Dogs are from Mars, Cats are from Venus - Maggie Roberts, Cats Protection

Dogs are from Mars – Cats are from Venus
Maggie Roberts BVM&S MRCVS
Director of Veterinary Services
Cats Protection
ICAWC 2009

What is this?

It’s a small dog!

What is this?

It’s not a small dog!

The differences between dogs and cats!
Dogs come when you call them. Cats take a message and get back to you when they are good and ready.
Dogs will give you unconditional love forever. Cats will make you pay for every mistake you’ve ever made since the day you were born.
Dogs will tilt their heads and listen whenever you talk. Cats will yawn and close their eyes.
Dogs will bring you your slippers or the evening newspaper. Cats might bring you a dead mouse.

The differences between dogs and cats!
Dogs will greet you and lick your face when you come home from work. Cats will be mad that you went to work at all.
Dogs will sit on the car seat next to you. Cats have to have their own private box or they will not go at all.
Dogs have owners, cats have staff.

Considerations in the shelter environment for any species
Evolutionary origin
Behaviour
Exercise and mental stimulation
Accommodation
Reproductive cycle
Diet
Disease and its prevention

Evolutionary origins - dogs
Descended from wolves and other wild dogs
Pack animals
Social species
Hierarchy
Hunt and scavenge
Been domesticated for 15-30,000 years
Huge variation in size, shape and use through domestication and selective breeding

Evolutionary origin - cats
Descended from the African Wildcat
Solitary hunter
Not social as not evolved to live in close proximity to other cats
Highly territorial
Been domesticated for approx 6,000 years
Have not changed much in shape and size since domestication

Behaviour - Dogs
Evolved to live in groups
Generally sociable and like company
Developed ways of communicating with others through facial expressions, stance and voice
Respond well to training

Behaviour - cats
Can live in groups of related females and young males
Tend to act independently
Generally stressed by the presence of strange cats
Communicate through smell
Do not have a wide range of facial expressions
Deal with conflict by hiding/fleeing/climbing if possible

Socialisation
Puppies
Sensitive period is between 3-12 weeks
Must be exposed to a variety of people, animals, sounds etc during this period to avoid being fearful of them later
Need interactive play
Even if socialised before 12 weeks can regress to fearfulness in the absence of social contact
Kittens
Sensitive period is between 2-7 weeks
Must be exposed to a variety of people, animals, sounds etc during this period to avoid being fearful of them later
If not handled during this period they are unlikely ever to become very sociable pets

Socialisation of kittens
Socialisation is very time-consuming and needs experienced, patient staff/volunteers.
Need to put kittens in kitten pen in a busy part of the shelter or property.
Feral kittens that are old enough (from 6 weeks) can be neutered and returned rather than socialised.

Exercise and mental stimulation - dogs
Can be taken for walks
Changes environment
Allows exercise
Can undergo training, agility etc
Need variety of toys and activities

Exercise and mental stimulation - cats
Generally restricted to the run or pen
Need to be encouraged to exercise and play
Need to exhibit hunting behaviour
Need to have something to scratch on
Need facilities on different levels for climbing, perching etc

Exercise

Stimulation

Toys – mimic prey through shape, texture and movement

Accommodation
Dogs
Happier with companions
Need adequate floor area but height not so important
Sound-proofing
Cats
Prefer to be on their own (or with a familiar cat)
Stressed by seeing other cats
Need places to hide, climb and perch

Cat pen design
Safe and secure – safety corridors
Adequate ventilation – 6 to 12 air changes/hr
Adequate temperature – Ideally 15-24  C
Smooth surfaces, non-porous surfaces
Solid (ideally opaque) barriers between cats – sneeze barriers

Cat pen design
Ease of cleaning/access cats
Ease of public viewing
Adequate space for cats to exercise
Ideally separate sleeping area and run
Food bowls and litter trays kept separately
Areas for cats to feel secure and hide
Areas to climb and
perch

Cat pen design

Reproductive cycle
Dog
Comes into season twice yearly
Easier to control whether bitch is mated
Some debate about risks of early neutering
Cat
Has many seasons in one year
Can have up to 3 litters a year
Difficult to avoid pregnancy if going outside and un-neutered

Cats are very good at reproducing!
One entire female can be responsible for the production of over 20,000 kittens in 5 years

Early Neutering
The key to neutering being effective at population control is to neuter before sexual maturity, particularly before a female’s first season
Studies show no increased surgical, anaesthetic or developmental risks with pre-pubertal neutering

Early neutering
Advantages of early neutering (pre-puberty) resulting in:
Fewer unwanted kittens
Fewer homed cats to follow up
Fewer cats presented for neutering being pregnant
Easier surgically due to less body fat and smaller blood vessels
Quicker recovery

Diet
Dogs
Originally predators and scavengers
Although generally considered carnivores are more omnivorous
Can survive on a vegetarian diet
Can tolerate prolonged fasting and can use body fat efficiently
Cats
Supreme predators
Obligate carnivores
Cannot survive on a vegetarian diet
Do not tolerate starvation well

NB If you want a vegetarian pet….
… get a rabbit!

Feline diet
Need higher levels of protein than dogs
MUST have a meat-based diet
Would eat 9 mice daily in the wild
When healthy, drink less than dogs as were desert animals
Require certain essential nutrients including taurine, arachidonic acid and pre-formed Vitamin A that are only available from animal sources
Can develop a fatal liver condition called hepatic lipidosis if not eating for a few days, especially if obese

Disease
Dogs
Show pain or illness more overtly
Show stress more overtly
When ill with infectious disease tend to get better or die
Carrier states less common
Cats
Hide pain very well
May not show overt signs of stress
With infectious disease, can often be symptomless carriers or recover but still shed the organism especially when stressed
Do not tolerate certain drugs such as NSAIDs as well as dogs

Feline infectious disease
Many diseases can have a carrier state e.g. FeLV, FIV, feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus
Stress tends to increase shedding of organisms and susceptibility
Disease is worse in overcrowded, poorly ventilated shelters

Controlling feline infectious disease
Avoid overcrowding
Keep cats singly where possible
Avoid cats sharing litter trays
Reduce stress
Use isolation
Barrier nursing
Stringent hygiene/disinfection regime
Stop the movement of cats in affected area
Vaccination
Screen for disease where possible

Common signs of stress
Dogs
Avoidance
Defensive aggression
Howling/barking
Pacing
Panting
Digging
Excessive activity
Elimination
Anorexia
Compulsive behaviour (tail chasing etc)
Cats
Avoidance
Hiding
Reduced activity/immobility
Climbing
Elimination/spraying
Reduction in maintenance behaviours (sleeping, grooming, eating, elimination etc)
Excessive grooming
Panting
Aggression

Avoiding stress in cats in shelters
Acute stress on arrival is helped by
Giving the cat somewhere to hide
Preventing the cats looking directly at other cats
Providing a regular and predictable routine
Having the same person deal with the cat each day
Chronic stress occurs after time and is helped by
Using different toys and active play
Using puzzle feeders and making them work for their food
Varying the routine with regard to people and timing

Thank You!
Cats were once worshipped as gods and they’ve never forgotten it!

Any questions?

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Dogs are from Mars, Cats are from Venus - Maggie Roberts, Cats Protection

by Dogs Trust

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