the longer the cat will perhaps stay confident and independent and
you will get a decent night’s sleep again.

Z • ZOONOSES

Zoonoses is the scientific name given to diseases that can be passed
from animals to humans. A few potential owners may be put off
having a cat or enjoying a close physical relationship with it
because of worries about disease. In fact, there is very little to worry
about. Rabies is a potential horror, but one we do not have to
consider in the UK. Worms can be caught from cat faeces, but the
problem can easily be dealt with by worming the cat regularly.
Ringworm is not actually a worm but a fungal skin condition which
can be caught from many animals, not just cats, and can be treated
successfully. It is not common among pet cats but may be present
in colonies of feral or farm cats.

Toxoplasmosis is a less visible problem. It is caused by a tiny
organism which can be excreted in the cat’s faeces. Affected cats
show little or no sign of infection and most people who become
infected suffer flu-like symptoms at worst. In fact, the organism is
more likely to be contracted by eating uncooked or partially cooked
meat than from contact with cats. Pregnant women should be
especially careful to wash their hands after cleaning the litter tray,
as the disease is a risk to the unborn baby. There is really negligible
risk of catching diseases from our cats if we keep them wormed and
undertake the usual hygiene precautions. The health benefits of

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pet-keeping are well known, and the small risk of catching a disease
is far outweighed by the years of fun and companionship a cat will
undoubtedly bring.
For reliable advice on almost anything cat. go to www.fabcats.org.

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