IS YOUR CAT BRAIN DEAD? By Steve Dale Grandpa said if you don't use it, you lose it. Millions of our purring pals are brain dead - they've lost it upstairs, while at the same time they've gained it around the middle. And their owners have no idea - because that's how we expect cats to be. It's great that more people are restricting their cats to life indoors. Cats who wander free outdoors get hit by cars (the number one cause of death for outdoor cats), they're exposed to infectious diseases, and they're prone to fights with other cats, dogs and wildlife. Cats who are mostly outdoors don't live anywhere near as long as indoor cats. Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, director of the behavior clinic at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine - North Grafton, MA concedes "The truth is life may be more exhilarating for cats allowed outdoors. However, as a veterinarian, it's my job to encourage safety and good health. Cats should be indoors. The problem is indoor life can be downright boring, or worse." Veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall says for millions of indoor cats is worse - they're "clinically depressed." These couch potato cats robotically move from the sofa to the food dish - and if their owners' are lucky - to the litter box. Estimates from scientific studies indicate anywhere from about one-quarter to one-half of all indoor cats are overweight. Overall says overweight cats are prone to various diseases. However, she's equally concerned about the mental fitness of chubby kitties. While, intelligence is difficult for scientists to define, experts agree cats and dogs are in more or less about the same class. "We'd call it abuse
to allow millions of dogs to vegetate, yet, as a society we're content
when our cats do just that," says Pam Johnson-Bennett, author of A 74-year old infirmed woman living on the 42nd floor of a Manhattan high rise has a Chihuahua named Chiquita. The petite pooch is litter box trained, so she hardly goes outdoors. Chiquita's owner beams with pride as she rolls over, barks on command and "shakes paws." Visitor would have no idea that she has a cat, until she literally hauls her big guy out from under the bed. "People think cats are naturally anti-social, and that's just not true," says Overall. "It's not that we don't love our cats, it's that our expectations of cats are based on mistaken notions." Karen Thomas is an animal trainer for Friskies. She travels around the country with movie and TV-star cats demonstrating they can be trained to open doors, wave at the crowd and even walk a high wire (well, not all that high). "People don't think about training cats because cats don't have to interact in the real world as dogs do," she says. "But I guarantee cats are just as trainable as dogs, you just do it differently." "Crowds are just amazed,"
adds Thomas. She concedes most people wouldn't be quite as amazed if dogs
were performing. The question she gets most often: Why the heck bother
training cats in the first place?' "The bond you have with your cat will
forever be changed, your cat will learn how to learn, and you'll learn
that cats can learn - despite everything you've ever thought about cats."
says biologist Karen Pryor, who is credited with pioneering the technique
of clicker training for dogs. She's authored "Training (cats) is good for their brains," Pryor adds. "Cats who learn some, tend to crave more. They enjoy learning, they enjoy the attention from their owners. Clicker trained cats often come up to their owners and do the craziest most creative things - attempting to get their people to click that clicker, not only for the food treat but for the attention, and sometimes I believe just because they're having fun. This is not how we think about cats. That's the difference training can make." Thomas says shy and insecure kitties get a jolt of confidence by being trained. Also, if cats are busy "hunting" indoors or busy learning, they're not getting to trouble climbing your blinds or ripping through the draperies. Here are some ideas for getting your cat off you're the couch: · -Play with your cat. Johnson-Bennett says, "Use an interactive toy, and pretend that it's a real meal - like a bug (Cat Dancer toy), a bird (fishing pole toy with feathers) or a snake (a Cat Charmer toy). All cats live to be hunters." · -Further activate your cat's prey drive. Feed your cat using Play 'N Treat balls, little plastic balls that you teach your cat to roll around. These balls each have a hole that allows kibble to fall out when the cat bats at them. Eventually, hide these balls around the house so your cat will "hunt" for its meals. · -Allow your cat outside, but only in protected safety. Using mesh and plywood, build your own "cat run" or purchase a do-it-yourself kit available where pet supplies are sold, on the Internet and at home improvement stores. · -Get your cat a
pet. Dodman, author of · -Overall says cats enjoy companionship of another cat, a dog or even a large parrot. (Just be sure to gradually and carefully introduce any new pet to the household). · -Johnson-Bennett says, "It's important to remember not all cats enjoy the same games or the same toys," Some cats can make a half hour game of a plastic milk carton bottle cap, others can care less," she says. Also, rotate the toys - cats get bored easily." · -Provide a ledge with a view. Watching an outdoor bird feeder is like live theater for cats.
### (Steve Dale spoke in 2001 at the Western States Veterinary Conference on making indoor life more interesting for cats)
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